New Jersey

I don't know about you, but this summer we've pared back on camps and vacations in an effort not to spend money we don't have. But our loss is your gain because, instead, what we're going to be doing this summer is exploring New York City and all the fun stuff we don't always have time to do during the school year.

To get organized for a full summer of fun NYC style (and 62 scarily empty days), I planned out an activity for just about every single day in July and August, 'cause, as my son would say, "that's what me do."

The following list is not comprehensive. These are the things I'm looking forward to doing this summer. These are the coolest family events coming up this summer, plus some great places I've just been meaning to get to. And most of them are free.

The Hamptons isn't all that, hang with me right here in New York. It's gonna be a blast (and don't forget to check out our Summer Activity Guide for even more great things to do with kids in NYC this summer).  I hope to see you there.

50 Things to Do This Summer With Kids in New York City:

Summer in New York City means festivals and this summer the city isn't wasting any time jumping head-long right into the festivals. There are over 15 festivals for NYC families going on just this weekend. There are arts festivals, a fish parade, an Italian extravaganza, a pooch parade and bike parade and more than one Strawberry Festival. (So, if a big festival is a"palooza" does that make this weekend a "palooza-palooza"?) Of course, don't forget the summer music festival season has started too. So go get paloozapaloozing. 

Hot dogs and hamburgers (and veggie burgers too) usually come to mind when Memorial Day rolls around, but there's so much more to the weekend than the BBQ fare. In New York City, Memorial Day also means that the beaches will be opening. Plus the playground sprinklers will be turned on, giving you the assurance that summer really is here. Of course, Memorial Day Weekend also means an extra day off, which means an extra day for fun activities like Fleet Week, a Dragon Boat festival, tug boat and barge tours, an arts festival and some ballet dancing! Check it out.

One of the things that makes NYC the ultimate place to live with kids is you don't have to travel far for great family recreational activities. And, since we finally got some snow, skiing with the kids sounds pretty good right about now. But, where are the best places to go skiing with kids near NYC? Well, that all depends on what kind of skier you are and whether you want to ski with your kids, drop them off at ski school and hit the slopes yourself, or you want to do something else altogether. Here's a rundown of the best family ski centers near New York.

Earlier in the week we wrote about some of the outrageous Christmas light displays on houses around NYC. But, here are some places to see more traditional Holiday Light Shows:

photo by Erin Cicalese

The Bronx Zoo nixed their Holiday Lights last year in order to be more environmentally friendly. Instead they are trying to create a new tradition, Wild Winterland, which features Clydesdale-pulled wagon rides, caroling, ice carving demonstrations and more. But if you are looking for some great holiday light displays, no worries. Some of the best Holiday light displays are actually in private homes and neighborhoods that go all out with over-the-top decorations.

We've rounded up the best ones from all over the NYC area. Maybe this year you'll start your own Holiday tradition too with a tour of the best Holiday Light Displays in and around NYC

Under the River and to the Woods…

While there’s something uniquely, charmingly “New York” in buying a deli Christmas tree and dragging it home through slush-covered streets to your humble abode, the real-deal Currier & Ives experience replete with snow-blanketed countryside, horse-drawn wagons and peppermint hot cocoa: the cut your own Christmas tree farm can be found just 90 minutes away in New Jersey.

So load the Johnny Mathis in the iPod, pack an old blanket for the car roof, and head to New Jersey, where you can choose a freshly pre-cut tree, or go for the truly authentic experience of stomping through the forest, selecting and sawing your very own.

We hunted down the best Christmas Tree farms within one and a half hours from New York City where you can cut your own Christmas Tree. Below find the list plus some tips for fool-proofing your trip:

The bankers and the artists may get all the press, but NYC is a great city for science too. There are many wondrous places in New York where kids can soak up, explore and create scientific knowledge for themselves. From Science Museums, Programs, Shops and more, we've rounded up the best places for kids to get scientific in New York City.

[UPDATED: 9/21/08]

Growing up in New York City, one of our family traditions was going apple picking in the Hudson Valley every Fall. It's a tradition I've enjoying continuing with my own kids because it's a great day out in the country, it's economical (considering the price of apples from FreshDirect), and it's even trendy (if you're into the locavore thing). It's a great activity for Columbus Day Weekend, but there are also a bunch of free Apple Festivals right here in NYC if you don't feel like taking the kids traveling.

The Ciao Bella Gelato Mobile will be in New York over the next week, giving out free scoops of gelato and sorbet, beginning with the Park Avenue Summerfest this weekend. The flavor options are: Tahitian vanilla gelato, pistachio gelato, maple ginger snap gelato, blood orange sorbet, blackberry cabernet sorbet and coconut sorbet. Yum.

You'll find the gelato mobile at the Park Avenue Summerfest on Saturday July 12th between 17^th and 23^rd streets, from 11am-6 pm.

On Tuesday, July 15th, you get a second chance at the Flatiron Chefs event when the truck will be parked on Madison and 24th from 5:30 to 8:30pm.

And then in Tribeca on Friday, 7/18 at the Civic Community Day Fair from 11am-6pm (Murray Street from Broadway to Church Streets).

The truck will also be at the following locations in New Jersey: