If you’re looking for ways to beat this (albeit, late) summer heat, you could head to one of the top 5 beaches near NYC, but hurricane Bill is predicted to make the water a bit rough, and in some cases, un-swimable. So maybe head over to one of these free and cheap city pools or water playgrounds instead, or cool off at a free dance show or music festival, or any of these true “New York Summer” events, like meeting Robinson Crusoe, or seeing generations of writers come together at the Fort Greene Park Literary Festival. 

Or maybe you want to head out of the city to some of our New Jersey Weekend Events...or Long Island. Plus don't forget to check our event calendar for even more fun stuff to do. Whatever you do, we’ve been asking for this heat, so get out and enjoy it!

If you are looking for a free and fun place to take to the water this summer, look no further than Union City, NJ.  Not only does the city boast one of New Jersey's best sprinkler parks, the newly opened Firefighter's Memorial Park is a dream come true for kids of all ages looking to keep cool during the hot summer days.

One request I hear frequently is for more stuff about things to do with kids in Queens. Every time I hear it I think, "Yeah, I want that too!" Luckily, I discovered Leni and her great blog, Queens Mamas. Leni has agreed to keep us up to date on all things Queens starting today with some free Shakespeare performances in Queens parks. Thanks, Leni!

On any given night, it can be hard to find a visible star, let alone a constellation, here in the City. With all of the ambient light, you might think it's near impossible to do any star gazing at all. But even with the neon signs and lights, there are amateur astronomy clubs that gather weekly and find wonders in the nighttime skies, not to mention the university observatories that are open to the public.

It's always interesting around here. This week we've been watching the blowout between Whole Foods CEO and irate customers over Healthcare Reform and "Mommy Bloggers" and each other over paid reviews. Plus New York City always keeps it interesting with developments like a group that's giving away books to read on the subway, a couple that are trying to actually provide good school photography (as in class pictures), and an awesome free entrepreneur boot camp for teens. Check it out.

This weekend marks the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, and although we can't promise a 3-day event where kids camp out, play marathon games of Guitar Hero and drink all the juice they want, we can tell you about all the cool events gong on that can make this weekend (almost as) memorable. After all, wouldn't you rather be enjoying car-free Manhattan, rockin' out to kid-friendly Beatles tunes, chowing down on international food, and catching the last few movies under the stars, anyway? 

Some random freebies for NYC folks from free food to where to fill up your water bottle when you are out and about (for free) to a Play-Doh "cooking" contest with a prize of $10,000 and a cool-sounding play just for kids that is being performed for free in New York City parks. Note: I can't take responsibility for the promotions enclosed. Please visit the linked site when available and sally forth with a free spirit and a sense of humor if the burgers are gone when you get there.

We've been having a great time hanging out in Red Hook, Brooklyn lately. The neighborhood has become quite the destination what with Ikea, Fairway, a new pier park and beach, lots of yummy food, and, of course, the free Ikea Water Taxi and buses make it even easier to get there.

Whether you are anchoring your trip to Red Hook around a pragmatic trip to Fairway for groceries or Ikea for household goods, or just heading to the neighborhood for fun, there's tons to do that's fun for kids and parents alike. Here are the top spots in Red Hook for family fun:

Things to do with kids in Red Hook, Brooklyn: