I can hardly remember a month of May from my childhood without a trip to the Pasadena Strawberry Festival. Growing up in southeast Houston, one of the sure signs that summer was near was the yearly festival featuring tons of carnival rides, games, and live music. The festival features every strawberry-themed food and drink imaginable, including the world's largest strawberry shortcake! As an adult, I've found that it's just as fun as it was as a kid to kick off summer with a trip to one of the area's most revered family festivals.

Because the entry fee is FREE for kids under age 5, the festival is a great opportunity to celebrate the start of summer as a family. Community volunteers work to make the festival bigger and better each and every year, and have added even more fun activities for the entire family to enjoy in 2018. Take a look at some of the festival's kid-friendly activities not to miss at this year's celebration. 

Looking for something to do with the kids that’s outside of the box—and without the usual upsell for overpriced novelties? Then maybe it’s time to give Culver City's Museum of Jurassic Technology a try. Equal parts whimsical and educational, there’s nothing else in Los Angeles quite like this modern day cabinet of curiosities. But be forewarned—the less you know about its secrets, the more fun it is to explore.

Two of the biggest attractions in Upper Manhattan boast a combined 250 acres of lush lawns and gardens, winding tree-lined paths, multiple ball fields and playgrounds, and three iconic NYC sights: the famed Little Red Lighthouse, the George Washington Bridge (or for fans of the beloved picture book by Hildegarde H. Swift, the Great Gray Bridge), and the Cloisters, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's branch dedicated to medieval art and architecture. Because of the waterfront location at the highest points in Manhattan, the two green spaces—Fort Washington and Fort Tryon Parks—were important strategic points in the Revolutionary War. Today the parks offer visitors spectacular views of the Hudson River and the New Jersey Palisades.

So take the A train up to Washington Heights and Inwood and discover all the wonderful things to do in Fort Washington Park and Fort Tryon Park, with a little bit of help from our guide below.

The Flushing neighborhood of Queens has a bustling commercial center along Main Street filled with a wide variety of restaurants, chain stores, and culture spots like Flushing Town Hall. The north-central nabe is particularly well-known for its Chinatown section around Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue, where you'll find lots of dim sum eateries, specialty shops, and the borough's annual Lunar New Year Parade.

But Flushing, like all of Queens, is a true melting pot with residents and businesses from a multitude of diverse backgrounds. It's also home to many lovely landmarked buildings built in different eras and architectural styles. You can walk through history at the 17th-century John Bowne House, the Victorian Voelker Orth Museum, and iconic relics from two 20th-century World's Fairs held in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

We've rounded up our top 35 family-friendly things to do in Flushing, Queens, including our favorites spots to play, eat, explore, and experience with kids. We're also highlighting the major family attractions in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, such as the New York Hall of Science, Queens Museum, and Citi Field. 

Thought Comic Con was just geared toward adult comic book fans? Guess again! Whisk your youngsters, tweens, or teens to Wizard World Comic Con for a day of indoor fun and adventure. They'll have a blast playing games, learning to draw, and participating in hands-on demonstrations. Bonus: Kids 10 and under are free!

When I was pregnant the question I was asked most often—after "What are you having?"—was, "When are you going to move out of the city?" So many people, especially non-NYC dwellers, wanted to know where we planned to put all of the baby's stuff in our small, one bedroom Manhattan apartment. They were shocked to see the baby registry and find out that we planned to get by without so much of the "stuff" they told us we needed.

Orlando, home to seven of the world’s top theme parks, is one of the most visited destinations in the United States—yet it has theme park experiences that are secrets to even the most dedicated travelers. If you are planning a vacation to Orlando, be sure to include these top experiences for extra fun (and awesome bragging rights).

Even though I grew up in Boston, I knew very little about the South Shore before I moved there. Much to my delight, in addition to being a beautiful part of New England, there is also a lot of fun things to do, especially in the summer. Here are some top picks that are worth the drive (and possible Cape traffic!) to this special area.