Sure, you can go big 'n' splashy for July 4th; New Jersey hosts some of the best (and biggest) July 4th fireworks around, from Atlantic City to Jersey City to great beach spots. But why not try a celebration in a small town? They may not have Macy's fireworks, but the charm, the history, the food, and the Americana feel may more than make up for the loss of crowds, noise and, well, crowds.

Check out some of our favorite small town New Jersey July 4th celebrations below that come complete with parades, fun runs, antique car shows, and so much more than just fireworks! And for more summer awesomeness, check out our New Jersey Kids Summer Activities Guide. Of course, you can find even more July 4th fun in our Event Calendar.  

While there are lots of Mommy and Me classes to take in Westchester, they’re usually geared towards the under-5 set. But what if you’re looking to spend time trying a fitness activity with your kids, like swimming or yoga, once they’ve made their way to elementary school? We’ve got those too!

Here are a few places in where families can work up a sweat together. The best part? You’ll get in a workout, kids will see firsthand the importance of staying healthy and active—and everyone will have fun. 

Prefer to workout solo? Check out a list of gyms in the area with on-site childcare.

My family doesn’t do a lot of camp. I have two children who loath having their time scheduled, and I am mostly home with them, so in the summer I let them loaf. We all enjoy not having a schedule, and, let’s face it, camp can be pricey. We peruse Mommy Poppins’ Event Calendar, where I always find something fun and usually free. Inevitably, though, the point arrives when somebody, maybe even everybody, is a bit bored—or, in the case of the camp director (me), tired. Also, I do work part time, so I can’t always be in charge of the entertainment. This is a recipe for that most dreaded of all childhood diseases: too much screen time. That's when camp starts to seem like a really good idea, and I regret not having signed up. Even the kids sometimes yearn for something scheduled, because most of their friends aren’t around; they're at camp.

So what to do with a couple of bored couch potatoes? It’s summer. Send them to the beach, the beach, the beach! This is a no brainer. People travel from far away to spend their summers by our shores. We are already here. It would be crazy not to take advantage of this most glorious natural resource. Slather on the sunscreen, get some UV sunglasses, maybe even invest in a wet suit, but make sure those kids get some time in the surf and sand! Of course, if the beach is not your cup of tea, we also know a few other places that don’t require advance planning and will welcome your children for the day. As the summer progresses you may even find more, because sometimes a camp that books by the week becomes more flexible if it doesn’t fill all its places.

Here are 10 you can count on:

As kids get older, it gets harder to find indoor family activities that aren’t “boring” or “stupid.” Fear not; there’s good news. If you’re the parent of older school-age kids or 'tweens, you might want to try an escape room adventure. People all over America are paying to be locked in a room for an hour—to try to get out, together. Escape rooms are the newest trend, and your family might love it. We’ve found five nearby escape rooms, or similarly-themed quest activities, where you and your kids can test your quick-thinking and problem-solving skills (and maybe do some bonding at the same time).

Like all worthwhile adventures, This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing at Atlantic for Kids starts down a familiar path, hits a fork in the road, and then goes off in unanticipated and delightful directions. Although at the outset this seriocomic play interweaves a number of fairy tale tropes—a sudden death, an evil stepmother, an ineffectual father, and three disparate triplets—it ends up being as kooky and unpredictable as an overtired toddler.

It's also long and explores some complicated themes such as abandonment, longing, and how our childhood dreams evolve as we grow. So is This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing right for your child? Read our review for a sense of what to expect from this unpredictable fable, or check out our complete Theater Guide for NYC Kids for many more options.

The winter weather may have you counting down the days until you and your family can hit the road for a fun-filled adventure. While you’re waiting for the temps to rise, cabin fever may also be increasing.

Thankfully, the Philadelphia area is home to countless kid-friendly activities to stimulate little minds and make the countdown to summer fly by. Stay home this winter and take advantage of all that Philly has to offer with these great staycation ideas.

Shopping with kids can be a chore. When they’re not running around the sales floor or playing hide-and-seek in the clothing racks, they’re complaining or asking you to buy them something. Instead of dropping $20 on snacks and small toys to keep them happy, why not put that “treat” money toward something both of you can enjoy—a drop-off gym class at the mall. PopFit Kids, which recently opened in the South Court at Paramus Park Mall, offers this and more—including drop-in and weekly classes that offer kids plenty of active, indoor fun. It just might help both kids and parents enjoy a trip to the mall once again. 

Edible candy murals, a candy-adorned unicorn, and a gigantic gummy bear. Sounds like your kid's best Willy Wonka fantasy? It's actually a new museum headed to New York City's Flatiron neighborhood in 2019.

Sugar Factory, known for its over-the-top desserts, smoking drinks, and celebrity guests, will open the Museum of Candy in the former Limelight Club location (the corner of 20th Street and 6th Avenue). The 30,000-square-foot space, complete with a winding staircase, will showcase candy's pivotal moments from the early 1900s to today, along with 15 candy-themed experiential rooms that might just cause cavities upon viewing.

I'm no stranger to candy. I even incorporate it into my career, taking my kids along to check out the new Hershey's Chocolate World, and dutifully "fact-checking" articles like 15 Insane NYC Desserts To Try. (Tough job.) And now, I'm happy to bring you more details on this sweet new NYC museum.