Nothing says summer like a camping trip. If your family is ready for a weekend sleeping under the stars, we've got you covered with a selection of nature escapes all within a couple of hours of Chicago. From beautiful forests to the shores of Lake Michigan, these serene retreats are the perfect places for roasting marshmallows and making family memories.

Whether you’re a seasoned camper or this is your first time pitching a tent, we’ve rounded up some of the best campsites near Chicago for families. For more outdoor adventures, check out our picks for the best places to hike with kids and our Midwest Vacation Guide. 

Wouldn't it be great if you could go camping this weekend? Well, guess what—you can! Just because you didn't plan your camping trip months in advance doesn't mean your tent has to stay in the bag. Pitch that tent tomorrow at one of these SoCal campgrounds that accommodate last minute campers (even on holiday weekends!), and then break out the marshmallows. And if you think your kids need a little more incentive to embrace disconnecting for a weekend, check out these SoCal campgrounds with extra entertainment.

For a fun family outing that combines education and entertainment, few experiences can compete with a day at a truly great children's museum. We’ve compiled 51 of the best options on the map—talking with locals and polling readers to determine the top children's museum in each state (and D.C., too!). The museums we have picked have something that sets them apart, and plenty to fascinate kids of all ages—and adults, too. Hopefully, we have your favorite local children's museum on the list below. Some are so incredible they may inspire your next family trip, so check out places to stay in every region in the country in our Family Travel Guides.

The second I told my kids we were renting an RV to spend a weekend in the woods, they raced for their unicorn suitcases and started packing! Ok, so it took a little creativity to explain what an RV was to my two-and-half and five-and-a-half-year-old daughters who, like me and my husband, are born and raised New Yorkers. But "a 36 foot long house on wheels with bunk beds" was enough to get them counting down the days to our big camping getaway.

We booked our camper through RVshare—the first and largest peer-to-peer RV rental website. It's like Airbnb for RVs and campers, offering families a totally memorable travel experience while also helping RV owners make money renting their motorhomes when they aren't using them. From affordable travel trailers to decked out "glampers," the site features more than 100,000 options to fit every families' needs and budget. And, to make borrowing a motorhome even easier, many vehicles can actually be delivered right to your door or—even better, if you ask me—directly to your campsite.

Now that playground season has arrived, it’s time to pack your sunscreen, hats, and bottled water and head to the park. If you’re looking for some new options to captivate your kids, both young and old, choose an outdoor play space with a cool theme to keep them entertained. From a supersized sailing ship to an entire wooden village for tots, these unique playgrounds go beyond the usual swings and slides.

For more ideas, check out our Guide to Playgrounds & Parks in New Jersey.

The Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood of Dumbo is a draw for both visiting tourists and locals eager to enjoy the water and city views, family-friendly restaurants, shops, and plenty of outdoor activities. Located between the famous Manhattan Bridge (which lends its moniker: Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) and Brooklyn Bridge, this neighborhood offers stunning views of lower Manhattan, cobblestone streets, and experiences varied enough to keep the whole family entertained.

The neighborhood's crown jewel is Brooklyn Bridge Park—a stunning waterfront park that boasts lovely walking paths, playgrounds, roller skating, kayaking, and impressive sports facilities—but this eclectic area also offers an abundance of delicious eats, scores of beautiful shops, indoor play spaces for kids, and so much more. Read on for 50 things to see, do, and explore with kids in Dumbo.

Need to fill a week or two of summer camp this summer? Or, not ready to send the kids back to a full-time day camp? Good news: There are a number of FREE online summer camps from top-notch organizations and nonprofits that still have open weeks!

These virtual camps from the likes of 4-H Club and UNICEF are open to kids all over the US, from Boston to Los Angeles, so kids in cities thousands of miles apart have a chance to meet and connect with kids they might otherwise never have known. We love that most won't cost you a cent and might just help fill a few hours of your kid's day with some really fun summer activities. Find more virtual summer programs in our Camp Directory, or check out our local Summer Camp Guides for in-person options.

Keeping up with ever-changing COVID-19 guidelines has been hard for parents and, with the world starting to reopen, we're all trying to figure out once again where our kids fit into the picture. Now that summer's here, parents of young children just want to know what activities they can safely do and what they still need to sit out while the under 12 crowd remains unvaccinated.

At Connecticut Children's—the only health system in the state that's 100% dedicated to children—pediatric experts have been monitoring the COVID situation very closely since the start of the pandemic. Read on for helpful guidance from some of Connecticut Children's top specialists, as we all try to navigate this "next normal" with our families.