New Jersey offers up plenty of reasons to get going and get outdoors this July weekend! Check out the spectacular QuikCheck Festival of Ballooning with hot air balloons filling the sky, sample delicious Italian eats (zeppole anyone?) at the St. Ann’s Italian Festival in Hoboken, get up close and personal with insects during A Bug’s Life at Tenafly Nature Center or explore historical train models during Railroad Days at Historic Cold Spring Village. And if you’re up for a nighttime adventure, reserve your spot for an Evening Campfire & Hike at Valley Crest Preserve – s’mores included! Also, you can check out the full list of weekend activities on our Event Calendar and don't miss our Summer of Play Guide with 100s of ideas for a fun, playful, and tech-free summer!

Every weekend, in cities and towns across Fairfield County, you’ll find kids competing in road races and triathlons. And why not? Racing is a great way to get outdoors and keep kids busy, focused and fit. A beautiful summer morning is even better when you spend it watching your child cross a finish line past a crowd of cheering people. Most races are tied to a charity, so in addition to fitness, you have the chance to help others while teaching your kids about the importance of raising money and awareness for a particular cause. Your child doesn't have to be a future track star, either. In most cases, the distances are short enough to hop right into a race without training, especially for the youngest kids. There are plenty of opportunities for more serious athletes to try longer distances, too. No matter what, nothing beats that smile of finishing something very challenging. Here's a list of races that you and the family can participate in this summer.

Local mom and “Outdoors with Kids Boston” guidebook author, Kim Foley MacKinnon, shares her best family outing tips and picks with you as part of our guest blog series with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Kids Outdoors Boston free online community.

Going on outdoor summer adventures with your kids often means eating on the go, maybe picking something up at a snack bar or bringing a PB&J sandwich and a piece of fruit. It can be fun to switch the focus to making a picnic the main event, and the setting is the key. Here are some outstanding picnic spots that will make your al fresco meal that much more delicious!

"Sunny day, chasing the clouds away." No matter how old your kids are now, you probably recognize those lyrics (heck you may have grown up with them, yourself). That's why we're so psyched about the new Sesame Street exhibit coming to the Performing Arts Library this fall. We've got the scoop on that plus a new urban farm on Governors Island, how you can find FREE gift cards hidden throughout the five boroughs, high-tech school lunch inspiration, no-cost craft demos, and we weigh in on the never-ending overprotected kids debate.

It's no surprise that the Washingtonian named Avalon the "chicest beach in the Mid-Atlantic".  Occupying the North end of Seven Mile Island in Cape May County, Avalon is known for its quiet, upscale atmosphere.  Perfect for families, Avalon and the entire barrier island sit a mile seaward than any other shore towns, making it the perfect place to enjoy cool ocean breezes on those hot summer days.  Below we have highlighted a few great reasons to visit this beautiful small town.  For more small towns on the Jersey Shore, check out our posts on Stone Harbor and Cape May.

It just so happens my child's birthday is coming up soon. I had heard interesting things about the Toy District and deals one can get there on birthday supplies, so I decided to take advantage of living near Downtown and go for a stroll through LA's well known Toy District -- located just east of S. Los Angeles Street, between 3rd St and 4th St. in downtown Los Angeles. Is it a must-stop for party shopping? And is it worth the effort?

With modern-day conveniences, we often forget about how we obtain the things in our everyday routine. You open the fridge and pull out a carton of milk--but who produced, collected it and bottled it? You tear open a bag of pre-cut lettuce for a salad, not really thinking about where it was harvested, cleaned and bagged.

Well, families can learn about the source of their food and get their hands dirty at one of these family-friendly farms located on the East End of Long Island. And for more fun ideas of what to do in the area, check out our Hamptons and North Fork Summer Family Guide.