20 Beautiful Spring Day Trips from Philadelphia for Families

Enjoy an afternoon on the lake at Marsh Creek State Park. Photo by Erica Velander

With the bulk of the cold weather behind us, we're ready to get out of the house and get out of town with these kid-friendly spring day trips from Philadelphia. From just outside the city, to the Philadelphia countryside and across state lines, this list of 20 spring getaways near Philly has awesome activities for kids of all ages. From breathtaking gardens and off-the-radar museums to train rides and nationally renowned attractions, there are so many places to explore right in our backyard. 

Read on for family-friendly day trips within a few hours of Philadelphia, and find more inspiration in our Spring Fun Guide. Prepare for your next mini vacay with our Philly Family Day Trips and Weekend Getaways Guide.

Zipping Across the Best Atlanta Zipline and Ropes Courses

Every step matters at TreeTop Adventure & Ziplines at Callaway Gardens. Photo by Bill Leffler

Looking for a great family activity to get you out of your comfort zone? Imagine soaring among a tree canopy on an Atlanta zipline or ropes course. Everyone will get a good workout and have fun while improving gross motor skills, balance, and concentration. An added benefit of the ropes course and zipline is the adrenaline rush and boost of self-confidence that completing an Atlanta zipline or ropes course provides.

Whether your family consists of novices or experienced thrill seekers, check out our list of Atlanta ziplines and ropes courses in the area. (Don't worry if the weather isn’t cooperative, we’ve included several indoor places as well.) Book reservations to ensure availability and make sure your group meets any age, height, or weight requirements. Wear sturdy sneakers and save time by completing waivers online.

For more fun ideas this spring, check out our Spring Fun Guide, as well as our Outdoor Activities Guide for Atlanta Kids

Brooklyn Ninja Academy Brings Parkour Gym to Park Slope

Brooklyn Ninja Academy lets kids train on ninja warrior-inspired obstacles.

The New York Ninja Academy is expanding, opening a brand new Brooklyn location for budding ninja warriors to train and get fit. Here, kids can experience the parkour obstacles made famous by the hit American Ninja Warrior television show. The Brooklyn Ninja Academy coaches kids (and adults) in skills and techniques to improve balance, agility, and strength to master its various obstacles.

I recently checked out the new ninja warrior facility with my 11-year-old daughter and her friend, who experienced first-hand what it's like to be trained by ninja champions. Read on for the full review and find more cool places to train in our guide to Sports Centers, Gyms, and Fun Zones in NYC.

25 Preschool Science Experiments: Simple Science for Toddlers through Kindergarten Kids

Create colorful storm clouds out of shaving cream and food coloring.

You don't need a tiny inventor or an aspiring Ada Twist, Scientist to have some fun with science. After all, every kid is an expert experimenter, and nothing makes us feel more like fun parents than breaking out some magical tricks and elixirs. Here are 25 easy preschool science experiments for all the STEM and STEAM your toddler, preschooler, or kindergarten kid can handle.

For more science experiments for kids of all ages, check out our list of 64 easy science experiments for kids, try our colorful Skittles science experiment, or enjoy one of our magical light experiments for toddlers and preschoolers—all of which can be found in our Guide to Science Experiments for Kids. Happy discovering!

Dazzling Flip Circus Is Set for New York, New Jersey Tour

Circus artists mesmerize the audience at Flip Circus.

There’s a new circus in town, and it’s premiering now at the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey. Flip Circus is a brand-new circus experience conceived by the Vazquez brothers of the touring Circus TT Vazquez, features an international cast of entertainers celebrating the great American circus tradition—what's more, the show is heading to Staten Island, Yonkers, Nanuet, Smith Haven on Long Island, and Edison, New Jersey, over the next few months, giving local families plenty of time to catch up to its daring acts. Read on for our full review of this new spectacle.

Navigating Kids’ Anxiety About COVID Restrictions Ending—Tips From Pediatric Experts

Pediatric experts from Connecticut Children’s share the best ways for parents to approach reopenings. Photo courtesy of Connecticut Children's.

With more and more COVID-19 restrictions being lifted and masks becoming optional inside most Connecticut schools, parents and children are navigating big changes for what feels like the millionth time in the last two years. Understandably, for some kids, this new chapter may bring on what’s known as “re-entry anxiety”—a sense of fear or uneasiness that can accompany the return to our pre-pandemic normal.

To get a handle on the best way for parents to approach these reopenings while minimizing anxiety, we connected with the only health system in the state that’s 100% dedicated to kids, Connecticut Children’s. Their pediatric psychologists provided helpful tips for navigating the difficult emotions that can come with this new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, and offered up some handy resources you’ll definitely want to bookmark.

Top Teen and Tween Summer Camps in New Jersey

YMCA Camp Mason prides itself on offering families a unique blend of traditional and adventure summer camp experiences. Photo courtesy of the YMCA

While playing Roblox may be your tween or teen's idea of summer activity, keeping this age group busy and active in the summer can pose a dilemma for parents. Too old for some traditional summer day camps and too young to find a summer job or internship, these big kids still require structured, entertaining, and challenging activities to fill the long days of summer. We've rounded up more than 10 summer camps for tweens and teens in New Jersey. These cool summer camps offer specialties ranging from sports to theater, travel, and well-rounded fun.

Bookmark our New Jersey Summer Camp Guide for more programs that may pique the interest of teens, like our picks for the best STEM summer camps in New Jersey. Plus, our Summer Camp Directory allows you to search for programs by age, interest, and location.

30 Fun Preschool and Toddler Events in NYC this Spring

Visitors can mingle with up to 500 fluttering, iridescent butterflies at the Butterfly Conservatory at the American Museum of Natural History. Photo courtesy of AMNH

Spring may be the most exciting season of the year for parents of preschoolers and toddlers who have been stuck inside for what feels like 5,000 weeks of winter. With the arrival of warm weather, it's like New York City itself wakes up from hibernating, and families stream out of their apartments and onto the sidewalks, scooters in tow, ready to take advantage of all the city has to offer in the springtime. There are so many exciting things to see and do in Marcn, April, and May, and we've taken the time to round up the best preschool and toddler events this spring.

We've got cool outdoor festivals, stunning, age-appropriate theater picks, and much more, all perfect for the under 5 set. What's not included? The piles of Easter egg hunts, ideas to celebrate Mother's Day, and Passover observances. But, fear not—we're covering the spring holidays in-depth in the coming weeks. Without further ado, here are our top springtime picks for New York's tiniest city slickers.

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