There are so many great vacation spots within driving distance from New Jersey. We take a long road trip every year and now that we are into the toddler years, it has become more important than ever to have unique and fun things to do in the car or while flying. But, there is one magic item that never fails, whether in the car or on a plane -- the iPad! Besides being able to watch movies and shows, the one thing that can keep things fresh is having some new apps on there for your little one to discover while on the move to your final destination. From educational to just downright fun; here's a list of some of the best apps for toddlers -- don't forget to download them before your vacation!

In the words of Paul Simon, “…it's all happening at the zoo. I do believe it, I do believe its true…” And there’s no better time to see what’s happening at the zoo than during the summer, when the animals (like our children!) can fully enjoy their outdoor habitats.

While zoos are often host to special events like really cool sleepovers and outdoor birthday parties, they also make great local getaways during the hot, lazy days for summer. Kids can visit with animals from different continents, like the giraffes at the Franklin Park Zoo or the the wildlife from Down Under at the Stone Zoo. They can celebrate the birthdays of the zoo animals at the Roger Williams Park Zoo, and Southwick’s Zoo has daily animal encounter shows that offer an up-close look at the resident birds, reptiles and other animals.

Read on for some ideas for summertime fun at four Boston area zoos.

Now that summer is officially in full swing, Long Island beach waves beckon. If you have a kid that is itching to hang ten, there are plenty of excellent surf schools to teach well, and safely. While Montauk boasts the most surf schools, and some of the biggest waves, there are schools all along the South Fork that teach aspiring surfer dudes how to paddle and ride. Don't forget to remind the kids, as Laird Hamilton said, "wiping out is an under-appreciated skill." 

In the past we've told you about the fun-filled Parents' Night Out/Kids' Night In pajama parties hosted by child care service Project Playdate. Now that school's out for the summer, Project Playdate is launching a brand-new series of drop-off daytime field trips, so parents can run errands, hit the gym or just enjoy a little me time while kids experience cool New York City culture.

At Summer Playdates with Project Playdate outings, children ages 1 to 7 get to see kids' concert at Madison Square Park, spend time with the animals at the Central Park Zoo, visit the American Museum of Natural History and the Children's Museum of the Arts, and much more. Parents will be happy, too, since Project Playdate is known for its experienced and caring staff, low child-to-sitter ratio, affordable rates and donates a portion of its proceeds to charity.

As moms ourselves, we known firsthand how hard it is to tackle everything on our long to-do lists, especially with kids underfoot, so we think these Summer Playdates with Project Playdate sound wonderful. In fact, we like the idea so much, Mommy Poppins is sponsoring the program along with UrbanSitter. The first field trip is coming up this Thursday, July 11 and Summer Playdates continue on select dates through the end of August. Read on for all the details and for registration information.

So your child wants to be a Jedi Master? My Star Wars-loving kids certainly do. In fact, one of my sons is so obsessed, last year he took a demo class with New York Jedi: The Light Saber Enthusiasts Collective, a group of cosplayers and martial artists who specialize in stage combat based on a mash-up of fencing, kendo and the world of Star Wars.

Since the New York Jedi have primarily worked only with adults, they made an exception for my son to take their Jedi training class, but apparently, my son wasn't the only underage aspiring Jedi in NYC. Demand for kids' classes was so great, New York Jedi is set to debut Saber Kids!, the first-ever five-week light saber stage combat training program aimed specifically at children ages 7 to 13. May the course be with you!

In our book, FREE is good. It's not always easy finding free stuff to do with the kids! Low and behold, I’ve found several low cost – and even FREE! – family friendly opportunities here in southern CT that include submarines, bowling, movies, story times, free museum days and free passes to state beaches and state parks like Gillette Castle. If you are in Hartford County, we've got a great list of free things to do there too.

You know the worst thing you can do to someone right in the middle of a four-day holiday weekend? Give them a really long post to read. But don't worry: We'll be brief today since it's been a pretty quiet week for all of us at Mommy Poppins as we transition from school to summer, and enjoy our four-day 4th of July weekend.

Since it's a new month, we posted a new NYC Go List, highlighting the absolute best things to do with kids throughout July, including three awesome picks for this weekend. If you're going out of town for the holiday, be sure to visit our regional sites since Long Island, New Jersey, Connecticut and Westchester all published July Go Lists, too. Even if you're planning a 4th of July holiday staycation, you may want to check the posts out: After reading about the Hudson Valley Balloon Festival on our Westchester site, I'm thinking of taking a last-minute day trip with my family. And if you're on the hunt for a proper vacation, our Travel site rounded up a bunch of midsummer getaway deals.

We're also giving away four tickets to one of our July Go List recommendations: Monkey: Journey to the West. The multimedia show is best for tweens and up so consider your child's age before you enter.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

In my olden days (mid-'90s post-college), planning a road trip went something like this: "Friday night and nothing to do.  Hmm... Let's go to Vegas!" And within thirty minutes my friends and I would be on our way. Now I travel with a posse of children, so Vegas is not the first place that comes to mind when I'm considering a family-friendly weekend. Still, I love a good road trip, and LA is, as always, a fantastic base from which to branch out. Much more care is involved in my planning process these days, and it's a plus if the chaos of larger cities, theme parks, water parks, and too-trendy anything can be avoided. Are you like me - interested in taking the road less traveled, and perhaps a little more family-oriented? See if any of these strike your fancy.