This Week: Memorial Day Weekend Means Beaches, Governors Island and Dinosaurs; Plus Strawberry Picking and Free Summer Sports

Looks like it's going to be a monster of a holiday! The Memorial Day weekend is the main event on all of our sites. Lots of summer attractions open for the season this Saturday, including beaches, Governors Island and tri-state area amusement parks, including Victorian Gardens in Central Park.

There are some big openings outside NYC as well. Right across the Hudson in Secaucus, New Jersey, Field Station: Dinosaurs is poised to make a roar with more than 30 animatronic dino robots. Interestingly, Boston's Franklin Park Zoo is opening a similar prehistoric wonderland Zoorassic Park this holiday weekend, in case you're looking for a last-minute getaway. Other great day or weekend trips include strawberry picking at farms on Long Island, in New Jersey and Connecticut, and hitting a suburban beach. You can find even more inspiration on our Travel site.

Of course Memorial Day weekend marks summer's unofficial start. If you haven't figured out summer camp yet, you're in luck: We're running deals on a bunch of NYC summer camps. What you see is just a preview, so be sure to check back next week for additional deals.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.

8 Great Yoga Studios for Kids on Long Island

(Photo courtesy of Breathe N Flow Yoga)

You can probably imagine the benefits kids receive from practicing yoga even if you have never taken a class yourself (or hijacked the kids’ Wii for some Wii Fit Yoga!). Physically, yoga improves kids’ strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, posture, and the list goes on.  Beyond the physical benefits are the mental benefits. Yoga teaches children self-awareness, self-respect, and most important in the eyes of this mom, self-relaxation skills that do not require the use of a remote control, game controller, snack, or couch.

We’ve rounded up Long Island yoga studios that offer a wide range of classes and services for kids sure to educate and entertain your children and develop skills and practices they will employ for life.

Fun and Free Things to Do with Kids in Boston - Zoorassic Park Opening, Play Date, Beauty and the Beast and More

It’s a long holiday weekend, and there are plenty of fun and free things to do with kids in and around Boston, from Discovery Day in Lexington and the Zoorasic Park Grand Opening at the Franklin Park Zoo to the Run to Remember Expo and Play Date at the ICA. And please be sure to see our special Memorial Day activities post for special events happening on Monday, including an Open House at the MFA, the Garden of Flags tribute on the Boston Common, and the Faneuil Hall Street Performer Festival. Read on for for more of our weekend picks, and be sure to visit our Events Calendar for more ideas.

And if the holiday weekend has you thinking ahead to summer activities, check out Tara’s Highland Street Foundation’s Free Fun Fridays picks plus 25 things to do in Mount Washington Valley, NH.

Enjoy!

Summer for NYC Kids: Our Guide Has the Best Free and Fun Things to Do All Season Long

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. The beaches open, the sprinklers turn on (assuming it's over 85 degrees), Governors Island begins welcoming visitors and kids start having trouble focusing in school. (Funny, we have the same problem with work.)

In anticipation of a wonderful season full of fun and free activities and cool destinations, we've updated our Summer Fun Guide. Highlights include:

The Point: Free Kids' Art Classes, Programs and Special Events in the South Bronx

The Bronx has a rich and vibrant arts scene that, sadly, doesn't always get the attention it deserves. As a proud Bronx resident, I'm all about inspiring New Yorkers from other parts of the city to visit my home borough. So today I'm going to tell you about one of my family's favorite Bronx art spaces: The Point Community Development Corporation.

Located in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx, The Point is a multifaceted center that's been instrumental in revitalizing the neighborhood through youth empowerment and arts education. In fact, a lot of the reason that Hunts Point is now considered a cultural and artistic hub is because of the organization's amazing work. While the center offers classes, camps and workshops that require a long-term commitment, The Point also sponsors many wonderful drop-in family programs, events and performances that are open to the public, many of which are FREE.

25 Things to Do in the Mount Washington Valley, NH with Kids – A Summer Family Getaway

Mount Washington Valley is the perfect place to take the kids for an adventure, complete with locomotives, zip lines, mile-long slides, natural wonders, and theme park rides that give little ones just the right amount of thrill. A four-hour drive from Boston, you could escape for the weekend or make a week of it – there’s plenty to do, see, and savor. Read on for some of our favorite ways to spend family fun time in the Valley.

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