Comfort food lovers have a new reason to lace up their sneakers: I Heart Mac and Cheese has made a cozy home on Long Island.

Soft and melty pasta can warm your tummy at the new location in The Village Green in Patchogue, with additional locations expected to open soon in Syosset and Bayside, Queens. The chain, with stores and food trucks in Florida and Georgia, is known for its healthy and zesty twists on the classic baked delight.

For more fun Long Island dining with your littles, check out our roundup of Long Island restaurants where kids can eat free, part of our Long Island kid-friendly restaurant guide.

Since 2011, Philadelphia Horticultural Society (PHS) Pop Up Gardens sites have been transforming under-used or vacant city spaces into exciting urban oases. In the last three to four years in particular, PHS's model has inspired pop-up gardens, parklets, and other awesome uses of urban outdoor space that are fun for the whole family, to spring up throughout the city (and now even in the suburbs). While most of these parks have beer gardens as a lure, there is also a lot of great family-friendly programming involved. Visiting one of these gardens is a great excuse to get out and relax with the whole family, no matter what age you or your kids may be. This round-up includes the most family-friendly, semi-permanent pop-ups for the summer.

In need of a little creative inspiration? Drop-in craft studios offer a great alternative indoor activity for wintertime when you've worn out the mat at your local indoor playspace and your home collection of broken crayons no longer thrills. 

Luckily my family lives in Brooklyn, which just may be the crafting mecca of the world (or at least New York City). There are a slew of craft studios where kids can paint pottery, work with wood, try fiber arts like knitting and sewing, or make something more offbeat (robot trash can anyone?)—and best of all, someone else cleans up after them. Although some spots require that you sign up for an entire semester of classes, many offer drop-in options for occasional crafters, summer camps, school break programs and even birthday party packages. Here are our top Brooklyn craft studios where kids can get creative.

“If we didn’t have birthdays, you wouldn’t be you. If you’d never been born, well then what would you do?” Thank goodness Dr. Seuss’ birthday comes once a year—and it always gives us great reason to cheer!

On March 2, we’ll celebrate literacy and Seuss with fun crafts, treats, and other activities in honor of the literary rhyming master. Dr. Seuss’ birthday kicks off a nationwide reading celebration known as Read Across America Day. Schools, libraries, and community centers across the country observe the day with read-alouds, crafts, and Seuss-a-rific treats!

Use this list of 21 zany activities to commemorate the day at home with the kids. Whether you want to start it off with some green eggs and ham or plan your next family vacation to the birthplace of Dr. Seuss himself, there is something for everyone on this list of Dr. Seuss-themed crafts, recipes, and activities—no matter how small. 

When winter won't budge, and you've run out of at-home craft and project ideas, it may be time to hit an indoor play space. Head north and you can have your pick: From trampolines to crazy mazes to inflatables, Boston's North Shore is home to tons of play zones where kids can get their energy out. In addition to exercise and entertainment, many of these venues offer special events (like parents' nights out), healthy snacks, birthday parties, workshops, and classes. Here are 15 of our north-of-town favorites; for dozens more options in and around Boston, check out our indoor fun guide.

We've rounded up seven fun-filled kids' gyms (many with more than one location) that offer everything from classes and camps to open play and more. Whether you're looking to drop off the older kids for a class, join in with the little ones during a parent-and-me, or simply sit and enjoy a nice break while the tots get their sillies out, these gyms are sure to please both kids and their parents.

Read on for more details on seven indoor kids' gyms in Westchester. And be sure to sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter to have all our latest posts delivered straight to your inbox!

Venice, California is about as unlike Venice, Italy as two cities could be, but the Bohemian beachside community has nonetheless acquired nearly as much fame as its namesake. Both Venices can boast canals, beach, and some larger-than-life parties, but LA's famous seaside tourist attraction replaces old world charm with funkadelic grunge, opera with karaoke, and gondoliers with bodybuilders.

Sandwiched between Santa Monica and Marina del Rey, Venice may be small but has its own distinct personality. And the 25 kid-pleasing activites below are good for a few days' worth of fun in the sun, Venice style.

Surely you've heard (or seen the giant billboard on the Pike) about the newest Museum of Science exhibit, Nature's Superheroes: Life at the Limits. Or, if you have an animal-crazed nature nut like my seven-year-old son, you haven't stopped hearing about it since learning the traveling exhibit was Boston-bound in 2019. My son and I checked it out the day after it opened, and weren't disappointed: From a micro-animal that could survive temperatures on Pluto to lizards that squirt blood out of their eyes, the fascinating, strange, and downright gross creatures we learned about are excellent kid-conversation fodder. Here's a preview if you decide to make a February staycation outing or winter day trip out of it.