Los Angeles kids grow up swimming at some of the country's most iconic beaches, not to mention an array of flat-out awesome public swimming pools. But wait—there's more! Did you know that there are some wonderful swimming lakes near Los Angeles? And if you're willing to drive a little farther, lake options get even more plentiful. Whether you want to take a dip in a secluded swimming hole or join the masses at a lavish lake resort, here are some of the best spots to take a swim out in nature.

For more places to go swimming in Los Angeles, check out our Guide To Pools and Splash Pads in Los Angeles. Or keep it natural at one of these Surf-Free Beaches Where Toddlers Can Swim!

All of my three children have gone through a train-loving phase around 2 years old, and while we are lucky enough to live on a train line where we can watch the trains zoom by all day long, I've been known to go out of my way to feed our kids’ love of choo-choos. From local train rides to seasonal Polar Express train rides, train museums, and model train displays, families in the tri-state area have plenty of options to entertain pint-sized train lovers.

Read on for our top picks for train-inspired day trips, including all the best things to do with train-obsessed kids in NYC and beyond.

English is a weird language! When kids are mastering it, there are loads of commonly mispronounced words, or words that kids use instead of the real name because they make more sense. On our Mommy Poppins Instagram and Facebook pages recently, we had a hilarious discussion about the funny words our kids mispronounce.

Some are sweet letter slip-ups, some are sound-alike mistakes, and some make lots of sense (a bra really is a "boobie mask" right? and "stunk" perfectly describes a skunk!).

We rounded up the funniest responses below. Reading them brings back some sweet memories! Can you add to it? Join the conversation!

Check out our Parenting Guide for more parent talk, from funny animal parenting memes to parenting tips from dads.

Indoor birthday party places in Westchester come in clutch when it isn't park or pool weather, and luckily for us, there's no shortage of places for Westchester kids to get their party on. 

Local venues offer parties centered around bouncing and trampolines, scaling rock walls, practicing yoga, racing go-carts, and more. 

We’ve put together a list of indoor birthday party places suitable for a variety of ages, from preschoolers to tweens and teens. Looking for even more options? Check out our full Party Planning Guide for Westchester Families.

Browse our Mother’s Day card ideas for lots of creative ways to make Mom’s day a memorable one.

What’s cuter than homemade Mother’s Day cards? Those tiny handprints, adorable spelling mistakes, and well-intentioned portraits that totally look JUST like Mom are made with so much love. Find some inspiration for this year’s Mother’s Day cards with our list of sweet and simple Mother’s Day card ideas that will make the kids beam with pride as Mom wipes her eyes.

For more ways to make Mom’s day, check out our top 50 Mother’s Day gifts that moms actually want, or make her something delish from our favorite kid-friendly Mother’s Day brunch recipes. Don’t forget to check your local Mommy Poppins site for all the awesome Mother’s Day things to do.

The Bronx Zoo is celebrating a big birthday in 2024—it turns 125 years old—and it's planned a whole season of celebrations. Festivities kicked off last weekend with the debut of Animal Chronicles, a brand-new eco trail exhibit.

If you've got a child in public school, you live by the public school calendar. Many local NYC preschools follow the public school schedule, too. The New York City Department of Education's calendar for the 2024-2025 school year is below, and you'll want to bookmark it now for reference—and to help with planning family vacations and school break camp coverage.

Once again, there will be no snow days. Plan on logging your kiddos on for a day of remote learning whenever buildings are closed for snow or other emergencies.

These are all of the dates you can count on your kiddos being out of school during the 2024-2025 school year. If you're looking for the 2023-2024 school year calendar, you can find it here.

Explore family-friendly Mother's Day activities around Boston for 2024.