From the outside looking in, Downtown LA can seem somewhat daunting and unfriendly. Isn't it just another part of LA with tall buildings and not enough pedestrian zones? Tourists and LA natives alike often find themselves wondering what kid-friendly activities there are to do Downtown. Well, I'm happy to be the messenger as well as the reminder of all the wonderful family-friendly activities that there are in this bustling metropolis. Read on for a list of 30 kid friendly things to do in Downtown LA. Then hop on the Metro or the Expo Line and start the adventure!

How do I know it's worth a trip to the best arcades in Connecticut? The day my kids and I walked into an arcade with a giant-sized Space Invaders game, I may or may not have raced them to the token machine. There's just something about the flash and buzz of a good arcade that throws me right back to when I was a kid with a fist full of quarters. These days, I hand off all my prize tickets to my kids, but I still get a thrill out of watching them pour out of the machines. I get an even bigger thrill watching my kids dart around like...well, like kids in an arcade!

Read on to get your game on at Connecticut's best old school arcades and fun centers. With climate control in the summer and winter, the season is always right for some indoor fun. 

The Museum of Science is a gift to families in Boston, offering dozens of interactive displays that take hours to investigate, with ever-changing rotating exhibits. Its newest temporary exhibit, A Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature, is just as enthralling and informative as the Museum’s permanent collections, teaching visitors about how patterns are found everywhere, from a shell's spiral to the veins on a leaf. Bonus: Entrance to the exhibit is included in the general admission, so you can check it out without having to chip in any extra. Here's what we discovered in this truly cool exhibit, and our recommendations for visiting.

Looking for something unique to do with your family on the weekend in Lower Manhattan?

Stop by the gem of a historic spot, the South Street Seaport Museum—a place every New Yorker should visit at least once. Housed in New York’s southern-most seaport, this spot tells the story of how New York’s harbor gave rise to the metropolis we know and love today. After a major restoration post-Hurricane Sandy, the museum is back in action and ready to educate and entertain family members of all ages through tours, activities, workshops, and special events.

Read about other great exhibits for NYC kids in our Museum Guide.

Every year it seems like Philadelphia gets better and better with more things to see and do for local families and tourists alike. Major initiatives for the city include expanded green space, which often means new opportunities to get out and play. Outdoor events are always a big draw and each year the calendar seems to have more to offer in terms of destinations to experience art and culture. 2018 is no different, in addition to the usual festivals and events that you can look forward to year after year, there are some exciting openings and events that make it a good year to be in Philadelphia.

Prospect Heights is a small Brooklyn neighborhood that's in the middle of all the action. Nestled between Crown Heights, Boerum Hill, and Fort Greene, it's brownstone Brooklyn at its best, with tree-lined streets, eateries galore, and a mix of longtime residents and new transplants. Much like the rest of the borough, the community has seen its fair share of gentrification; however, it remains quite diverse, and is a wonderful place for families to live or visit.

An array of kid-friendly cafes, bars, restaurants and shops line Vanderbilt Avenue, and Washington Avenue is another thriving commercial strip. The southern periphery of Prospect Heights features some of Brooklyn’s most famous landmarks: the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (also covered in our Crown Heights guide), along with the central branch of the Brooklyn Public Library and the northern edge of Prospect Park. Meanwhile, Barclays Center (also covered in our Fort Greene guide) is located in its northwestern corner.

In New Orleans, it's Mardi Gras. In Venice, Italy, it's Carnevale. In Austria they call it Fasching, and in England Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day, or just plain old Fat Tuesday. Whatever the name, it's a party; and with its traditions of masks, music, and bling, this party deserves to be shared with kids. We've collected LA's most family-friendly Mardi Gras celebrations below, and they're mostly FREE. Let the good times roll!

When you have a 4-year-old jumping bean like I do, the idea of taking him or her to a quiet, please-stay-in-your-seat performance is a little intimidating. But it'll never get better unless we practice, so we headed to Midtown—Times Square, to be exact—to try out a performance of the brand-new The Snowy Day and Other Stories by Jack Ezra Keats. With a runtime of 45 minutes, I was hopeful we could make it through this special series of tales from one of NYC's homegrown literary legends. 

Read on to find out all about the creative and inventive play/musical hybrid perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and even elementary-age kids.