Lake Placid, New York is the perfect destination for winter adventurers. Ski at Whiteface Mountain; ice skate at the Olympic rink; snowshoe, bobsled, or even lead a pack of dogs on a sledding adventure. It’s all there for families in this Adirondacks community five hours or so by car from New York City.

More than four decades after the infamous Miracle on Ice took place in this Olympic sports town, Lake Placid is as endearing as ever, offering its gorgeous backdrop to vacationers. Whether you're looking to live out your Olympic fantasy, hit the slopes, or enjoy a less action-packed getaway, our list of the best things to do on a winter vacation to Lake Placid has picks for all ages and interests. Find more nearby getaways on our Guide to Family Fun in the Adirondacks and Catskills.

If your family is searching for Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities in New York City, look no further. Finding ways to volunteer with kids isn't always as easy as you'd think. Many charitable organizations have age minimums for their projects, and family-friendly volunteering opportunities often book up weeks in advance. (Which, of course, is a good sign—better to have too many people interested in volunteering than not enough.)

With Thanksgiving approaching, we wanted to make your search for volunteering with kids a bit easier, so we are highlighting where to give back on Thanksgiving in NYC. We're including opportunities for children of all ages, so everyone can participate. While kids might not be able to work in a soup kitchen, they can help the homeless, hungry, and elderly in other meaningful ways.

Read on for a list of family-friendly ways to put the "giving" in your Thanksgiving and beyond. Bookmark our NYC Kids Guide to Thanksgiving for more ways to celebrate.

If you're planning a camping trip with the kids—whether it's in the forest or backyard camping—picture this scene: Everyone is gathered around the roaring campfire. The marshmallows have been roasted, the campfire songs have been sung, and the crickets are chirping. What better time to whip out the flashlight and share some ghost stories?

Here are 21 not-so-scary ghost stories and spooky stories for kids of all ages. For more family fun while camping, check out our list of 17 camping games to play with kids.

From turkey legs and jousting to fairies and fire-whip shows, Texas Ren Fest is a fun-filled, immersive experience my family looks forward to year after year.

The Texas Renaissance Festival is back for its 51st season and, whether you’re first-timers or big fans, you’ll want to make sure it’s at the top of your fall bucket list. Held at “New Market Village” in Todd Mission–about an hour northwest of Houston–the largest and most acclaimed Renaissance-themed attraction in the county goes down every weekend from now through the end of November, including the long Thanksgiving weekend.

As a Houston mom, Texas Ren Fest has been a beloved annual tradition for my family ever since my oldest was in a stroller, so here’s everything parents need to know, based on years of personal experience.

New York City is home to many incredible museums, from the mighty Metropolitan Museum of Art to lesser-known gems, like the single-room Mmuseumm. It would take weeks to visit every museum in NYC scattered throughout the five boroughs.

Luckily, some of New York City's best museums are clustered together along the Upper East Side's aptly named Museum Mile. Whether you're a local or a visitor, I invite you to explore this stretch of Fifth Avenue, which is home to my favorite museums in NYC—plus some lovely Central Park destinations. If it feels intimidating to tackle the area and its many attractions, don't worry: I've put together a personal itinerary for the perfect day exploring Museum Mile.

Think you know Halloween? Think again. We’ve brewed up 31 Halloween fun facts for kids to turn you into a wise witch or wizard guaranteed to impress all the ghouls at the costume party.

What is behind this holiday on which we encourage kids to tread on others’ property and take candy from literal strangers, anyway? From its haunted history to some seriously spooky secrets and creepy coincidences, get ready to delight your trick-or-treaters with trivia and Halloween fun facts for kids about All Hallows’ Eve.

For more ways to make your spooky season spectacular, check out our Halloween Activities Guide for Families, packed with everything from easy pumpkin carving to 101 kids' Halloween costume ideas.

Advent calendars are the perfect way to turn a torturous wait for the holidays into excited anticipation. I have to confess, I am a bit of an advent calendar obsessive; last holiday season we had eight going for our family of four, plus one for each of the cats! My kids each had a toy one (Lego for my son, Harry Potter for my daughter) and a candy one, I had a wine advent calendar, my husband had a dark chocolate one, and we always have a family one and a kindness advent.

Find the perfect one, or two, for everyone in your family—from baby’s first to something for your blasé teen—from this list of the very best advent calendars for 2025. But hurry—the coolest advent calendars sell out fast.

For more Christmas activities that get kids in the holiday mood, check out our Guide to Christmas Activities and Holiday Fun for Kids. And for the perfect gift for everyone on your list, our Gift Guide has unique, tested, and beloved recommendations for kids of every age and interest.

Space Play Academy, a new space-themed indoor playground, has opened in Hillsborough, NJ—and it's out of this world. This spot offers a great mix of active and imaginary play activities that are perfect for kids under 11 or so. We recently visited this unique play spot and were so impressed by how many fun things there are to do.

Check out our Guide to Indoor Play Spaces in New Jersey for lots more places to have indoor fun in NJ.