Dine-in service at indoor restaurants may have been re-shuttered, but Mayor Garcetti is encouraging restaurants to open up outdoor seating in parking lots, sidewalks, and closed streets—helping communities to dine and local businesses to stay afloat. After months of cooking at home or eating take-out, it will be really nice to go out for a bona-fide, fully serviced meal in a restaurant at one of LA's newly created outdoor dining experiences. Families worldwide have not had a normal summer (though we hope we’ve been able to help with some outings and activities), so we’ve scouted out the best, most creative outdoor dining around LA this season.

Just two weeks after President Donald Trump threatened to defund schools that do not open their doors for in-person learning this fall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new school reopening guidelines urging schools to reopen classrooms.

While the guidelines repeatedly suggest that individual districts must make reopening decisions based on their local situation, including current coronavirus transmission rates and spread, the director of the CDC made it clear he views a reopening of schools for in-person learning as essential to public health.

“It is critically important for our public health to open schools this fall,” Dr. Robert Redfield, CDC director, said in a statement. “School closures have disrupted normal ways of life for children and parents, and they have had negative health consequences on our youth. CDC is prepared to work with K-12 schools to safely reopen while protecting the most vulnerable.”

Read on for the top takeaways from the CDC’s guidelines on how to reopen schools.

Playgrounds, sprinklers, and cold, sweet, over-the-top treats are the things summer dreams are made of—and no, I'm not just thinking about the kids. Luckily, the culinary mecca of NYC is packed with ice cream shops, and many are close to our favorite play spots.

But sometimes, you need an ice cream spot to be the destination, not just a pit stop on a busy summer day. For those times, we present our list of the best scoop shops in the five boroughs, skipping the big-time chains in favor of local purveyors. Many source ingredients locally, craft their treats in small batches, and give back to the community and beyond, so you can feel a little less guilty about suggesting ice cream for lunch...or dinner...again. Read on for 14 summer hot spots serving up the best cold treats in town.

There has been a dramatic increase in interest in RV camping this summer—and with good reason. RV camping lets a family get away to enjoy the outdoors, and maybe even some national parks, but with many of the luxuries of home. We have been a camping family for years, and we've run up the ranks summarily, starting with tent camping, then pop-up campers, then RVs and towable trailers. We've done it all at this point and can confidently say that RV camping is an amazing (and socially distanced!) way to vacation, as long as you know the basics.

New Jersey's largest children's museum, Liberty Science Center, says it will reopen its doors this fall after a five-month temporary closure due to the pandemic. The Jersey City-based science center closed in mid-March, along with the rest of the state, to try to stamp out the growing coronavirus in New Jersey.

But even as the pandemic has eased in the state with cases and deaths plummeting from April highs, the massive, highly interactive science center stayed closed. A number of other New Jersey museums reopened earlier in July when Governor Phil Murphy gave them the OK to do so at a reduced capacity of 25 percent. Indoor venues are considered riskier in terms of transmission for the virus and were some of the last businesses allowed to reopen in New Jersey. (See a full list of NJ reopenings here.)

The science center will reopen September 5 to the general public (members can visit starting September 4) for Labor Day weekend with new social distancing measures in place, including online ticket reservations and some amenity closures.

If you're itching for a safe, socially distanced family travel option, why not go on a safari right here in the US? A drive-thru safari, that is, where you can experience a day at the zoo without shoulder-to-shoulder crowds (or sneezes!). Zoos and wildlife preserves nationwide are reimagining how families can take a drive on the wild side by giving them the chance to see animals from the comfort of the car. 

When planning your visit, be sure to make reservations in advance and pay attention to the rules of your safari. Some restrict certain types of vehicles and others do not sell tickets in person. Even if a day at the zoo isn't a typical one during summer 2020, the drive-through option is bound to create wild and wonderful family memories. So, go ahead: Your next big adventure awaits!

Find more local day trips and travel ideas in our Weekend Getaways Guide.

Young scientists will love watching their creation erupt before their eyes in this cool science experiment! Kids engineer their very own eruption, all while learning about how mixing different acids and bases creates an explosive reaction. One of our 64 Easy Experiments for Kids Using Household Stuff, this simple science experiment uses items you probably have on hand: white vinegar, baking soda, food coloring, and glitter.

Read on for a simple way to bring a little bit of sparkle into your day.

Will we be sending our kids back to school in the fall? If so how? And if not, how? The many school districts of Los Angeles have been sharing their plans with anxious families in a series of announcements, proposals, and town hall Zoom calls.

One thing seems certain: most school districts are sticking with their previously announced 2020-21 school calendars. That, however, is where the certainty ends.

Principals, teachers, superintendents, school board members, and Governor Newsom have been wrestling with the question of returning to school since before school finished. In recent days, LAUSD and 12 other local school districts in Los Angeles and Orange County have released or updated a plan for returning to school next month. On July 17, the governer of California weighed in emphatically, establishing strict guidelines for a county's schools to reopen for in-person learning.

Read on for state and county guidelines as well as local school district plans for beginning the 2020-21 school year.