When it comes to must-do museums for families, the nationally renowned Museum of Science and Boston Children's Museum dominate travel brochures and websites (and deservedly so). But since its 2018 renovation and expansion, the Discovery Museum of Acton is where my own kids want to go when a day calls for an outing that flexes our brains along with our bodies. With an indoor museum space devoted to interactive play and an outdoor "Discovery Woods" area full of nature-based play structures, the Discovery Museum is truly the sort of place where kids don't realize they're learning while they're having fun. 

Because it has carefully enacted safety policies to stay open for longer than most museums throughout the pandemic, the Discovery Museum is a good choice for your next day trip with kids. Don't miss these museum highlights when you visit, and be sure to check out our Boston Museum Guide for more enriching family outings.

Although NYC is close to plenty of downhill skiing options, cross-country skiing is also a fun option with kids. Also known as Nordic skiing, cross-country skiing is a great winter sport for families. Children as young as 5 can ski alone, and parents can tow tots in a sled or carry them in a backpack while on the trails. You can't do that while swooshing down a mountain!

While cross-country skiing is nowhere near as dangerous or as expensive as downhill skiing, the tricky thing is finding snow and equipment. Unlike downhill ski resorts, most cross-country trails aren't in the business of making their own snow so you're going to have to wait for the white stuff before you can get out there. Getting outfitted with XC skis is relatively inexpensive comparend to downhill, but unless you want to purchase kits for your growing children, you also need to find a spot that offers children's gear rental. Your best bet is a Nordic Ski Center that offers trails and rentals.

Here are our favorite spots where families can enjoy cross-country skiing, and most are less than a 2-hour drive from New York City. But conditions and offerings change, so call ahead to make sure they have both snow and ski rentals in your sizes. 

Find more fun seasonal activities in our Snow Sports Guide.

New York City's public middle school students who have opted for hybrid learning can return to school on Thursday, February 25, the city announced Monday.

Middle school students have been learning remotely since Mayor Bill de Blasio shuttered all schools on November  19, 2020. Early education, elementary, and District 75 students returned to school two weeks later, but older students have been learning from home. No return date for high schoolers has been set.

No ice skating skills? No problem. The ice bumper cars are back at Ocean Ice Palace in Brick, New Jersey, and ready to welcome visitors Friday and Saturday nights and weekend afternoons.

Read on for details on how to nab your tickets, plus find more seasonal entertainment in our Winter Fun Guide, where we've got all the details on the state's best ice skating rinks, sledding hills, tubing spots, and more.

For local families with curious kids, the Connecticut Science Center is one of the best places to spend a chilly or rainy day. Kidspace, the Engineering Lab, Invention Dimension, and Our Changing Earth are just some of the exhibits and activities that simultaneously entertain and educate youth of all ages. Also, there are traveling exhibits that change regularly, making it worthwhile to come back to the Connecticut Science Center more than once during the year. Add in take-home projects and school vacation enrichment programs, and it's no wonder that a visit to this brainy museum is one of our favorite things to do in Hartford with kids.

Read on for our 10 favorite things to do at the Connecticut Science Center—including the new dinosaur exhibit—and don't miss our Connecticut Museum Guide for more enriching outings with kids.

Beach walks and beach playgrounds are fun year round, and on the stray warm winter weekend families can even hit the surf at a favorite beach. But there’s one beach activity that’s even better in the winter—tidepooling. On rocky beaches, where little pools of water stay in the rocks when the tide goes out, kids can uncover whole underwater worlds. Crabs, mussels, starfish, snails, sea urchins, minnows, and more can be found by little explorers. Tidepooling in LA is best in the winter because the tides are the lowest, and the beaches the least crowded.

Put those rainboots to good use, grab a pail (and your camera, because kids look extra cute peering into puddles), and see what lives under the sea.

For all you families with budding adrenaline junkies, we have the perfect experience queued up for your weekend: ziplining! Riding a zipline through the air, flying above the treetops, and taking in a birds-eye view of your surroundings makes ziplining and other aerial adventures the ultimate (safe!) thrill-seeking experience for kids and adults alike. Treetop adventure parks also lay out some heart-pumping challenges in magical surroundings. We've rounded up a few different locations around Houston that offer family-friendly aerial adventures that will take your weekend activities from ordinary to sky-high.

Find yourself looking for even more adrenaline-inducing activities? Be sure to check out our favorite locations with outdoor go-karts or indoor trampoline parks. As a bonus, some of the trampline parks have mini ropes' courses and ziplines for kids who want to test out a pint-sized version of an aerial obstacle course before tackling the full experience.