• Friday kick off holiday fun with a bit of scientific exploration at Miami Science Museum. From 7-10pm the Gables museum features a planetarium star show, science lecture (more fun than it sounds!) and interactive kids activities. Alternately, book a sitter and make it date night out in the Gables for Gallery Night.
• Saturday is all about the music. Head to Genius Jones in the Design District at 10am for a concert and sing-a-long with children’s singer/songwriter extraordinaire Dan Zanes. Admission is free and Zanes (a guaranteed crowd favorite) will be signing CDs after the concert.
• Sunday, venture to the Miami Children’s Museum for a Jewish New Year celebration presented by the Open Tent and PJ Library. Sing, dance, nosh on apples & honey then explore the museum – the fun starts at 3pm. Alternately, spend your day in the Grove, where the 9^th annual Great Grove Bed Race kicks off at 10am. Bring the munchkins for a pajama party, obstacle course, arts & crafts.
• Monday is bonus day – do whatever you like best. Spend the morning in bed, hit the beach, grab a movie, relax, enjoy & celebrate the munchkins!

• Get Connected. (sponsored post) Looking for a little playgroup loving? Check out the recently revampedwww.PlaygroupConnect.com. Log on, complete your quick mommy compatibility profile and find your perfect mommy match. Think of it as Facebook for moms (complete with personal profiles, photo uploads & inter-site messaging) – with a dash of match.com for good measure. Extra bonus – “like” Playgroup Connect’s Facebook page and participate in its month of giveaways kicking off today.
• Spa Me. There are two days left of Miami Spa Month, which means it’s time to immediately head to your favorite massage table. Through Tuesday, $99 buys you deluxe massages, facials, nail services and body treatments at three dozen spas throughout the city. Mommy deserves some quality pampering!
• Get Academic. Fall classes are officially here and it’s not too late to add a few to your calendar. Looking for music?Dance? Mommy & Me? Karate? Yoga? Click here to check out our mom-reviewed class directory – and email us with any questions or additions. Got a munchkin in school? Outfit him with a perfectly-sized backpack and amodern-day lunchbox.
• Weekend Plan. Yay for Labor Day – three days of office-free fun! Wind down from the week with mommy/baby yoga, a gallery gaze in the Gables, a new year celebration at MCM and much, much more.

Still looking? Check our calendar, activities & events pages.

• Friday night head to Calle Ocho for some outdoor sizzle courtesy of Viernes Culturales. Eighth street between 14^th and 17^th Avenues will open up for live music, art exhibits & food galore. The fun starts at 6:30 – it’s a great family night out.
• Saturday is all about Diego. Head to MetroZoo for a meet & greet, character lunch & animal exploration with Diego (Dora’s famed cousin).
• Saturday night book a sitter and head out on the town courtesy of Miami Spice. Three course for $35 at over 100 restaurants – and a built-in excuse to eat dessert!
• Sunday we’re dressing lightly, stocking the car with water & heading to Fairchild for free admission day. It’s hot & humid, but running around the open spaces & exploring the gardens is a great way to spend a morning or afternoon. Spaces are relatively munchkin-friendly and there’s Haagen-Dazs on site in case of emergency.

• Clean House. Just one more week till school & classes resume. Make the most of your last week by attacking the to-do list. We’re thinking a clean sweep of your munchkin’s closet, bookshelves and toy boxes. Pack up anything gently used and hit the donation boxes. Get the little ones in on the fun – we’re thinking impromptu fashion shows, story times and dress up galore.
• Elevate Equality. Thursday marks Women’s Equality Day and the 90th anniversary of the 19th amendment (granting women the right to vote). Celebrate with an inspiring trip to HistoryMiami for a Q&A with Coral Gables-based women’s rights leader Roxcy Bolton. Bolton founded NOW’s Miami chapter, created a shelter for homeless women & was instrumental in founding the first rape treatment center at Jackson – and she’s still hard at work. Chat with the local legend at 11am, then head to the Beach at 6pm for celebratory marching, music & mingling on Lincoln Road.
• Dine with Diego. Treat Dora & Diego lovers to the ultimate lunch Saturday as Diego hits MetroZoo for a character meet & greet and buffet lunch. Invest $29-$40 (depending on age & membership) and treat munchkins to hours of animal gazing, kid-friendly souvenirs and lunch boxes. RSVP by Tuesday and pack plenty of water – it promises to be a hot morning.
• Weekend Plan. Is it Friday yet? Lots to look forward to! Viernes Culturales arrives on Calle Ocho, Miami Spice rolls on, Fairchild grants free admission and the Scott Rakow Center celebrates Family Day.

