Changes are afoot (or is it afin?) at SeaWorld, with much talk about a whole new chapter in the park's sea mammal program. We headed down to San Diego recently to see the new Orca Encounter for ourselves—to find out how big the changes are and whether they are improving life for the marine residents of SeaWorld.

It's been a long time in the making, but the mega entertainment complex in the New Jersey Meadowlands, now known as American Dream, announced it will finally open its doors to the public on October 25, with additional offerings added into the new year. 

Its many family-friendly attractions will include the western hemisphere's largest indoor amusement park AND North America's first indoor snow sports center—not to mention an indoor water park, ice skating rink, aquarium, mini-golf, LEGO Discovery Center, and much, much more.

If you love family camping, but don't love the thought of hauling all that gear (or even if you're not a huge fan of camping, but you sure do love the beach) good news: Camp Rockaway has returned for a third season of family-friendly glamping with a side of urban beach. Located in a sandy courtyard behind the historic Jacob Riis Bathhouse, Camp Rockaway offers families a chance to sleep over at at the beach, with comfy tents, queen-sized beds, and hot showers, all just steps from the waves. Read on for a peek inside the tent flaps.

The QuickChek Balloon Festival, one of New Jersey’s most highly anticipated family events of the summer, will take place Friday, July 26 – Sunday, July 28, 2019 at Solberg Airport in Whitehouse Station.

This summer festival fave has everything: beautiful hot-air balloon ascensions, top-notch performers, rides, freebies, great food, and a central New Jersey location. Here's what you need to know before you go.

Headed to the family-friendly beaches of the Rockaways this weekend? Be sure to pack an appetite along with your bathing suits. Queens' Rockaway dishes up plenty of options. You'll find typical beach fare of course, with hot dogs and burgers aplenty, but the area has also earned a reputation with foodies for its more adventurous eats. Whether you're looking for the best eats on the boardwalk or a delicious dinner to cap off a day of splashing in the waves, here are the best places to eat in the Rockaways with kids. 

As 90-degree temps have become the new New Jersey norm, it’s easy to see how moms, dads, and their active adventurers might need an inside alternative—and we found it in Northvale’s newest spot for the 0-7 set: Tay + Te Imaginative Play. Since opening in May, this super clean, creative, and modern indoor play space in Bergen County has been bringing smiles + then some to local families, and even those from afar (we saw many New York license plates when we visited). 

Cool and hip Dumbo is one of our favorite neighborhoods in Brooklyn, where international families and old-time New Yorkers come together. And one thing this eclectic population does well is eat.

While there is a vibrant late-night scene in this bustling enclave, it is also increasingly home to children and their families and restaurants that like serving them. Dining with kids in Dumbo means scrumptious food, often with breathtaking, one-of-a kind views of Manhattan. Our favorite eateries fall into three essential-to-life-with-children categories: pizza, lunch or brunch, and dessert. 

So whether you're visiting the nabe to check out all that Brooklyn Bridge Park has to offer (like a carousel, destination-worthy playgrounds, and wide-open green spaces), or you're a recent transplant to the hood, you'll want to try out these family-friendly places to eat in Dumbo.