Summer lovin’, had me a blast… yes, I fell in love this summer, with the many fun, family-friendly, and frequently free summer series of movies, plays and concerts and other assorted summer goodness. I got used to having them around, but like most summer loves, they grow colder* and that’s where it ends. 

This is the weekend we say goodbye to our new loves,  to the Star Wars edition of the Tempest, the Dreamworks-themed projects at Lowe’s, the free shows of Dorothy’s Adventures in Oz at the Santa Monica Playhouse, the Free Family Film Festival at Rave Cinemas, 25 Cent Family Flicks, Auntie Angelica Root's Fairy Garden (the indoor version of A Faery Hunt), and Cinemalibu.

Don’t worry, summer.  We’ll always be friends.

Keep reading for our favorite picks for the weekend...

We are fortunate to have lots of corn fields in Connecticut. We are even more fortunate to experience corn mazes that are works of art! Beginning September 1st at Lyman Orchards, it's Yankees vs. Red Sox! Play Ball! Go Get Lost in their Baseball Days Corn Maze! Enter our giveaway for your chance to win 4 tickets to experience this fun way to enjoy a Fall activity with the family. The winner will also receive a $20 gift voucher to be used at the Lyman Pick Your Own Orchard. Have fun picking apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, squash and pumpkins after finding your way through the maze.

The weekend before Labor Day always makes me a little sad. I think about all the summer fun I've had with my family and, inevitably, all the things we didn't get a chance to do. That's why we try to make the most of the last two weekends before fall unofficially arrives.

Families can help kick off the US Open with free kids' tennis clinics at the annual Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, celebrate the back-to-school season and snag free supplies at the Bronx Museum of the Arts' family fest, enjoy tunes and tasty eats at Hudson River Park’s Blues BBQ and groove to family bands at the J&R Jr. Kids Music Fest.

Beaches and pools aren't the only attractions set to close in early September. Many wonderful kid-friendly exhibits also shutter in a few weeks, including the Children's Museum of Manhattan's hands-on NYC Design Studio, PS1’s Wendy by HWKN, the Bronx Zoo’s Wild Forest: Lego Safari, A-Maze-Ing Water at the New York Aquarium, New York Hall of Science's Animation, MoMA's awesome Material Lab and Charles Long's interactive Pet Sounds installation in Madison Square Park.

Those are just a few of the fun things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Summer Fun Guide.

Summer may be winding down, but thankfully your weekend fun doesn't have to (unless you're already busy with your children's fall sports, like me)! There's a slew to keep your crew  outside this weekend; like the County Caper game, the Chocolate and Vanilla Family Festival, a Fiddle Contest on the Farm, a free Starfish concert and even Shakespeare in the park! Read on for all our top picks and remember, you can find a listing of all NJ activities for kids in our Event Calendar.

Are you ready for some good news? How about lots of it? In this edition of our biweekly links post we've got nothin' but happy tales, including the scoop on the New York Aquarium's fancy upcoming shark exhibit, water-conserving playground sprinklers (about time!), a free night of comedy and cocktails for NYC moms, and the strange world of denim jeans for mamas—a must-read before your next fall shopping trip.

4 hours and $200 for 18 holes of golf in Fairfield County? Who’s got the time or money for that? Nope, mini-golf is where it’s at. Truth be told, we have only recently discovered how fun mini-golf is…and now that we have, our girls can’t get enough.

Try out some of these area courses before they close for the season:

The back-to-school season is filled with all kinds of chores like things to buy, lunches to pack and clothing to label. But what really stresses elementary schoolers (and, let's face it, their parents) out is the prospect of transitioning into a new grade or going to school for the very first time.

Is it any fun at all? Will I make friends? How much homework will I have? Those are just a few of the questions kids have as the first day of school looms. A great way to ease their anxiety is to read a picture book about what it's like to go to school. So for this month's Little Lions post, Stephanie Whelan, the senior children's librarian at the New York Public Library's Stewart Park branch, shared her favorite kids' books that help kids transition into kindergarten or any new elementary grade.