May is bursting with springtime fun! It's the perfect month to fly a kite, celebrate moms, and check out the gazillion fairs and festivals happening across the state. You can explore New Jersey's amazing shore at Ocean Fun Days, and travel back in time to the Renaissance and the Wild West.

When the weather's not cooperating, head indoors to see a performance, including Charlotte's Web. It all culminates in Memorial Day weekend, which marks the start of summer fun with the opening of many water parks and amusement parks, including the tot-friendly Land of Make Believe. 

Read on to see our top picks for the merry month of May. For even more things to do, be sure to check out our Event Calendar, with new activities and events added daily, as well as our Spring Fun Guide for New Jersey Kids. Spring is finally here—soak it up, NJ!

Short on syllables, long on possibilities.

That would seem to the story of May on Long Island, would it not? Though only three letters, May offers 31 days of family adventures, as outdoor activity becomes a reality and kids can see the end of the school year on the horizon.

So what makes May so appealing, notwithstanding the sunshine, of course?

Well, there’s nature, as in the Greenport Cherry Blossom Festival in the North Fork harbor community. There's the outdoors at state park celebrations across the Island. Add in a touch of multiculturalism and a spring festival or two and you see why we at Mommy Poppins greet this month with such enthusiasm.  

This year too, on the final day of the month Long Island begins a celebration of the 200th birthday of one of its most esteemed citizens — Walt Whitman, the celebrated poet, journalist, and humanitarian.

We’re feeling festive this month! For our May edition of the GoList, we’re highlighting fabulous and free spring festivals, annual Mother's Day traditions, and performances you won't want to miss. As you check out our top picks for things to do with kids in Boston and the 'burbs this month, click through to the event listings so you can add them to your calendar. Also, be sure to bookmark our Spring Fun Guide for even more family fun opportunities in and around town. Plus, we'll still send our free e-newsletters with our family-friendly event picks every week. Happy planning!

The flowery, festive heart of spring, May brings Mother's Day and Memorial Day weekend. Everywhere you turn throughout the month, there are fairs, festivals, and nature-inspired events, but if we had to choose, these are our very favorite things to do with kids in Connecticut this May. If you click through to the full listings, you can add them to your calendar. Of course, our Event Calendar always has more fun listed each and every day. And don't forget to bookmark our Spring Fun Guide for family activity ideas throughout this gorgeous season in Connecticut. Have fun planning!

We'd all like to be the sort of family that hikes together—what can be more healthy and wholesome than that? But with little kids, it can be a challenge to traverse a large parking lot, much less uneven or steep terrain. The nice thing is, one of the closest legit hiking spots to downtown Boston happens to also be among the most kid-friendly: Blue Hills. Stretching across 7,000 acres and four towns—Quincy, Dedham, Milton, and Randolph—Blue Hills' only problem may be its vastness: It can be hard to figure out the best spots for a short-but-sweet journey. Today, we're zeroing in on our three favorite Blue Hills' family hiking trails that can be done in a single morning or afternoon—and make kids feel like great adventurers.

Inclusive playgrounds allow kids of all ages and abilities to come together in an environment that facilitates shared play. Long Island has so many great playgrounds where kids can just be kids, but here is our list of accessible playgrounds that also include equipment and/or layouts suitable for children with special needs or disabilities.

Looking for more playground fun? See our lists of the best playgrounds on Long Island and the top playgrounds for toddlers. For a complete overview of parks, playgrounds, and family fun hiking trails, check out our guide to Long Island parks and playgrounds.

NOTE: California public schools are performing distance learning due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Whether they will open again or resort to summer school is up in the air. Below is the 2019-2002 LAUSD school calendar. Or click if you are looking for the 2020-2021 LAUSD school calendars.

Summer vacation ain't what it used to be. The majority of SoCal school districts now opt for an August start date, with vanishingly few stragglers sticking with the old-school, post-Labor Day start. And beware assuming that school starts and finishes roughly when it did last year, because schedules seem to change all the time. 2020 is a leap year, and that extra day may impact the school calendar as well.

This year Alhambra is first out of the gate, leading the back-to-school race with a pool-party-pooper start date of August 9; but in a radical change of course, Torrance goes from last man standing to a late August start. Hermosa Beach is now the only district on our list with a September start date, with classes beginning on September 5. 

Wondering where your district fits in, and how much time you have left for these 50 Free Things To Do in Summer? Bookmark our list below with start and finish dates for the 2019-2020 school year all over LA County. And if what you read makes you wonder about what other school options are available to you, maybe our school guide can help.