Still looking? Check our calendar, activities & events pages.

Want more? Check out our calendar page & start planning!

• Shop Smart. Monday kicks off five days of designer discounts as the Gables launches Shop Coral Gables Week. Click here for a complete list of stores & discounts and prep for highlights like 50% off Hudson jeans, 40% off bikinis, cover-ups and beach bags; 20% off designer sunglasses; and 20% off crib bedding. Refuel along the way with free wine, discounted burgers and $1 mini ice cream sandwiches.
• Think Out of the Box. Tuesday is prime time to try something new. Head to the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens for munchkin-friendly summer art classes (think relaxed craft tables and painting), venture to the Village at Gulfstream for a kid-focused nutrition puppet show or saddle up to Merrick Park for book club at Pottery Barn Kids. Come sunset, book a sitter and head to Kendall for a conscious discipline workshop.
• Follow the Yellow Brick Road. The film version of The Wizard of Oz rings 71 glorious years on Wednesday (the children’s novel was written by L. Frank Baum in 1900). Celebrate by creating your very own Oz – fashion a pair of ruby sippers from some old shoes, color a rainbow, make a good witch wand, host a lion, tin man, scarecrow & Dorothy puppet show or just pop some popcorn & have a movie marathon.
• Weekend Plan. Friday is just four days away and there’s lots to plan for. Head to MCM for the Target Free Family Event, celebrate Gymbo’s birthday party @ Gymboree, explore butterflies at Deering Estate, meet Curious George at Merrick Park and feast on choice bites at the Moore Building.

Still looking? Check our calendar, activities & events pages.

• Friday night book a sitter – or a husband – grab a friend and head to the Grove for the debut of Eat, Pray, Love at the Paragon Theater. Plan ahead and book tickets & reserve seats online then enjoy the show with a cocktail in hand – it’s movie going made for exhausted parents.
• Saturday is all about shopping as day 2 of tax-free days kicks off. Shop school supplies, clothes & accessories – most items under $50 are tax-free. Extra bonus- nearly every mall in town is hosting some type of munchkin-friendly fun. Think balloons, music, snacks & shopping distractions aplenty.
• Saturday night head to the Design District for gallery browsing, artist mingling and dinner courtesy of Second Saturday.
• Sunday morning get your ohm on with some morning family yoga in Midtown. Then treat the kids to lunch on the town courtesy of Miami Spice – invest $25 per adult and enjoy a three-course feast.

