Best Snow Tubing near NYC for Families

Stephanie Ogozalek's picture Submitted by Stephanie Ogozalek on

Galactic snow tubing at Camelback offers an LED light show come nightfall.

When there's no snow in NYC, or your favorite neighborhood sledding hills are worn down to dirt, you still go snow tubing near NYC. So, bundle up the kids and hop in the car for a short drive because snow tubing is one of those fun winter activities that, unlike skiing, requires no skill or gear. Everything you need—a tube, a hill, and snow—is provided by the parks. Just dress warmly, and you're good to go.

Here are 10 ski resorts in upstate New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania that offer snow tubing. Most are less than a 2-hour drive from Midtown Manhattan. They typically open in late December or early January, depending on the temperature, so be sure to click through to the listing to read about the day's conditions. If you're looking for more than a day trip, we've found 15 destination-worthy ski resorts for your next vacation and have plenty more spots to seek out fresh powder in our Skiing, Snowboarding, and Snow Sports Guide.

Birthday Freebies for Kids: 63 Places To Get Free Stuff on Your Birthday

Submitted by Audrey M on

Starbucks birthday freebies can include cake pops, drinks, or other treats! Photo by Heather Cox Rosenberg

Birthday freebies for kids are a huge help: the sticker price for kids' birthday celebrations can be huge! So every little birthday freebie for kids is a gift to parents, too! Here, we've rounded up 63 places that offer up free stuff on your birthday.

Read on to discover how to score Starbucks birthday freebies, free burgers and ice cream, calls from favorite characters (like Paw Patrol or SpongeBob), discounts on clothes, surprise gifts, and even more birthday freebies for kids.

For more birthday freebies near you, check out your city's Guide to Free Things To Do with Kids; and when you're ready to plan that party, be sure to check out our Birthday Party Ideas Guide for Unique Goody Bag and Party Favor Ideas, 100 Kids' Birthday Party Themes, and more.

Lektrik's Jaw-Dropping Light Show at Queens Botanical Garden Keeps the Holiday Magic Alive

Submitted by Brian J. Bromberg on

The Queens Botanical Garden has debuted a new, glowing light show named Lektrik, which runs through March.

If the end of the holiday season has you feeling blue, Lektrik's dazzling after-dark display recently opened at the Queens Botanical Garden proves you can squeeze out a little more seasonal cheer—and stunning lights displays—even after Three Kings Day.

A dazzling light show, Lektrik debuted in late December, and it continues illuminating our far too-dark, too-early nights at the Queens Botanical Garden through Sunday, March 23. Lektrik is a mesmerizing, immersive, outdoor, IRL experience. Without even a smidge of screentime, kids find themselves in a vivid, video game-like world (while parents perhaps flash back to pre-kid clubbing days).

Visitors follow a winding, mile-long path, taking in more than 40 larger-than-life, lamp-lit scenes featuring glowing animals, gleaming Ionic columns, knights in literal shining armor, massive mushrooms, and luminous otherworldly flowers—it is set in a botanical garden, after all. Little ones won’t be the only ones drooling at the 120 tons of steel, 150,000 feet of silk, and more than 1 million LED lights coming together to create this electric wonderland.

Ways to Help with the Los Angeles Wildfires

Submitted by Gina Ragland on

Our hearts are with those affected by the wildfires in LA. ​Photo by Alex Miroshnichenko, via Flickr 2.0

The recent wildfires tearing through Los Angeles have brought chaos, heartbreak, and destruction to our beloved city. Pacific Palisades and Altadena, both stunningly vibrant LA communities, have been wiped out. Families have lost their homes, children no longer have local schools to attend, and historical buildings have been reduced to rubble. This is not how we envisioned starting a new year. 

Amid the confusion and wreckage, we must look for the heroes. First Responders are working tirelessly to battle blazes and get Angelenos to safety. Firefighters are putting their lives on the line to save others and contain fires in poor air quality conditions.

Read on for the best ways to support these unsung heroes and where to contribute to organizations that are diligently helping displaced families. 

Free Crafts, Live Theater, and More Things To Do in DC This Weekend With Kids

Submitted by Stephanie Shipman on

Motorcyclists and other daredevils perform awe-inspiring feats at Do Portugal Circus. Photo courtesy of the circus

Looking for the best things to do in DC this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

After the snowfall earlier this week, we bet you're itching to get out of the house for some family fun. Not to worry, we've got you covered!

Two craft shops are hosting FREE craft sessions for kids every Saturday: Merry Pin in DC and Made in ALX in Alexandria.

There's some great, kid-friendly live theater happening this weekend, too. Imagination Stage has a dance-based performance, Paper Dreams, in Bethesda. You can also see Encore Stage's The Twelve Dancing Princesses in Arlington.

And, it's the last weekend to catch Do Portugal's Circus and the Winter Lantern Festival! Have fun and stay warm out there!

Cultural Festivals, Family-Friendly Musicals, and Other Things to Do in Dallas This Weekend

Submitted by Gabrielle Cullen on

Adapted from the best-selling book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and featuring a thrilling original rock score, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is an action-packed mythical adventure. Photo courtesy of the Junior Players

Looking for the best things to do in Dallas this weekend? Here are our picks for the coolest family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

This weekend, things to do in Dallas mean culture—lots of culture. Head to the theater to see a kid-friendly musical like Beetlejuice Jr. or The Lightening Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical or learn about American icons like Zora Neale Huston at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center. Another can't-miss event is the Fiesta de la Familia the Kimball Art Museum, so trust us when we say there's something for every interest and every family in DFW this weekend. 

If you're all about health and fitness in the new year, sign up for the Hot Cake Hustle at the Oak Point Nature Preserve in Plano or take the kids to a Zumba class in Lakewood. Enjoy your weekend! 

Disney on Ice, Taylor Swift, and More Things To Do on Long Island this Weekend with Kids

Jaime Sumersille's picture Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on

"Fearless: The Taylor Swift Experience" features live performances of fan-favorite hits from every era. Photo courtesy of the event

Looking for the best things to do on Long Island this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your schedule.

Disney on Ice skates into UBS Arena this weekend with its dazzling Frozen & Encanto show. Long Island kids can also embrace their inner Swiftie at The Suffolk in Riverhead this weekend at the Fearless: The Taylor Swift Experience, or reconnect with nature during an owl prowl at Hempstead Lake State Park. 

Read on for all our top picks for things to do on Long Island this weekend.

Bryant Park Bumper Cars and More Things To Do in NYC this Weekend with Kids

Drew Kristofik's picture Submitted by Drew Kristofik on

Bump, slide, and spin onto the rink and into the new year with the seasonal debut of ice bumper cars at Bryant Park. Photo by Jody Mercier

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list.

Bumper cars are back in Bryant Park on Friday, the famous Thunderbird Dancers return to the Lower East Side, and Little Murmur delivers a mesmerizing dance program celebrating neurodiversity at New Victory Theater. Kids can enjoy hands-on art by making snow globes at Wave Hill or using Clixo to create 3-D sculptures at Private Picassos in Brooklyn.