Christmas can still be a bright spot in this frequently dark year; several drive-through Christmas lights displays are coming to the Chicago area for the 2020 holiday season.

The new Let It Shine holiday lights show debuts in north suburban Northbrook on November 15 with LED lights synchronized to classic holiday music that families can listen to in their cars. But that's just the beginning.

In a fall marred by more schedule changes than consistency, the New York City Department of Education announced another major change Monday: Parents who had previously opted for remote-only instruction now have just one single two-week period to opt-in to blended learning for the remainder of the school year. The opt-in period runs from Monday, November 2 through Sunday, November 15. Parents had previously been promised quarterly opt-in periods throughout the school year.

The change caught many by surprise and sparked ire from parents concerned about making such a choice at a time when coronavirus clusters have been in the news.

Want to add some excitement to a family hike? Take kids to "bag a peak!" Scaling a summit hiking trail to the top of a real mountain rewards kids with jaw-dropping views (and some legit bragging rights). Here are 14 of our favorite kid-friendly hikes that end on the peak of some of the prettiest or most interesting small mountains in the U.S., all within driving distance of a major city or resort town. Most of these hikes are best suited to older kids (or little ones in a carrier) but some feature shorter routes that even younger children can scramble up.

Be sure to check out our U.S travel guide for more ideas for stateside family adventures in the great outdoors, including top national parks to visit with kids and family-friendly ski resorts.

Yes, Halloween is likely to look a little different this year across much of the country, but there are so many ways to bring the spooky family fun home—and Netflix is on it. Together with Snapchat, Netflix is using a touch of technology to help turn your home into a lively (and not too scary) haunted house filled with surprises for you and your kiddos.

Bring a tiny twister into your own house with this science experiment for kids. It's a pretty simple, hands-on science lesson with a fun payoff. Plus it involves water play, which is hard to resist for most kids.

All you need is two bottles, water, and a container to dump the water into. We also used a few Monopoly houses for visual effect and to conjure up images of the Wicked Witch of the West just before Halloween. If you like this experiment, try more of our 64 Easy Science Experiments for Kids to Do at Home.

Out-of-town friends often ask me if Boston is a kid-friendly city. I love this question, because there are endless reasons that make this city a great place for kids to grow up in. I know I'm not alone; Bostonians love their town and aren't afraid to tell you why. This passion gets passed down to each generation with gusto, and makes the top of my list of 25 reasons Boston (including the surrounding 'burbs) is the perfect place to raise children.

With Halloween less than a week away, New Yorkers are already making plans to celebrate, and now Governor Andrew Cuomo has released guidelines for safe Halloween celebrations.

True to his statements from earlier in the fall, trick-or-treating will not be banned, but it's not the safest Halloween activity during the pandemic. New York State's guidelines emphasize that "the best way to celebrate Halloween this year is to have fun with the people who live in your household," in many ways mirroring the rules put forth by the CDC in September.

Read on for the full details on the New York state Halloween guidelines, and bookmark this list of safe, socially distant trick-or-treating alternatives as you plan your holiday happenings.

New and old collide in the pretty Bucks County, Pennsylvania, countryside where young families can play the day away at Sesame Place and older kids can enjoy Revolutionary War history at Washington Crossing Historic Park. From real castles to playground castles, ice cream shops to kayaking, Bucks County is a sweet spot for a family weekend getaway. Just an hour north of Philadelphia and less than two hours from NYC, it’s easy to access.

Ready to plan a trip? Read on for our list of 25 must-do places to play and see, as well as eat and stay in Bucks County. We divided it into four family-friendly mini itineraries. Choose one or get some ideas to mix and match an adventure of your own. Explore popular towns like New Hope and Doylestown, or arrive during the holidays for a special treat.