Kids' birthday parties should be a blast, but they don't necessarily need to be two hours of lavish expense resulting in a mountain of under-appreciated gifts. Just as you can organize an at-home volunteering project during a playdate, it's easy to throw a party with a purpose. This goes beyond encouraging guests to donate to charity in lieu of presents (which is great, too). We've rounded up fun and easy things kids can do to help those in need that can be incorporated into many themes, and all of our ideas can be done at home. Make sure you have a brief discussion with the kids before you get started about why you've chosen to host a party with a purpose, and who will benefit from their generosity. That way the children not only understand the concept, they can feel good about giving to others. Isn't that the greatest birthday gift of all?

Before Spring Break, I excitedly made a list of adventures I wanted to undertake with my children.  I had grand visions of exciting trips to NYC, educational outings to local museums, and spine thrilling natural adventures.  I carefully planned itineraries, scouted deals, and made reservations.  And then I called my friend Sarah and invited her and her twin girls to join us.  Sarah graciously listened to my grand plans before suggesting an alternative right here in Fairfield County.  “Have you thought about a trip to the Springdale Diner?”

Been procrastinating about summer camp? Well perhaps it's paid off. Our latest roundup of deals includes 25% off cool summer programs where kids can enjoy music, modeling, language and sports, and a whopping 50% off fencing camp.


Already have summer camp all planned out? We also have significant discounts on the upcoming Kidrockers concert, the hilarious improved pirate show The Greatest Pirate Story Never Told! and more. If you see a bargain you can't pass up, act fast: Many of these deals will be gone before Memorial Day hits.

The travel industry calls May and June the shoulder season. Kids are still in school and many resorts are operating at a low capacity. If you can plan to get away, crowds are thin, prices low.  Choose a Disney or Universal getaway to Orlando. East Coast families can find deals in Delaware, Washington, D.C., New Hampshire and Hershey, PA.  If Mother Nature is on the program, Estes Park, Colorado is a beautiful spot with fabulous deals.  If you crave sun, the Waikiki Parc Hotel and the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach are just the ticket for a glorious family vacation.

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. And while there are plenty of fun things to do in NYC—beaches, Governors Island and Victorian Gardens amusement park all open for the season—the three-day vacation is a great time to skip town and enjoy a quick getaway. After all, you have three more months to experience all the summer fun the city has to offer.

We've rounded up five cool family destinations that are all two hours or less by car from midtown Manhattan. From farm fun to creative festivals to The Crayola Experience, here are five great day trips for NYC families this Memorial Day weekend. You can find more travel inspiration in our NYC Day Trips Guide and on our Travel site.

The one upside to the torrential rain this week were all the impressive pics of NYC rainbows I saw on Instagram. I took my rainbow shot down on Delancey Street and it was quite a hit on our Facebook page. But now that May is here, all of the April showers should be behind us. We certainly hope so since many of our top family event picks for May in NYC take place outdoors, like the iconic Dance Parade New York and the Memorial Day weekend opening of the newly expanded Governors Island.

If you're thinking about going on a quick spring getaway, look to our May Go Lists in New Jersey, Westchester, Long Island and beyond for inspiration. There are some truly day-trip-worthy happenings coming up, including Historic Hudson Valley's brand-new glow-in-the-dark installation Lightscapes and the annual Hoboken Spring Arts and Music Festival, which are both happening this weekend. Thinking of taking a longer trip? Over on our Travel site, Mommy Poppins founder, Anna, talks about the benefits of extended travel with kids and recalls the transformative experience of spending a month in Spain as a child.

And we have an amazing giveaway going on this week: Enter to win an entire summer session of camp at the JCC Day Camp at Pearl River—a $3,500 value. Since I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my eight-year-old this summer, I wish I were eligible to enter!

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week: