This Week: Ways to Cool Off with NYC Kids, Best Family Travel Apps, Where to Play Ping-Pong

7/19/12 - By Raven Snook

Well, we survived the heatwave and the biblical-style rainstorm (we took a stroll through northern Central Park during the downpour—it's the first time we've ever been the only ones there!). This week's sweltering humidity inspired us to round up 50 places to cool off with kids in NYC, while our New Jersey peeps decided to get wet on an adventure-filled pirate cruise.

With temperatures in the bearable range and a weekend of sunshine ahead of us, it's a great time for a day trip. Our NJ site has the scoop on family-friendly fun in Atlantic City (really!) while our Connecticut site shares an itinerary for the quaint town of Avon and a profile of the awesome Connecticut Science Center, both in Hartford County.

And if you missed our founder Anna Fader's talk on travel apps at the Apple Store last Saturday, you're in luck: This week she launched a series of posts on our Travel site about her favorites, including hotel and flight booking apps and tools and travel apps for family road trips.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Our week got off to a bouncy start with a roundup of kid-friendly places to play Ping-Pong.

The heat's gone for now but when it comes back (because you know it will) we've got 50 ways to cool off in NYC

Looking for a great family staycation destination? Staten Island's Greenbelt offers hiking, cycling, fishing, a living history museum and a cool carousel.

Little cowgirls and cowboys can hop on a pony or steed at these horseback riding centers.

We continued our month-long focus on Williamsburg with a roundup of our top family-friendly restaurants in the nabe.

Our special needs writer, Alison, shared her son's favorite sports programs for kids with special needs.

A new collective of artists and educators, Upstairs, is currently signing up kids for free summer art classes on the Lower East Side.

Best bets for the weekend include annual favorites like the New Museum Block Party on the Lower East Side and Coney Island's Sand Sculpting Contest, plus SpaceFest, a five-day celebration in honor of the Intrepid's brand-new Space Shuttle Enterprise Pavilion.