Best Outdoor Swimming Pools on Long Island Summer 2024

The complex at Centereach Pool offers lane swimming and a splash pad area for younger kids. Photo courtesy of Centereach Pool

The best Long Island swimming pools include spots in Nassau, Suffolk, and East End where everyone in the family can cool off and splash around.

We've rounded up this list of swimming pools across Long Island that are ready to welcome swimmers this summer 2024. Looking for more things to do this summer? Don't forget to bookmark our Ultimate Long Island Kids Summer Vacation Guide, which is packed with fun that's sure to keep you cool all season long.

12 Themed Restaurants and Family-Friendly Dinner Shows in Los Angeles

Pirate Dinner Adventure photo by Aaron Anderer via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Looking for some fun along with your food? From knights and horses to pirates to magicians, there are plenty of themed restaurants in Los Angeles that offer interactive dinner shows for the entire family—after all, this is the entertainment capital of the world! You might land in the middle of a recreated land or find yourself with dinner shows served on the side—every single one of these spots will make your next family meal a bit more magical.

Check out our restaurant guide for more kid-friendly eating experiences in Los Angeles, including restaurants where kids can play while parents eat, gorgeous restaurants with outdoor dining, and even mouth-watering treats that dazzle kids of all ages.

Heat Wave Hot List: Ways to Keep Cool in Chicago With Kids

Paradise Bay Water Park will cool you down all day. Photo courtesy of the Lombard Park District

It can get hard to beat the heat during Chicago's summer months, and this weekend is looking to be a scorcher. We know little ones still need to get out of the house, so keep this list handy and you'll keep cool. We’ve rounded up the ultimate list of beaches, pools, splash pads, and indoor air-conditioned things to do to beat the heat in Chicago. From swimming to splashing and all the great local indoor play spaces and museums, this guide has our favorite ways to take a break, cool off, and have fun.

Check out our Summer Fun Guide for Chicago Kids for more summer activities in Chicago,

Visiting Quassy Amusement Park in Connecticut with Kids

With rides for all ages, visiting Quassy Amusement Park in Connecticut is fun for the whole family!

Quassy Amusement & Waterpark is one of the oldest and best destinations for kids for some summertime fun. Much loved by everyone, Quassy Park has something for every member of the family from carnival rides, to water play to just playing on the beach. Set on the beautiful shores of Lake Quassapaug, this Connecticut Amusement Park is the perfect spot for a day of family fun! 

For other great places to play, check out our picks for the Best New England Theme Parks for Kids and Families!

Gorgeous Glamping near NYC for Your Next Family Getaway

Bellfire's glamping resort in the Catskills offers creature comforts like a grill, fire pit, and even a sauna.

If you want to sleep in the great outdoors, but not necessarily on the ground, consider these resorts for glamping near NYC. This elevated form of camping provides hotel-style perks, plus the kitsch appeal of camping.

Think of glamping as an upgraded version of traditional camping, typically with a larger, canvas tent already set up, often with beds, mattresses, and other creature comforts like picnic tables and grills built into your campsite. Most of these destinations for glamping near New York City are open between May and October and can include everything from bathrooms with running water to hotel-quality linens, kitchens, electricity, and even air conditioning.

These glamping spots in New Jersey, upstate New York, and the Poconos are also packed with family-friendly extras, including pools, playgrounds, hayrides, mini golf, giraffe encounters, movie nights, and we even found one glamping site that's home to a ropes course. Most also host tons of nature activities, like biking, fishing, and even face time with farm animals. Some offer hotel-level features, like on-site restaurants. Read on for our full list of where to go glamping near New York City, and find more ideas for a family-friendly getaway in our Guide to Day Trips and Weekend Getaways.

Best Fourth of July Activities for Kids: Crafts, Games, and Desserts

It's Fourth of July week, and while fireworks and parades may dominate the long weekend, kids can also have plenty of patriotic 4th of July fun at home, too. Keep everyone from preschoolers to teenagers entertained with these 4th of July desserts, Independence Day crafts, Fourth of July games, and more. Complement the bangs and whizzes of the holiday with these quieter, craftier Fourth of July activities that many children appreciate more than big booms.

Find more at-home activity ideas in our Boredom Busters for Kids guide, including 100 Awesome Crafts and the Ultimate Summer Bucket List.

NYC's Best Playgrounds: 21 Parks Worthy of a Subway Schlep

Climb on platforms dangling from ropes at Hester Street Playground. Photo by Jody Mercier

In New York City, playgrounds are as much a part of childhood as potty training and the tooth fairy, and having a go-to playground is a real sanity saver for city families. When you live in a tiny apartment, the neighborhood park is your backyard.

While New Yorkers are lucky to have many awesome local playgrounds, some NYC playgrounds are a cut above the rest. These spots offer plenty of space to romp and enough outdoor entertainment to make them worth a schlep on the subway. Without further ado, read on for 21 of New York City's best playgrounds—our NYC playground hall of fame—and find more places to play in our NYC Kids' Guide to Parks and Playgrounds.

Pages