If you've got a child in public school, you live by the school calendar. The 2020-21 school year has already been off to a surprising start, with last week's announcement that the first day of school has been pushed back. Many local NYC preschools follow the public school schedule, too. The New York City Department of Education's calendar for the 2020-2021 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. 

Of course, we've been reminded over and over again that this school year will be one unlike any other, so the dates may not be as set in stone as in years past, but at least parents have a framework now. 

These are all of the dates you can count on your kiddos being out of school—or away from their remote learning device—during the 2020-2021 school year.

Covering more than 5,000 acres, Pedernales Falls State Park in Johnson City, Texas, offers camping, miles and miles of hiking trails, plenty of river to explore, and some amazing and unique scenery with a little wildlife, too.

My family typically takes an annual camping trip from our Houston home base, often to Garner State Park. But one thing this pandemic has done is to change up our routines, right? When we couldn't find any open slots that fit our schedule at that park (most of the Texas state parks are operating at reduced capacity), we found Pedernales Falls State Park.

Pedernales Falls proved to be a wildly untapped resource that's only three hours from Houston, and offering both electric and primitive campsites. In fact, this fallback option turned out to be one of the best camping trips we've ever taken. Read on for just what made it so special. 

Daring New Yorkers have a brand new observation deck to take in sweeping city views: Edge had a short-lived debut way back in March, before shutting down with the rest of the city, but the attraction in Hudson Yards has reopened and is ready to welcome visitors.

Even before its debut, the highest open-air observation deck in the Western Hemisphere made its mark on the city skyline. One glance at the towering skyscrapers of the new neighborhood, and you can't miss it—it's the triangular platform jutting out 100 stories high from 30 Hudson Yards.

Read on for details on our visit to the new attraction, and learn what sets it apart from the city's other sky-high observation decks at the Empire State Building, One World Observatory, and Top of the Rock.

Labor Day weekend is nearly upon us, and the milestone typically marks the end of the beach season in the tri-state area, but from the Jersey Shore to the sands of Long Island and Westchester County, area beaches are extending their seasons, giving visitors a chance to enjoy a little more sun and surf.

Read on for the details on which family-friendly beaches are welcoming visitors into September. 

New York City has pushed back the start date for its public school children to Wednesday, September 16, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. The move is part of an agreement between the city and the UFT, which had long been pushing for enhanced safety protocols before schools reopened, even threatening legal action and laying the groundwork for a strike if its safety concerns weren't addressed. 

In-person instruction will not begin until Monday, September 21, meaning all students will start with remote learning.

Ziplining is about as socially distanced as an activity can get. If you're raising a kid who loves a good rush of adrenaline, maybe it's time for a family outing in the treetops. Ziplining is a thrilling, exciting, and safe activity that is great for adventurous kids—and their daring parents. We've pulled together several zipline locations that make great day trips or weekend trips from LA; the following treetop tours are currently operating unless otherwise noted.

Haunted houses are a Halloween tradition for all the thrill-seekers out there, but the idea of big groups moving through tight spaces naturally raises social distancing concerns. Enter: Haunted Drive. A drive-through Halloween scarefest in Splendora, Haunted Drive gives visitors the opportunity to get their screams in while keeping a responsible distance from others.

Read on for the scoop on what Haunted Drive is adding this year to make the spooky drive-thru experience bigger, better, and safer than ever before. For more thrills and chills, check out these other Houston-area haunted houses as they consider 2020 opening plans, too.

Is Halloween saved? Even as Disney, Universal, and others cancel Halloween events due to coronavirus concerns, new spooky—and contactless—Orlando Halloween fun is popping up for 2020. Two new Halloween drive-thrus are opening near Orlando in late September, and we've got all the details.

This new type of socially-distanced haunting fun might just help to keep the Halloween spirit alive for Central Floridians. Dare to drive into a world of twisted fairy tales at the Haunted Road Drive-thru in Orlando, while the new Scream n' Stream in Kissimmee offers a younger kid drive-thru trick-or-treat trail or a chilling immersive horror movie experience in a haunted house for the teens and up. Read on for more details on the new Halloween attractions coming to the Orlando area.