Explore the best Connecticut area beaches for a great family escape on a summer day!

Kids and parents alike look forward to the carefree days of summer, but it’s also a time when activity-related accidents and injuries in children tend to rise. With families gearing up for backyard BBQs and beach vacations, we teamed up with Connecticut Children’s–the only health system 100% dedicated to kids–to share their 2022 Summer Safety toolkit.

In the toolkit, Connecticut Childrens’ experienced pediatric experts provide parents with everything they need to know about the most common summer safety concerns, at home or on your summer travels. From ticks and sunburn to dehydration and drowning, you’ll learn safety and prevention tips, plus when it’s time to call a doctor or visit the emergency room.

In this article we’re highlighting the top six summer safety tips for kids and families. Click through to the Connecticut Children’s website to see the full toolkit or explore their other children’s health and safety resources.

A visit to the Cape May Zoo is an incredible experience that wows kids of all ages. The South Jersey facility is our family's favorite zoo, and we explore it several times a year.

At this world-class zoo, you can get up close and personal with a bobcat (that my 3-year-old has appropriately named "Bob"), watch ring-tailed lemurs frolic in the treetops, and thrill as kangaroos and wallabies take leaps and bounds. Your family will experience all this wildlife and much more, and all for FREE.

Read on for all the ways to make the most of your visit to the Cape May Zoo and check out our Zoos and Gardens for New Jersey Kids Guide for other great places to visit.

Summer in New York City is the perfect time for teens to explore, get active, make friends, learn new skills and tackle one of these bucket list-worthy summer activities for teens. Whether they're enrolled in a teen-friendly summer camp, honing skills at a summer internship, or have landed a teen-friendly part-time job, NYC teens have plenty of options to keep busy.

When they do have some downtime, though, there are plenty of fun things to do. To help navigate the myriad options, we've rounded up 12 summer activities for teens that are guaranteed to deliver a good time, whether they're into fun in the great outdoors or want to check out a cool new NYC destination. If that's not enough to keep boredom at bay, bookmark this list of 15 all-seasons teen activities for NYC's ultra-cool big kids.

We've got even more teen activities in our Tweens & Teens Guide to NYC, and you can also search our Family Activity Calendar for teen-specific events.

As a mom-of-two who just made yet another summer camp payment, I’m not exactly surprised it was a husband and wife team with four little ones of their own who finally cracked the code on money management with an easy and intuitive app that’s perfect for busy parents.

Yes, Qapital is seemingly the answer to an age-old parenting problem: how to budget and save when it feels like you’re constantly opening up a daycare bill or a surprise Invisalign invoice just as your kid outgrows the sneakers you bought three weeks ago. Using behavioral science and automation, the Qapital budgeting app gives families an organized, unintimidating, and customizable way to set and reach financial goals while still accounting for expected and unexpected childcare costs–plus your own personal spending habits.

From clever ways to almost trick yourself into growing your savings to a joint money management tool that lets you and your partner share financial goals, Qapital offers a stress-free, budget-building, money-saving app busy parents like me–and probably you–have been looking for.

Now that I’ve given Qapital a try, here are a few of my favorite features––plus a code for a $25 sign-up bonus with a free trial:

Mount Dora, Florida is a charming lakeside town just 30 minutes northwest of Orlando. While much of the town is geared toward an older audience, there are plenty of things to do for kids and families as well. With historic buildings and gorgeous lake views, the walkable downtown area is what attracts most visitors to Mount Dora. There are also lots of outdoor activities to enjoy around town.

Read on for the top 25 things to do in Mount Dora with kids, including attractions, museums, free activities, and our favorite Mount Dora restaurants. As a local Mount Dora mom, I'm excited to share them with you. After visiting, you will truly see why Mount Dora is nicknamed “Someplace Special!”

For more family fun around the Sunshine State, check out our Florida Family Travel Guide.

Connecticut is home to great water parks and gorgeous beaches, but some families are partial to the many ponds, lakes, and freshwater areas—some 3,000 across the state—where kids can swim in calm waters. Here are our recommendations for swimming lakes and ponds in Connecticut where families can cool off and enjoy beautiful vistas.

For more aquatic adventures, be sure to check out our Beaches and Water Fun Guide which has lists of the Best Beaches for Connecticut Families and also our Favorite Fishing Holes in Connecticut. We've also got you covered with the Top 15 Swimming Pools for Families in Connecticut.

Southern California's balmy beach towns are a treat for a simple beach day, a day trip from Los Angeles, or a weekend getaway in sunny California, whether you're an LA family looking for escape, or a visitor wanting to experience the best of our famous California beaches. Right in the heart of LA County we have several seaside gems; drive an hour or two farther and you'll find towns that feel like they're a world away.  

These seaside towns not only have fabulous sand and surf but there's also plenty worth exploring once you head off the beach. Find out for yourself why these are our favorite SoCal beach towns. And if you want to explore beyond the beach, check out our guide to the Weekend Getaways, Road Trips, and Day Trips from Los Angeles for Families.