One of the coolest things about living in the city is the block parties. This quintessential celebration of summer can be a huge extravaganza or just a great day filled with a strong sense of community, great food and good fun. It's a great tradition you can have with your kids in the summer year after year. 

You've walked into Boston's Public Garden and taken the kids for a ride on the Swan Boats. You can check that off your list of things to do with kids in Boston before they grow up,  but now what? Well, there's good news: Families can actually enjoy a lot more in the Public Garden. The 24-acre park – which lies between Arlington and Charles Streets, and across from Boston Common – is a stroller's delight, with winding paths among tremendous horticultural sights. 

Whether your toddler already speaks a second (or third) language at home, or if you’re simply hoping to give your monolingual child the gift of another language, there are plenty of great preschools where NYC kids may begin, or continue, learning another language. 

As with mastering any new skill, regular (and fun) practice makes a big difference in how quickly a child becomes comfortable speaking another language. We previously rounded up great Spanish language learning centers for school-aged kids, as well as Spanish sing-alongs for toddlers. Now, we're turning our attention to the preschool set, pulling together a sampling of immersion and dual-language preschool programs available in Manhattan. All our picks accept a mix of children at different levels of language proficiency, including absolute beginners.

Read on to find out where your tot can learn German, French, Mandarin and Spanish, and be sure to look through our NYC Preschool Listings and Directory for even more options, including dual-language playgroups and preschool alternatives. 

Ever since we moved to southern Brooklyn from the Upper West Side, I've been on the hunt to replace all of the amazing special needs activities we had access to in Manhattan with only limited success. That's why I was really excited to stumble across the FREE Inclusive Services at the Brooklyn Public Library program.

The program, formerly known as The Child's Places, takes place at five borough branches and is a lot more than books. The activities, geared toward children with special needs ages newborn to teen, include reading, playing and clubs where participants engage in a variety of enriching hands-on activities. True to their name, the offerings are inclusive, which means you can bring siblings of all abilities. So no more schlepping to Manhattan when looking for FREE fun for my special needs tween.

Kids can be little trendsetters and fashionistas, and when it comes to their wardrobe, they definitely what they like and don't like. If your child has a keen interest in fashion and sewing, and vows to attend a fashion-oriented college someday, perhaps they'd be interested in one of New Jersey's kid-friendly fashion design classes. Here's a list of the top programs that your budding Rachel Roy or Zac Posen (Hey, you never know, right?!) may find engaging and informative. It's fun for kids to tap into their creativity-- and they can get their paint on, too!

As anyone who's gone toy shopping in NYC knows, the choices are endless. For parents of children with special needs, shopping for toys brings on a whole different bunch of considerations. I've learned this whether buying or receiving toys as gifts for my two children who each received Early Intervention services.

Whether you're shopping for your own special-needs child or the child of a friend or relative, here are some New York City toy stores that carry outstanding products for children of all abilities. There are no chain stores here, just excellent independent shops where you'll get personalized attention (if you want it) from a knowledgeable staff who has seen and heard it all.

When does the city turn on the sprinklers in NYC parks? That's a question we get asked every year as the weather starts to heat up. It's getting to be that time when going to the playground can pretty much guarantee getting wet. All of those sprinklers, fountains, rivers and other cool water features will be spouting soon.

In fact, we were surprised to find the water already on one hot day recently at our favorite play spot. I had no towel or change of clothes for my son, but try explaining that to a 1-and-a-half-year-old. Now, it's no big deal for kids to play in their diapers, really. But to spare you having to strap a soaking wet toddler into a stroller, as I did, here is some information that can help prepare you for sprinkler season!

Once the water's a-flowing, here are some favorite water playgrounds and splashpads in NYC where you can have buckets of fun. Find more seasonal activities in our Ultimate NYC Kids Summer Vacation Guide!

When the folks behind the over-the-top Park Slope Holiday Light Spectacular attraction create a miniature golf course, it is best to drop everything and go. Like the incredible light-and-theater productions the pair mounted on a Brooklyn brownstone in years past, the brand-new pirate-themed Shipwrecked Miniature Golf is unlike any other mini golf course you may have experienced in the past.  

You won't be golfing holes with spinning windmills here. Instead, expect a cool neon light show, NYC-themed rooms, tropical island backdrops and an overall kid-friendly, interactive experience at this 18-hole course. The indoor (ha, ha rain!) 11,000-square-foot Shipwrecked Miniature Golf opened in Red Hook, Brooklyn in late April, and takes inspiration from its waterfront neighborhood of choice. Of course, I had to make the trek out with my family to check it out. Read on for our full review of this new kid sports and fun play zone.

Looking for more mini golf? We recently rounded up 11 of the city's top spots, just in time for spring. Many are outdoor venues, so open seasonally only.