Lately we've noticed a really cool culture trend: A number of New York City museums have opened up hands-on design studios where kids can play, tinker and create using a wide range of materials and their imaginations. (Sure beats just looking at art.) The Museum of Modern Art debuted its Material Lab back in 2011, and since then the New York Hall of Science, Cooper-Hewitt, the Children's Museum of Manhattan and the Museum of the Moving Image have followed suit. And of course the granddaddy of them all—the Children's Museum of the Arts, which is like one massive design studio—moved into its new state-of-the-art space last fall.

While families can drop in to CMA anytime for all kinds of creative fun, some of these other design studios are only open for specific events. We've got the scoop on when you can visit these six spots and what kinds of hands-on fun you'll find.

One of the highlights of our family vacation in Upper Cape Cod was the day we biked the Shining Sea Bike Path from Falmouth to Woods Hole. The Shining Sea Bikeway is 10.7 miles of converted rail trail traveling along cranberry bogs, salt marsh, a bird sanctuary and ocean beaches. We biked the three mile stretch between Falmouth and Woods Hole and back again. As a family we are not big bikers, but this trip is easy enough for family bikers of any level and a wonderful outing.

Most LA school districts are going back earlier than ever this year - in some cases a whole lot earlier; is your child's wardrobe ready? Are the long pants long enough, the shoes closed-toe enough, and the lunch boxes appetizing enough? Most importantly, is there something in the closet exciting and cool enough to lure those little LAUSD recruits off the beach and into the classroom? If the answer to any of these questions is "Eek! Not yet!" then it's time to hit some back-to-school sales. And since finding great deals on all this gear is Mom's priority, we've collected six favorite places - three national chains and three for Angelenos only - where you can find fabulous school fashions at prices that won't make you resent the next growth spurt.

Have you been trying to come up with a fun date night with your special someone? Who wouldn't have fun at a B-52's concert?! If you are ready to dance away to Rock Lobster and Love Shack this coming Tuesday night (8/7) subscribe to our weekly newsletter and leave a comment below this post or on our facebook page. Check back here and on Facebook on Sunday at noon to see who the lucky winner is. Contest ends Saturday night 8/4 at midnight. Not a lot of time to get in on the action so enter now before you get distracted by the kids! 

My husband and I have been spending the summer indulging our kid and ourselves—who do you think finished off that massive chocolate cocktail in front of her? And even though break is halfway over, we're trying to be glass-half-full people by remembering that there's still a month of indulgences ahead of us. If you're looking to get out of the city, our Travel site's got lists of the best things to do with kids in Martha's Vineyard and Falmouth on Cape Cod, plus a roundup of fantastic last-minute family travel deals to places like Atlantic City, PA's Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, and even Jamaica.

Prefer a getaway closer to home? How about spending a day in Long Beach, Long Island or hit Tomahawk Lake Water Park, Point Pleasant Beach, the Keansburg Amusement Park or other fun-filled destinations in New Jersey.

Of course you don't need to leave NYC to go on an adventure. We just rounded up our favorite New York Harbor boat rides and our Summer Fun Guide is filled with great local outings like City Island, Randall's Island and Governors Island—your kids won't believe they're still in NYC.

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

There are lots of good kids' shows in town this weekend, like How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular at Nassau Coliseum and Caillou and the Doodlebops at NYCB Theatre at Westbury. There's also a great Ice Cream Social in Southhold and a Country Fair in Shelter Island. Check out our events calendar for more fun things to do with your family this weekend or whenever.

The back to school sales are in full swing and act as a reminder that the start of the new school year is less than one month away. Every June I make a mental list of all of the fun things I want to do with my kids over the summer. I'm happy to say that we've done a lot, but with only a few weeks left before they're back in school I want to make the most of our time together. We have more than enough ideas to help your family create summer memories together in our list of 120 Things to do With Kids in Connecticut and our post about Water Fun in Fairfield County.