Submitted by Shelley Matthews on
Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland is a welcome oasis for your little ones, where they can enjoy a hike, interact with nature, and more. Here are 10 reasons to love Brookside Gardens.
Submitted by Lauren LaRoche on
While the first year with your baby can be a wild ride filled with sleepless nights and seemingly endless diaper changes, it's also a time filled with family fun and exploration. If you live in Chicagoland, there’s no shortage of great things to do with babies. These outings help keep wee ones entertained—and parents sane.
Your little one may not have been able to explore the city as much as you would have hoped this past year. But now it's time to get out there! This list of activities are all outdoors or places where it’s easy to social distance. Best of all, they are all perfect for babies under the age of one. From the zoos to the beaches, here’s our round-up of 20 things every Chicago baby should try before their first birthday.
Submitted by Erin Real on
Betsy Head Park is the latest NYC green space to get a multi-million dollar overhaul. Renovations have wrapped up on the $30 million Anchor Parks project and the Brownsville, Brooklyn, park, and it's welcoming visitors just in time for the springtime temps.
Read on for the details of this multi-year renovation, which brought tons of upgrades to the 10.5-acre park, including state-of-the-art athletic fields, event spaces, a large skate park, the first parkour fitness course in the city, and more amenities. Find more destination-worthy outdoor spaces in our Guide to Parks and Playgrounds for NYC Kids.
Submitted by Diana Kim on
After a year-long shutdown, two of New York City's favorite amusement parks are ready to roar back to life. Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park and Luna Park, the heart of Coney Island, are set to reopen on Friday, April 9.
To mark the occasion, Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park is holding its annual "Blessing of the Rides," that day, with locals gathering for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in an event honoring the city's essential workers and ushering in a belated birthday celebration for the namesake Wonder Wheel, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020. Look for more centennial celebrations later in the season.
Keeping with time-honored traditions, Luna Park will celebrate with its annual egg cream christening of the Cyclone. It will also honor essential workers by giving 500 frontline heroes free admission for the day and offering local hospital workers the first chance to ride the Cyclone.
Submitted by Meghan Rose on
A lot of things have changed in the last year. Many shops and restaurants have closed, a few new things have opened. But only one thing completely disappeared: LACMA. Okay, technically the museum is still there. It’s even opening up again on April 1. But the main buildings (the Bing Theater, along with the Ahmanson and Hammer buildings and the Art of the Americas building) have all vanished.
I recently visited to see what’s happening at Hancock Park and learned that while a vast majority of the art is in storage, there are actually lots of reasons to visit the LACMA campus—including outside art, inside art, scientists at work, cocktails in the courtyard, and a whole new museum. Read on to find out why a family trip to LACMA should be in the cards this (or any!) weekend.
Submitted by Lauren LaRoche on
Sometimes, mama (or daddy) just needs a minute to get something done! If you need to keep your baby or toddler occupied while you work, cook, or finish a project, we’ve rounded up ten highchair activities that keep little ones both busy and happy. The best part is that everything on our list gets attached to the highchair—you won’t need to constantly pick things up off the floor.
From ice cubes to masking tape to toy cars, these baby activity center ideas are all made from things you already have in the house. These activities are both no cost and no mess, as well: you won't pay for 20 minutes of entertainment with an hour-long clean-up. These baby and toddler activities are also great for helping your little one explore all five senses, learn colors, and figure out cause and effect.
Looking for more baby activities? Check out our list of 99 Sensory Activities for Toddlers, Infants, and Kids of All Ages, plus tons more activities for little ones in our At-Home Guide for Families.
Submitted by Rachael Cherry on
If there's one thing I remember distinctly about my childhood summers, it's summer camp. Sleepaway camps are great for fostering independence in children, who will leave with lifelong memories and hopefully at least summer-long skills. Houston families have a lot of options for sleepaway summer camps where kids can stay overnight, and most of these are just an hour or two away from the city.
We rounded up a bunch of sleepaway summer camps that are all about two hours or less from the Houston area. Most of the camps offer week-long stays for campers, with a couple offering shorter or longer stints as well. All of them promise to give your kids a hefty dose of fun and memories to last a lifetime. And for more summer and vacation camp ideas, check out our comprehensive camp guide and full directory of camp listings.
Submitted by Kelley Heyworth on
Sure, kids dabble in art class once a week or so throughout the Massachusetts school year. But if you have a child who really loves to create, a summer art camp might be just the thing to ignite a passion and nurture a talent. These visual art camps happening in or near Boston encourage kids to experiment with creating a variety of media, from Eric-Carle-inspired paper projects to 3-D sculptures to graphic novels.
Be sure to check out our complete Boston Camp Guide for other art-based programs, including theater camps and more.
