Swimply and Resort Pass solve the problem for those of us who dream of having a private backyard pool or membership to a swanky private pool but don’t have unlimited funds with resort passes and daily pool rentals.

Pools by the hour? Yes, please. This summer has been blisteringly, blazingly hot. Sadly, not all of us have a pool! And private swim club memberships either cost big bucks or sold out of memberships well before summer started. That’s where Swimply and Resort Pass come in.

Swimply is an app that allows anyone to rent out private pools by the hour. It’s basically the Airbnb of private pools. And Resort Pass is a program that allows you to purchase day passes to private hotel pools, without having to rent a room. 

Genius. Read on for how to book your own pool day online, in an instant. If you're looking for a bigger getaway, like at one of the best family resorts with water parks check out our Guide to Family-Friendly Resorts and Hotels.

Anytime we've mentioned to friends and family that we had the best time whale watching near NYC this summer, the first question we're asked is, "Where can you go whale watching in New York City?" After all, the closest most local families have probably come to a larger-than-life marine mammal is the famous, oversized blue whale that hangs overhead at the American Museum of Natural History.

Believe us: If we hadn't gone whale watching near NYC and seen these ginormous marine mammals jump out of the water with our own eyes, we wouldn't think it would be possible either! When we set sail on our NYC Whale Watching Cruise, we thought we might see a fin here or there. By the end of our three-hour tour, the whale watching boat roared with cheers of excitement, thanks to several humpback whale sightings.

I know from experience that being outdoors helps kids feel less irritable and sleep better. But don't take my word for it;  researchers have also found that when parents encourage kids to engage in outdoor activities, they will become naturally connected to our planet and care more for its future. Perhaps they'll even become future environmental activists...

These 30 outdoor nature activities will spark your child’s imagination. From arts and crafts and sensory activities to outdoor learning activities and physical fun, there are outdoor activities on this list to please every kid. And when everyone’s worn out, we also have some quiet and relaxing outdoor activities.

Check out more green activities for kids as part of our Earth Kids Guide to Green Activities for the Planet. And if you need even more ideas for outdoor fun, take a look at our guide to Top Outdoor Activities Guide for Kids, with hundreds of ideas for ways to learn, explore, and play outside.

Little ones as young as 3 months can start getting acclimated to the water at these spots that offer fantastic swimming lessons in San Francisco. The Bay Area has some awesome spots for swimming classes with teachers who are patient, fun, energetic, and experienced, and some of these businesses even have trial classes to make sure it’s a good fit. It's never too young to teach kids how to love the water, so every place on our list also offers baby and toddler swimming lessons.

For more great classes for kids, including great cooking classes for little San Francisco foodies, check out our Bay Area Classes Directory.

Chicago's Museum Campus is the perfect place to visit more than one museum in a day, and the Adler Planetarium gives families the chance to leave Earth from the shore of Lake Michigan. Like its siblings The Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium, it offers exhibits that appeal to every member of the family and provides lots of interactive learning opportunities. It was opened as part of the first planetarium in the Western hemisphere in 1930 and has evolved into a hub for families looking to learn more about stars, planets, galaxies, and space exploration.

One big advantage to the Adler Planetarium is that it won't take a whole day to visit most, if not all, of the building's exhibits. If you have kids with enough stamina, we recommend going to the Shedd Aquarium early on a Wednesday and dropping into the Planetarium at 4 p.m. It's free for Illinois residents from 4 until it closes at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, and you can remain in the same parking space all day. 

We visited with our 5- and 7-year-olds earlier this summer, and while one kid is determined to be an astronaut, the other was just happy to be at a museum. Each enjoyed different things about the museum depending on what was geared to their educational level. Here's what we liked best about the Adler Planetarium with kids!

If you're staying in town and plan to visit multiple attractions in the Chicago area (we’re looking at you, people with visiting relatives you’ll be squiring around town), it’s worth it to look into a Go City - Chicago sightseeing pass to save money on entrance fees to attractions like the Navy Pier, Field Museum, the aquarium, and the planetarium.