Ahhh, summer—the sun rises early and sets late, and the day's pace is slower. There are countless hours to fill with excitement and relaxation, and our Connecticut Summer Fun Guide will help you plan some seriously awesome adventures. On those days not spent at the beach, Connecticut's many outdoor festivals and fairs will have your family feasting on cotton candy or dancing in your lawn chairs. Indulge in fresh strawberries, introduce the kids to poetry and jazz, show them how cool old cars can be, and listen to their screams of excitement coming from carnival rides. Grab a picnic basket and a blanket, pack your camera, and marvel at all the fun Connecticut’s festivals and fairs have to offer.

Want more? We've got guides on TONS of idea on how to get the MOST out of Summer! Check out our  Theme & Water Parks Guide for ideas to stay cool, or peruse through our complete Summer Fun Guide.  Click through to our listings for all the details, including address, time and prices.

Well take a look at that! An Observation Wheel—which is another way of saying a really huge Ferris wheel with a great view—is setting up shop in Long Beach next to the Queen Mary, for one month only. No mere amusement park ride (though we like those very much!), the Observation Wheel offers birds-eye views of the picturesque Long Beach sky line, the majestic Queen Mary, and beyond. This thing is so tall you may be able to spot the buffalo grazing on Catalina Island.

Peppered with playgrounds, woods, and large open spaces for kids to roam free, Prospect Park is a pastoral escape smack dab in the middle of Brooklyn. The park is more than just green space: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Lefferts Historic House, and the Prospect Park Carousel are great places to visit for families. Need one more reason to love Prospect Park? How about a perfectly kid-friendly zoo, just the right size and pace for younger children?

The Prospect Park Zoo is much smaller than its northern counterpart, the Bronx Zoo, which means it's just right for pint-sized animal lovers. The whole interior is comfortably walkable in a few hours, so you can see everything before nap time. We've got tips for visiting with kids, including the best entry points, what to see, and the best times to visit.

If you have kids who love investigating their surroundings, the AHRC Suffolk's sensory garden is a great spot to spend an afternoon. The garden, which opened in May 2017, is a therapeutic environment for residents of Shoreham Homes as well as children and adults of all abilities.

A visit to this unique space is unlike a trip to any park or playground in the area. The garden offers different ways for visitors to interact with the installations and natural settings while inviting them to touch, smell, taste, and play. Admission is FREE. 

For more sensory experiences with kids, see our guide to special-needs facilities and programs on Long Island, including our list of inclusive playgrounds that offer more choices for great outdoor fun.

Philadelphia is a city with lots of activities for kids with all kinds of interests. When it comes to entertainment, New York City is widely known for Broadway and its live entertainment scene, but you don't have to go to the Big Apple to catch a great show.

Whether your children are interested in getting on the big stage or in front of it, the city has a wonderful creative arts scene with something for just about every age group. In fact, Philadelphia has a summer full of must-see shows and performances that make for wonderful family outings. Check out these 8 live shows hitting Philly stages this summer that you and the family won’t want to miss.

I have fond childhood memories of my dad lacing up my ice skates and guiding me around the rink at Warinanco Park on the border of Roselle and Elizabeth, New Jersey. Much has changed about this Union County park since that time, but what remains constant is that families have tons of ways to have a great time at this 205-acre park—including sports classes, skating, trails, and paddle boats. 

Read on for 10 fun things to do at Warinanco Park with kids. And don't miss our Guide to NJ Playgrounds and Parks for even more options.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go,” Dr. Seuss assures us, and one of the places you should definitely go to if you haven't already is Springfield's Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum—the first destination of its kind in the world.

With the long-awaited arrival of the Second Avenue subway, Yorkville has become the best of both worlds -- a slightly off-the-beaten-path enclave with zippy Manhattan train access. The cozy Upper East Side neighborhood between East Harlem and East 79th Street has also seen an influx of kid-friendly amenities, like new restaurants and play spots, adding to the established old-time favorites, wonderful parks, and great schools.

To meet the demand, beautiful new luxury buildings, like Citizen360, offer zen-inspired design, envy-inducing views, spacious apartments and a long list of top-notch features — think relaxing residents' lounges and private entertaining suites, yoga studios, infrared saunas, and stress-free on-site parking. Surprisingly, with so much going for the neighborhood, apartments still go for less than Manhattan averages, making Yorkville a smart choice for families looking to have it all.