After years of construction, the Houston Zoo has completed its brand-new exhibit: South America’s Pantanal. Among its many pandemic modifications, the zoo has managed to unveil this stunning next phase of its big centennial transformation. The Houston Zoo has always been a family favorite, but there's even more to love now that it has brought Brazil’s tropical wetlands and its inhabitants right to our backyard!

LA's donuts are legendary, and with good reason. It's tough to find a bad donut in this town! And if you know where to look, an everyday trip to the donut shop is even more than just a donut outing, it's a family adventure. There are drive-through donuts (where you actually drive through the donut), DIY donuts, VooDoo donuts, and more. We've rounded up the best donut shops that provide more than just a sugary treat —these worth the drive destinations are sure to make sweet memories.

Kids are naturally creative, so why not give them an outlet? Boston families have lots of options for kids art classes in the area, from a chance to study masters of painting at the Museum of Fine Arts to learning pottery in Somerville and fusing glass in Roxbury. If your little artist loves to doodle, try out a drawing class or see what masterpiece they can create at a kids painting class. For little Picassos, toddler classes offer ways to explore different mediums and get messy, while the older kids can learn techniques for painting and drawing or try out 3-D art classes, like woodworking and sewing. 

Explore our guide to the Best Kids' Classes and Activities in the Boston Area for even more kids programs, enrichment classes, and kids activities. 

Blessed as my family is to live in eastern Long Island with its many beaches, more than once a summer we cast an envious eye across the sound to Block Island. It appears as a little bit of Scotland, sitting off the Rhode Island coast.

You might not think so from its location on a map—middle of nowhere? Honestly, yes—but Block Island, with its ancient cliffs and towering lighthouses, offers children plenty to do. As long as they don't expect an amusement park. Entertainment on Block Island is a bit more primitive. Beach walks, bike rides, nature sanctuaries, and water activities dominate this Rhode Island getaway in the summer when the island swells in population with ferry passengers from New London, Newport, and Montauk.

But if you want to take your kids off the beaten path there are few places better equipped for the journey than Block Island. Here then are 20 things to do with kids in this most unique of New England destinations.

Among the perks of visiting (or living in) Orlando is the Florida sunshine, and there is an abundance of options for enjoying it while dining waterfront.

Whether you are out on the boat and looking for a restaurant at which to dock, or you just want a waterfront meal without the long drive to the coast, you can relax lakeside at these Central Florida restaurants.

In the meantime, keep up with what's going on in Orlando with kids via Mommy Poppins' weekly newsletter; and browse our full events calendar here.

There are so many reasons to get kids enrolled in a cooking class.

Besides being a hidden-gem STEM activity with math and chemistry components, cooking classes hone motor skills, build self esteem, teach important life skills, and make kids more willing to try new foods. (If they cook it, they are more likely to try it.) If you want to give your little chef more structured and professional instruction, a cooking class in the Philly area can be a great addition to your extracurricular lineup; some classes may even send kids home having already eaten dinner!

Read on for some Philly area cooking classes designed with kids in mind. And for more enrichment inspiration, be sure to visit our Philadelphia classes guide for kids

New Yorkers often dismiss Times Square as too crowded, touristy, and overpriced, but if you look a little closer, there is plenty of kid fun to be found around this NYC hub—even for the most jaded urban dwellers.

We're not talking about the typical tourist attractions such as Madame Tussauds, the Hard Rock Cafe, and Ripley's Believe It Or Not, which do have plenty for kids to do. Instead, we've got the scoop on 14 cool, under-the-radar things to do with kids near Times Square, whether you're entertaining out-of-towners or just find yourself in this NYC neighborhood.

Yes, the country’s only construction-themed amusement park is now serving up some serious aquatic fun with two acres of splash pads, water slides, family and leisure pools, and other attractions for all ages. The brand new water park at Diggerland USA, appropriately dubbed The Water Main, has officially opened its doors just in time for the rising temperatures. With the purchase of regular admission or a season pass, you actually get access to both parks.

When I heard there was an opportunity to head to The Water Main for opening weekend, I jumped at the opportunity to take my two daughters, ages 5 and 7. We packed up the car and headed out to West Berlin, New Jersey to splash, slide, and soak up everything the brand new water park has to offer. Read on to learn all about the park's main attractions, what to expect on your visit, and how to prepare for your big adventure.