It seems like it was just yesterday we were making lists about all the cool things we were going to do this summer, and now here we are– searching the back-to-school bins at Target for a hot pink, zip-up, 3-ring binder. I know what you’re thinking. Where has the time gone?

Don’t worry. There’s still time to do some neato stuff and make memories while you’re at it. Check out this list of fun things to do before school starts.

A army of PEZ dispensers is just one of the collections you can see at the Perot. Photo: Perot Museum of Nature and Science

1.  If ever there was a time to take advantage of an icy-cold museum this is it. In addition to being a welcome escape from the surface-of-the-sun temperatures we’ve been experiencing this week, the Perot Museum of  Nature and Science has one of the most unique and interesting exhibitions currently on display. The Eye of the Collector show features the personal collections of 15 different very different people. Guitars, PEZ dispensers, antique duck decoys, and the largest ‘Star Wars’ collection in the world are just some of the treasures on view.

Invent and create at the Tinkertoy exhibit. Photo: American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum

2.  Combine education with play at Tinkertoy: Build Your Imagination. The fantastical exhibit features a giant Tinkertoy decor, nine unique activity stations where kids can explore contemporary topics like renewable energy, and a creative play area where tiny tots  can get busy with real Tinkertoy construction sets. You can see the larger-than-life exhibit at the American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum through Sept. 10.

3. See everyone’s favorite nanny fly into town to save the day as the Rockwall Summer Musicals presents ‘Mary Poppins.’ Flying by Foy, the theatrical flying specialist,  has been retained as the flying director so Mary will indeed fly with her signature umbrella and Bert will tap dance on the ceiling in this extra fun production. The show opens this Friday and runs weekends through Aug. 21.

Don’t worry, they won’t bite. Photo: Texas Discovery Gardens

4.  Speaking of flying, the annual celebration of flying and non-flying inspects happens this Saturday at the Butterflies and Bugs! Family Festival at Texas Discovery Gardens in Fair Park. The little kiddles can enjoy crafts, displays of live and pinned insects, and best of all,  Entomologist John Watts will be on hand with his personal buggy collection of beetles, tarantulas, and walking sticks. Afterwards, be sure to tour the butterfly house. Dress in bright colors, hold really still and the butterflies just might mistake you for a flower!

5.  Hop aboard the Grapevine Vintage Railroad Friday morning for the Back To School Fun Train. The one hour excursion on a 1953 diesel locomotive departs the Cotton Belt Depot at 10 a.m.

6.  Enjoy nature without getting a heat stroke on a night hike through the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area. Enjoy the sounds of hooting owls, howling coyotes, and chirping crickets as a guide leads you on a nighttime stroll through the forest, prairie and marsh trails.  The hike happens this Friday evening at 8 p.m. and registration is required.

Stretch your mind and your toes with a yoga story at Bookmarks this Friday. Photo: shutterstock.com

7.  Kids stressed out by back-to-school shopping? Motor on over to Bookmarks at NorthPark this Friday for a little zen break with their Yoga 4 Kids Storytime event. The munchkins can relax with a story, yoga breathing, stretching, and shavasana led by yoga instructor Stephanie Spett. Don’t forget your yoga mat.

Celebrate history at the Frontiers of Flight Museum this Saturday. Photo: Frontiers of Flight Museum

8. Head to the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field this Saturday for Spirit of ’45, a celebration of the end of WWII. The museum will be unveiling a new large-scale B-17 model in the their WWII Gallery and afterward, former B-17 pilot, Lucky Luckadoo, will share his experiences flying with the “Bloody 100th” over Europe during WWII. Museum living history actor Jimmy Doolittle will also be on hand to to tell stories about the famous general. Kids are invited to dress up as Rosie the Riveter for the Rosie Rally and get their picture taken. The Rosie photos will be shared with the American Rosie the Riveter Association Project.