The Upper East Side is one of the swankiest neighborhoods in all of New York City. But that doesn't mean you need to take out a loan in order to afford fun kids' activities in the area.

Yesterday, as part of our month-long spotlight on the Upper East Side, we shared our favorite indoor play spaces in the nabe—all awesome and all relatively pricey. But today we've got the scoop on indoor UES spots where your kids can play, lounge and learn for FREE. From megastores kids love to play in to activity-packed branches of the New York Public Library to a hidden gem in Central Park, here are our top 11 no-cost indoor activity spots on the Upper East Side.

Hold onto your Pumpkin Lattes, folks, there will be plenty of time for fall, but this weekend you can still hold onto the last remnants of summer with some great summery events!  You'll find the Atlantic City Seafood Festival, Clownfest 2012 in Seaside Heights, Festival by the Sea in Point Pleasant, and a Family Day celebrating Georgia O'Keefe at the Van Vleck Gardens. Read on for all our top picks and remember, you can find a listing of all NJ activities for kids in our Event Calendar.

Want a fun weekend away that doesn’t involve waiting on line at an amusement park or trekking all your belongings to the beach? 

Alison Lowenstein is a local mom and author of the popular book City Baby Brooklyn. Her second is City Weekends, a wonderful resource full of ideas for things to do in and around New York City. City Weekends isn't specifically focused on family weekend trips, but one of the things I love about it is that it's full of great weekend trip ideas that can still be kid-friendly without being so kid-centric.  (FYI, Alison's latest is City Kid New York and has received some nice reviews as well).

Read on to learn about one of her weekend trip suggestions for a fun family trip to the country in the Hudson Valley's Rhinebeck:

My favorite time of year has arrived. There are so many things I love about fall.....getting back into a routine after a summer of lazy days, pulling on a comfortable pair of jeans and watching my kids run around on the soccer field in the crisp Autumn air. Our family's fall traditions include apple picking, baking, corn mazes, hayrides and a visit to the pumpkin patch where we cut an entire wagonful of pumpkins off the vines to take home and decorate. We've compiled a list of pick your own Apple Orchards in Western CT where your family can create wonderful Autumn memories together. Read on for our pick of fun events happening in your area this weekend.

Summer is officially over and it’s easy to fall into a winter routine filled with sedentary activities and not-so-healthy comfort foods. Don’t let all that pre-summer hard work go to waste now that there is a chill in the air. As a mother it’s hard not to make up excuses like “I don’t have the time” or “I can’t find a babysitter”. But with great programs like Mommy and Me workout classes you can incorporate your child into your exercise plan! There’s no hassle of having to find a sitter AND you get to work out while still spending time with your little one. Not only are these special exercise classes geared towards moms a great way to work out but they're also a good way to socialize and meet other new parents.

We continue our month-long focus on the Upper East Side with a look at all of the awesome indoor play spots in the neighborhood. With Carl Schurz Park and Central Park as its east and west borders, and lots of playgrounds, the UES has no shortage of places to play outdoors. But the area is also filled with indoor spots where kids can run around.

In addition to some free indoor activity spots, there area a slew of members-only kids' gyms like Gymboree, Kidville and Jodi's Gym, the UES boasts more offbeat drop-in play spots, like indoor petting zoo The Art Farm in the City and costume Mecca Let's Dress Up! Here are 12 places for kids to play indoors on the Upper East Side.