Face it parents ... at some point, your children will require a celebration of their advancing ages. There are dozens of places you can reserve, but perhaps you feel as if you’ve seen all that Long Island venues offer? If so, here are eight new spots you might not have tried yet.

These venues range from simple and classic to trendy and challenging. The good news is that with these fresh options adult guests can graduate from simply standing by and supervising to getting in on the fun. (Of course, you're still supervising—you are still the parent, after all).

Find even more birthday party inspiration in our Long Island Party Guide for Kids. Or have an entertainer come to you for a memorable party experience.

At first glance, Chinatown feels stuck in time as the rest of the city transforms around it. But the neighborhood has been experiencing a  renaissance, exploding with new restaurants and galleries. For parents looking for a fun outing with the fam, Chinatown is a place with sights, sounds, and delicious smells your kids will never forget.

When many of us think about Harrisburg, PA, our minds immediately take us to the state capitol, politics, or maybe just a turnpike exit—not necessarily the stuff long weekend family trips are made of. However, given the time to map out an itinerary, the Hershey-Harrisburg area is a fabulous destination for families to enjoy, beyond Hersheypark and Pennsylvania’s political hub.

Here are our top 25 picks for must-see spots in Harrisburg and the surrounding area. We recommend planning out your visit, rather than just winging it when you arrive. You’ll be able to park and walk to some of these places, but as in any city, parking and navigating an unfamiliar area can be a challenge. If you’re making a long weekend out of it, consider staying in a hotel outside the city so you can easily access everything within the city limits, as well as the suburban spots.

Looking for more fun in the area? Visit nearby Lancaster!

Hi. It's January. I know. You're feeling stuck indoors, maybe a little bit remorseful about holiday indulgences, and let's face it...kinda stir crazy. We live in New England. That's totally normal. I promise. What we need this time of year is some indoor fun. When outdoors is either frozen or flooded, there's really no other option.

As your children grow, they will definitely outgrow (and lose interest in) clothes, shoes, strollers, car seats and toys alike. And let’s be honest—all that stuff takes up space. Before you haul your unwanted items to the curb on recycling day and hope that someone else takes them, see if any of the following organizations might make good use of them (and possibly give you a tax write-off to boot).

We've gathered several charities where you can donate kids’ toys, gear and clothing in Westchester. Looking for more ways to stay in the know as you watch your kids grow? Sign up for our newsletters and follow us on Facebook.

There are just so many things I love about ice skating: gliding across the slick ice rink, feeling like I am flying through a sea of other skaters, spinning and twirling until I'm dizzy and ready for a hot chocolate break. Then there are the things that I don't enjoy so much, like the freezing cold temps that necessitate a rink, the hard ice that is so painful to land on, the pinch of skates laced too tight...you get the idea. Luckily, the Boston Children's Museum has found a way to highlight the joys of skating (without all of the downsides) at their Snowmazing exhibit, now open to the public. 

It's tough to find the right summer camp for any kid. But if your child has special needs, like autism or ADHD, sensory-motor challenges, social anxiety, or learning differences, choosing a program can be especially nerve-racking: we want our kids to enjoy a traditional summer-camp experience, complete with swimming and lanyards and new friendships, while also receiving the kind of individual attention they need and with the option to avoid activities that might cause undue stress.

We've rounded up a number of camps favored by NYC families for their kids with disabilities or other challenges. Camps outside of New York City and on Staten Island provide bussing, so don't be discouraged by the seemingly far-flung locations: it can be especially therapeutic for kids to get out of the city for the summer.

While most of these camps cater exclusively to special-needs children, other traditional summer camps often offer inclusion programs for those with mild special needs (a few are mentioned below). Please consult our Summer Camp Guide for NYC Kids for a list of our favorite summer camps across the city to see if there are any that might work for your child.

Miracle Mile is home to a variety of cultural excursions for the whole family, from storytime at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to the Page Museum and more. But there’s no place like the Petersen Automotive Museum for pint-sized car lovers—and the museum's latest, kid-friendly exhibit is more than enough fun to grab the interest of any visitor, car enthusiast or not.