If your family has exhausted Chicago's best winter outings and cabin fever is starting to set in, there’s a quick fix less than two hours away. Take a day trip just over the border of Wisconsin to explore the shores of Geneva Lake with kids. Along the way, you’ll see historic homes, lush gardens, boats, and wildlife in the crystal-clear water. My family and I have been coming up to Lake Geneva for years from Chicagoland to walk the shore path and explore the lake. Here are my inside tips to making this a day trip your kids love so much it becomes a tradition for your family, too. Read on for the best starting points, must-see sights, and the low-down on strollers, bathrooms, and pets.

Festive car parades may have stood in for your child’s birthday party last year due to the pandemic, but this year they probably want the real thing: a celebration with friends and family. And, although we’re not quite back to normal, things have opened up somewhat, so a birthday party is possible—it just may look a little different.

Keeping in mind that the only guests may be your immediate family or your close-knit pod, we've rounded up a dozen venues offering birthday parties right now. From venues that let kids get creative to boats that take you on a seal-watching cruise and animal encounters, both real and virtual, our party ideas give you many ways to celebrate right now.

For more ideas and party planning tips, be sure to check out our Birthday Party Guide for Long Island kids.

Looking for a unique spot to host your child's next birthday party? Venues with both hands-on fun and enough space to blow out the candles with your bunch safely? We've rounded up 15 exciting options throughout NJ that your birthday kid will love, from private movie theater rentals to heart-pumping go-kart racing.

If you're more comfortable staying in, see our list of virtual and social distancing party ideas for kids, and be sure to visit our Birthday Party Guide for even more ways to celebrate.

Just because birthday parties might not look exactly like the big blowouts of years past doesn’t mean there aren’t lots of other ways to celebrate—from hiring a virtual performer to finding birthday party venues that can cater to our new normal.

And thankfully, there are lots of birthday party options in Westchester, whether your artsy kid wants to try their hand at making slime or pottery or you want to go the route of setting up a ninja course in your backyard with the help of some professionals. Here are nine local venues and vendors helping make sure kids' birthday party dreams (still) come true.

Looking for more kid-friendly party ideas? Check out Party Guide for plenty of options.

With some light finally emerging at the end of the tunnel, families can now start looking beyond Zoom parties to celebrate birthdays. While many of our favorite indoor spaces still aren't open, more and more play spaces and venues are opening their doors for small-group celebrations while taking all necessary COVID-precautions. But, time marches on, and you need a place to celebrate now. We've rounded up 15 unique places citywide where you can host birthday parties now, both indoors and out. 

Remember to keep your group small and wear masks. If you're still not keen on venturing indoors, check out our roundup of virtual birthday party ideas and the best virtual party performers, and find more party inspiration in our Guide to Kids Birthday Parties.

Los Angeles parents are blessed with the widest range of summer camps choices imaginable (just check our camp guide and directory!). Kids who are driven to spend their summers focusing on musical theater, art, surfing, science, horseback riding, or even making movies have all the day camp options in the world, right in our backyard. But sometimes, summer needs to just be about being a kid and having fun. Kids need to let loose and play, play, play. At these traditional outdoor summer camps from Santa Monica to Altadena, that's exactly what they can do.

For more summer camps in Los Angeles, including picks for preschool summer camps in LA and the best free and cheap day camps in town, be sure to bookmark our Los Angeles Summer Camp Guide and our Camp Directory, where you can search for camps by type, age, and town.

After a year of cancelations, it's time to focus on what we can do. We’ve compiled a list of family-friendly destinations open now in Westchester. These spots include cultural sites, sports venues, indoor play spaces, and open spaces for outdoor adventures. Despite the pandemic, there's actually a lot for local families to do.

Be sure to bookmark this resource for all your upcoming adventures; we'll update it as the situation warrants. As always, there are many more ideas for keeping busy on our Event Calendar.

Most of Long Island has reopened, and businesses are welcoming visitors at a reduced capacity, but the answer to what's open on Long Island right now is far from simple. While we've had plenty of fun enjoying winter walks, our glorious parks, and favorite playgrounds, indoor family entertainment is harder to come by. A handful of indoor play spaces have reopened, while other spots have remained shuttered since March.

We've scoured the web to come up with this list of what's open now on Long Island. Bookmark this page; we'll update it as more spots announce their reopening dates. Keep in mind, coronavirus safety restrictions often mean reservations are required, and capacity is capped, so it's a good practice to call before venturing out to confirm availability or book your tickets in advance.