If you spend your days toddling around the city with a toddler, the Upper West Side is a perfect place to let them explore.  Sandwiched between two amazing parks are tons of places to enjoy with your little ones in this neighborhood that may just be as family-friendly as they come in NYC.  I’ve been touring the Upper West Side with my one-and-a-half-year old 10 fun-filled blocks at a time and sharing my recommended itineraries for parents and toddlers.  We’ve already tackled the 60s and 70s, so this time we’re toddling our way through the West 80s.   It seems everywhere you turn there is something fun for families in this corner of the city,  but these are our top 10 finds starting south and walking north.

Summer's almost half over? I've spent so many summers in an office where you barely know it's summer at all. But living in New York City, each weekend can be a mini-vacation. This weekend take advantage of the water all around us at the City of Water Festival, or head to the beach for a sand-sculpting contest. Not traveling the world this summer? In New York the world comes to you. Soak up some culture: Japanese, Chinese, Latin, Gospel, theater and art.

It's going to be crazy hot again so you might want to head to Chelsea Waterside Park for some sprinkler action, the new Pier 6 playground or another great sprinkler park. Or at least feel the gentle breeze of one the city's best carousels. If you're heading out of the city, stop at a local farm to pick your own produce in NJ or LI. This weekend NJ events include a couple of county fairs (love them) and even a hot air balloon festival.

We've picked out all the fun things to do, all you have to do is pick your activities, grab your kids and go!

I know it is lame to write about having an awesome day in Central Park but the park has been host to just so many fun filled summer days for me and my son that I find it difficult to think of anyplace else.  Like any other day I still have a plan and an itinerary, because if you don’t, the park is so huge you could wind up wandering too far in one direction or another to get home easily. Read on for the deets on one of the many awesome days in and around Central Park, and then go have one for yourself.

We're sharing our awesome days of summer with you. We hope you'll share yours with us. Send in a description of an awesome day you had (with pictures) We'll post the best ones and you could even win an awesome Flip Video Camera.
 

If your kids are like my kid they are likely getting a little antsy after the two rainy days this week, so make sure you plan something extra fun for them this weekend.  How about the 63rd annual Macy’s fishing contest in Prospect Park that is running through the weekend?  Another retail giant, Target, is not only paying your families admission at a bunch of New York City’s best museums and performance spaces but they are also offering special family programming at many of them, too, as part of the Target: Arts and Wonder weekend.  Also going on around town this weekend you will find a  cool DYI program at The NY Hall of Science, family day at the Jewish Museum, shopping for cool indie kicks for your little one, arts at the zoo and a whole lot more.

This week we told you about some new museum exhibits that the kids will really dig, where to cool down at some of the best ice cream spots for the picky eater set and what to do for a day of fun in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park - all great weekend activities. 

Don’t forget our post on 100 free things to do this summer, The Mommy Poppins Summer Fun Guide and our Events Calendar with new and improved search capabilities -- useful tools to keep the kids happy, enriched and busy all summer. 

Have a great weekend.  Keep cool (and dry!)

Ronald Reagan developed National Ice Cream Day in 1984 as a national holiday?! Who knew?! Well, we can’t imagine what else you would want to be doing this weekend except eating ice cream in honor of your country, but we’ll give you a few other options, you know, in case you’re lactose intolerant or something. You could also enjoy a live butterfly release or even venture into Manhattan for the mother of all family festivals, Global Family Day. Or maybe you could do all of these, ice cream cone in hand. Enjoy!

You may be familiar with many of the free museum times that Target sponsors throughout the city on a regular basis, but this week Target is ramping it up with three days of fun—and FREE—cultural offerings at museums and performing arts institutions around the city during theTarget Arts & Wonder Free Family Event, Friday, July 16 through Sunday, July 18.

Highlights include a Kids Design Festival at the Cooper Hewitt, Family Arts Weekend on the High Line, a block party with El Museo del Barrio, and much more:

One of the best things about summer, in our humble opinion, is being able to party hardy in the great outdoors. So save your pretty plates and table linens for Christmas, and take your fiesta outside with the help of one of New Jersey’s numerous party planning companies. We’ve got everything from children’s birthday bashes to block parties to neighborhood movie nights, and it’s their job to help you enjoy your gala under a big blue sky.

Are the hot and sweaty trips to the beach, playground and pool getting to you yet? Is it time to look for some entertaining and enriching indoor activities for the kids? Well, if you haven’t seen the inside of a New York City museum since May, you may want to check out one these four exhibits that have recently been unveiled that the kids will just love – and maybe you will too.  Read on for the scoop.