(Photo courtesy Long Island Live Steamers)

All aboard! Long Island is a great place for little train lovers. You can learn about the Long Island Railroad Theodore Roosevelt road into Manhattan, at the Oyster Bay Rail Road Museum's preview center and how the Viriginia Railway changed America's landscape at the All Aboard! exhibit at Planting Fields Arboretum. Long Island Live Steamers welcomes families to ride the steam, diesel, and electric trains at Southaven County Park on the second and last Sunday of each month beginning May 19th. Families can also ride the World's Fair Long Island Railroad Park Train at the Railroad Museum of Long Island's Riverhead location. At the Wantagh Museum you can tour the Jamaica Railroad Car, the Wantagh Station, which has been restored to its 1904 appearance and the original Wantagh Post Office.  Most of these locations are accessible by train, so why not climb aboard the good ol' LIRR and experience Long Island trains both past and present. The LIRR offers a family fare on weekends which allows up to 4 children to ride for 75 cents when accompanied by a fare-paying adult. Children under 5 always ride free.

Don’t have a green thumb? Critters spoiling you attempts at a garden again this year? Join a CSA farm. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between a local farmer and the people who consume his/her fresh, often organic, produce. Members purchase a "share" of the farm's anticipated harvest. This partnership becomes a win/win situation to the CSA members by giving them the best quality, freshest, widest variety of locally grown produce while ensuring the survival of the farms by guaranteeing the farmer a fair return on his/her efforts. Members pay at the beginning of the season and the farmer delivers a weekly assortment of vegetables, herbs and sometimes fruit as they become available. Each of the farms runs a little differently, so check the websites and choose the program that best suits your family’s needs. And enjoy!

I was born in the former Soviet Union and grew up speaking Russian with my parents in the U.S. Once I became a mom, I wanted to pass the language and culture on to my three children. But with a dad who only speaks English, that's proven to be tougher than I'd expected. On top of that, the age difference between my kids (the eldest is in eighth grade, the youngest kindergarten) means they're rarely interested in the same activities, so finding an all-ages Russian activities has been a challenge.

However, after years of personal research and experimentation, we've found several great programs that teach a combination of Russian language, Russian culture and even Russian-Jewish culture. Since June marks NYC's 11th annual Russian Heritage Month, this seems like the perfect time to give Russia some love. Here are five ways kids can experience Russian culture in New York City.

"Mom, I'm bored!" is a phrase that strikes dread into the hearts of moms during the summer. Trying to think of some great day trips to fill the hours? Look no further than PEEC: Pocono Environmental Education Center. PEEC is only a 90 minute drive from NYC or most New Jersey counties. It is located within the 77,000 acres of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation area along the Delaware River and offers hands-on activities for all ages.

Having sat through 3 soccer games and 2 lacrosse games today (just a regular Saturday around here!), it seems only fitting that I sit down now to write about…athletic events!  Now, my kids didn’t catch the sports bug super early.  Nope, mine were the kids picking daisies in the midst of the kindergarten soccer field as the ball sailed right past them. 

But this year, in 4th grade, my eldest has suddenly become sports obsessed.   And she’s not only obsessed with playing sports – she loves following them too.   Need Red Sox scores? She’s got ‘em.  Want to know if Chelsea beat Man U?  Look no further.  And as much as I love the Sox and Chelsea, Boston and London aren’t always so easy to get to, so we’ve found some local sports events to frequent.  Some of our spring and summer favorites:

We finish up our month-long focus on Crown Heights, Brooklyn with a roundup of our favorite family-friendly restaurants in the area. These eateries really reflect the diversity of the neighborhood. You'll find delicious kosher spots serving up New York-style pastrami on rye alongside authentic Mexican joints, Indian delicacies like samosas dished out next to Caribbean staples such as roti and jerk chicken.

Although most of these small, family-run restaurants don't have kids' menus, they all offer lots of options for picky little eaters and price-conscious parents. So after a trip to one of the neighborhood's great cultural attractions like the Brooklyn Children's Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden or the Jewish Children's Museum, grab a family meal at once of these kid-friendly Crown Heights restaurants.