Remember when New Year's Eve meant champagne toasting and late-night dancing? Remember when the dinner reservations were made for two and you didn't need a high chair? Well, those days might be  long gone but there are still plenty of ways to celebrate on New Year's Eve. Lucky for us, there are a ton of family-friendly activities across Fairfield County from celebrations at noon to elegant dinner soirees (that you can enjoy with your children!). If you're looking for some fun kid-friendly New Year's Eve festivities, we've got you covered. And if you're lucky enough to have booked a babysitter or the grandparents want to stay in with the kids, we've thrown in a few grown-up options, too. Happy New Year!

Philly families can find many ways to celebrate Hanukkah throughout the city and surrounding suburbs as can be seen in our jam-packed events calendar. This year's celebration begins on the evening of Saturday, December 24th, and continues for eight days through January 1st. Throughout the Delaware Valley, families can attend menorah lighting ceremonies, listen to traditional stories, make seasonal crafts, watch puppet shows, and eat delicious latkes as they celebrate the Festival of Lights.

Our readers have spoken. This fall we asked all of you—our wonderful community of Boston area parents—to vote for the best family businesses and resources in 24 categories. You chose from 10 nominees in each category (and four voters were picked at random to enjoy great prizes from our sponsors!). Want to know more about the contest? Take a look at our Besties FAQ.

The votes are now in, and we've created this guide highlighting the winners – the best of the best of family-friendly Boston. Here are our 2016 Boston Besties:

Christmas Eve is almost here, which means all the holiday festivities will be wrapping up soon. Hopefully all your Christmas shopping and wrapping is finished and you've got a few moments to spare to celebrate with your family. If you're looking to squeeze in some last minute holiday fun, look no further. Make this Christmas Eve one to remember with one of these great activities in the area. Maybe you'll even start a new family tradition!

For more Christmas fun, check out our holiday guide and our event calendar.

Oh, birthday parties! Kids adore them; parents usually dread them—whether it's for your own child or someone else's. If you're tired of the usual circuit of cold pizza, warm soda, and fill-in-the-blank main activity—or if you don't have the space or time to organize a party in your own home—we've rounded up half a dozen new Long Island kids' hot spots that offer something a little different.

Most new(ish), in a new location, or have recently added birthday parties to their repertoire, and all offer solid basics like a private party space, food and drink, staff hosts, and favors and invitations (sometimes for an additional fee). From science to sewing, yoga to trampolines, laser tag to frolicking with dogs (and, yes, there are some bouncy castles and pottery painting, too), we're pretty sure there's something here to delight everyone on your child's guest list—and to help keep parents and adults guests relaxed and happy, too.

Find even more birthday party inspiration in our Long Island Party Guide for Kids.

Want to cut down on the amount of “stuff” your kids receive for Christmas, a birthday, or another special day, but make sure the occasion is no less memorable? We’ve rounded up some of the coolest experiences the Boston area has to offer kids—and we think the smiles you’ll get are worth the splurge. Plus, less time spent shopping means more time for you and your family to enjoy fun activities together.

December is a busy month full of holiday festivities, including live shows, Santa sightings, shopping and more. Before you know it, the holiday break is upon us and you may find yourself wondering how to keep the kids entertained while off from school.

As much as kids love the break, we know how quickly they can become stir-crazy sitting around at home, even during the holidays. No worries—we've rounded up a ton of places that will keep your wee (and not so wee) ones busy and entertained. These drop-off camps include art, sports, games and other activities for kids of all ages. 

There are many opportunities for a dose of Christmas cheer in the Boston area, but I recommend including Edaville's Christmas Festival of Lights on your holiday must-do list this year. During the holiday season Edaville USA is decorated with over 17 million (that's right, 17 million) lights! Admission also grants you the opportunity to enjoy the park's newest attraction, Dickens Village, with Santa on hand for pictures; a train ride for an up-front view of the light structures; and Edaville's 90 family-friendly rides and attractions, including the iconic Thomas Land.