• Get Academic. (sponsored listing) We’re nearly halfway through August and it’s time to start thinking fall classes. Try something new this September with RIE Bred with Lisa Chariff Better. The 90-minute class based on the work of Magda Gerber, Infant Toddler Specialist and Dr. Emmi Pikler (Lozy) focuses on respecting the individuality of each baby and supporting infants and toddlers to be attentive, active and eager to explore. Parents come together in a supportive relaxed and comfortable infant-toddler environment. The space is safe, beautiful and challenging. Classes are organized into stage of development (8 weeks & up, crawlers, young walkers & toddlers) and capped at eight children, which creates a peaceful, relaxing venue to ask and answer questions. Each class includes sensitive observation of babies at uninterrupted play time then question and discussion. Topics include when to intervene with children & when to leave them alone a nd synchronizing baby and parents’ needs. $200 for a session of ten, classes are taught in Midtown. Email RIEBred@gmail.com or call 305-790-7597 for info.
• Love Your Library. Some times the best things in life are free. Case in point – storytime at your local library. It’s about an hour of books, music, crafts, munchkin mingling and air-conditioned entertainment – absolutely free. Come for the scheduled fun then retreat to the kids’ area for 15-30 more minutes of reading and relaxing. Make a mini mess, have some fun, get out of the house – repeat. Most libraries host baby and preschool sessions once or twice a week.
• Shop Smart. It feels like ages from now, but school is just weeks away. Prep for the season with three days of tax-free steals on books, clothes, shoes and some accessories ringing in at less than $50. The rules are tricky (briefcases are not exempt, diaper bags are) and spending more than intended is inevitable, but all the local malls are sweetening the pot with side deals, music and munchkin fun. The fun ends at midnight Sunday – happy shopping!
• Weekend Plan. It’s looking like a busy weekend. Hi tfamily day at HistoryMiami, brush up on back to school safety, shop loads of sales, eat Spicy and donate to a back to school drive.

Still looking? Check our calendar, activities & events pages

• Tonight book a sitter and make it a Gables date night. The city comes alive for gallery night from 7-10 as dozens of local galleries open their doors for cocktails and conversation. Grab a drink, browse around, then head to dinner. Feeling spicy? Check out one of the Gables’ Miami Spice restaurants – we’ve got our eyes on Ortanique, Christy’s and Gibraltar.
• Saturday make a Back to School Splash at the Falls as the mall hosts a two-day fest featuring free paddle boat rides, inflatable rides, water & fishing games, a dunk tank, a scavenger hunt and arts & crafts galore. Visit sfparenting.com for more info.
• Alternately, get splashy at the beach on Saturday. Forecast is hot, hot, hot – we’re thinking a bucket, some shovels, a couple of umbrellas and a beach field trip. Head to Key Biscayne for family-friendly fun or try SoBe for a little more spice.
• Sunday is all about the art as Miami Munchkins co-hosts story time at Books & Books Bal Harbour at 12:30. Join author Carol Casey and illustrator Jason Oransky for a reading & craft project in celebration of their new book, Dear Baby, It’s a Colorful World.

Want more? Visit our calendar for loads of info.

• Make Movie Magic. (sponsored listing) Could it be any hotter outside? How does two hours of an inexpensive, effortless air-conditioned distraction sound? We thought so! Pack a sippy cup and an extra diaper, buckle the munchkins in and head to the Grove for a movie at the brand new Paragon Grove 13. Every Monday-Thursday there’s a $2 kid-friendly film (think Harry Potter and Beauty & the Beast) at 10:30am and $5 matinees before 4pm. Proceeds from the early show benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. The best part? It’s a complete mommy & munchkin playland – kid-friendly entertainment, on-site snacks, blissful air-conditioning and two hours of relaxation.
• Get Spicy. Yesterday kicked off Miami Spice – two gluttonous months of $22 three-course lunches and $35 three-course dinners. A record 119 restaurants are participating this year – we’re thinking a whole lot of dessert. Bring the kids to Texas de Brazil or Cafe Sambal and make it a date night at The Forge or Red Fish Grill. Better yet – book a sitter, grab a friend and be ladies who lunch at  Zuma or BLT Steak.
• Think Big. Tuesday is Giants Family Day at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens. Brave the heat and bring the munchkins to the Gardens for arts & crafts and interactive performances revolving around a giant inflatable sculpture project by Alejandro Mendoza.
• Weekend Plan. This weekend ushers in Gables Gallery Night, family day at the Scott Rakow Center and farmers markets galore. Enjoy free admission at Fairchild, get colorful with MM & Books & Books and make a back to school splash at the Falls.

Still looking? Check our calendar, activities & events pages.