It's hard to believe it's been just one month since the coronavirus shut down schools and most non-essential businesses in NYC, but here we are, and the news, if anything, keeps getting worse for city families. Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled his executive budget Thursday morning, bringing with it severe cuts to city mainstays, including the closure of city pools for the summer and the elimination of the Parks Department's affordable summer camp. Beaches are also unlikely to open. The City Council must approve the budget before it takes effect.

Read on for more details on these coronavirus cuts, the new mask mandate, and an extension of NY on PAUSE.

Who would have imagined this is what "afterschool" would look like in 2020? But, we're grateful that many much-loved programs are in fact moving ahead with virtual offerings that bring everything from soccer to piano lessons to robot building right to your living room. Using video conferencing, live streams, or watch-when-you-want videos, these online classes are hands-on and interactive, just like the real deal.

To help you find the right fit for your family, we've put together a list of over 20 virtual classes from some of our partners. Make sure to click through for more details and some awesome deals.

A simple science experiment can be the best way to fill an afternoon at home. And as some of us may recall, a lava lamp can be a great way to fill an evening.

For this groovy experiment, kids get to recreate their parents' lava lamp while learning about liquid density. One of our Easy Experiments for Kids Using Household Stuff, this experiment is fun for all ages and is easy to pull together with things you probably have around the house. 

Read on to learn how to prove that oil and water really don't mix!

With grocery shopping becoming an increasingly challenging task in the time of social distancing, many Westchester families are turning to grocery delivery services. Yet, even this resource is difficult to secure. Below, we've rounded up an assortment of grocery delivery options, some of which will likely be familiar to you, while others might give you food for thought.

Before you fill your cart, here are some pointers:

• Plan ahead: With unprecedented demand, shoppers should anticipate a two-week turnaround, as well as the prospect of out-of-stock items and even the occasional canceled delivery. Moreover, with many stores setting limits on the quantity of staples, like milk, that can be purchased, you can safely predict you're going to want another delivery fairly soon.
• Keep trying: Though the website you're shopping on might list the next delivery date as two weeks from now, by refreshing your screen or trying again later, you might get lucky with an expedited timeframe.
• Join forces: Some of the options we've listed below may require minimum purchases that could be difficult for your family to justify. By teaming up with neighbors, you might be able to tap into each other's delivery services.
• Tip well: Shoppers, store workers, and delivery providers are risking their health to feed your family (and their own).

Regardless of your approach, let's be grateful for what we have. To share this bounty, consider helping those with food insecurity by supporting a local food bank.

Read on for 16 grocery-delivery services, specialty providers, and straight-from-the-farm resources able to deliver food to your door. One caveat: With the situation in flux (e.g., stores closing for deep cleaning), the information below may change by the time you read this.

Looking for more help during this trying time? We've got plenty of tips, tricks, and boredom busters in our Stay-at-Home Guide.

If the COVID-19 outbreak is keeping you up at night, you're probably wondering how your kids are coping. Well, according to pediatric specialists at Connecticut Children's, ranked one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, the stress of this pandemic could have a negative impact on a child’s development. The good news: it doesn't have to.

"We all deal with regular stresses on a daily basis," Connecticut Children’s developmental pediatrician Robert D. Keder, MD told us. "A little bit is a good thing; it motivates us to study for a test or run a little faster in a game. Some stresses are stronger, but still bearable when we have positive protective relationships. What’s happening with COVID-19 right now falls into what developmental specialists call 'toxic stress.'"

By itself, toxic stress can negatively impact children's development—leading to challenges in behavioral and physical health—but, fortunately, this kind of stress can also be buffered by building resilience. Read on to find out how pediatricians at the only health system in Connecticut dedicated exclusively to the care of children recommend you help kids build that resilience and cope with the unprecedented Coronavirus pandemic.

The impact of quarantine on simple (but necessary) tasks like buying groceries has caused families to rethink how and when they get their food. Rows upon rows of store shelves have turned up empty of shelf-stable products like rice, pasta, and beans and necessities like milk, eggs, and bottled water are being limited in the quantity you can purchase.

While some stores like H-E-B are experiencing both long wait lines to enter the store and a spinning dial of wait times for the next available delivery or curbside pick-up, Houston is thankfully home to many different grocery delivery and pick-up options, both from regular grocery stores and from local CSAs and Farm Shares. We've rounded up several different grocery options for you to utilize during these uncertain times, including many local farms who could likely use the support! 

Because things are changing at a rapid pace, we recommend checking stores that may currently have no available delivery or pick up times frequently; you just may luck out with the next available spot! 

For ideas on what to do as a family during this time, visit our Coronavirus Pandemic Parenting Guide.

Buying groceries might have been a bit of a challenge even before our current situation, what with maneuvering shopping carts through busy streets and subway stairs while balancing young children, meandering tweens, and "helpful" teens. But now, as days of confinement stack up, getting groceries is a challenging obstacle course that takes thoughtful planning. Even if you're fortunate enough to have a great go-to store nearby, you might not want to venture out. Another option: grocery delivery services.

If you decide to go this route, one thing is clear: It's smart to order more than a week's worth of groceries. Fill your cart with choices that don't require refrigeration, saving room for those that must be kept cold or frozen, and be willing to accept substitutes for items in short supply. While markets are continually restocking, items might not be available on your delivery date.

NYC is fortunate to have several grocery delivery options, but the sheer population density has created a challenge for even the best services. The situation, as they say, is fluid, and so we're also including options that are experiencing growing pains in hopes they'll find the help they need to expand their delivery services. Our picks include local stores, bodegas, and enterprising small businesses, plus we've also included some useful resources for tracking available takeout options from local restaurants, too.

So, start your shopping list and read on for 22 grocery delivery services, handy ordering apps, and restaurants ready to deliver food right to your stoop. Looking for more help during this trying time? We've got plenty of tips, tricks, and boredom busters in our Stay-at-Home Guide plus a roundup of city services and resources to make life a bit easier.

Grocery shopping used to be as simple as creating a list, running to the store, and filling your cart. But, in the age of coronavirus, we're forced to wait to enter the store and stand in extended lines to check out. Then, there's the added stress of shortages or limits on necessary supplies like ground turkey, chicken, paper towels, toilet paper, and even dishwashing detergent. Yet, with families sheltering in place, it's inevitable your supplies need replenishing. To limit your exposure, and save time, it might be worth considering a grocery delivery service.

The Atlanta area had several options for grocery delivery before shelter-in-place orders were announced, and now, even more stores, local farms, and restaurants have begun offering these services.

A few tips for using a delivery service: Plan ahead and shop a few days out. You'll have a better chance of getting your preferred date by selecting less popular early morning or late evening windows. If you choose to use these services, remember to tip your delivery person generously.

Read on for 21 Atlanta-area services offering grocery delivery or pick up. Because of the changing landscape, we're including as many services as possible. A surge in demand means some may be limiting new signups or offering waiting lists.

Find more helpful coronavirus tips in our Stuck at Home Guide, where we've got everything from boredom busters, to homeschooling resources and ideas to help cooped up kids get their wiggles out.