It takes time and planning to achieve the picture-perfect winter holiday photo for your family Christmas cards or other season's greetings. One of the most important decisions you'll make is the location you choose for your backdrop. With so many beautiful Long Island landscapes, the biggest challenge you'll face is whether to pack up the kids and head to the beach, a lighthouse, vineyard, or even the aquarium. These 13 Long Island landscapes make for stunning and memorable backdrops for your holiday photos.

Find more seasonal fun in our Holiday and Christmas Fun Guide for Long Island families, from virtual Santa sightings to the best light displays, and more.

Access to great, kid-friendly theater is one of the perks of raising kids in NYC. And while the industry has been slow to come back from the pandemic, I recently brought my 8-year-old to see the new Winnie the Pooh adaptation playing at Theatre Row, and it turned out to be just the right outing for our return to live entertainment.

Read on for our take on the show and four reasons it's a great first show, whether you're a long-time theater lover or introducing your kids to the stage for the first time.

There are plenty of reasons you might want to add some vegetarian recipes to your family's meal rotation. Studies have shown that having a vegetarian dinner even one night per week—like the Meatless Monday campaign suggests—can make a positive impact on your family's health and on the environment. Or perhaps you’re simply curious: Is it possible to create a vegetarian dinner your family will enjoy?

We’re here to tell you it is, no matter how finicky your kids might be. The next time you're looking for a meatless meal, try one of these 20 vegetarian recipes your picky kids will love. BONUS: Most of these vegetarian recipes are easy enough for your kids to join in on the prep!

And if you’re looking for more dinner inspiration, check out these easy Crockpot meals, sheet pan dinners, and kid-friendly TikTok recipes.

With the change of seasons in the air, you may be on the lookout for new places to play indoors, and while New Jersey is home to plenty of fabulous indoor play spaces, it's always fun to scope out a new spot. We've found six indoor play spaces that are newly opened within the past year, and just waiting for kids to come visit and have fun.

For even more options, visit our Indoor Play and Rainy Day Guide.

In an annual rite of summer passage, NYC Parks has been revamping local swimming pools through its Cool Pools program and has now turned its brightly colored paintbrushes toward a new medium. New Wave Pier recently debuted on the East River Esplanade, giving a bright, new life to an underutilized public space.

When I told my 8-year-old daughter we were going to the zoo last Saturday, she rolled her eyes. Aside from the fact she’s 8 going on 18, she was probably thinking, "been there, done that." I will admit, we are frequent visitors to the Turtle Back Zoo since it’s practically in our backyard. This time, though, we were going somewhere new: the Bergen County Zoo. The zoo recently welcomed two rare red wolves and I figured this would be a great opportunity to check it out. Come along with us on our visit to this new-to-us zoo, and find more local zoos to visit in this round up of the best zoos and aquariums in the Garden State.

Most kids learn about California history by visiting the gorgeous California Missions that dot the Southland. However, you don't have to hop a flight to Gettysburg for some Civil War-era history. An easy day trip from LA is Fort Tejon State Park, where visitors get a look at a day in the life of a 19^th-century soldier from the time of the Civil War. It's a unique and fascinating glimpse of lesser-known local history. So pack a picnic and head over the Grapevine to explore this hidden historic gem.

The luminescent holiday light show Magic of Lights returns to Jones Beach State Park this winter. Guests can enjoy holiday cheer from the comfort of their toasty cars as the spectacular display unfolds along a 2½-mile drive-thru route, illuminating the skies and bringing smiles to all those who visit.

Read on for all the details on this now-annual holiday favorite, plus tips on how to score early-bird pricing. There's also three other lantern shows to illuminate Long Island this holiday season. For more seasonal fun, check out our Long Island events calendar and Holiday Fun Guide.