Best Roller Skating Rinks in New Jersey for Kids and Families

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Take a spin at the Florham Park Roller Skating Rink. Photo courtesy of the rink

New Jersey's wonderful roller skating rinks will get the kids moving and serve up a nostalgic reminder of your own childhood. 

Roller skating rinks offer the perfect place to throw a rad party or spend a mega-fun afternoon indoors with the kids. Check out the roller skating hot spots throughout NJ that we've rounded up below–Spandex pants are strictly optional. We've got more fun indoor places to play on this list of 40 indoor activities in New Jersey, plus tons more fun in our Guide to Indoor Play Spaces.

Virgin Hotels New York City Offers Family-Friendly Amenities in Heart of Manhattan

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The new Virgin Hotels New York City offers impressive rooms close to all of Midtown Manhattan's top attractions.

Booking a great, family-friendly NYC hotel might be the most difficult part of a family trip to New York City. After all, it's easy to formulate an action-packed itinerary, but finding a hotel with rooms bigger than a shoebox, located in a central location, that doesn't break the bank is more challenging. Enter Virgin Hotels New York City. The Richard Branson-backed chain recently opened a new location in the heart of New York City and it’s a great NYC hotel for families that checks all the boxes.

Read on to find out what we loved about our stay at Virgin Hotels New York City and find more parent-tested picks for family-friendly hotels in New York City in our Guide to Weekend Trips and Getaways.

Upper East Side and Upper West Side Private Schools with Pre-K

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The Ethical Culture Fieldston School's early education programs feed into its middle and upper schools in the Bronx. Photo courtesy of the school. Photo courtesy of the school

Manhattan is a mecca for private elementary schools, and many offer robust Pre-K programs. These private elementary schools on Mahattan's Upper East and Upper West Sides vary in size and educational philosophy, providing families with plenty of opportunities to find the right fit for their children.

The best part of starting early: If your child gets into the Pre-K program at one of these private elementary schools, they can often continue their primary and even secondary private school education without having to apply again.

As you embark on the process of finding the perfect fit for your little one, it's worth bookmarking this piece on 10 questions to ask during a preschool tour, and our Preschool Directory is an excellent resource to find more programs in Manhattan and beyond as well.

Best Places for Kids Haircuts in Manhattan for Baby or Toddler’s First Cut

Allison's picture Submitted by Allison on

You don't have to wait until after your haircut to get a sweet at Milk and Cookies hair Salon.

Getting your kid's hair cut can be hard. Even a harmless trim can turn into an ordeal if you have a little one who squirms and squeals and refuses to sit still. Have you ever seen a stylist try to snip a moving target? Thankfully, NYC's top children's hair salons pull out all the stops to turn haircuts into a fun experience for families, plying young clients with balloons, bubbles, cartoons, toys, funky chairs, and lots of coddling.

Why trust us? As native New Yorkers with more than 15 years of experience sharing the best of NYC with kids, our editorial team has tried nearly all these kid salons and more firsthand. Here are our recommendations for the top eight kid-friendly salons where you can take your tot for (hopefully tear-free) haircuts in New York City. Plus some tips on how to pick the right hairstyle for your kid and hair-cutting tips for kids with anxiety or sensory issues. If you'd rather DIY, we've got some tips for at-home haircuts, too. 

Best Summer Camps in Hoboken and Jersey City

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Kids can make a splash at COMPASS Summer Camp. Photo courtesy of the camp

Hudson County kiddos have plenty to look forward to once school's out, with a variety of summer camp options available in both Jersey City and Hoboken. Choose from options like a gymnastics camp, an indoor play camp, and a traditional camp with a variety of activities. We've rounded up 10 summer camps located in Hoboken or Jersey City that will help your kids have a spectacular summer. Summer camp options include full or half days. 

For more summer camps in New Jersey, check out our lists of affordable summer camps, the Bergen County Camps, and art camps, plus bookmark our Guide to Summer Camp in New Jersey and our New Jersey Summer Camp Directory, where you can search for summer camps by age, interest, and town. 

Midtown East: 41 Best Things To Do with Kids

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Fifth Avenue is lined with big-name shops, tourist attractions, and charming plantings and art installations in all seasons.

Midtown East is sometimes dismissed by native New Yorkers as tourist central. And yes, thanks to world-famous attractions like the Empire State Building, high-end Fifth Avenue retailers, the lion-flanked New York Public Library, the United Nations, and Rockefeller Center with its ice skating rink, Christmas tree, and observation deck, the neighborhood is often packed with out-of-towners.

However, hidden inside some high-rise office buildings are gems for local families such as the Ford Foundation Building's indoor garden, and Midtown East is also home to cultural institutions like the Morgan Library & Museum, Scandinavia House, and the Japan Society, plus perennial kid-pleasers American Girl New York and the Lego Store.

Read on for our top things to do in Midtown East with kids and find more fun neighborhoods to explore in our NYC Kids Neighborhood Guides.

Pinball Long Island Debuts in Patchogue

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Rows and rows of pinball machines await at the newly opened Pinball Long Island.

Attention Long Island pinball wizards, or those who aspire to the title: Pinball Long Island, a new pinball-specific venue in Patchogue, lets you test your arcade skills in a family-friendly environment sure to please the young and young at heart.

Pinball Long Island opened in mid-March along Patchogue’s bustling Main Street, the first family-specific addition to the downtown area since its renaissance began a decade and a half ago. The new spot is a fun destination on its own or a crowd-pleasing add-on if you're dining or shopping in the area. 

Find info on other top-notch Long Island arcades and lots more in our Indoor Play Spaces Guide. 

Best Places for Kids Haircuts in Chicago For Baby or Toddler’s First Cut

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Try one of these Chicago salons for baby's first haircut. Photo courtesy of My Kids Place

The first baby haircut or kid haircut can be a little scary! Each baby or toddler reacts differently to seeing those scissors for the first time. Baby haircuts can be fun or traumatic, so we decided to put together a list of kid haircut places in Chicago where parents can go to get their child's first haircut and make it relaxed. Because you know you're going to need dozens more haircuts before they get big enough to go to a regular salon or one of these kid-friendly spas.

Here are some great places for kids haircuts in Chicago and the suburbs.

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