Create a Pollinator Garden in Your Home or Apartment: Planting a Butterfly Garden or Bee Garden with Kids

How does your garden grow? Photo by Filip Urban, Unsplash

Creating your very own pollinator garden is a fun and easy activity that teaches kids the importance of bees and butterflies to every aspect of our ecosystem. Don't have a green thumb, or even a backyard? No problem. We’ve got tons of easy solutions to get started on a simple at-home bee garden or butterfly garden for your backyard or a window box. And planting and caring for a pollinator garden isn't just for adults; it’s a perfect family activity suitable for kids of all ages.

Once you’ve planted a bee garden or butterfly garden, you can watch these creatures up close as they drink nectar and fly from flower to flower. But don’t stop there—get crafty and create some homemade wind chimes out of recycled materials to decorate your new pollinator garden.

Check out more green activities for kids as part of our Earth Kids Guide to Green Activities for the Planet.

Inexpensive Family-Friendly Sporting Events in Los Angeles

Meet Tremor at a Quakes minor league baseball game. Photo courtesy of the Quakes Facebook page

In LA, we love our sports. However, you don't want to spend an arm and a leg to take your kids to one of many the pro sporting events in Los Angeles. In our house, going to a Lakers game or Rams game is a very special treat. Honestly, my three-year-old doesn't know the difference between box seats at a Dodgers game and cheering for the baseball team at our local high school!

With that idea in mind, we scoured the city to find fun, family-friendly, sporty events in Los Angeles that won't break the bank. You may even find a new favorite team to follow or fall in love with a new sport. For sporty kids, check out our best Sports Classes for Kids in Los Angeles, and to play at home we've got easy Little League Baseball Drills You Can Do at Home and the rules for Learning to Play Pickleball as a Family.

Boat Cinema: See a Movie From the Lake!

Boat on over and see a show. Perhaps something like Titanic? Or Jaws?

Have you heard about Boat Cinema? It's billed as a sort of floating drive-in, a float-in if you like, and it just might be the coolest way to experience movies this summer. With Boat Cinema, families in LA can watch movies on a big screen while lounging in small, family-sized boats.

Read on for the current lineup of movies! You can also see a movie at one of the local drive-in theaters in Los Angeles, or at an outdoor movie on a blanket in a park.

The Best Zoos and Aquariums in NYC

It's always exciting to see the sea lion feeding at Central Park Zoo! Photo by Julie Larsen Maher/WCS

Ever think you would spot a seal in Manhattan or a giraffe in the Bronx? Did you ever hope you'd be surrounded by sharks at Coney Island? New York City zoos and the New York Aquarium offer families the chance to get up close and personal with animals from all over the world. From the Bronx Zoo to the Staten Island Zoo, each borough has its own unique zoo experience. Whether your children are big or small, there is a zoo in NYC suited to their age, interests, and attention span. Best of all, access to these creatures doesn't have to break the bank. Free admission can be as easy as picking the right afternoon to visit. Check out our insider tips for making the most of New York City's zoos and aquarium.

From the Jersey Devil to Lucy the Elephant: 10 Off-the-Beaten-Path Attractions in New Jersey

Lucy the Elephant. Photo courtesy of the venue

If you grew up in the Garden State, you’re already familiar with the hotly contested "Taylor ham" versus "pork roll" debate, or the “What exit?” joke. Kidding aside, New Jersey has a lot of well-known assets, including its shoreline, farmland, mountains, the Pine Barrens and, of course, its urban hubs.

There are also a number of lesser-known lures that are worth a visit. Here are some off-the-beaten path attractions in Jersey, from the birthplace of its most illusive and infamous resident, the Jersey Devil, to a giant elephant that used to be a hotel. There's even a museum dedicated to weirdness. What's not to love about that?

If you're looking for other diverting day-trip ideas, check out our guide to New Jersey's best zoos and aquariums or our rundown on the best beaches in the state. And be sure to bookmark our Weekend Trips Guide for things to do with the fam all season long. 

The Best Carlsbad Hotels Near Legoland California for Families

Take a Lego break on a water slide. Photo courtesy of the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa

There’s just something about Legoland California. It’s such a special place that even though you can drive here from Los Angeles or San Diego for a day, you really want to spend the night to be there the minute it opens, go back the next day to the Water Park, or just stay and explore the very underrated and gorgeous town of Carlsbad. Which is why we’ve rounded up the best Carlsbad hotels near Legoland—some within walking distance, some by the beach—all will ensure that you have a wonderful stay in town.

So come for my favorite of the SoCal theme parks, stay for the Flower Fields, the strawberry picking, the charming beach town, the ocean walks, and so much more. Or use Carlsbad as a non-crowded jumping off point to explore all that San Diego has to offer, from Sesame Place San Diego to the San Diego Zoo and so much more.

Top-Rated San Francisco Tours for Families: Alcatraz, Muir Woods, and More

Travel through town in a tiny car with GoCar.

There’s so much to see and do in San Francisco and the Bay Area, and a top-rated San Francisco tour can make a trip to the Golden City a whole lot easier–especially with kids in tow.

Whether you’re hoping to hop aboard a San Francisco Bay cruise, looking to customize your itinerary with popular stops like The Exploratorium and San Francisco’s Chinatown, or searching for a big adventure outside of the city, San Francisco city tour options are pretty much endless. Take on San Francisco sightseeing by double-decker bus, helicopter, bicycle, or even tiny car, and you’ll be one step closer to truly seeing it all.

With the help of enthusiastic TripAdvisor travelers, we’ve narrowed down your search to the best family-friendly San Francisco tours with 4- and 5-star ratings and rave reviews. Here's our list of the best tours for exploring San Francisco and the Bay Area with kids, plus some insider tips. Click through for quick and easy booking with TripAdvisor.

South Street Seaport: 20 Fun Things To Do With Kids

The waterfront South Street Seaport neighborhood is full of family-friendly things to do no matter the season. Photo by Eva Van Dok

The South Street Seaport, one of New York City's oldest and most historic neighborhoods, is the perfect place for a family outing. Completely redeveloped in 2017, Pier 17 is its centerpiece and a massive, high-end retail and dining destination with a stunning rooftop space. Besides Pier 17's dining and shopping, there are plenty of other family-friendly things to do in this popular downtown Manhattan neighborhood.

A pair of exceptional play spots, including the Imagination Playground, an under-the-radar maritime museum, boat tours, landmarked buildings, a public pier with gorgeous views, and a slew of FREE programming makes the South Street Seaport a great place to visit this summer with kids—whether you're a tourist or a local.

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