The holidays are a delicate balance of memory-making experiences for the family (ice skating and hot chocolate, The NYBG Train Show, checking out massive holiday lights displays, and hitting up Santaland), but also playing Santa himself and hunting/gathering gifts and spreading holiday cheer without going nuts. I might have found the nexus of these two things when I visited the new FAO Schwatz pop-up shop within Midtown Manhattan's Bergdorf Goodman.

Read on to get all the details and to decide whether to add a trip with (or without!) the kids to your to-do list over the next two months.

There will soon be a new reason to travel to New York's Lower Hudson Valley: a full-fledged Legoland theme park is slated to open in Goshen in 2020.

Sadly, this location has closed as of 2019.

The answer to this tantalizing question is yes and no—but mostly yes.

Down the 5 freeway, in a nondescript Orange County strip mall past the Irvine Spectrum, is one of SoCal's best-kept secrets. ChocXO is a bean-to-bar chocolate factory, complete with direct trade cacao beans, organic chocolate, and an on-site retail store that whips up steaming mugs of decadent hot chocolate. But most remarkable of all is that your kids can go behind the scenes and witness for themselves the magic that turns those little beans into the most revered food in their diet. It's the closest thing to Mr. Wonka's factory this side of Hershey.

The countdown to Thanksgiving is in full swing and that means the NYC Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is looming large on the streets of Midtown Manhattan. We've got insider tips for where to watch the parade and how to manage the crowds at the balloon inflation, but now we're sharing a sneak peek at the four new additions set to join the 91st annual parade on Thursday, November 23, for the very first time.

Read on to meet the cast of (new) characters.

New York City has a rich and diverse heritage, and the city's museums are often the keepers of this ongoing story of its people and origin tales. The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), for example, explains the Chinese immigrant story. Being multiracial, with a father from mainland China, I always felt drawn to learn more of the journey of my people, and I've visited several times.

The museum opened in 2009 and has been attracting visitors from all over the world ever since. On my most recent trip to MOCA, I was amazed at how much this beautiful and unique NYC establishment had expanded; particularly by incorporating more children focused programs.

After a long week, there’s no better treat for a lazy, never get-out-of-your-pajamas weekend morning than a box of fresh, hot doughnuts. Luckily, New Jersey is chock-full of out-of-this-world doughy wonders. We (gladly) did the tireless research of combing the state's doughnut shops and bakeries for the best doughnuts for kids of all ages.

These 10 spots have taken fried dough to a whole new level. From shops selling candy-covered delights to brunch food–inspired delicacies—plus doughnuts featuring local ingredients and flavors—here’s where you can score delectable doughnuts that will delight everyone in the family. 

If you're looking for more sweet treats, check out our roundups of fun ice cream joints, sweet shops, and spots where kids can make their own candy and sweets. 

As a parent, you hope you’ll never need to use CPR or first aid. But the scary truth is that if your baby chokes, or suffers a trauma like drowning or an electrical shock that knocks him unconscious, you'll want to know what to do, rather than rely on the availability of a knowledgeable stranger while you wait for the ambulance. 

Have we freaked you out yet? The good news is NYC boasts plenty of infant CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and first-aid classes and refreshers for parents and caregivers, such as grandparents and nannies, where life-saving skills are taught and practiced until you feel as prepared as possible. So read on for our top picks on CPR and first-aid classes in the city.

Also check out our list of babyproofing companies around the metro area, as well as our Baby & Pregnancy Guide for more essential NYC parenting tips.

From museums to amusement parks, playspaces and more, memberships to Philadelphia-area attractions are practically a dime a dozen. As a parent it is sometimes difficult to navigate the many options available. Is a membership worth the cost? Will you really visit more than once? To try to take some of the math out of this equation, we put together a list of our 16 favorite spots that offer memberships that are truly worth the money.