Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in New York's Hudson Valley is a crowd-pleaser any time of the year. This year-round, all-inclusive resort provides non-stop activities for all ages, including an indoor water park, horseback riding, snow tubing, skiing, and even babysitting, all of which add up to a memorable family getaway less than two hours from NYC.

Read on for our top picks for fun things to do at Rocking Horse Ranch, and our tips for planning your own Rocking Horse Ranch Resort getaway. Be sure to bookmark our Guide to Day Trips and Weekend Getaways for more family-friendly travel destinations nearby.

Meal planning night after night for family dinner is, frankly, the worst. Maybe you're that rare meal magician whose kitchen is stocked with everything you need to whip up a healthy meal that your entire family will enjoy. But probably you're a mere mortal: the kind of parent who struggles at the very thought of coming up with one meal, let alone an entire weekly menu plan. I mean, ugh—why are these little humans always so hungry?!? We asked readers how they tackled the monumental task of meal planning family dinners everyone will eat, week after week. These tried and true tips from seasoned parents are amazing and help answer the never-ending question of what’s for dinner.

After you read these tips, peruse our 100 Top Easy Recipes for Kids and other kid-pleasing fare in our Guide to the Best Recipes for Kids.

No boat, no problem: at Lakeside Watersports, families can hit the water and wakeboard, water tube, and more.

If thrilling fun is your thing, then Lakeside Watersports is your go-to spot in Connecticut for just about any kind of adrenaline-pumping water-based activity. Lakeside Watersports is located in Candlewood Lake’s Echo Bay Marina in Brookfield, just 2 hours from New York. It’s Connecticut’s go-to spot if you want to learn how to wakeboard, tube, waterski, wakesurf, kneeboard, and so much more—all under the experienced eye of the Lakeside staff.

If you want to hit the water without a boat, check out the 10 Best Ponds and Swimming Lakes for Connecticut Kids and other ways to get wet and keep cool in our Connecticut Beaches and Water Fun Guide.

Farmington River Tubing is located in Satan's Kingdom State Recreation Area in New Hartford. Despite its rather unusual name, during the summer months, this park becomes a popular destination for river-tubing. Satan’s Kingdom is the launch spot of Farmington River Tubing - the only official vendor for a tubing journey down the river. 

After ten long years of swimming lessons, my family was finally old enough to plan a trip up to New Hartford and enjoy a day floating on the Farmington River.  This trip is fun–jaw-dropping, heart-racing, adrenaline-pumping fun! This is not your leisurely float down the river. Your family will never forget the trip down the Farmington River. It has enough rocks and rapids to keep everyone entertained.

For more fun on the water, see our list of the 10 Best Ponds and Swimming Lakes for Connecticut Kids. And check out our Connecticut Summer Fun Guide for all our favorite activities.

Everyone has their own idea of what the best Trader Joe's foods are, and while we all know about the magic of Trader Joe's Orange Chicken, the shelves at Trader Joe’s are lined with products that make meal time, snack time, and just about any other time more enjoyable. Eager to get some new easy dinner ideas, we asked readers what they think the best Trader Joe’s foods are. We were overwhelmed by the responses. Start this week's grocery list off with these best Trader Joe’s foods, from frozen treats to snacks to easy meal ideas. Meal planning just got a whole lot more fun!

If you need more meal inspirations, check out these 15 Easy Trader Joe's Recipes, and other favorite recipe ideas from taco recipes to sheet pan dinners kids love, in our Guide To Easy Recipes for Kids and Families.

You don't need fancy art supplies to make some fun crafts with kids. A simple household item like duct tape is an amazingly affordable and easy-to-use crafting material, and it comes in a variety of fun colors and designs. A duct tape wallet is the perfect starter project to learn how to use duct tape for designing and crafting. It's so easy, in fact, that it made it onto our ultimate summer bucket list! Once you get the hang of creating “duct tape fabric,” the possibilities are endless.

Read on to learn how to make a duct tape wallet with children. For more fun art projects for kids—some of which use duct tape as well—check out our lists of 21 rainbow crafts for kids and 100 awesome art projects for creative at-home fun.

With fresh lobsters, gorgeous landscapes, and lots of family fun, the New England islands sure know how to sparkle. Although similar in geographic region, these islands cover a vast array of terrain and vibes, from quaint coastal villages to the bustling streets of Vineyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard in the summer. Instead of trying to figure out which of the New England islands to visit, why not use this guide to make a plan to visit them all?

Here are 10 New England islands to visit with kids. You don't have to pack them all into the summer—the islands can be great to visit in the off-season when the beaches, restaurants, and shops are less crowded. For more New England family fun, check out our list of 100 things to do in New England with kids before they grow up and our favorite New England hotels for families.

Sunny skies, salty hair, sandy toes, and fresh seafood are the stuff that New England summer magic is made out of and nothing is quintessentially more New England than a lobster shack.  Lobster Shacks are traditionally casual and serve up some of the best seafood in the country. While you are debating between a hot and cold lobster roll, your kids can pick from a variety of childhood favorites at each of these spots. We’ve compiled this list of the best lobster shacks in New England from reader recommendations and contributor favorites. Each of these spots serves something for everyone - including landlubbers, so your entire family can enjoy a meal together.