Unlike Mother's Day, Father's Day doesn't come with the expectations or pressure, so it's easier to celebrate the old man without suffering a brain cramp. 

I once had a boss who told me all he wanted for Father's Day was to drink a glass of Scotch, smoke a cigar, and be left alone. He had young twins, so I couldn't disagree with him, but I'll choose the higher road by suggesting 10 splurges families might consider for Dad on his special day.

Right now, strawberry picking is just getting under way, but don't hesitate: on some farms the picking season lasts just a few weeks. Happy picking, and baking, and eating!  Not only is picking your own fruit a fun family activity, it's also a great way to teach children about where their food comes from and to engage them in its preparation process. For more pick-your-own options check out our posts about strawberry picking in Hartford County and blueberry picking farms.

Are Jurassic World, Dinosaur Train, and Dino Dan playing on an endless loop in your home? Does your 4-year-old frequently reference the differences between a Stegosaurus and a Brachiosaurus without batting an eye? Have you often found yourself in heated discussions at the dinner table about whether or not an Apatosaurus would, in fact, eat all of his vegetables?

If this sounds like your family, why not encourage your budding paleontologist to embrace his current obsession by walking (or playing!) with dinosaurs? Orange County has a plethora of places to take Cretaceous-crazed kids to fuel all of their prehistoric passions.

Brooklyn Robot Foundry opened on the Upper East Side, following a grand-opening celebration that began June 2 and marked the STEM and makerspace's third New York City location. It already offers its robot-making and engineering classes for kids in Brooklyn at its flagship Gowanus location and also in Tribeca.

The UES spot on Second Avenue is offering drop-off one-day classes this summer, after-school sessions in June, and a summer camp that begins July 11. Bookings for child and adult birthday parties are being accepted, too.

We stopped in to check out the new space just before opening. Read on for what we saw—and what my daughter built. 

Summer is here and since s'mores and ice cream is sure to be on the menu, families will need an extra incentive to stay active and fit. You can have fun--and even raise money for a worthy cause--at these fun runs and walks across Long Island. For more family-friendly activities, check out our Events Calendar and Outdoor Guide.

The school year is coming to an end, and prime summer vacation season is about to get under way. If you still haven’t planned your escape, no problem. We have you covered. We’ve found bona fide deals at classic East Coast summer resorts like Mohonk in Hudson Valley and Woodloch in the Poconos, plus savings at Disney, in the Caribbean, Southern California and a low-key Hamptons spot. The catch? Some of these deals are good for travel just for June. So get booking!

Read on for 11 money-saving deals on family travel going on now at some of our favorite family resorts and destinations. 

How stressful is the end of the school year? Let me count the ways. Oh sure, there's the silver lining coming of not having to drive to school or argue about homework for 10 blissful weeks; but blissful loses its luster pretty quickly in the face of, "What are we going to do today?"—particularly if you already know that what YOU need to do doesn't involve sprinklers or beaches. We know we should have figured out summer camp by now, really we do. We have a stack of flyers for neat-o programs that are probably filled up already with kids whose parents got on this weeks ago.

Summer vacation may be staring you in the face, but there's no need to panic; all of the camps listed below still have availability as of this publish date. Some of the programs even allow families to book by the day, for ultimate spontaneity. After all, you have to leave some time to bum around doing the fun things in our Summer Guide.

It’s a basic law of summer that a dip in a cool pool, or a splash in the ocean, makes everything right in the world. With many families gearing up for ocean and pool trips, or lake vacations, we talked to swim instructors and water safety experts around the country to gather the most important tips for keeping water-loving kids safe this summer.