For quarantine babies, the first year of life probably looked a little different. That doesn’t mean their birthday should be any less special. It’s your baby’s first birthday and you’ve been parents for a year—that’s something to celebrate! To help you with some special first birthday ideas, we’ve rounded up a few fun ways to host a quarantine birthday party for babies, with social distancing in mind. 

Because a first birthday is also a celebration for the parents, we're going beyond just first birthday cakes and serving up treats for adults, too. Whether it’s virtual or in-person, we've got plenty of first birthday party themes and ideas to help mark this momentous occasion safely. Happy quarantine birthday, baby. 

With one more week before daylight time savings begins, we've found something fun to light up your evenings: Domino Park has debuted a new public art display, Reflect, from artist Jen Lewin.

The installation in the park's popular summertime sprinkler area had us running, jumping, frolicking, and generally enjoying its colorful interactive nature. Read on for the details, and find more great public art to explore in Lower Manhattan, too.

For many Westchester and Hudson Valley families, transportation to and from summer camp is a crucial component in the decision-making process. Having pick-up and drop-off services can make the overall experience more enjoyable for campers and parents alike.

To help you find a camp to match your transportation needs, we’ve rounded up 20+ camps that provide busing to and from their facilities, either door-to-door or at a central location. Whether your kid is into sports or STEM, rowing or rocketry, these camps offer lots of great activities.

Find more local summer camps in our Camp Guide, or search by age, interest, and location in our Camp Directory. 

Spring break is coming, and while everyone could use a warm-weather vacation, many families need to keep thier getaways a little closer to home. Luckily, New England is packed with fun family trip destinations that are easy to get to (and easy on the wallet). From farm animal encounters to indoor water park adventures, these overnight or weekend itineraries in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Maine can be planned at the last minute and still provide lasting memories for kids.

Can't get away for more than a day? Check out our very favorite Boston day trips and Connecticut day trips for families with young kids.

It's no secret parenting through a pandemic can be many things: maddening, endearing, frustrating, creative, crazy...we could keep going. But, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and the Dumbo Improvement District is counting on NYC parents to supply it with photos to fuel a new public art display in their honor.

At-Home Heroes: An Homage to Parenting Through a Pandemic runs from Mother's Day, Sunday, May 9, through Father's Day, Sunday, June 20, and you can submit your memorable parenting moments now. Chosen photos will be projected in 65-foot-by-40-foot glory on the Manhattan Bridge nightly from dusk to 10pm. Public viewing takes place from the Pearl Street Triangle.

So, start scrolling through your photostream, whether it's filled with silver linings, family resolutions, or something far messier.

Bakeries have elevated birthday cake decorations from simple sugar flowers and plastic balloons to confectionary works of art. With the possibility that this year's birthday party might be pod-sized, now is the time to splurge on a really great cake. Even better, these stunning creations taste as good as they look.

We've found 13 of New Jersey's best bakeries for amazing, custom, painted, and sculpted cakes that you'll be proud to showcase at your kid's next milestone celebration.

If you're not sure how you'll celebrate, we've found 15 creative birthday party venues to celebrate hosting parties in 2021, and have plenty more party planning tips in our Birthday Party Guide. A word to the wise: Be sure to contact your chosen bakery several weeks in advance, since most shops require lead time for special creations, and some book up fast.

If you haven't gotten enough winter sports close to home, Shawnee Mountain, nestled in the family-friendly Pocono Mountains, offers enough action for a late-season snow sports day trip.

We recently visited the 1,350-foot peak, which offers a 700-foot vertical drop, 23 trails, two terrain parks, and one of our favorite snow tubing parks. Its location near the Delaware Water Gap makes it an easy, family-friendly day trip from the New York City metro area, New Jersey, and even Philadelphia.

Read on for our review of Shawnee Mountain, and find more area destinations in our Poconos Family Vacation Guide and this list of 60+ all-season activities in the region.