For an easy day hike with the kids, New Jersey’s local “reservations,” essentially mini state forests and parks, are my family’s go-to. The 2,110-acre South Mountain Reservation in Essex County is one of our favorites. The recreation complex includes hiking trails, but also a zoo, fairy trail, paddle boats, mini golf, and a fantastic playground.

Read on for our best family bets for this Jersey green space, or check out some of our other favorite NJ reservations like nearby Watchung, or day trip ideas.

On August 3rd, Longwood Gardens’ latest evening spectacular Nightscape opened to the public. The trippy, amazingly choreographed sound and light extravaganza is definitely not your run of the mill evening out with the family- especially not for my family, as my husband and I have a three-year old son. Starting off with the fact that we were out way past bedtime (the light show in August doesn’t start until 9 PM when it is well past dark), this experience was easily going to go one of two ways: amazement and giggles or...well, you’re parents, you know the rest.

Most preschools incorporate some aspect of nature exploration in its curriculum, but the schools in this list bring it right to the forefront. Hoping to encourage the natural scientists in its students, these schools teach how to be good eco-citizens by learning and caring for our environments. They also encourage plenty of hands-on outdoor fun and different types of STEAM-based activities.
 
Looking for other preschools in our area? Check out the Preschool Directory and our Preschool Guide, both of which are chock full of information. Those in our border towns may also be interested in our list of nature-based preschools in Connecticut.

With a 3-year-old and 7-year-old daughter, princesses long ago took over my home. We've got dress-up clothes, dolls, movies, sing-along-microphones, and multiple tiaras, but never have my girls felt quite as regal as they did on a recent stay at the Lotte New York Palace where we were treated to a truly magical experience as royal guests with the luxury hotel's Palace Princess Package.

Located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the Lotte New York Palace offers a perfect destination for a staycation (as we enjoyed) to celebrate a birthday perhaps or as a treat for out-of-towners looking to make their visit to NYC extra special for a certain princess. 

NYC parents have gained a new option for scoring that elusive date-night and last-minute backup sitter. Hello Sitter, an app founded by a local mom, launched this summer with more than 200 sitters serving Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, including the neighborhoods from Park Slope to Williamsburg.

Finding child care always presents a challenge to parents.  Finding it on short notice? As they say, fuggedaboutit. But that’s exactly the challenge that Lauren Mansell, founder and CEO of Hello Sitter, wanted to address when she set about creating the new service. Not only that, as a mom to a preschooler she knows it can be stressful to trust your kids with a stranger, so every sitter on the app is fully vetted.

For those of us who remember dashing into the video arcade with our permed hair and stirrup pants to see who had the high score on Frogger, there are two pieces of good news: First, all those vintage games are cool again, and secondly, they're right around the corner in New Jersey—and we don't mean down the Shore on the boardwalk.

The Morristown Game Vault opened earlier this year with Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Q-Bert, and 85 other classics, and it's quickly becoming the hot spot for both nostalgic parents and their hip kids. My family recently spent a happy afternoon pinballing, joysticking, and button-pressing at this wonderful new family fun zone. Read on for the highlights.

Working out is hard. It's ten times harder if you've got kids climbing all over you, or whining for snacks and screen time, or just plain crying. Let's be honest, we could all use a little time for ourselves anyway. For your health, and your sanity, check out one of these great gyms in the city that offer childcare. Drop your kids off for a morning of fun and play, while you sweat it out.

My family has been having a great summer and making use of several ideas from our Ultimate Summer Play List along the way; it's hard to believe we're already more than halfway through the season. We've cooled off with water games, revisited classic backyard games from our childhoods, and turned childhood stories into family games. Of course, most plans we make involve asking someone to put down an electronic device (and give the poor, hounded Pokemon a rest). Wouldn't it be great if we could put those phones and tablets to more enriching use? Maybe even use them for some family playtime?

Ask and ye shall receive: check out these five ideas for exercising minds and thumbs together.