I had been hearing rave reviews about Orange County’s Adventure Playground—the so-called free-range playground—ever since I first moved to the area. The hype around this place makes it sound something like a time machine, throwing back to a day of mud puddles in the vacant lot. I finally loaded two kids, a bag of snacks, extra clothes, and beach towels into my car and headed to Irvine to see what the fuss was all about.

It might seem early to talk to about Valentine's Day, but given the popularity of the Victorian Valentine Tea at the Horace Greeley House in Chappaqua, you'll be glad to have the heads-up to reserve your child's spot. We attended this annual event in the past and were wowed for many reasons—including that it's free!

Read on for our review and be sure to sign up for our newsletters for more awesome events heading your way! Also consult our Event Calendar to plan ahead.

If you've recently been thinking, "Man, I wish I had 65,000 square feet of pure Lego joy," then you're in luck: Lego Live is coming to New York City next month for Presidents Day weekend. Legos fans from all around the city (and outside of it, I'm pretty sure) are expected to flock to this three-day event held in downtown Manhattan. OK, maybe your kiddos are the ones pining for limitless bricks, but if they've already conquered pop-ups, the Lego store, and various Brick Fests, then they'll want to hear more about this inaugeral event.

Learn everything you need to know before you buy your tickets and plot your game plan.

As one of the most kid-friendly neighborhoods in New York City, Park Slope has no shortage of summer day camps. Whether your kids are into art or theater, nature or sports, crafts or music—or a little bit of everything—there's sure to be a program to keep them busy and happy all summer long.

But don't wait till spring is here to start looking. Winter is the time to start planning your kids' summer, as programs often fill up quickly. For more summer camp options outside of Park Slope, be sure to consult our Summer Camp Guide for NYC Kids and complete listings. If you're looking for affordable (and even FREE) ways to keep your kids busy, peruse our roundups of Free and Cheap Summer Camps.

I've been hearing about the holiday lights at the Mission Inn in Riverside for as long as I've been writing about SoCal events, but it took me until this season to finally take the plunge into slightly-less-daunting-than-usual traffic to see the spectacle for myself. I had to know if the lights that USA Today calls the Best Holiday Lights Display in the Nation really are all that. More to the point, are they worth driving an hour or more, when we know there are some pretty impressive holiday lights a whole lot closer to home? I filled a minivan with the toughest audience I know (five 13-year-olds) and drove to Riverside on a Friday night to answer that question. Really.

Now that the New Year is upon us, the holiday menu is in the rear view. This year's restaurant week runs January 14-26, 2018, and there are more than 100 different restaurants to choose from. We've gone through the options and picked eight options for the family to try. Every winter and fall, restaurants offer three-course dinners for $35 per person. Some will also offer a three-course lunch for $20 per person. Resrvations are required and can usually be made through OpenTable. We also recommend checking out these spots for kids to eat free.

If you've ever wanted to try some of the fabulous seaside fare at Galveston's top restaurants, there's no better time to do it than during Galveston Restaurant Week. Galveston may be a bit of a drive for some Houstonians, but with so many things to do around the island and reduced menu prices at many of the island's restaurants from Jan. 6- 21, 2018, it's worth the trip! We've made planning your day just a bit easier and rounded up our top 10 picks for kid-friendly restaurants to visit during Galveston Restaurant Week.

It may be winter, but it’s never too early to start thinking about summer camp. From day camps to art camps to riding and horse camps, the options in New Jersey are endless. If you’re looking to get your little Serena Williams some fundamental instruction or give your beginner basic lessons, try a week long tennis camp for fitness, team play and overall summer fun! And to find out all the day camp options in NJ, check out our New Jersey Summer Day Camp Guide.