Photo: Future Stars Summer Camp

Long gone are the lazy days of summer making s'mores and singing Kumbauya around the campfire. Kids are used to busy schedules and crave those organized activities in the summer too. Why not look into registering at one or two of the cool camps offered on the East End?

Mother's Day always feels like so much pressure. Where will you brunch? Will the kids like it? Will you ever be able to pay off the credit card bill? With Mother's Day fast approaching on Sunday, May 12, it's time for you (or your partner) to start planning (although what's the old adage? If you want something done right...).

Our NYC Kid-Friendly Restaurant Guide is filled with fantastic family restaurant recommendations in all five boroughs, including eateries with family entertainment. We even have two posts dedicated to traditional Mother's Day brunch options, both swanky spots and reader favorites. But if you're looking for a unique Mother's Day brunch experience, one that comes with more than just a meal, we have five offbeat ideas that include arts and culture, a cool waterfront foodie tour and fun at an iconic racetrack.

Unfortunately, not many kids tolerate sitting through a full-length production at the Metropolitan Opera House, but culture-craving parents can rejoice—summer is full of arts-oriented festivals that are foolproof kid-pleasers.  Summer festivals celebrating music, dance, comedy and other arts get the whole family involved in the fun. 

The following 12 summer art and music festivals are located in interesting destinations, so you could easily build your summer vacation around them. The outdoor festivals cause the locations and the performers to merge seamlessly, blurring the line between art and reality, and creating a magical environment that is sure to make a memorable vacation.

There must be something in the air. A bunch of kid-centric businesses across the city are closing, moving or reopening, like Dumbo's Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, which is once again serving the sweet stuff after being closed since October, and Kidville, which is closing and opening downtown and in the Bronx.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn is set to get its own David Rockwell-designed Imagination Playground, the New York Hall of Science adds a healthy cafe to its list of attractions, school admissions are all screwed up and a call to help an ill young girl.

Toss a sweater over your shoulders and take your kids on a stroll through Southampton, a village that has it all. Whether you're summering in the Hamptons, going for a day trip, or lucky to be a local, you'll fall in love with this historic, quaint and happening village.

As a musician turned stay-at-home-mom, I've made sure that music plays a major part in my children's lives. But that's been a bit of a challenge with my oldest son, who was born with multiple disabilities, including severe sensory issues. He cried at the sound of applause at concerts, ran and hid whenever he heard the "Happy Birthday" song (you can imagine how well that played out during school) and screamed at me to "Stop singing with the radio! You're hurting my ears!" Bruised ego aside, it killed me that my son wasn't able to experience and love music the way the rest of my family did, but there didn't seem to be anything I, or a team of therapists for that matter, could do about it.

When we moved to New York City, I was thrilled to find so many special needs-friendly activities, and quickly signed my son up for adaptive baseball, soccer and basketball. And, since I refused to let go of my dream of turning him on to music, I decided to give Daniel's Music Foundation a try.

During our initial interview, I explained my son's anxiety with music in general, but the staff didn't seem fazed. His first day of classes went well, and while I waited to pick him up, I heard the teacher announce a birthday. I froze, waiting for the meltdown. Nothing. I peeked anxiously inside. My son was sitting next to a helper, calmly waiting for the next song. It was a miracle! And the progress didn't stop there. Six months later, he stood on stage for the first time in his life and performed in the DMF holiday show. As the end of the song neared, he began to cry in anticipation of the applause. DMF cofounder Mike Trush hopped up on stage and helped my son stay up there through the clapping. Four years later, my son now performs with a proud grin on his face, even during the applause.

While DMF has earned a permanent place in our schedule and my heart, I'm happy to tell you that there are many New York City programs that give children with special needs the chance to learn an instrument or how to sing, and to perform on stage—in front of strangers no less. Here are some of our favorites:

Screen Free Week, which begins on Monday, April 29th, and continues through Sunday, May 5th, is a national celebration where families, communities, and in some cases, schools, sign a pledge to become screen-free for one week. Once the screens are off, families are encouraged to read, play, enjoy nature, get crafty, or simply get lost in  daydreaming.  Once you unplug, you may be surprised to find how much time you really do spend being plugged in. So what will you do with all this extra time? You know you've come to the right place....

In addition to all of the Screen-Free Week activities below, be sure to check out our  posts on the top libraries in Nassau and Suffolk, our guide to state parks in Nassau and Suffolk, County Parks in Nassau and Suffolk and Long Island's Botanical Gardens. Also, be sure to check out our events calendar for a full listing of activities in the area.

We love comic books and comic cons almost as much as we love freebies. Put the two together and we're giddier than Iron Man with a new gadget (or girl).

This Saturday, May 4 is the annual Free Comic Book Day when shops across the country give away certain issues at no cost. We've got the scoop on how to find a participating comic shop near you, as well as details on two free comic cons in the Bronx this month, including the annual Kids Comic Con.