With temperatures soaring, New Yorkers everywhere are looking for ways to beat the heat. The city's outdoor public pools are a great, FREE way to cool off, but they can be tricky to navigate with a baby or young toddlers. I recently visited McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg with my 10-month-old and while we had a great time, there are definitely some things to keep in mind when visiting with your youngest kids. We've got details on McCarren's recently renovated outdoor pool, plus tips to help make trips to NYC pools more enjoyable for baby—and parents!

One of the biggest pleasures of fall is watching the leaves turn a variety of vibrant colors. While you can see gorgeous fall foliage all over the Northeast, from New York City to New Jersey and beyond, the Delaware Water Gap is one of the best spots around for hue-filled hikes for families.

Located on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Delaware Water Gap is less than a two-hour drive from NYC so it's close enough to make a great autumn daycation. To find the best family-friendly hiking trails in the area, we turned to the experts: local parents Cheryl and William de Jong-Lambert, who regularly blog about their excursions at the Appalachian Mountain Club's Kids Outdoors New York City, a FREE online community for families featuring alfresco activities in the tri-state area. The trees should start changing any day now so keep these outings in mind for the upcoming school holidays like Columbus Day weekend.

My kids are water park fanatics, so when we were invited to check out the new and improved Splashplex in East Hanover, they had their goggles on faster than you can say "cascading waterfall pool". And the Splashplex upgrade did not disappoint--read on for Mommy Poppins New Jersey's review of the newly-expanded summer companion to one of our favorite indoor amusement parks, the Funplex.

Like many other little girls her age my three year old daughter is currently all about Princesses and dressing up. For her most recent birthday party we celebrated with a ballerina theme and all the guests dressed up in tutus. Now she has already started planning for her next soiree which is nine months away. To make your own child’s birthday festivities just as magical try out one of these fun choices in Hartford County and it will be a fancy gala your little Princess will always remember. For more party ideas check out our Party Guide!

Located on the northeast edge of New Haven County, Cheshire has twice been named by Money magazine as one of "100 Best Places to Live", and for good reason. Packed in an area of 33 square miles, you will find charming neighborhoods filled with tree-lined streets, history, art, culture, playgrounds, delicious places to eat, Connecticut's tallest single drop waterfall, and one awesome cartoon museum. Whether you choose to spend a day in town, or just a few hours, there is plenty to do here. 

Between all the back-to-school ads and the calendar on the wall, there's no denying that August is nigh. That means summer break is half over—or only half started, depending on how you look at it. August brings some of the season's best family activities, and we've rounded up our top picks of the month in NYC, Westchester, Connecticut and elsewhere. It's worth browsing the GoLists on all of our sites to inspire a day trip or two.

Speaking of skipping town, there's a brand-new water park near NYC, and we could all use some serious cooling off right about now. Our Westchester site profiled one of our favorite easy getaways, the alfresco art spot Storm King Art Center, a 75-minute drive from Manhattan, while Connecticut raved about the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, located just 15 minutes away from family hot spot Mystic. If you're up for a true vacation, consider whale watching in Boston or hopping a plane to Las Vegas, which is amazingly kid-centric.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week: