Longtime readers know we're always on the hunt for New York City's best playgrounds, but even our favorites get a revamp from time to time. When it's time for a refresh, some of NYC's beloved playground animals are put out to pasture—literally in the Home for Retired Playground Animals, an enchanting destination in the middle of the sprawling Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

A lovely spot to visit in any season—or a diversion from the action at the nearby Billie Jean King National Tennis Center—here's where to find this hidden gem for families in NYC. You can bookmark our NYC Kids' Guide to Parks and Playgrounds for all our favorite outdoor places to play.

If you've got a child in public school, you live by the public school calendar. Many local NYC preschools follow the public school schedule, too. The New York City Department of Education's calendar for the 2025-2026 school year is below, and you'll want to bookmark it now for reference—and to help with planning family vacations and school break camp coverage.

Once again, there will be no snow days. Plan on logging your NYC kiddos on for a day of remote learning whenever buildings are closed for snow or other emergencies.

For many New York City families, bunk beds are a way of life where small-space living means many city kids share a room. So, if you're planning an NYC getaway, why not live like a New Yorker and book one of these NYC hotels with bunk beds?

These local hotels with bunk beds are packed with family-friendly amenities and close to many of our favorite local attractions in tourist-heavy neighborhoods, including Midtown Manhattan.

Find all our top picks for NYC hotels with bunk beds below, or more options for family-friendly hotels in NYC in our NYC Visitors Guide, which has all our top tips for tourists, including a curated three-day itinerary for visiting families crafted by a local mom.

The United States Military Academy is a jewel in the Hudson Valley. The country's oldest continuously occupied Army post, its history precedes the academy that now calls the land home. Recognized by then-General George Washington as a strategic stronghold, it played a key role in America's defense during the Revolutionary War and has remained important ever since. Today, West Point serves as a jumping-off point for the next generation of Army leaders, who endure a 47-month educational journey that prepares them in the classroom, on the battlefield, and in feats of physical and military fitness.

Whether you visit the United States Military Academy for one day—or are lucky enough to send your son or daughter to this prestigious institution and make repeat visits—you're in for a treat. Its strategic location perched on the west bank of the Hudson River is one of the most beautiful vistas in the region. Here are our tips for visiting West Point with kids, plus the top things to do near the United States Military Academy. You'll find more ideas for day trip destinations in our Guide to Local Day Trips and Getaways in the Hudson Valley.

With August upon us and the start of a new school year looming, my kids and I are in a panic about all the fun, summery things to do in NYC we haven't yet crossed off our NYC summer bucket list.

Sure, we've had a lot of fun tooling around the city, enjoying our favorite local swimming pool, reigniting a love for some of the best playgrounds in NYC, chilling out with some kid-pleasing ice-cold treats, and soaking up all the FREE things to do in NYC with kids in the summer. But, there are plenty of great activities we haven't gotten to. So, we've crafted this list of 40 can't-miss activities to do before the school bell rings in September.

For more ideas from Brooklyn to the Bronx, and even at home, check out our Ultimate NYC Kids Summer Vacation Guide. Soon summer vacation will be a mere memory.

Midtown Manhattan overflows with fun, destination-worthy stores where kids can play for free, but the newest retail addition to the Crossroads of the World is unlike anything we've ever seen before.

Tomorrow—or tm:rw—celebrates its grand opening today as a 20,000-square-foot retail experience. So, what exactly, does the Tomorrow experience bring to the heart of Times Square? Read on to find out.

We created free, downloadable, printable NYC summer bingo cards for kids as a summer boredom buster!

We're roughly 10 days into summer vacation in NYC, and it might already feel like an endless abyss. Sure, filling those first few days with fun things to do was easy. Then, we had a whole holiday weekend complete with hot dogs and fireworks, and now the going gets tough: There are weeks and weeks to fill with summer activities for kids in NYC. And, you need to do it without spending a fortune. We have hundreds (thousands, really!) of ideas for free and cheap summer fun in our Ultimate New York City Kids' Guide to Summer Fun.

But sometimes you need a jumping-off point, something that gives you a goal, and even puts your kids in charge of picking the activities in a fun and interactive way. Enter these free printable bingo cards. Summer boredom busted! We have both a pre-filled and a DIY summer bingo card for you to use to give kids the reins to design a summer full of fun.

Macy's 4th of July fireworks show is set to blast off from the Brooklyn Bridge and four barges nearby in 2025. An annual unforgettable highlight of the summer, on Friday, July 4, 2025, the Macy's 4th of July fireworks explode in the 49th edition of this incredible Independence Day celebration. More than 60,000 shells are set to light up the night sky.

Spectators should be able to see Macy's 4th of July fireworks from many neighborhoods along the waterfront in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. New this year: a city-sponsored lottery doles out FREE tickets to public viewing areas. Looking for more FREE summer fireworks displays in NYC? Check out our roundup of where to see fireworks all summer long here, and bookmark our Ultimate NYC Kids Summer Vacation Guide for all our top seasonal picks.