Family fun night doesn't have to revolve around ordering pizza cueing up a family-friendly movie. Whether your family is ultra-competitive and ready for a board game battle or wants to curl up and camp out under the living room lights, we've got 10 fresh family fun night theme ideas. All it takes is a little preparation—and inspiration—to build a memorable night at home. This list gets the kids to surrender their screens and join in on the action. 

For more family fun inspiration, be sure to check out our Stay-at-Home Guide, which is packed with hundreds of boredom busters.

The upcoming school year is just around the corner, and many parents might be seeking ways to prep kids for the new year or for tools to enhance school curriculum, especially if they are facing virtual learning. Educational workbooks and children's activity books can often help to fill that gap, especially in elementary-age kids.

Workbooks for kids come in many formats and offer a host of different types of skills practice. There are preschool workbooks, kindergarten workbooks, and those that delve into more advanced subjects. But with so many options out there, choosing the right workbook for your child can be a bit overwhelming.

With that in mind, we've singled out our 13 top picks for ages ranging from preschool to 5th grade. Find more homeschooling resources in our Remote Learning & Homeschool Guide for parents.

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.