Photo: Courtesy REI and DOT/Summer Streets

The highly-anticipated and ever-popular Summer Streets returns to New York City for its first weekend of zany, outdoor enjoyment. For three successive August weekends (August 4, 11 and 18), a seven mile stretch from the Brooklyn Bridge, up Lafayette Street and Park Avenue to Central Park, will be closed off, enabling everyone to run, walk, bike, stretch and play—uninterrupted by vehicular traffic— from 7a.m. - 1p.m.

Similar to Paris’ Plage and Bogotá, Colombia’s street fair, Ciclovía, Summer Streets' path will include rest stops featuring free bike rentals and helmet fittings, sprinklers to cool off, a zip line, games, safety and environmental demonstrations, holistic sessions, refuel stations, exercise lessons and rock climbing.

Summer Streets, operated primarily by the Department of Transportation, has teamed up with local groups and companies that support well-being, to create a diverse list of programming for the three weekends. To see that all runs smoothly, Summer Streets relies thousands of volunteers.

In the past, 200,000 - 250,000 people have participated in the event, which many have hailed a massive success. Scooter expects the 2012 event to be no different.

Babesta's eco-friendly dollhouse

To take Al Gore’s word for it, the world is coming to an end and humans are chiefly responsible. Perhaps the next generation of tykes can stop the damage if supplied with the right tools. So how do we teach them that using excessive amounts of hairspray, taking 45 minute-long showers and driving gas-guzzling cars are not in their best interest?

Scooter recently discovered babesta.com’s eco-friendly dollhouse ($240). The innovative dollhouse mimics the design of “green homes,” featuring a miniature wind turbine, solar cell panel, rain barrel, recycling bins and other renewable energy resources. It’s a fantastic way to stimulate kids with an interest in design, architecture, technology and/or house-play.

According to Babesta’s website, the dollhouse “is designed to help children learn how to live in harmony with nature.” It also comes with furniture, so if your little one still wants to play house with his or her dolls and figurines— he or she can.

If you missed it -- and in certain places you couldn't -- yesterday marked “Take Your Son/Daughter (or loved one) to Work Day!” Scooter dropped by Town Residential’s Flatiron, where the firm hosted a morning of fun and entertainment for staff and their families. (Another event at Town’s Upper East Side office took place later Thursday afternoon.) Town had curated a variety of special activities to help kids of all ages learn more about what their  parents or guardians do, along with the opportunity to explore their workplace.

After a gourmet breakfast spread of lox and bagels, everyone enjoyed games like Town Real Estate Bingo. There were craft stations, and building blocks for the little ones. Kim Santoriello of the accounting department commented “This gives us time to spend with our kids and have them learn about what we do for a living… they’re all having such a great time!” By way of confirmation, her six-year-old daughter danced with glee around the bingo table and nearby candy jars.

Pictured from Left to Right: Rosana Vidal, Itzy Garay, Wendy Maitland, Emma Maitland, Anna Reinberg, Julie Reinberg, Angela Luttrell, Jimmy Brett, Lisa Heiberger, Andrew Heiberger, Melissa Van Damm, Matthew Van Damm, Elaine Schweninger, Lee Schweninger, Alana Stotts, Debra Stotts, Suki Sy, Aminata Sy, Luis Salazar (not pictured Karan Salazar, Robert Dvorin, Young Lee, Marcia Giordano, Frank Giordano)

“My daughter was very excited to get out of school today! She’s having a blast… I never really knew who had kids and who didn’t have kids… it’s great team building for everybody to hang out in a different atmosphere,” said Jacqueline Pestana.

An adorable three-year old, Tallulah, sat intently at the arts table, decorating building blocks with colorful bugs and crayons. Other kids chose from a diverse assortment of craft materials to make collages and picture boards depicting their “dream home listing” or how they imagine what their parents do for work.

“This is so much better than school!’ exclaimed one young lad. A highlight was when Town SVP and associate broker Jimmy Brett, who doubles as a magician, delighted the kids with a charming spectacle of wizardry. After the show, Town treated the crowd to a lunch buffet of BBQ, grilled grub and pizza, before sending kids home with goodie bags featuring jigsaw puzzles (showing Town’s six offices), coloring books, beach balls and lunch bags.