Summer fun at the Jersey shore doesn't always involve boardwalk rides and jam-packed beaches. For a quieter shore experience, head to the quaint seaside town of Spring Lake, where tree-lined streets and graceful Victorian inns welcome families.

You won't find mini-golf or arcades in Spring Lake, or any large hotels, either. But you will find leafy lanes, a picturesque lake, restored boardwalk, charming downtown, and a gorgeous beach.

Read on for our best bets for a family trip to Spring Lake, and for more of our favorite summer destinations, check out the Jersey Shore Family Guide. 

Entertaining a preschooler is no joke, especially if they have moved on past their nap times! Some parents are truly excellent at coming up with daily plans for their little ones, exposing them to all the arts and sciences and play, making creative quiet books, and other Pinterest-worthy activities. Whether you are excellent at curating preschooler activities or not, you can always count on Philadelphia's selection of parks, playgrounds, and programming throughout the city to expand your little one's interests and experiences. If you want to beat the heat or embrace the summer swelter, here are 20 spots that are sure to be family favorites for you and your crew this summer:

Long gone are the days of the boring rectangular pool float that popped almost as soon as you finally filled it with air. Today's kids can hit the pool with a fabulous float in almost any design they can imagine, from the Millennium Falcon to a giant slice of pizza to adorable unicorn floats. The best part? Parents can order these pool toys all online and have them delivered right to your doorstep. Check out our list of 11 crazy awesome pool floats for babies, kids, and teens in the summer.

Find all the summer fun near you in your local Summer Fun Guide, and more great ways to cool down this summer in our Beaches, Lakes, and Pools Guides.

The Houston Zoo, one of our favorite city attractions, has some new inhabidants that are out of this world (or at least time period). Seventeen life-size dinosaurs have arrived at the Houston Zoo for kids to gawk at through the end of the summer. We took our kids for a trip to see if the exhibit lived up to the hype, and we're here to tell you it absolutely does!

Making a puffy, fuzzy DIY toy at Build-A-Bear is a great experience, especially for a birthday gift, but those bears are far from free. So it was no surprise last year that the company's big Pay-Your-Age Day (5 years old, get any toy for $5) resulted in lines not only out of the stores but out of the buildings—and lots of angry parents when lines were shut down. The good news? Build-A-Bear is doing the popular event again, but doing it differently this year.

Think the dog days of summer are a cultural wasteland? That's not the case when it comes to the stage—New York City's family theater scene is hotter than an unshaded sandbox during the summer months, and this year is no exception.

There are shows for all ages, interests, and budgets throughout the summer season, including FREE options such as high-quality Shakespeare, a stage adaptation of Disney's beloved animated movie Hercules, and a puppet show touring to parks throughout the five boroughs. Best of all, most tickets cost less than $25 per seat. Read on for our complete guide to the best summer shows in NYC for kids and families.

Like most parents, Mimosa Jones Tunney and John Tunney, who own and operate popular Huntington restaurants Besito and The Shed, are passionate about their children’s education. When they couldn’t find a school they thought would best prepare their young boys, they decided to build their own.

The School House, located at 106 Vernon Valley Road in East Northport, is the result of the entrepreneurial couple’s dream to bring a new way of teaching to Long Island. Enrollment is currently under way for pre-K through fifth grade. The building, the former home of a local preschool, has been undergoing a renovation in recent months. Walls were knocked down, new windows added, and the result is a bright, open, sun-filled space where children can thrive.

Morningside Heights, a homey Manhattan neighborhood steeped in history, is now one of the most desirable areas for families in NYC. Sandwiched between the Upper West Side and Harlem, and running from West 110th Street to West 125th Street, the neighborhood offers an abundance of green space, from the iconic Morningside and Riverside Parks, to the manicured lawns of Columbia and Barnard. Paired with the energy of the universities' students and the area's many family friendly-amenities, it's the perfect spot for both children and adults to live and play.

Adding to the appeal, stunning, classically New York prewar buildings like 30 Morningside Drive offer luxury living in sunny, spacious apartments with large windows, 11-foot ceilings, custom-designed furnishings by Restoration Hardware, and breathtaking park and city views. If amenities such as a 24-hour concierge, a gorgeous garden and roof deck, a gym with sauna, a motion studio, a pet spa, and a children's playroom are calling your name, you might want to consider Morningside Heights your new home.

Keep reading to find out what exactly makes Morningside Heights much more than just a "college town."