(Image courtesy of Cinema Arts Centre.)

Long Island is celebrating Spring and Arbor Day this weekend (let's hope the weather holds up...). Heckscher Park will be holding its Spring Festival, there's a Spring Fair at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, and Stony Brook is having a Spring Appreciation Day. The Planting Fields Arboretum is having an Arbor Day Family Festival, and Old Westbury Gardens and Bates House in Setauket are also celebrating Arbor Day. Also, Gustafer Yellowgold will be at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington. Have a great weekend!

Apps—is there a parent left who doesn't love 'em? Regardless of what your kid's into, there's probably an app or two or 100 out there for them, and chances are it's inexpensive or even free.

Of course for kids with special needs, apps are more than just a fun pastime. Apps can be a lifeline that helps them connect to the outside world and allows them to pursue interests they didn't even know they had. So for the April edition of my monthly special needs posts, I decided to share some apps that have really engaged my son Jake, who has autism, and other children with special needs.

It’s not til next week and I’m already stressing. I speak of course of Screen Free Week, in which parents are encouraged to turn off (TVs, Blackberries, iPads) and tune in (to the great big world out there).

Luckily, smack dab in the middle of (sensory deprivation) week is Cinco de Mayo, so there are mucho family friendly activities to get you out of the casa. You can find the best of them in our rundown of Cinco de Mayo Celebrations. What is Cinco de Mayo about anyway?  I’ll just look it up on Wikipedia…

There’s perhaps nothing more antithetical to being a couch potato than hanging ten on a bodacious wave. Is that an actual surf term? I haven’t a clue.  But I bet I could find out, if I enrolled my kid in one of the totally rad Summer Surf Camps for LA Kids our intrepid camp reporter has uncovered.  Maybe I’ll get inspired by finding some cool surf footage on YouTube…

…or if that doesn’t work, we could hearken back to a time before screens dominated our every moment. Sure, a couple of decades might suffice, but we at Mommy Poppins like to go all in, so how’s about a trip to the 1500s, as suggested by our editor’s review of ye olde Renaissance Faire.

Regardless of your approach, there’s one screen usage even the most avowed Luddite couldn’t begrudge, and that’s logging onto Mommy Poppins to find the ultimate scoop on family fun activities. So friend us on Facebook, sign up for emails and tweets, or go old school and type in our URL; Mommy Poppins is here to help you through. To get you started, keep reading for our favorite picks for this weekend…

Boston families will find plenty of fun and free things to do in and around town this weekend. From the 25th Annual Sheepshearing Festival at Gore Place in Waltham and the Fifth Annual Bookish Ball in Cambridge to the Boston College Arts Festival and Astronomy Day celebrations in Brookline and Topsfield, the weekend is filled with festivals and celebrations. Read on for more of our weekend picks, and be sure to check our Events Calendar for more ideas.

Looking for more things to do? We have some ideas of great places to hike with kids in the Boston area. And don’t forget Mother’s Day in two weeks - we’ve rounded up some brunch ideas, and would love to hear any other recommendations.

Enjoy!

This weekend I am organizing a 14th birthday party for an 8th grade class complete with a teen size bouncy house as well as planning to attend our school auction. It's going to be a busy one and there are so many fun events to add to the mix. Thomas lovers won't want to miss Thomas the Tank Engine during his only visit through CT this year at the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat.

Are you good at making tough decisions? We hope so, because there's a slew of amazing family activities to choose from this weekend, including three of our annual favorites: the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Sakura Matsuri: Cherry Blossom Festival, East Harlem's Street Games and the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair.

While those three festivals promise to be cool but crowded, there are other fun events that may be a bit more below the radar. Park Slope throws its annual Fifth Avenue Family Fest, YMCAs across the city host Healthy Kids Day and a bunch of awesome kids' bands hit the stage, including Alistair Moock, Recess Monkey and Kindiefest's all-star lineup.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. Remember, you can find additional ideas in our Event Calendar and our Spring Fun Guide.

True, last weekend's rain ruined a lot of outdoor events, but this weekend is literally BURSTING with festivals, fairs and outdoor celebrations so you and your NJ kids can get out there and soak in the springtime fun! Some of the highlights are Rutgers Day 2012, Sheep Shearing, Big Truck Day, and Communiversity of the Arts.  Read on for our picks and you can always find a listing of all NJ activities for kids in our Event Calendar. Enjoy this last weekend in April, NJ!