Summer camp 2020 is happening!

Yes, it's going to look a little different this year. And, yes, the options will vary from one state to the next. But both day camps and sleepaway camps are starting to get green lights, from Maine to Texas. We've pulled together the info you'll need to make camp choices this summer: Where camps are opening, how they're making it safe, how to find one that fits your needs, and what questions to ask before taking the plunge. 

What States Are Opening Summer Camps?

Currently, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and some counties in California have approved day camps, while Texas, Florida, Arizona, Maine, Vermont, and Rhode Island are allowing both day camps and sleepaway camps to operate. UPDATE: New York State has announced that day camps will be allowed starting June 29. 

Online Summer Camp Fair and Guides

New information is being released daily, and we're doing our best to keep you informed. To find out about camps that are moving forward this summer, register for our upcoming Online Camp Fair. You can attend live panels and info sessions with camps and explore virtual info booths for both online and in-person camps that are in session this summer. You can also explore our Directory and Camp Guides to find local programs. If you're looking for virtual programs in our Directory, make sure that no location is selected so you can see all offerings around the country. To see local camp guides only, select your local area at the top of the site.

RELATED: Giant List of Virtual Camps  

If ever there was a time we needed Mister Rogers, right? Chock full of inspiring messages about kindness, caring, and reliance on our neighbors, the classic TV icon is perfectly timely right now, as our communities and kids navigate the unprecedented Coronavirus pandemic. While some of our challenges have changed since the show first aired in 1968, Mister Rogers Neighborhood has always offered children and their families a way to understand and talk about difficult topics—all while finding hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to fill your home with the nostalgic comfort that only a certain man in a certain red cardigan can bring. Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell just released a brand new book called "Hello, Neighbor! The Kind and Caring World of Mister Rogers" (the only authorized picture book biography of Fred Rogers, by the way), which tells the tale of Fred Rogers' early life and the creation of his historic show. Brought to life with playful, scribbly illustrations and soft watercolors paired with exclusively published archival photographs, kids get a behind-the-scenes look at the thought, care, and hard work that went into the production, along with a much bigger lesson about what it means to truly come together.

Can't wait for the book? Make the most of your time at home with the activities below—brought to you by the team behind Matthew Cordell's beautiful book—from watching a classic episode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood, to writing a poem about being special, to printing out a sign to hang on your door when you're busy daydreaming. So, get to work, and make sure to place your order for "Hello, Neighbor! The Kind and Caring World of Mister Rogers"

Mandatory summer reading lists can be a bit of a drag in normal years, but let's face it: We all need ideas for great new kids' books now more than ever. With distance learning petering out, camp in question, and many kids stuck at home, it's the perfect time for kids to get lost in a book (or five). So we polled librarians, parents, and publishers for their top summer reading picks, and came up with 30 exciting new books published in 2020 to suit various age groups, including preschoolers, early readers, middle schoolers, and high schoolers.

When they're not escaping to lands of unicorns, purple people, a volcanic village, or the Hunger Games, kids can busy themselves with hundreds of boredom busters in our Stay-at-Home Guide for Summer.

Updated: Wednesday, June 22: Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari has announced a reopening date of Saturday, July 4, with a member preview day set for July 3. Reservations will be required, and all guests must undergo a contactless temperature check before entry. Capacity will be limited, masks required, social distancing enforced, and enhanced sanitation protocols will be put into place. Due to its popularity, the drive-thru safari will remain open for the foreseeable future.

Families fed up with online field trips take note: It's time to grab your binoculars and cameras because Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari is reopening its animal kingdom as a drive-thru experience this weekend. Timed-entry tickets go on sale this week.

This isn't the first time Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari has allowed visitors to drive their vehicles through the attraction; some parents may still have vacation photos from the good old days, when baboons used to jump on the family station wagon. The 350-acre park operated as a drive-thru adventure from its 1974 opening through 2012.

The return of this classic experience is temporary, though. So if you aren't quite ready to flock to the beaches at the Jersey shore, read on for how and when your family can get tickets for a local safari. We've also got the scoop on what Phase 1 of reopening means for NJ families.

Like many people recently, we've discovered TikTok and gotten a little (OK, maybe a lot) obsessed. The social media app can be a bit of a hot mess, but the fun TikTok dance trends are actually a great way for kids to get moving and have fun indoors. And the best part is the whole family can get involved.

Some TikTok dances are purposefully challenging, but many are easy and can even be done by toddlers. Here are some of our favorite kid-friendly TikTok dance trends for you and your family to try, plus some instructions to get you started on TikTok if you're new to the app. Who knows, maybe you'll get TikTok famous!

Find more awesome kids' music on our list of Free Kids' Music Playlists from Breakfast to Bedtime, and tons more boredom busters and family-friendly activities in our Stay-at-Home Guide.

Known for balancing its advanced liberal arts and sciences program with a deeply nurturing community, BASIS Independent Schools has carved out a space for itself in the New York City private school landscape since opening its first East Coast location, BASIS Independent Brooklyn, in Red Hook back in 2014. With the addition of BASIS Independent Manhattan on the Upper West Side in 2017, the PreK-12 schools now bring best practices found in top education systems around the world to students across the five boroughs. And while both locations have transitioned to distance learning as the city addresses the COVID-19 outbreak, they are eagerly preparing for the fall semester—accepting applications to fill the few remaining spots for 2020 and offering virtual admissions events for interested families.

New Jerseyans who are itching to get to the the beach this weekend after months of lockdown have something to look forward to. On Monday, Governor Murphy announced the next reopening stage of the five stage "road back" reopening plan for our state, explaining which restrictions will be lifted and which businesses can reopen, with key safety guidelines. New Jersey has entered Stage 1 (after Stage 0 of maximum restrictions) which allows relaxed restrictions on low-risk activities if appropriately safeguarded. 

Beginning Friday, May 22, New Jersey beaches and lakes can reopen. Plus, outdoor activities like batting cages, golf ranges, and horseback riding facilities are set to remove restrictions. After two months of non-stop Coronavirus news, only seeing each other in car parades and 8pm howls, giving our kids quarantine haircuts and virtual birthday parties, we finally have the beginnings of a plan to get out and enjoy the Garden State's natural beauty.