Anytime we've mentioned to friends and family that we had the best time whale watching near NYC this summer, the first question we're asked is, "Where can you go whale watching in New York City?" After all, the closest most local families have probably come to a larger-than-life marine mammal is the famous, oversized blue whale that hangs overhead at the American Museum of Natural History.

Believe us: If we hadn't gone whale watching near NYC and seen these ginormous marine mammals jump out of the water with our own eyes, we wouldn't think it would be possible either! When we set sail on our NYC Whale Watching Cruise, we thought we might see a fin here or there. By the end of our three-hour tour, the whale watching boat roared with cheers of excitement, thanks to several humpback whale sightings.

Little ones as young as 3 months can start getting acclimated to the water at these spots that offer fantastic swimming lessons in San Francisco. The Bay Area has some awesome spots for swimming classes with teachers who are patient, fun, energetic, and experienced, and some of these businesses even have trial classes to make sure it’s a good fit. It's never too young to teach kids how to love the water, so every place on our list also offers baby and toddler swimming lessons.

For more great classes for kids, including great cooking classes for little San Francisco foodies, check out our Bay Area Classes Directory.

Chicago's Museum Campus is the perfect place to visit more than one museum in a day, and the Adler Planetarium gives families the chance to leave Earth from the shore of Lake Michigan. Like its siblings The Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium, it offers exhibits that appeal to every member of the family and provides lots of interactive learning opportunities. It was opened as part of the first planetarium in the Western hemisphere in 1930 and has evolved into a hub for families looking to learn more about stars, planets, galaxies, and space exploration.

One big advantage to the Adler Planetarium is that it won't take a whole day to visit most, if not all, of the building's exhibits. If you have kids with enough stamina, we recommend going to the Shedd Aquarium early on a Wednesday and dropping into the Planetarium at 4 p.m. It's free for Illinois residents from 4 until it closes at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, and you can remain in the same parking space all day. 

We visited with our 5- and 7-year-olds earlier this summer, and while one kid is determined to be an astronaut, the other was just happy to be at a museum. Each enjoyed different things about the museum depending on what was geared to their educational level. Here's what we liked best about the Adler Planetarium with kids!

If you're staying in town and plan to visit multiple attractions in the Chicago area (we’re looking at you, people with visiting relatives you’ll be squiring around town), it’s worth it to look into a Go City - Chicago sightseeing pass to save money on entrance fees to attractions like the Navy Pier, Field Museum, the aquarium, and the planetarium.

When it comes to things to do in Brooklyn, the borough has it all for families—great schools, iconic landmarks, great parks and playgrounds, eclectic dining, and the most interesting stores and museums. While we've covered a lot of our favorite things to do in Brooklyn and the borough's top neighborhoods in our Neighborhood Guides, ranging from the top things to do in Park Slope to the best of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Heights, and beyond, consider this our best-of-Brooklyn list. Below, we've rounded up our top 50 best things to do in Brooklyn with kids. Our picks are a mix of old favorites and new classics.

Read on to discover our picks for Brooklyn's top attractions, the best playgrounds in Brooklyn, our top picks for family-friendly Brooklyn restaurants, museums, and the best things to do in Brooklyn with kids.

Jenkinson’s Boardwalk and Point Pleasant Beach have long been popular family-friendly Jersey Shore destinations. About an hour's drive from New York City and Philadelphia, this picturesque stretch of shoreline lies between the beaches of Monmouth County and the craziness of Seaside Heights. The boardwalk plays host to many kid-friendly attractions, including an aquarium, arcades, mini-golf courses, a ropes course, and an amusement park with a whole section that’s just right for toddlers and preschoolers.

I spent many summers here in my youth, and with my own little one in tow this summer, I headed down to Exit 98 to spend the day at this popular Shore spot.

Looking for more warm-weather fun? Check out our Summer Fun Guide and Jersey Shore Family Guide for ideas. 

For moms and dads, the start of the school year means a return to frantic lunch packing, endless carpool planning, and way too many opportunities to drop the ball. But what if you could solve a slew of parenting problems with something as simple as, say, a cupcake?

With the back-to-school season right around the corner, we put our heads together with the baked goods-loving pros over at Tastykake® to brainstorm how their kid-approved treats can solve some of our snack-related back to school woes. Unsurprisingly, it turns out that when a little something sweet is the answer (and sometimes it is), Tastykake has parents covered.

Whether you live in California and are in town for a weekend getaway or coming from far away for a sunny vacation, we know the perfect things to do in San Diego. San Diego is honestly overflowing with family fun. Some of the destinations are obvious: billboards all over the city remind you that the Safari Park, Legoland, the San Diego Zoo, Sesame Place, and SeaWorld are just a few miles away. However, there are also so many incredible "off the beaten path" places to take your family that before you get halfway through this list it'll be time to go home, and you'll have to plan a return visit.

Looking for a place to stay while exploring San Diego? Here is our list of the best hotels in San Diego for families and favorite places to stay in Carlsbad.

Apex Entertainment Center in Marlborough is the perfect destination for my family. When they were smaller, my boys loved indoor play spaces, Now I need a spot where they can get their energy out in cold or wet weather–or in the middle of a heat wave. Indoor obstacle courses, bowling alleys, go-karts, and laser tag definitely fit the bill, but recently, Apex Entertainment Center combines these activities and more under one (ginormous) roof, with some 100,000 square feet of sporty and techie fun. Here's what you need to know before you visit Apex Entertainment Marlborough, New England's biggest indoor family entertainment center.