State parks near Chicago offer the perfect family summer road trip. These state parks in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana are all under a 3-hour drive from downtown. There are campsites available for both tents and RVs. There are multiple trail options for hiking, beaches for swimming, and fun places for kids to fish, picnic, and kayak. The Illinois State Parks all offer free admission. 

Summer is a great time to make a weekend out of hiking and swimming and everything else that state parks near Chicago have to offer. For more summer fun check out our picks for the Best Stroller Hikes, Hikes for Kids, and the 10 Campgrounds for Tent Camping near Chicago with Kids.

Freeport, Texas is located only an hour south of downtown Houston, making it the perfect day or weekend trip for Houston families. With nearly 30 miles of coastline, Freeport is most famous for its nearby beaches, including Surfside Beach, Bryan Beach, and Quintana Beach County Park. On a smaller scale than Houston's closest beach city, Galveston, the over-100-year-old Freeport has a range of cute family-friendly attractions in the city or close at hand. If your family enjoys hiking and spotting wildlife, they can experience natural beauty at the vast Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, east of Freeport.

Freeport is on the banks of the Brazos River, and the city and surrounding area are home to several affordable hotels and restaurants. So, if you want a fun trip to the coast, check out our recommendations for what to do, where to stay, and where to eat in Freeport!

For more ideas on summer activities, check out our Summer Fun Guide for Houston families and our Beaches and Lakes Guide.

If you love the idea of camping with kids—but not the idea of sleeping on the ground in a flimsy tent—then glamping just may be the answer.

Glamping is an elevated form of camping that gives families a true nature retreat with more luxurious accommodations—think glamping tents and cabins with beds, bathrooms, kitchenettes, electricity, and other amenities. It's like combining the rustic feel of camping with the comforts of a hotel, and it's a fantastic way to make family memories in the great outdoors.

Read on for 17 of the best glamping spots in the US for families. Then check out our Camping Travel Guide for more places to go camping with kids, from East Coast beach camping sites to RV campgrounds.

When it comes to summer weekend getaways, there's nothing better than a beach town. There are lots of great family beach towns for tri-state area families to visit. From the many beach towns along the Jersey Shore to picturesque beach towns on Long Island and cute Connecticut spots, these beachy weekend getaways are all easy to visit from Midtown Manhattan, and a few are even reachable by public transportation.

Once there, you’ll find kid-friendly beaches, of course, as well as lots of options for fun—from family-friendly restaurants and amusement park rides to mini golf, ice cream shops, and quaint downtowns to stroll. And, while we’ve compiled this list of beach town getaways with weekends in mind, you can opt for a day trip or even extend your getaway to a week or more.

Looking for more summer travel ideas? Bookmark our Guide to Day Trips and Weekend Getaways and our Ultimate Kids Summer Vacation Guide for all our top picks.

Bring some snap, crackle, and fizz to your 4th of July festivities—without the fire hazard—by making colorful, homemade fizzy chalk fireworks. This STEM activity adds some sizzle to your summertime sidewalk chalk using just a few basic ingredients: baking soda, cornstarch, food coloring, and vinegar. And if being festive and educational isn’t enough, note that this project kept my kids busy for a solid 45 minutes. So occupy the littles while you fire up the barbecue and watch them delight in their bubbly explosions that are fit for the 4th.

For more science fun, check out our 64 favorite science experiments for kids or these super simple science activities for preschoolers. All this and more can be found in our Guide to Science Experiments for Kids.

These car games for kids are completely free and imaginative road trip games that keep kids happy and entertained while parents concentrate on the road!

If Mom and Dad's ideas for vacation involve hopping in the car and getting out of Dodge, games to play in the car make everything easier. Our fond childhood memories of family road trips with our own parents sometimes gloss over how boring the backseat can be. If you're looking for a solution that doesn't involve screens, try some of these car games for kids of all ages—from those strapped in a car seat to tweenagers.

For everything your family needs to plan the perfect road trip, from road trip essentials to things you can pack to keep kids entertained, head to this Ultimate Road Trip Guide for Families. Want to get out of town, but you need some suggestions for where to go? Check out our Guide to Weekend Getaways and Day Trips near you.

It's back, and Connecticut kids have another summer freebie. More than 125(!) of the state's museums will provide free admission for Connecticut kids and an accompanying adult this summer. Read on for more details.

And don't miss our roundup of the 50 best things to do for FREE in Connecticut with kids this summer. And our Ultimate Connecticut Kids Summer Vacation Guide is here to help you with the best things to do in Connecticut, from beaches and pools to water parks and festivals, plus cool deals, and giveaways—all summer long.

The best blueberry picking farms on Long Island offer a great activity for kids of all ages: Bushes are low to the ground, berries are small enough for little fingers to grasp, and who can resist a bowl of fresh berries and cream?

July is the peak season for blueberries and raspberries, while blackberries ripen in August. If you're in the market for some farm-fresh berries, call the farms before heading out to confirm picking hours and berry availability. Don't forget to check out our Pick-Your-Own Guide to Farms Near New York City for more fruit-picking options and farm fun in the tri-state area, and bookmark our Ultimate Long Island Kids Summer Vacation Guide for tons of other things to do this season.