Family vacations are all about having fun and making memories together, and travel games are a great way to do just that. Whether it's car games to keep kids busy on a road trip, games for the family to play together at the hotel or rental home, or fun games to play at the pool or beach, the best travel games are compact, lightweight, and easy to toss into a carry-on bag.

Here are some of our favorite travel games for kids and families that are sure to bring the fun to your next family vacation, from card and puzzle games to more active pursuits.

If you've got some extra room in the car, you can add in some of the games on our list of the 100 best board games for family game night—some of them come in travel size! And if you're planning a road trip and could use a little extra help, our Ultimate Road Trip Guide for Families has you covered.

The holidays are coming fast, and we've rounded up the best holiday activities and Christmas events in New England for kids. What better place to celebrate the Christmas season than New England? There's a reason all those classic holiday movies were filmed here. From snow-blanketed landscapes to quaint, historical towns, to nature in all its winter-wonderland glory. Choose from 25 Christmas-time events and activities in New England that kids and grown ups can enjoy. These holiday activities can be found in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Enjoy sleigh rides, hot cocoa, sparkling lights, and festive traditions galore. Read on for our guide to the 25 best holiday activities and Christmas events in New England for kids!

Are you getting into the holiday spirit yet? Us, too! Check out our list of favorite towns that go all out for Christmas. Get started on your holiday shopping, and remember to explore our Holiday and Christmas Activities Guide.

Thanksgiving in New York City wouldn’t be what it is without the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. If you're eager to take your kids to glimpse those giant balloons and don’t want to rise before dawn, visit the area near the American Museum of Natural History on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, to watch the giants come to life during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation.

While the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation is far from crowd-free, it’s an only-in-New York event all its own—and one of our must-do holiday events for families. Read on for tips on when to go and where to eat. In need of more holiday inspiration? Visit our NYC Kids Thanksgiving Fun Guide.

Ride on toys are the perfect gift to give a child if you really want to "wow" them. After all, what's more fun than zooming around town—or the house—on two, three, or four wheels? Plus, many kids' ride on toys have the added benefit of building balance, coordination, muscle strength, and fine motor schools.

We've rounded up 21 of the best ride on toys for kids of all ages, from toddlers all the way through teens (and even adults). These kids' ride on toys run the gamut from ride on horse toys to scooters to tricked-out electric cars for kids. With these ride on toys, your kiddo will surely be cruising the neighborhood in style.

Find more awesome gifts for kids, from the best first birthday gifts to the best gifts for tweens and teens, in our Mommy Poppins Gift Guide.

Free turkey meals in New Jersey offer help to families who may not have the financial means to enjoy the Thanksgiving meal they deserve. Many churches, soup kitchens, and charities throughout New Jersey offer free turkey giveaways or full, hot Thanksgiving dinners this season.

Read on for details on where to find these services, and if you're fortunate enough to have a full pantry and pocketbook, keep in mind that many of these nonprofits need help now more than ever, so consider reaching out to donate.

In addition to helping families fill their Thanksgiving table, we've also rounded up a collection of resources and organizations ready to supply free toys for the upcoming holiday season.

One of my favorite perks to city living is the NYC museums that surround us. It's easy to find culture on every corner from The Met's iconic artwork to dioramas, artifacts, and dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History and the rest of these top children's museums in NYC, but when you're in search of something more hands-on and interactive, NYC is a boon for that, too!

Below, find our top picks for immersive museums in NYC, where kids can get hands-on and play with slime, jump in a ball pit, bury themselves in sprinkles, and more. These immersive NYC museums are perfect rainy-day destinations that will help kids burn off some energy and introduce them to everything from art to science or simply the art of selfies in a fun and experiential way.

Find all our top kid-culture spots in our Guide to Museums, Galleries, and Exhibits in NYC for Kids.

Volunteering opportunities on Long Island show your children how rewarding it is to make someone’s holiday a little brighter by simply giving a little of your time. Volunteering also offers a way to break free from the gift-getting, list-making, shop-till-you-drop frenzy of the holidays. 

From fundraising to turkey and book drives to helping make wishes come true, we’ve pulled together this list of a dozen Long Island organizations looking for volunteers this holiday season. Most welcome help at other times, too.

Read all our best tips for the holidays–like the best seasonal day trips near Long Island–in our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for Long Island Kids. 

Thanksgiving in San Francisco means you can enjoy the holiday without having to do any cooking. With one of the best food scenes in the country and Michelin-star restaurants galore throughout the Bay Area, having someone else cook for you on Thanksgiving in San Francisco might be a stress-free option. 

With no side dishes to make and no dishes to clean, there are fantastic kid-friendly restaurant options that are open on Thanksgiving in San Francisco. You'll still be able to enjoy traditional turkey feasts in cozy settings but without any preparations. The one thing you will need to do is act quickly and book a reservation, as places fill up fast. Keep reading below for a delectable list of restaurants open on Thanksgiving in San Francisco with outdoor dining, prix fixe menus, kids's menus, and more. 

Gobble up kid-friendly Thanksgiving crafts, games, and activities, and start planning Christmas and Hanukkah festivities with Polar Express trains near San Francisco. Check out all the festive fun in San Francisco in our Christmas Activities and Holiday Guide for San Francisco Bay Area Kids.