Labor Day is upon us! Back in the Dark Ages when I was a child the Labor Day holiday meant just one thing–well, two if you count the Jerry Lewis MD Telethon. It meant summer break was over and school started the next day. There was no guessing, calling the school, or asking the neighbors. Just like the sun coming up in the east, we all knew school started on the Tuesday after Labor Day.

School may have already started in your neck of the woods, but besides being the unofficial starting pistol for the long school year ahead, the 3-day holiday is also a reminder to relax, regroup, and most important, recreate!

Here are some events to help you celebrate the long weekend and give summer one last kiss goodbye.

Photo: shutterstock.com

Looking for a little friendly, family competition? Head to LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Grapevine this weekend for the Ultimate Kids Versus Grown-Ups Imagination Build-Off Challenge. Parents and kiddos can go head-to-head and battle it out in to see who is more creative. You’ll start by practicing your mad LEGO skills by creating vehicles, animals or buildings out of LEGOs. Then take on the challenge judged by a Master Model Builder from noon to 4 p.m. Every half hour, kids and adults will be given 15 minutes to show off their imagination and building skills. Winning builds will be selected based on originality and creative talents, and be entered to win a family four-pack of annual passes.

Take a closer look at those galaxies far, far away this Saturday night at a Star Party at Rafes Urban Astronomy Center in Denton. You and your mini astronomers can enjoy space activities, star talks, food and see objects in space through their telescopes. It’s only $5 to attend, but be sure to bring cash because they don’t accept credit cards.

Photo: Jane Burrell/ Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary

Dinosaurs will once again be roaming North Texas. The monstrously popular Dinosaurs Alive exhibit returns to the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary this weekend for the 13th year in a row. Take a walk down the sanctuary’s half-mile nature trail and you’ll see ten life-sized animatronic dinosaurs communing with nature. The big reptiles move, growl, and of course, roar. This is one time the kids won’t need to be encouraged to get some exercise.

The calendar might say fall, but cooler temperatures are still a ways off. Take a break from the heat and step inside the ultra-cool Modern Museum of Fort Worth for Anime at the Modern. Inspired by the exhibition”Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg,” the museum is screening six anime feature films and a selection of short films chosen by the Japan Society of New York. The screenings happen Friday through Saturday and are $10 for adults and $5 for kids. Besides the great films, another bonus is the opportunity to visit the galleries before or after the flicks.

Photo: Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge

Looking for something to do on Monday? Take the whole herd on a wild and wooly adventure at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. Hop aboard a scenic hayride tour of the refuge and learn more about the plants, animals, and history of the Nature Center. Along the way, there will be a stop by the bison pasture, where you can throw a treat of range cubes over the fence to the herd. The bison feeding hayride happens at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.