Don't let the cold weather keep you indoors for months. Bundle up the kids and head outside to explore Long Island. From nature hikes to seal cruises, our area has many outdoor offerings--even in the winter. And for more activities, be sure to check out our Long Island events calendar.

The frigid air has finally arrived in New Jersey and you’ve got two choices – stay inside or play outdoors! For some outdoor winter adventure, bundle up and check out a Maple Sugaring Demo or Weekend Family Walk at Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center or bring your binoculars along for a Winter Waterfowl Walk at Liberty State Park. And if you’d rather be warm & toasty indoors, we’ve got you covered there too! Head to the Monmouth County Library for A Frozen Adventure in Music, Dance & Story, take the kiddos to see the latest Milk & Cookies interactive story time “One-Man Band” or get your tickets for Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Whatever you decide to do this weekend, we hope you enjoy it with family and friends. For additional activity options, check out our Event Calendar.

If you are a family of die-hard Star Wars fans, then you've obviously already seen The Force Awakens (probably multiple times) and have no need of an outside opinion. But what about the rest of us? What about parents who like Star Wars movies (or at least 20th century Star Wars movies) but didn't feel driven to join the throngs in seeing the new one opening weekend? What about those of us who take a PG-13 rating to heart, and wonder whether this is a movie to see with kids? And, if you do want to see it as a family, is it really so special seeing it at El Capitan? I'll take a vow of no spoilers and answer all of these questions.

Many adults love attending yoga classes for exercise or just to relax, and now kids in the Boston area can get the same benefits. Several local yoga studios offer classes – and sometimes birthday parties – specifically tailored to kids and teenagers. With short days and cold weather upon us, this is the perfect time of year for kids to try a new indoor activity like yoga. Here are 18 great options in the Boston area for future yogis: 

We've explored the best things to do with kids in Chappaqua, but you can really work up an appetite with all of that activity. Where can you go to satisfy your hunger? Look no further than our round-up of family-friendly restaurants.

Chappaqua boasts a wide variety of kid-approved restaurants, cafes, eateries and bakeries at reasonable prices. Many of these establishments are worth eating at even if you don’t live in the village.

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Even though I’m a parent in the New York area, I'm always looking for easier options for my kids to see live theater than to head into the city. Manhattan is still the only place to see Broadway shows and a great place to take older kids, but bergenPAC, in Englewood, offers an alternative that’s friendlier on the wallet and generally easy to navigate with a toddler in tow. Check out our insider's guide to Bergen Performing Arts Center and enjoy your family-friendly theater-going experience!

Last week Ted Cruz accused the Queens-born Donald Trump of having “New York values” and the Internet went crazy. He meant it as an insult. Senator Cruz seems to think that New York is made up of a homogenous type of person who is ultra-liberal, uber-rich and values wealth above all else. Maybe he’s never been to New York.

As parents raising our kids in NYC, we have to admit we agree with one part of the GOP presidential hopeful's sentiment: New Yorkers are different from others. We won't dispute you there, sir. But here's what you missed. One of the big draws to raising kids in New York City is that they will possess New York values.

We can count many more, but here are 10 values every NYC kid has that maybe Ted Cruz could take a note on.
 

Strawberry candy-scented air tickled our noses as soon as we opened the car doors, and before we even stepped into the building, the kids knew that the PEZ Visitor Center would be a sugary dream come true (for another sweet experience in the New Haven area, venture out to Fascia's Chocolates in Waterbury). For adults who loved PEZ candy during childhood, it’s a trip down nostalgia lane. For children, it’s a colorful world filled with tempting flavors of candy. Though a visit here doesn’t take long (we spent about an hour), you’ll be glad you stopped by, and the kids will not want to leave.