When it comes to family-friendly amenities, Long Island City is experiencing a boom. From inventive play spaces to sprawling parks and cool tot spots, there's plenty to see and do, including a brand-new tennis facility, Court 16.

Four years after opening its flagship location in Gowanus, Brooklyn, Court 16 has opened a new indoor tennis complex geared toward the kids who are rapidly taking over this neighborhood's sidewalks. With nine tennis courts of varying kid-friendly sizes, there's something for tennis players of all ages at this new spot.

The seasonal perks on Governors Island, long one of our favorite favorite summertime playgrounds, just keep getting better. New in store for summer 2018: Luxury tent camping, or glamping, and an expanded Adventures at Governors Island are two big developments announced by the Trust for Governors Island on Wednesday.

Read on to learn all about the additions coming this summer.

There may be snowflakes a flying, but it's officially summer camp searching season in New York City. While the metro area and surrounding suburbs don't lack for choices, there's always something new on the horizon for our kids!

In 2018, we've found a number of new summer camps, from cooking to outdoor nature and even coding and science. Without further ado, we present seven new this year camps for city kids.

It's no secret that living in New York City and raising kids here isn't cheap. So one of my favorite finds has been the IDNYC program, which, among other things, offers FREE and reduced-price memberships more than 40 cultural institutions across the city.

Since the municipal ID program launched in 2015, more than 1 million people have turned up at IDNYC centers to get their free ID cards and the benefits that being a card-carrying citizen of this great city brings. In 2018, the city introduced several new institutions to the program, including two that might interest NYC families: Aviator Sports and Events Center in Brooklyn and Chelsea Piers are now IDNYC partners. At Aviator, you can nab an individual membership for 20 percent off and score 15 percent off party bookings. Chelsea Piers invites you to enjoy 2-for-1 admission at its indoor ice skating rink as well as discounts at its driving range.

The IDNYC card offers more than cultural benefits: Families can take advantage of discounts on prescription drugs, car-share memberships, movies, sporting events, and more. It even acts as a public library card and can help you open an account at a bank or credit union.

I've put my card to use to take advantage of these benefits and more, so read on for a dozen reasons to sign up for your FREE card, including discounted admission to some of the city's best children's museums and zoos.

On the heels of its bankruptcy filing last year, Toys "R" Us says it will close more than 180 stores nationwide, according to court documents submitted this week by the retailer. The restructing includes the closure of the Babies "R" Us in New York City's Union Square, the Toys "R" Us in the company's hometown of Wayne, New Jersey, more locations in the NYC suburbs of Westchester and Long Island, and across the country, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, and California.

The playground isn't always an option for keeping antsy little New Yorkers (and the grown-up variety) busy. When the weather turns and the stir-craziness sets in, it's time to search out indoor options that are not your apartment. 

After finding myself searching for indoor play options a few too many times, I'm offering my mom-tested picks for the top spots for the toddler-and-preschool set in Manhattan. None of these places—kid gyms, museums, and even atriums—require a membership, and all will help you, your little one, and, most importantly, your apartment survive a long, cold winter or rainy day.

Read on for a dozen of the best places to play with your preschooler in Manhattan, including FREE spots.

New York may lay claim to a pair of NFL teams, but catching them in action and experiencing the thrill of an NFL game day has long required a trip on NJ Transit or hopping in a car and heading across the river. That is, until now.

The opening of the NFL Experience in the heart of Times Square in December gives New Yorkers a taste of what an NFL game day looks, feels, and tastes like—all just a subway ride away.

The Children's Museum of Manhattan has long made up for its small footprint the way hearty city parents do: by creatively maximizing every available square foot of space, and keeping things fresh with an ever-changing variety of exhibits that engage the public in its mission to help "children and families thrive at home, at school, and in the community."

But, as any parent pining for an extra bedroom can attest, a bit more space is always welcome in this jam-packed city, and the little kid museum will soon have a great big new home of its own. CMOM completed the $45 million purchase of the former Church of Christ, Scientist, on West 96th Street and Central Park West on December 22.