In a fall marred by more schedule changes than consistency, the New York City Department of Education announced another major change Monday: Parents who had previously opted for remote-only instruction now have just one single two-week period to opt-in to blended learning for the remainder of the school year. The opt-in period runs from Monday, November 2 through Sunday, November 15. Parents had previously been promised quarterly opt-in periods throughout the school year.

The change caught many by surprise and sparked ire from parents concerned about making such a choice at a time when coronavirus clusters have been in the news.

Want to add some excitement to a family hike? Take kids to "bag a peak!" Scaling a summit hiking trail to the top of a real mountain rewards kids with jaw-dropping views (and some legit bragging rights). Here are 14 of our favorite kid-friendly hikes that end on the peak of some of the prettiest or most interesting small mountains in the U.S., all within driving distance of a major city or resort town. Most of these hikes are best suited to older kids (or little ones in a carrier) but some feature shorter routes that even younger children can scramble up.

Be sure to check out our U.S travel guide for more ideas for stateside family adventures in the great outdoors, including top national parks to visit with kids and family-friendly ski resorts.

Yes, Halloween is likely to look a little different this year across much of the country, but there are so many ways to bring the spooky family fun home—and Netflix is on it. Together with Snapchat, Netflix is using a touch of technology to help turn your home into a lively (and not too scary) haunted house filled with surprises for you and your kiddos.

Bring a tiny twister into your own house with this science experiment for kids. It's a pretty simple, hands-on science lesson with a fun payoff. Plus it involves water play, which is hard to resist for most kids.

All you need is two bottles, water, and a container to dump the water into. We also used a few Monopoly houses for visual effect and to conjure up images of the Wicked Witch of the West just before Halloween. If you like this experiment, try more of our 64 Easy Science Experiments for Kids to Do at Home.

Out-of-town friends often ask me if Boston is a kid-friendly city. I love this question, because there are endless reasons that make this city a great place for kids to grow up in. I know I'm not alone; Bostonians love their town and aren't afraid to tell you why. This passion gets passed down to each generation with gusto, and makes the top of my list of 25 reasons Boston (including the surrounding 'burbs) is the perfect place to raise children.

With Halloween less than a week away, New Yorkers are already making plans to celebrate, and now Governor Andrew Cuomo has released guidelines for safe Halloween celebrations.

True to his statements from earlier in the fall, trick-or-treating will not be banned, but it's not the safest Halloween activity during the pandemic. New York State's guidelines emphasize that "the best way to celebrate Halloween this year is to have fun with the people who live in your household," in many ways mirroring the rules put forth by the CDC in September.

Read on for the full details on the New York state Halloween guidelines, and bookmark this list of safe, socially distant trick-or-treating alternatives as you plan your holiday happenings.

Playgrounds are the perfect destination when you need a change of scenery and a change of pace. Your kids get fresh air and exercise for FREE! But what happens when your school-aged children decide they’re too cool for their once-favorite neighborhood parks? My 8-year-old former playground-enthusiasts have recently begun to turn their noses up at the local swing sets. And if I do talk them into a playground visit, we last about five minutes.

Playground parents—don’t give up yet. I haven’t! There are some destination playgrounds in New Jersey with features and contraptions novel enough to satisfy even the pickiest playground cynics. These play areas include zip lines, crazy slides, Spiderman-type climbers, and other structures that challenge the ages 7-and-up crowd. We've rounded up some of our top picks across the state, and take note: These playgrounds all feature plenty to entertain the younger siblings as well.

Find more romping spots in our Parks & Playgrounds Guide for Jersey Kids.

For the first time since 1861, Santa won't greet pint-sized visitors at Macy's flagship location in New York City this holiday season. The beloved Santaland instead transforms into a virtual experience. Santaland festivities have also been canceled at the chain's Chicago and San Francisco locations.

While Santa still plans to take his star turn in the reimagined Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the department store is keeping the safety of kids and Kris Kringle at heart by shifting his wish-collecting duties to virtual visits via Macy's Santaland at Home, which launches Friday, November 27, and runs through Thursday, December 24.