Once just a neighborhood of sprawling factories and warehouses, Long Island City, Queens, has transformed into a hot spot for young professionals and families. New things seem to open every day. We love the outdoor thrills at Gantry Plaza State Park and the rest of the waterfront to indoor romps at the Noguchi Museum and play spaces like City Owlets.  

But now there's a brand-new, distinctly unique creative environment in LIC: Playday. Is it an education center? Is it an art school? Is it a kids' crafting club? It’s all those things and more.

For some kids, math and science skills don't get much of a workout during the summer, unless it's counting underwater breaths in the swimming pool or adding up sports scores. For other kids, the end of school is met with sighs rather than cheers, and they would happily spend their days doing algebra or designing a robot. We've rounded up summer camps and programs that will hopefully not only send your kid back to school in September with sharper skills but also give them a new appreciation for math in the world around us.

Find more options in our Summer Camp Guide and Directory or NYC Classes Guide.

Trends in frozen desserts come and go in the balmy Southland (three words: charcoal ice cream), but new arrival on the scene Cauldron Ice Cream covers enough icy sweet trends under one roof to cater to anyone's passing fancy. After building a rabid fan base in Artesia and Santa Ana, Cauldron has set up its tanks of nitrogen and its puffle cone maker in Glendale, within walking distance of The Americana at Brand (already a pretty cool place to spend an afternoon with kids). Grown-ups with a taste for artisan ice cream may even want to do the responsible thing and try this place out alone first. Just to be fully informed, of course.

The popular children’s museum we know and love has just gotten a major overhaul. Following a five-month gut renovation, Imagine That!!! in Florham Park, New Jersey, has been transformed into a beautiful and bright 16,000-square-foot indoor play space that feels fun and inviting. The updated fun spot boasts brand-new play structures like an electronic sand table and an interactive, LED light board, plus new-and-improved versions of original attractions like the grocery store, dance studio, play maze, and more.

Imagine That!!!, which quietly reopened in December, will celebrate its grand reopening the weekend of January 13-14. Here's a sneak peak inside the new space and its awesome attractions.

Nursing moms headed back to the office now have one less thing to worry about. On January 8, Gov. Chris Christie signed into law new protections for women who choose to breastfeed or pump breast milk for their babies while at work.

If recent weather has kept your family holed up, recoup from cabin fever with any of the great programs we’ve identified for Westchester and Hudson Valley families this weekend.

Reinforce the meaning of MLK Day by investing time in the Martin Luther King Day of Service. Meet Mike Piazza and other famous athletes at The East Coast National Baseball Card Show or take advantage of the free offerings of assorted workshops in STEAM, improvisational acting, drumming and more at Free Arts Day. More indoor fun can be had with marionettes at the Annual Puppet Festival or embrace the season with fun activities that at Hudson Valley Rail Trail WinterFest.

There's more! Be sure to check our January GoList and our Event Calendar to plan your entire weekend—and beyond!

We honor Martin Luther King, Jr. with a federal holiday on Monday, and that means school will be closed. If you're trying to figure out how to spend the long weekend, you've got plenty of options, whether you want to visit the colorful, underwater world of Bubblelandia, take part in a celebration of Dr. King, or pretty much anything in between.

You can spend the morning as a Junior Keeper at Jenkinson's Aquarium and the afternoon crafting your very own masterpiece at the Drop-In Studio at the Montclair Art Museum; cure cabin fever with outdoor options that include a Day Off With Nature at the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center and an MLK Day of Service opportunity for ages 4 and up at Reeves-Reed Arboretum.

If you'd rather stay warm and toasty, check out one of NJ's many indoor play spaces and fun zones. Still looking? Find more fun things to do in our Calendar of Events and January GoList.

As real estate in Park Slope skyrockets out of reach, many families have been turning their sights on its southern neighbor, Sunset Park. Its crown jewel, the 25-acre namesake green space, boasts an outdoor Olympic-size pool, sports fields, a recently renovated playground and one of the highest points in Brooklyn, from which you can see the Statue of Liberty and New York Bay. The historic 478-acre Green-Wood Cemetery is also a highlight, and even hosts annual family events like its Memorial Day Concert and Battle of Brooklyn reenactment.

Dive into the culturally rich neighborhood with our top 25 activities, play spaces, restaurants, and nature spots.