Long Island's many trampoline parks and bounce houses definitely come in handy when you find your high-energy kids bouncing off the walls.

From inflatable slides to obstacle courses and high-flying trampolines, Long Island is home to a variety of play spaces that let kids work off their energy and have some indoor fun when it’s too hot, cold, or wet to play outdoors. Whether you’re looking for an impromptu bouncing session or want to schedule a birthday party, most of these venues offer a variety of play options. Just be sure to check out their websites for all the specifics.

The sky might be the limit at these venues, but be advised that most of them require socks and some require completed parental waivers before participating.  

Be sure to check out our rundown on the best obstacle courses in New Jersey and other ideas for active fun in our Guide to Long Island Sports Centers. 

Indoor playgrounds abound in Middlesex, Monmouth, and other central New Jersey counties, with venues featuring bouncy rooms, arcades, rock walls, imaginative play, and much more. Read on for more than 25 of our favorite drop-in playgrounds in central NJ.

If you're looking for other great indoor activity ideas, be sure to read our rundown on the best New Jersey arcades and check out all the other posts in our Guide to Indoor Play Spaces for New Jersey Kids. 

Located in New York’s Catskills, Windham Mountain offers the perfect mix of fun adventures, stunning scenery, delicious food, and elevated accommodations for the entire family. Good food, fun activities, and a comfy bed are the perfect recipe for a fun family weekend getaway. After spending a lovely long weekend exploring Windham Mountain, we're here to share our highlights, which included skiing, tubing, cozy fire pits, delectable dining choices, family-friendly lodging, and tons of spots to get upstate and chill.

Read on for our top picks for the best things to do with kids at Windham Mountain and find more fun regional destinations to explore in our Adirondacks, Catskills, and Hudson Valley Guide and our Weekend Getaways Guide.

These websites for kids are both entertaining and at least a little bit educational!

Screen time can be a blessing and a curse. Between worrying about screen time overload and concern about what content little brains might be absorbing, it’s hard to find websites for kids parents can feel good about. 

One way to embrace screen time is to channel it toward educational and learning opportunities. There are plenty of websites for kids that are a good balance of quality content and entertainment. Kids can play games online with friends, learn how to code, and much more. We've rounded up not 1, not 2--but 100 websites for kids that are fun and help foster a love of learning. For more things to do both on and offline, check out our guide to Boredom Busters for Kids.

If baseball beckons you every summer, like popsicles and pools, Connecticut can be a tricky place to live. Is it Red Sox country? A Yankee stronghold? Mets loyal? Probably all of the above, but Mommy Poppins has no intentions of wading into THAT debate.  Rather, we'll educate you on the alternatives right in your backyard -- minor league ballparks with major league fun. They're perfect for the family, kind to your wallet, and spread out across the state. Batter up!!

Want to put a science-y spin on your valentine cards this year? Try this creative STEM activity for kids inspired by the classic Sweetheart candy of yore—you know, the ones with the cutesy sayings like "Be Mine" and "You're Sweet". This Valentine's Day project is as simple as it is fun. Just write short messages on white paper hearts with a white crayon, then invite your little valentines to reveal their love notes by adding watercolor paint.

Once you've made a heap of hearts, the possibilities are endless. You can give them out as valentine cards, hide them for a heart hunt, or string them up as a banner for some festive Valentine's Day decor. Read on for instructions on how to make these magic crayon messages, the perfect STEM activity for kids this Valentine's Day and all year long.

Need another fun STEM activity for kids? Check out our Guide to Science Experiments for Kids, where you can learn everything from how to make rock candy to how to get an egg into a bottle. And if you need more ways to get crafty this Valentine's Day, see our list of 20 Valentine's Day crafts and recipes.

My family loves trampoline parks, indoor play spaces, rock climbing, and obstacle courses. We're frequent visitors to these indoor fun zones in Northern New Jersey and Central Jersey, but we recently found a new go-to that's skyrocketed to the top of our favorites list: Rock 'N Air Adventure Park of East Brunswick.

Read on for our visit to this all-ages indoor playground and find more fun places to play with New Jersey kids in our Guide to Indoor Play Spaces.

Greenpoint, Brooklyn is situated on the northernmost border of the borough and provides a delightful mix of old and new, trendy and vintage, traditional and hipster. While Greenpoint, Brooklyn has a large, established Polish community, newer restaurants, shops, and businesses are popping up and adding to the diverse and lively community. Artists and entrepreneurs have long been drawn to Greenpoint, Brooklyn for its creative vibe and its proximity to Williamsburg and Manhattan. So, you'll find traditional Polish restaurants next to art galleries, trendy boutiques, and upscale eateries.

Families flock to Greenpoint, Brooklyn for its cheaper rents, impressive green spaces, and lots of kid-friendly businesses and activities. Greenpoint lives up to its name with a number of well-kept green spaces like Monsignor McGolrick park, and the 35-acre McCarren Park, which spills over into Williamsburg and the revitalized East River waterfront. To help you get the most out of Greenpoint, Brooklyn we've rounded up the top 37 things to do in Greenpoint with kids. Find more fun neighborhoods to explore in our New York City Kids Neighborhood Guide.