If you haven't taken the family to Knott’s Berry Farm yet, you are in for an only-in-SoCal treat. Located in Buena Park, this 160-acre theme park has roller coasters for thrill-seeking teens but also little rides for tiny tots. Not only that, Knott’s Berry Farm is also a great place to walk around, play games, eat some truly delicious food, and enjoy a trip to historic or cultural-themed lands. From scream your lungs out drops to palling around with Snoopy, the whole family will love a day at Knott’s Berry Farm. Read on for tips on how to get the most out of your visit.

For more inside tips and tricks to enjoying all the best theme parks in SoCal (including how to get discounted tickets to all the amusement parks!), check out our guides to Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Legoland California, and more in our SoCal Theme Park and Water Park Guide.

The season is here to visit blueberry-picking farms! Featuring varieties of the native rabbiteye blueberry, most Atlanta farms open for the season from early June and end near late July. Now’s the time to gather your family (with hats, sunscreen, and closed-toe shoes) and head to one of these u-pick blueberry farms in the area. These pick-your-own berries are delicious in baked goods, topped on cereal, or on their own as a tasty treat.

If the packing list alone doesn’t get you, shipping all those trunks, duffle bags and boxes off to summer camp surely will!

But gone are the days of cramming suitcases (and fans, and loose toiletries, and last-minute purchases) into your car or dealing with ever-increasing overweight bag fees and lost luggage hassles at the airport. Ship Camps is the affordable service that helps families seamlessly ship luggage and boxes to sleepaway camps across the globe–and we might be in love.

Ship Camps launched in 2021 and parents have been singing its praises ever since. With campers often needing a ton of gear and sometimes traveling to far off destinations–or even overseas–the reliable service removes the headache of lugging everything yourself and lets you purchase some peace of mind at a very affordable upfront price.

Read on for answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about camp shipping with Ship Camps.

If you’re looking for the amenities of a hotel pool without the hotel stay price tag, these Chicago hotels and fitness centers offer family swims and pool passes for a fraction of the cost. Many of the pools on this list are also indoors which makes them great options for rainy or cold days any time of the year. Some of these hotel pools also come with rooftop views making them a fun change from your neighborhood pool. You can enjoy a little staycation and hotel experience without the expensive hotel stay, long road trip or airport travel.

For more kid-friendly pools, check out our picks for the best free pools in Chicago as well as our round-up of water playgrounds and splash pads.

No pool membership? No problem. Cool off at one of these swimming pools in the Philly region, where you can get a day pass and enjoy that family daycation. Whether you skipped this summer's pool membership or simply enjoy the flexibility of pool hopping, these top five swimming pool pass locations in and near Philadelphia will get those kids splashing while you soak up the sun.

There's also lots of options for free swimming pools in Philly, or for kids who like more of a spritz than a cannon ball, our area is home to many great splash pads and sprinkler parks. Whichever way you decide to spend these sunny summer days, Mommy Poppins has plenty of summertime activity ideas.

In order to be more inclusive, many of Connecticut's top attractions for families have begun to offer special sensory-friendly programs or opening times for children on the Autism spectrum or who have sensory sensitivities. These sensory-friendly programs offer smaller crowds, dimmed lights, less loud noises, and other accommodations. In most cases, the whole family can participate and some programs even offer free or reduced admission. 

Read on to discover great sensory-friendly programs for kids everywhere in Connecticut. For more Connecticut museums with free admission and other special programs, check out our Guide to Connecticut Museums for Kids and Families.

When the summer heat descends on Washington, DC, there are plenty of free public swimming pools that families can visit to cool down. But for those who live in the DC suburbs, it may seem like paying for a pricey summer membership is the only way to gain access to an outdoor swimming pool. We're here to assure you that is not the case. There are plenty of outdoor swimming pools near DC that offer a daily pool pass option for families who can't commit to a whole summer of swimming. From hotels with pools in DC that offer families a luxurious daycation to community swimming pools with lots of fun features for kids, these pools are all great places to spend a hot DC summer day.

For more ways to make a splash outdoors, check out our lists of 12 outdoor water parks for kids near DC and 17 sprinkler parks, spraygrounds, and splash pads near DC for kids. Stay cool this summer!

Here's a fun summer craft for kids of all ages that helps pollinators and ecosystems, too: making wildflower seed bombs. Maybe you've heard that pollinators are in danger, but you don't know how to help or maybe don't even know what a pollinator is. Well, here's the scoop, along with a quick, easy, and fun craft for kids that also helps the earth. When you make wildflower seed bombs, you can plant flowers—without any digging or trowels—in your backyard, a flower pot, around your city, or even gift them to neighbors and friends to spread far and wide.

Here's how to make your own wildflower seed bombs that are perfect for whichever pollinators buzz in your backyard. Check out more green activities for kids in our Earth Kids Guide to Green Activities for the Planet.