Homemade butter is easy to make and requires nothing more than some heavy cream, a tightly lidded container, and a marble. It's fun to make, and kids love this at-home, rainy (or snowy) day project. We've made this homemade butter recipe several times, but really got into it during our covid-baking days. Give it a try! Not only does the butter taste fresher, you can evoke days of old without having to figure out how to make a butter churner. Plus, kids are super proud to serve butter they made by themselves.

Find more things to cook and create in our guide to Easy Recipes for Kids.

Remember the adage telling us to dance like there's nobody watching? One of the amazing things about kids is their propensity to do just that. If you've got a ballet dancer or a breakdancer on your hands, why not harness that creativity and sign them up for dance classes. The Connecticut dance studios below offer kids classes in ballet, hip hop, jazz, tap, modern dance, and even Irish step for kids ranging from toddler to teen. Pick dance classes near you in Fairfield, Hartford, New Haven, or beyond; some studios even offer summer camps for kids who can't stop dancing when the heat is on.

And if your dancers have siblings who'd rather do something other than dance, not to worry: we've got them covered in our Classes and Activities Guide. 

New England generally conjures up the tastes of cranberries and maple syrup, but local vineyards prove we can produce some tasty grapes, too, and those make for some fine wineries. Stretching from Connecticut’s "wine trail" all the way up to New Hampshire's White Mountains, many New England vineyards aren't just great places to sip wine with other adults, but also to hang out with kids. Like Boston-area beer gardens and Connecticut craft breweries, these wineries welcome families with beautiful, spacious grounds, and in some cases apple picking, live music, wagon rides, and other fun activities.

Here are our favorite family-friendly vineyards and wineries in New England—from coast to mountaintop. See our posts about outdoor restaurants in Boston and outdoor restaurants in Connecticut for more ideas for dining, or sipping al fresco, with kids.