Hudson Valley Kids Guide

Sliding down my parents' front lawn is one of my fondest childhood memories. Since we had the steepest hill on the block, all of the neighborhood kids would come over with their sleds. The skies were blue, the snow was plentiful and we were so active we never felt cold. The worst parts of the day were dragging my sled back up the hill and nightfall when the fun would end.

I have tried to recreate those magical days for my son in New York City but the logistics are challenging—especially this winter when there's barely been any snow at all. But even when the white stuff does fall, lugging a sled on the subway is a drag. And just where am I supposed to store a sled in my apartment anyway?

That's why every winter, we jump in our car and hit a nearby snow tubing spot. It's a wonderful winter activity that reminds me of those carefree days sledding at my childhood home. No skill is required, and the only things you need are a tube, a hill and snow, which are all provided by the parks. Just dress in warm duds and you are good to go.

We've rounded up 11 ski resorts in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut that offer snow tubing, most less than a two-hour drive from midtown Manhattan.

Don’t let the lack of a car keep you from hitting the slopes this winter. Nearly all of the big (and small, for you first-timers) local ski resorts offer bus and train package deals from New York City. Don't worry that we haven't seen a flake of snow since that freak October storm: The ski resorts are making their own and are open for business.

These packages are convenient and wallet-friendly, and they often include discounted lift tickets and equipment rental so you don't have to lug your own skis. Even if you own a car these deals are worth considering: After a hard day on the slopes, it's wonderful to kick back and relax while someone else battles traffic back to NYC. Here are six ski resorts in New York and New Jersey that offer ski packages that will have your family on the mountains in no time.

photo: Wet Paint! ArtVentures! Art + Architecture Day Camp

There's really no place like New York City for kids to learn about art. The many professional local moonlighting artists make a very talented pool of incredible teachers and the high emphasis and demand for art programs has created an amazing wealth of exceptional art classes and camps. We looked at dozens of creative arts camps and have selected the ones we found to be really exceptional and we still came out with a dozen camps because there were so many that were great for different reasons.

We found visual arts camps, dance and theater camps, music camps, and even creative writing camps. There are also camps that have programs in cool stuff like video and circus arts and art camps that allow kids to sample a little of everything. We found programs that run all summer or one week intensives. From preschoolers to high schoolers, if your child is ready to dive in to a summer of artistic expression, there's a camp for him.

Be sure to check out our camp guide for dozens of more great camps.