It's kindergarten application crunch time in New York City. Kindergarten Connect, the relatively new form that New York City parents need to fill out either online, on paper, or by phone in order to apply their children to kindergarten for the 2018-2019 school year, must be filed by Friday, January 12 (although that deadline has been extended by the Department of Education in the past). It is not first-come, first-served, so when you turn it in doesn’t matter, as long as you do it by the deadline.

Perhaps it seems you sweated through preschool options and the pre-K decision just moments ago and are once again feeling overwhelmed at the options—the process. As the author of Getting Into NYC Kindergarten, I realize that there is a great deal of confusion about what goes on Kindergarten Connect, and what doesn’t, as well as the optimal way to rank your options to raise the odds of getting into your top-choice school, including a popular zoned kindergarten. So I've put together some simple tips to demystify the process. Relax, it's not high school—not yet!

Have a Lego lover in the house and looking for a way to turn that passion into an activity? The Hudson Valley FIRST Lego League (HVFLL) is an amazing and supportive way for kids to use an interest in Legos in a fun and competitive setting.  

We have what you need to know about the HVFLL and this year’s tournament season. If you're looking for more activities in our area, STEM and otherwise, sign up for our newsletters and follow us on Facebook. 

It's a school holiday and your kids are at home, but you still have to go into the office, leaving you scrambling for childcare. If you find yourself in this situation, or if you just want to have the kids do something fun and different on a day they're out of school, check out some of these holiday day camps around Houston. We picked a variety of camps that span everything from arts and crafts to gymnastics to a day at the Zoo, so your kids can spend their day learning through creative outlets and active play while you're at work.

This post is currently being updated for 2018.

While Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a National holiday, not all parents have the day off of work. Fortunately, there are a number of one-day camps where kids can play, learn, create, or explore the outdoors.

See our list of school's out camps below if you are looking for something fun for your children to do during the workday. Or, if you have the day off as well, check our events calendar. We have listed many activities for families throughout the Philadelphia area celebrating the contributions of Dr. King.

New York City is home to an estimated 800 languages, and by virtue of living here, our kids are exposed many of them. It's no surprise, then, that NYC has a number of language-immersion summer camps for kids interested in going beyond hola! and bonjour. Whether your child yearns to master Chinese, French, German, Italian, Hebrew, or Spanish, summer is a great time to give language learning a try in a relaxed camp environment. Many of these programs include swimming, yoga, cooking, arts and crafts, music and dance, games, and other typical summer camp activities to supplement and enhance the instruction. Instructors and counselors are fluent or native speakers and not only teach kids the language but also expose them to the culture through activities and field trips.

For more ideas on summer camps, check out our Summer Camp Guide for NYC Kids. Got a preschooler? We've also rounded up immersion preschools for dual-language learning in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Welcome 2017. Welcome January. It’s time to kickstart the new year by celebrating 15 holidays sure to make your heart burst with happiness. We see you rolling your eyes: Didn’t the holiday season just end? No worries. These celebrations do not require ugly sweaters or schmoozing at obligatory gatherings, and spending extra money is optional.

The Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven houses one of the oldest natural history collections in the world and is one of the best family-friendly museums in Connecticut. Featuring three floors of exhibits, it makes for a wonderful and memorable day trip with children. In the colder months, you can spend plenty of hours indoors, learning about birds, gemstones, dinosaurs, and everything in between. On warmer days, walking around the city becomes a pleasure, as does taking a detour through Lighthouse Point Park, relaxing on the boardwalk or exploring the playground. Don't leave head home before sampling the delicious cuisine at one of the many restaurants in the neighborhood, and if time allows, check out It Adventure Indoor Ropes Course. There is no doubt that the New Haven area packs many opportunities for adventure, including free family activities, and below are reasons why the Peabody Museum should definitely be on your "Must See" list. 

Summertime is all about endless exploration, discovery and play...until every rock in your backyard has been turned over 347 times.  So, in an effort to stimulate your kid's mind and sense of scientific wonder, consider the myriad of science camps we've found in Fairfield County.  The course offerings are so wide (rocket building, forensic science, 3-D gaming, instrument making, salt water habitats by canoe, good old-fashioned mud), even the girliest girl who wouldn't DREAM of digging in the dirt can find her inner budding scientist (see the Discovery Museum's 'Spa Science')! For more ideas, check out our summer camp guide.