Short Hills, New Jersey, might be most famous for its luxury brand–filled mall, or as one of the country’s most affluent towns. But tucked among its winding backroads, you’ll find one of New Jersey’s most charming public gardens, Greenwood Gardens.

The seasonal 28-acre garden is filled with little nature trails, water features, sculptures, and even a few barnyard animals.

If you’re looking for a sweet, low-key, non-commercial day trip with Jersey kids of any age, Greenwood Gardens is a great bet. Bonus: It’s free for kids under age 12. Read on for our full review, and find more zoos and gardens in our local New Jersey guide for families.

Fall is my favorite season: there are so many fun activities available in the greater Hartford region in that short stretch of comfortable weather punctuated by New England foliage. Inevitably, by the time November rolls around, there are at least ten things that I wished I’d done but either I didn’t think of them, or I didn’t get around to them. To help you make the most of this fall season, we've compiled a list of fall favorites (including some indoor activities for those rainy days). If you get around to all of them, you’re my hero.

If your kids are anything like mine, they tumble, roll, and try to balance on curbs just as often - if not more - than they walk in a straight line. The inherent need for my toddler to constantly tumble and move is one reason we love trampoline parks and play spaces so much! We've also begun to dabble in the world of preschool sports this year, and our focus has been on finding activities that are both fun and functional for our son. It's why we love taking him to gymnastics classes. This powerhouse sport focuses on conditioning movements like balance, flexibility, stamina and overall strength - which all transfer well into basically every other sport out there - while still being just plain fun, making it an ideal sport for preschoolers like my son.

And for more ideas on classes for kids of all ages, check out our classes and enrichment guide for Houston kids.

The Central Park Conservancy has been on a mission of late renovating playgrounds all along its border from south to north, but one playground has stood the test of time, not only in the decade-plus since I've been a parent, but well beyond: Heckscher Playground.

Ask any native New Yorker, and they'll tell tales of their youth spent frolicking on the interconnecting pyramid-like structures in this 1.8-acre kiddie paradise, which is Central Park's oldest and largest playground.

Though originally built in 1926, Heckscher Playground was last renovated in 2006. Featuring different play areas for preschoolers and big kids, the playground is smartly designed. It's pyramids are hard to resist in any season, but it's a particularly cool destination in the summer when the spectacular sprinklers send towering jets of water into the air, and it's water-filled walkways provide a cool respite for tired toes.

Looking for more inspiration for your next playground day? Visit our Parks and Playgrounds Guide.

The dog days of summer are coming to an end. You can almost smell the fall in the air, and humidity levels are dropping (hooray!). Which means it is time to check off that summer bucket list before the kids head back to school and the days get shorter. One way to celebrate time with your kids is to take a page from your college days and go on a crawl—only this time, hit up the best parks and playgrounds in walking distance. There are plenty of great parks to play in, but we picked a few neighborhoods and areas that have some of the best parks in walking distance. Grab the stroller, pack a lunch (or follow our advice on where to get lunch), and get crawling!

If your family is familiar with "warped walls" or worships some guy named the Cowboy Ninja—or you simply have a kid with energy to burn—we've found a place for you: Action Athletics in Wellesley. Though a lot of camps and gyms are starting to offer obstacle course activities as more and more kids become hooked on the television show American Ninja Warrior, Action Athletics is the real deal: It's the training home of several prominent TV Ninjas, including Jon "the Giant" Alexis, Jesse Labreck, and Allyssa Beird. And with 25 different obstacles that can be made into countless configurations, it also caters to challenge-seeking children—of all ages—who want to leap, swing, and test their limits, just the way their Ninja heroes do.

When I found out that Action Athletics was expanding from its Newton location to a big new space in Wellesley, where we live, I thought I'd bring my sons and their friends to give it a try. Here's what we learned and what we thought about the place. (Spoiler alert: We've been back three times since). This fall, the Newton location is reopening, too, giving families more options for channeling their inner Ninja.

The days are long, but the years are short. Before you know it, it’s time for your little one to spread his or her wings and head off to preschool.

There are many preschool options on Long Island and choices can be overwhelming. But if you’ve decided a Montessori preschool is a good fit for your child, we’ve put together a list of 10 options to get you started on a search.

For the uninitiated, Montessori is an educational philosophy developed more than a century ago that encourages kids to be independent and learn at their own pace. Typically students are grouped by ability rather than age, classrooms are outfitted with specific learning materials, and specially trained teachers act as observers and facilitators.  

Grab your mask and activate your animal amulets: PJ Masks is coming to a stage near your family this fall, and its stars need your help to save the day.

The latest in a line of TV-to-stage adaptations, the first PJ Masks live theater show stars Catboy, Owlette, and Gekko in a 60-plus North American city tour, including shows near Mommy Poppins readers in Connecticut, New York City, Philadelphia, Texas, and Los Angeles.