Snowfest and More Things To Do with Kids in New Jersey this Weekend

The Eagle Festival at Meadowlands Environment Center will have a contest for eagle-themed artwork. Photo courtesy of the center

Looking for the best things to do in New Jersey this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list.

Have snow much fun this weekend on a visit to Wicoff Museum's Annual Snowfest, which features Olaf, hot chocolate, and crafts. Plus, spend the weekend with creatures of all kinds, like cute kitties at the Northern New Jersey Cat Show and eagles at the Meadowlands Environment Center's Eagle Festival.

Bryant Park Bumper Cars and More Things To Do in NYC this Weekend with Kids

Bump, slide, and spin onto the rink and into the new year with the seasonal debut of ice bumper cars at Bryant Park. Photo by Jody Mercier

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list.

Bumper cars are back in Bryant Park on Friday, the famous Thunderbird Dancers return to the Lower East Side, and Little Murmur delivers a mesmerizing dance program celebrating neurodiversity at New Victory Theater. Kids can enjoy hands-on art by making snow globes at Wave Hill or using Clixo to create 3-D sculptures at Private Picassos in Brooklyn.

25 Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free in the Philadelphia Area

Kids eat free at IHOP every day of the week. Photo courtesy of IHOP

Not only does the Philly area have loads of options for fun family adventures, it's also a haven for food freebies and discounts for kids. Whether you're visiting the city or the suburbs, you will find chain restaurants and local spots that offer a break on the bill for kiddos.

Want to plan an itinerary for the day or weekend? Check out our events calendar or look at our list of 100 free things to do in Philly with kids! And if it's a special day, look for these birthday freebies. Don't forget to confirm these deals with the restaurants before you head out.

Best Snow Tubing near NYC for Families

Galactic snow tubing at Camelback offers an LED light show come nightfall.

When there's no snow in NYC, or your favorite neighborhood sledding hills are worn down to dirt, you still go snow tubing near NYC. So, bundle up the kids and hop in the car for a short drive because snow tubing is one of those fun winter activities that, unlike skiing, requires no skill or gear. Everything you need—a tube, a hill, and snow—is provided by the parks. Just dress warmly, and you're good to go.

Here are 10 ski resorts in upstate New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania that offer snow tubing. Most are less than a 2-hour drive from Midtown Manhattan. They typically open in late December or early January, depending on the temperature, so be sure to click through to the listing to read about the day's conditions. If you're looking for more than a day trip, we've found 15 destination-worthy ski resorts for your next vacation and have plenty more spots to seek out fresh powder in our Skiing, Snowboarding, and Snow Sports Guide.

Birthday Freebies for Kids: 63 Places To Get Free Stuff on Your Birthday

Starbucks birthday freebies can include cake pops, drinks, or other treats!  Photo by Heather Cox Rosenberg

Birthday freebies for kids are a huge help: the sticker price for kids' birthday celebrations can be huge! So every little birthday freebie for kids is a gift to parents, too! Here, we've rounded up 63 places that offer up free stuff on your birthday.

Read on to discover how to score Starbucks birthday freebies, free burgers and ice cream, calls from favorite characters (like Paw Patrol or SpongeBob), discounts on clothes, surprise gifts, and even more birthday freebies for kids.

For more birthday freebies near you, check out your city's Guide to Free Things To Do with Kids; and when you're ready to plan that party, be sure to check out our Birthday Party Ideas Guide for Unique Goody Bag and Party Favor Ideas, 100 Kids' Birthday Party Themes, and more.

Lektrik's Jaw-Dropping Light Show at Queens Botanical Garden Keeps the Holiday Magic Alive

The Queens Botanical Garden has debuted a new, glowing light show named Lektrik, which runs through March.

If the end of the holiday season has you feeling blue, Lektrik's dazzling after-dark display recently opened at the Queens Botanical Garden proves you can squeeze out a little more seasonal cheer—and stunning lights displays—even after Three Kings Day.

A dazzling light show, Lektrik debuted in late December, and it continues illuminating our far too-dark, too-early nights at the Queens Botanical Garden through Sunday, March 23. Lektrik is a mesmerizing, immersive, outdoor, IRL experience. Without even a smidge of screentime, kids find themselves in a vivid, video game-like world (while parents perhaps flash back to pre-kid clubbing days).

Visitors follow a winding, mile-long path, taking in more than 40 larger-than-life, lamp-lit scenes featuring glowing animals, gleaming Ionic columns, knights in literal shining armor, massive mushrooms, and luminous otherworldly flowers—it is set in a botanical garden, after all. Little ones won’t be the only ones drooling at the 120 tons of steel, 150,000 feet of silk, and more than 1 million LED lights coming together to create this electric wonderland.

Ways to Help with the Los Angeles Wildfires

Our hearts are with those affected by the wildfires in LA. ​Photo by Alex Miroshnichenko, via Flickr 2.0

The recent wildfires tearing through Los Angeles have brought chaos, heartbreak, and destruction to our beloved city. Pacific Palisades and Altadena, both stunningly vibrant LA communities, have been wiped out. Families have lost their homes, children no longer have local schools to attend, and historical buildings have been reduced to rubble. This is not how we envisioned starting a new year. 

Amid the confusion and wreckage, we must look for the heroes. First Responders are working tirelessly to battle blazes and get Angelenos to safety. Firefighters are putting their lives on the line to save others and contain fires in poor air quality conditions.

Read on for the best ways to support these unsung heroes and where to contribute to organizations that are diligently helping displaced families. 

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