Kids generally love the perks of staying at hotels but add on a water park and that regular family getaway suddenly hits thrilling new heights. Think of all the family fun: lazy rivers right outside the door, a room nearby for naptime, instant ways to cool down, and no time wasted stuck in traffic to the local pool or beach.

We've rounded up 11 top U.S. hotels and resorts with water parks where families can chill out and cool off at the same time. Find great places to stay (and play) in Florida, Texas, California, and the East Coast.

One of the most picturesque times of the year is finally upon us! Fall in Philly brings with it lots of awesome outdoor activities for kids, from apple-picking to Halloween haunts, and more, but if you’re looking for an afternoon of free family fun, why not simplify and take a drive, walk, or bike ride to glimpse the fall foliage? Even though Philly is known for its skyscrapers, the city is also home to ample green spaces, which provide a beautiful backdrop this time of year. Here are a few of our favorite spots:

Preparing a kid's closet for the cool breezes of autumn can hit a Philly family right in the wallet. But, it doesn't have to. Purchasing children's clothes by shopping local consignment sales is one way to save some cash. Throughout Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, consignment sales offer families a place to buy gently used clothing, toys, baby items, and other childhood staples for a fraction of the retail price. Additionally, when your kids grow out of their clothes or toys, consignment sales provide an opportunity to sell these items for extra money.

Consignment sale organizers can submit their events to our calendar by clicking here. For a list of spring consignment sales, check here.

The long-awaited Cayton Children's Museum opened its doors at Santa Monica Place Mall, moving from its former incarnation as the much loved Zimmer Children's Museum in the middle of the city. While we looked forward to this new museum with great anticipation, we had to wonder: could anything warm our hearts the way the Zimmer did? Spoiler! The Cayton is up to the job!

Keep reading to find out what you can expect on a visit to the Cayton...

Baby Shark Live!, a stage show based on that viral earworm of a song, is gearing up for a U.S. tour, hitting a city near your family this fall. Just in time for shark week, tickets for this fully-immersive concert are now on sale. We suspect seats will be going fast in cities such as Philadelphia, Boston, and NYC.

So what are you and your kiddos doo doo doo doo doo doo-ing this fall? The very first Baby Shark Live! tour will initially stop in over 30 cities and eventually 100. It's presented by the geniuses behind the sensational song, South Korean educational brand Pinkfong, and Round Room Live, the company behind Yo Gabba Gabba Live and PJ Masks Live. As if we all didn’t already have the insanely catchy song permanently stuck in our heads, there's definitely no hope for us now!

Picture this scenario: The kids are climbing the walls on a scorching summer day and you absolutely must get them out of the house. Or you desperately need to do some shopping, and dread the idea of dragging the kids along. (Maybe you don’t need to picture either of these scenarios, maybe you’re living one of them right now.)

Enter Einstein’s Workshop, a Boston-area mecca for kids and parents who love Science Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). You can take your kids to the creative play space for drop-in time, sign up them for summer camp, plan a birthday party, or even pick up a gift for your favorite nerd. The thing is, Einstein’s Workshop isn’t just for the geek chic. It’s for toddlers, families who love games and puzzles, young builders, artistic kids – anyone, really. Keep reading for the 411 on cultivating your child’s inner scientist at Boston’s family-friendly makerspace.

If you live in LA, chances are good that you know every nook and cranny of such kid-friendly museums as LACMA, California Science Center, the Discovery Cube, and Kidspace Children's Museum—but you may never have been to the Valley Relics Museum. This museum, housed in two airplane hangars next to the Van Nuys Airport, will send you down Memory Lane and give your kiddos an insight into all things retro-cool—including a whole lot of free pinball!

The Battery, the park at the southernmost tip of Manhattan Island, is to lower Manhattan what Central Park is to upper Manhattan. This welcoming green space has been enlarged twice during its lifetime with landfill, and is now the largest open space downtown—25 acres of waterfront property. The Battery (as it has been renamed—although many people still call it Battery Park) is a beautifully landscaped garden full of family activities, public art, and great views—and not just of the Statue of Liberty, either. The promenade is a perfect place to stroll, ride bikes, scooter or just sit in the sunshine. Most people think of it as the place to get the boats for the Statue of Liberty, but I like to think of it as the “front lawn” for the city and a perfect outing for the whole family.

Read on for how to get the most out of a day out with kids in the Battery.