Looking for an adventurous day close to home? Look no further than South Windsor in Hartford County, where Nomads Adventure Quest awaits, featuring energy-burning and giggle-inducing attractions. Whether your child likes to climb, bounce, jump, or play games, this amazing indoor play space has it all. Nomads prides itself as New England’s largest indoor family entertainment facility and features 65,000 square feet packed with fun. A huge bonus: there is no entrance fee, so you pay only for activities that interest your child. For more family fun ideas check out or guide.

As our daily lives have become more technology-dependent, children have the opportunity to use their screentime to gain coding skills to prepare them for the future. These coding classes for kids in New Jersey allow beginner through advanced coders to use their creativity and problem-solving skills to build apps, video games, and more. Popular games like Minecraft and Roblox are often integrated into these coding classes.

While we've found a handful of in-person coding classes in New Jersey, we're also including some virtual coding classes you can enjoy from the comfort of home. Find more science and technology classes in our roundup of the best STEM classes in New Jersey, and check out our guide to the Best Kids Classes and Activities in New Jersey for more kids activities and programs no matter your child's age or interest. You can also find free coding for kids websites and apps.

After being mostly stuck in one place for more than a year, so many families are now taking off on road trips, daydreaming about overseas getaways, or desperately seeking new adventures close to home. Falling hopelessly into that last category myself at the moment, I was beyond happy when I heard about Viator, a Tripadvisor-owned aggregator that helps people find and book popular tours, tickets, and Insta-worthy experiences across the globe (or, in my case, right here in New York City).

From a hop-on-hop-off double-decker bus tour of San Francisco to a scavenger hunt in the covered passages of Paris, Viator’s got all the hot spots covered, plus a simple search feature and helpful filters that make it easy to find a good fit for your crew. You can start your hunt by entering your location and dates, and then refine results with options like “Good for avoiding crowds” and “Kid friendly.” You can also filter by your preferred price, duration, or time of day, or even by the activities’ ratings. No need to find an activity and then have to go digging for intel.

Los Angeles is jam-packed with amazing things to do this August, but there is one event that is truly unique and outstanding—and a great end-of-summer family activity before school starts up. Last weekend I took my daughter and her friend to the coolest new pop-up event in LA: The DiscOasis. Think Bee Gees, gold lame & sequins, disco, roller skates, and tube socks. Little kids, big kids, and grown-ups alike will all have a blast at this pop-up roller skating rink in the middle of the South Coast Botanic Garden. But lace up those skates and speed right over, because this funky event disappears after Labor Day.

Step right up to I.Fly Trapeze for some high-flying fun, where adults and kids can channel their inner Cirque du Soleil performer. The outdoor setup at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow boasts flying trapeze classes, circus camps, and performances.

There's much more outdoor entertainment on Long Island, and you can find even more adventurous fun in our rundowns of Long Island ninja courses, theme parks, and water parks. Of course, sign up for our FREE newsletters to get posts like this delivered to your inbox.

Back-to-school shopping season is upon us, which means it's time to look for the best new book bags, stock up on school supplies, and get other end-of-summer necessities. We're ready to help you check off one more box: lunch! We searched everywhere and asked everyone, and these are the best kids' lunch boxes, bento lunch boxes, and other lightweight containers for every kind of food.

What to put inside a lunch box can really depend on your kiddo's age, stage, and (sometimes wacky) food preferences of the moment, but we can help you make sure that their favorite foods arrive at school in an organized, temperature-controlled, spill-free environment. Read on for the kids' lunch boxes and containers that will solve half of the back-to-school lunch equation!

For more back-to-school tips, from perfect alarm clocks for the first day to school lunch ideas kids will actually eat, check out our Back-to-School Guide.

Taking the family on a warm summer hike can be scenic, educational, and energizing, but also downright hot! Adding a splash of water to your hike ups the adventure and is a refreshing motivator. The Garden State is home to tons of hiking trails leading to waterfalls, beaches, streams, and other fun spots where kids can dip their toes in the water and cool off a bit in the process.

So, read on for our list of 12 hiking trails where you can enjoy a quick wade or dip. Be sure to pack water shoes as these trails can get wet and sometimes muddy—and a towel is helpful for young hikers who choose to go all in.

Remember the adage telling us to dance like there's nobody watching? One of the amazing things about kids is their propensity to do just that. If you've got a ballet dancer or a breakdancer on your hands, why not harness that creativity and sign them up for dance classes. The Connecticut dance studios below offer kids classes in ballet, hip hop, jazz, tap, modern dance, and even Irish step for kids ranging from toddler to teen. Pick dance classes near you in Fairfield, Hartford, New Haven, or beyond; some studios even offer summer camps for kids who can't stop dancing when the heat is on.

And if your dancers have siblings who'd rather do something other than dance, not to worry: we've got them covered in our Classes and Activities Guide.