The best thing to come out of the past year has got to be the flood of creativity in event planning. As quickly as we lost some activities we loved, other new family-friendly, socially distanced experiences sprang up, from drive-through dinosaur museums to walk-through candylands (with a few of hands-off haunted houses and holiday displays in between). The latest innovative addition to the LA event scene is Clue Live!— an in-person, open-air version of the classic board game. Attendees solve a familiar murder mystery: was it Colonel Mustard in the library with a candlestick? Mrs. Peacock in the kitchen with a lead pipe? The walking adventure in Century City brings all of these characters to life this summer so you can play detective.

There is nothing quite like immersing yourself in the pages of a good book. We scoured summer reading lists, book reviews, librarian suggestions, and personal picks to create this list of our top 100 kids' books — page-turners that we hope will transport kids to that state where they lose all sense of time and enter a world filled with imagination. From early readers to young adults, classic books to picture books, check out these top kids' books for a great read any time of year. Find even more great books in our guide to children's books and literature.

From a broken arm or an unexpected cavity to weekly therapy sessions or prescription medications, it's alarming just how quickly healthcare expenses can pile up for families. And, as a parent who has opened more than one jaw-dropping medical bill, I was totally intrigued when I first read about Sesame, the affordable direct-to-patient healthcare marketplace that's making medical expenses more transparent and affordable. Urgent care appointments starting at $26? Tell me more...

Sesame's easy to use website lets you search for, book, and pay for doctor visits and medical services in the Houston area and beyond, all with clear upfront pricing. With no membership fees, no insurance mark-ups, and no surprise bills in your mailbox, you can use Sesame to book in-person and telehealth visits directly with doctors across 40+ specialties.

By allowing the practitioners to set their own prices, eliminating administrative costs, and cutting the restrictive health insurance red tape, Sesame says visits booked on the platform can be up to 60% more affordable than when using health insurance. And, while the marketplace was created with people who are uninsured or underinsured in mind, anyone can use the platform and benefit from the conveninece and transparency it provides. 

If you've been browsing "early readers" at the bookstore or you've eagerly Amazon Prime'd "kindergarten books" for your kiddo like I have, you've likely already noticed that not all books for budding readers seem to be created equal. While these brief books are all known for large text, short sentences, easy-to-follow plots, and loads of sight words, the simplicity of the stories can sometimes make them, well, dull.

Sometimes you just need to get your kids moving. Push-ups are a great way to get the blood flowing, work on endurance, and help to build muscle strength. Of course with kids it's best to turn any kind of exercise into a game! From 'Pat-a-Cake' to the singing the ABCs, we've rounded up 10 push-up challenges and games that are anything but boring. Remember, the first one to fall or break from the push-up position is out. 

For more active games to do with kids check out our monster exercise list. 

Every city has something uniquely its own, some quirky event or phenomenon that defies description yet defines by association. Houston has its rodeo; Boston has its tea party, and Laguna Beach has the Pageant of the Masters. 

If you've never experienced this curious gem, the private treasure of the people of Laguna, opportunity awaits you every night all summer long. But get ready to clean your glasses, because you won't always be sure what you're looking at. The extraordinary event is unlike anything else I've seen; it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're raising a budding artist, if your family rocks art museums, or if you just love outdoor entertainment on a summer evening, you owe it to yourselves to check the Pageant of the Masters off this summer's bucket list.

It's no secret that little kids mean lots of gear, clothes, and toys—and the stuff only multiplies as your children and family grow. So, rather than going for broke buying all the latest toys and tech, consider gifting your kids an unforgettable only-in-New-York experience for their next milestone birthday.

Whether you've got tough-to-impress teens or preschoolers with more toys than they know what to do with, we've got a dozen ideas for experience gifts for kids in and around NYC.

Playtime is the name of the game at Rockville Centre's new, wonderfully cozy play space dubbed The Children's Social Club. Here, children ages 5 and under can explore, play, and create, all while parents enjoy a light snack or cup of coffee as they socialize with one another. It's a perfect escape on a hot summer's day and a welcome addition to Long Island's growing selection of indoor play spaces.