It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights, it's time to meet the Muppets in Astoria tonight! The recently renovated Museum of Moving Image is the last stop on a multicity tour for the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Jim Henson's Fantastic World, which opens this Saturday, July 16.

If you're as obsessed with the Muppets as I am (I am seriously counting down the days until the new movie movie opens in November), you'll love this incredible retrospective of the Muppet master's work. The coolest thing about the exhibit (aside from seeing Miss Piggy and Kermit up close!) is that it explores Henson's career beyond his signature creations. Long before he came to Sesame Street, he was an aspiring New Yorker cartoonist, an Oscar nominated experimental filmmaker and an adman with a knack for comic commercials.

While kids may not be as fascinated by the archival photos, storyboards, sketches, posters and other artifacts as parents, the exhibit is smartly designed, with a cute alcove where children can watch a montage of clips while mom and dad delve deeper. Plus, the lineup of hands-on workshops and screenings—many free with museum admission—should excite even the youngest Muppets' fans.

The New York Botanical Garden has long been one of my favorite places in the city. Although I enjoy sharing my beloved haunts with my 6-year-old son, we had only visited this 250-acre Bronx oasis for the annual Holiday Train Show because I worried that he just wouldn't be that into plants and flowers.

But I was so intrigued by the garden's slate of seasonal programing for kids, I decided to bring him and I'm so glad that I did. The NYBG is a fantastic destination year-round, but in summer it's a particularly vibrant place with lots of enriching activities for families. During our visit, we smelled, explored, planted, tasted, cooked and learned a lot. In fact, my son loved our outing so much, he didn't want to leave! (He's still bummed that we never made it to the Rose Garden).

Here are the best things to do at the New York Botanical Garden this summer with your kids in tow.

I take my kindergartner to a lot of theater. (I'm not kidding when I say I think she's seen more live shows than your average adult New Yorker.) So parents are always asking me to recommend productions for little or even first-time theatergoers.

The Berenstain Bears LIVE! in Family Matters, the Musical is just such a show. Most kids two and up already know the characters, and even if they aren't familiar with the brand...er, I mean books, what's not to love about this tight-knit furry family? 

Although it's done on the cheap (the music is canned, the backdrop is cardboard), the production has a lot of spirit and the young performers are strong singers who keep their cloying to a minimum. The biggest kick parents will get out of the show is watching their kids have fun, but that's really the point of going, isn't it?

Playgrounds don't need to be newfangled to be special. As any in-the-know Upper West Side parent will tell you, Hippo Playground, which is located at 91st Street inside Riverside Park, is a popular vintage tot spot.

On summer days when NYC feels as hot as the Sahara, this haven is cool, shady and wet. Featuring a herd of water-spouting hippo statues at its center, the playground has lots of equipment and activities to keep kids happy. Since it's well known, it attracts an interesting mix of locals and families who've traveled to get here, often to attend a birthday party.

So pack a snack (you may want to stay a while) and take your family on a Hippo hunt.