Most of us had summer vacation plans for 2020, and most of us have faced by now that those plans aren't happening. While we adjust daily to the new normal, we also look at an uncertain summer that really needs some bright spots, preferably including a couple of getaways. California has begun cautiously opening up, and that gives us some options: from glamping to deserts to not-so-far islands, we've checked to see which weekend destinations we can drive to now, in pursuit of that vacation we all definitely deserve.

The Sunshine State has reopened for locals and tourists ready to venture out for some summer fun in the sun. The Florida reopening is well underway, and we've got the scoop on what's open in Florida right now, as well as top attractions opening soon.

Keep in mind that the coronavirus pandemic is an ever-evolving situation. A slew of new mask-wearing orders went into effect in Florida over the past few days as the state's positive cases shot up. Tourist hot spots like Orange County (Orlando), the city of Tampa, and the Florida Keys are mandating face coverings indoors to stop the spread. 

The comprehensive list of family-friendly attractions in the Florida reopening includes everything from our favorite Florida beaches to the big-name theme parks, Orlando hotels, water parks, and more. If your summer travel plans take you to a different region, check out our list of family-friendly resorts reopening for summer 2020 travel.

At Dwight-Englewood School's virtual summer camp, kids can experience much of the same fun and camaraderie they'd expect out of a traditional day camp, from home. Flexible and highly-customizable, D-E 360° Summer Connections online camp offers a huge selection of live classes and activities for preschoolers to 12th graders, with the option for families to enroll their kids for one week, two weeks, five weeks, or all six weeks the camp runs.

Whether you've got a gamer, film buff, ballerina, budding activist, or musical prodigy at home, the virtual camp experience at D-E 360° Summer Connections is tailored to your child's personal interests. Each week, campers create their own curriculum from the seriously extensive course catalog, which includes classes on sewing, origami, coding, broadcast journalism, writing, animation, and dance—just to name a few.

New York parents breathed a collective sigh of relief last Thursday, June 11, when Governor Andrew Cuomo announced public pools, spraygrounds, and playgrounds are allowed to reopen statewide at local governments' discretion.

The governor noted that local municipalities must use their discretion in opening play areas to the public, "Everybody wants to swim, I understand," Cuomo said. "Everybody doesn't want to see a spike in COVID again. So, use your judgment. Sometimes yes is not the right answer. It's the easy answer."

Read on for the details on how the decree has been received locally and what that means for families anxious for summer fun in Long Island, Westchester, and New York City's five boroughs. Stay tuned to our Summer Fun Guide for the latest reopenings for area kids.

With a summer at home ahead us, Strawtown Studio's new summer camp in a box provides a creative nature program for families to do on their own schedule. While the educational non-profit's summer program typically includes outdoor exploration, botanical and wildlife study, and creating art with natural materials on-site at the base of Hook Mountain on the Hudson River, this year, families can bring the fun and exploration home with the Strawtown NatureArt Adventure Box Program for ages 5 to 13. This paid program includes a scheduled series of Zoom workshops, but free at-home activities will also be available online throughout the summer.

As you stare down the bottom of empty glue bottles and paint jars after months in quarantine, the Strawtown NatureArt Adventure Box Program will be a welcome sigh of relief. As the name suggests, all families participating in the at-home summer camp receive a travel-friendly, water- and impact-resistant art box to guide their summer learning. The box is packed with more than 25 high-quality items (valued over $150), including watercolors and brushes, pencils and paper, modeling clay and colorful beeswax, strings and craft wire, plant ID cards and a magnifying glass, plus a few more surprises you can bust out as needed. A list of the materials with helpful tips and an illustrated activity booklet for hands-on nature art experiences are conveniently included for on-the-go inspiration.

Zoom became popular during the pandemic, but the video chat platform—and others like FaceTime and Skype—is great for more than just quarantine times. For families like mine, with grandparents spread across the country, a Zoom date is an easy, satisfying way to foster face-to-face connections between generations. While a casual chat is fun in itself, sometimes we like to up the ante and incorporate some fun activities into the video session. Here are our 10 favorite activities and games that kids can do with grandparents over Zoom.

For more fun Zoom tips, be sure to read our roundups of ways to make virtual hangouts more awesome and the best games to play with friends virtually.

There is a ton of inflatable and pool fun to be had this summer right in your backyard. Climb, splash, and slide in these bounces houses, kiddie pools, and water slides. These inflatables will take backyard fun to the next level and provide hours of outdoor entertainment during a summer of mostly staying at home. And no, they haven't all sold out—yet!

For more backyard fun, check out these 25 Water Games for Kids to cool everyone down. Still need some summer activities? You'll never be bored if you keep handy our Ultimate Summer Bucket List Ideas with 100 (Mostly) Free Outdoor Games and Activities for Kids.

Play is front and center in every way at Play Together NYC, a close-knit Manhattan preschool dedicated to individual attention, small class sizes, and a rich varied curriculum that preps young minds for Kindergarten and beyond. Right now, the school is accepting applications for their 3s Program, as well as their new Alternative 4s Program, which offers a part-time option to families that have chosen not to apply to UPK or whose placement was unsatisfactory. Play Together NYC also offers in Pre-K for All, and while all of the 2020-2021 seats in the city's free program are filled up, incoming 3s students will have first-priority for next year—and what a relief for parents that is.