There’s a new way to save on some of the best Long Island has to offer families, from historic museums and seasonal boat rentals to hand-pressed burgers and craft doughnuts.

Discover Long Island has created the Long Island Downtown Deals Travel Pass to bring special money-saving offers to LI natives and visitors alike. The easy-to-use mobile pass serves up exclusive discounts and promotions across participating downtown areas while helping to support local businesses as they recover from the COVID-19 crisis. Meanwhile, Discover Long Island’s YouTube channel and new podcast offer the lowdown on the Island’s most-loved activities, events, and deal-packed downtowns, from Great Neck to Greenport.

It's no secret that Brooklyn is one of the most family-friendly boroughs in New York City. More young families are discovering the rich culture and kid-friendly perks that make it a great place to raise your family. It's the reason why strollers outnumber the hipsters in most Brooklyn neighborhoods. And one of the best ways to enjoy the beautiful tree-lined blocks is to go for a walk with your tot in tow to visit some of the amazing toddler playgrounds in the area.

We've ranked the best playgrounds in Prospect Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and even the top playgrounds for big kids in Brooklyn, but now we're presenting a list of our favorite toddler playgrounds in the borough.

If you've got a child in public school, you live by the school calendar, and after a year of fits and starts, delays, and COVID-induced quarantines and closures, parents are wondering what this school year will bring. As back-to-school looms, it's looking like students will return to school in semi-normal fashion (on August 30), with in-person learning taking place on campuses across the city five days a week. The Chicago Public School Calendar for the 2021-2022 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.

Read on for all the dates and details of the current 2020-21 school year plan.

We don't want to condone lying, but sometimes a parent has to rely on a little white lie to get through the day...or to just emerge unscathed from Target's toy aisle. A little white lie might also be put to use to coax a kid into a much-needed nap or away from the ice cream truck that always shows up 10 minutes before dinnertime.

We recently asked our readers about the funniest lies they had told their kids, and wow, some of these are next-level genius parenting hacks!

One of the oldest hamlets on Long Island, Bay Shore's historic roots date back to the 1600s. The British armed forces used it as a headquarters during the American Revolution, and George Washington even spent some time at Sagtikos Manor. As the centuries went on, Bay Shore developed into a vacation destination for city-dwellers, and eventually housing developments took over. Still, modern Bay Shore has no shortage of family-friendly destinations worth a visit.

From Main Street to the marina, here are the top spots to explore in Bay Shore with kids. Find more family-friendly towns in our Moving Guide to Long Island.

While it’s not exactly a secret, Ferndell has remained—almost exclusively—a locals-only walking trail in the middle of Griffith Park where you can always find a swath of green space where your crew can run free, along with lots and lots of cool shade from the forest trees above. (Yes, even on the hottest days of summer.) Hunt crawdads and tadpoles, wonder at the hanging ferns, and play on the bridges. As if this weren’t enough, at the end of the Ferndell Trail and in the shadow of Griffith Observatory, you’ll find one of LA’s greatest secret treasures: The Trails Cafe, where a cool drink and a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie await. Read on for the scoop on spending a day at this lovely little nook in the heart of the city.

Is your child interested in exploring the "hows," "whys," and "what-ifs" of the world around them? STEM classes can be a wonderful children's activity to foster curiosity and help kids think critically and creatively. We've rounded up 14 STEM classes for kids in New Jersey, which offer instruction in coding, robotics, architecture, engineering, chess, and more.

For more kids' activities, be sure to check out our guide to the Best Kids Classes and Activities in New Jersey.

One pandemic silver lining: At-home birthday party services have expanded their offerings and notched up the engagement factor for optimal birthday party fun. So, consider hosting your next soiree at home with the help of these birthday party pros.

Don't let the at-home birthday party setting fool you—you and your little one have plenty of options from which to choose. From drive-in style movie nights and mobile spas to pop-up glamping tents and backyard laser tag competitions, these at-home birthday party services give kids fabulous entertainment options in a comfortable setting.

All of the options below service all of Long Island. For more party planning help, check out our Long Island Party Guide.