Summertime means beach time, and while there are lots of beaches near and even in NYC, some are more family-friendly than others. After packing up your gear and schlepping the kids by car, train, bus, or ferry, the last thing you want to find out is your chosen beach has no bathroom or bathing suits are optional. Skip the guesswork with our roundup of eight easy-to-reach beaches for NYC families, including detailed info on attractions, food, bathrooms, and hidden costs. Most are within two hours of Manhattan by car and are easily accessible via public transportation as well, so you can plot a great staycation for your family.

Find more beach fun in our Beaches, Pools, and Water Playgrounds Guide, or check out these summer day trip ideas.

Baltimore is an incredibly kid-friendly city. The walkable Baltimore Inner Harbor offers the impressive National Aquarium, family-friendly restaurants, museums and science centers, and more fun things to do.

Sports fans will find the pro-leagues Baltimore Ravens and Baltimore Orioles to cheer on, and if you have a transportation lover, the city is heaven with train museums and boats galore. It’s proximity to Washington, DC, doesn’t hurt either. It’s easy to visit both cities in one trip, taking advantage of all the free admission opportunities in the nation’s capital.

Here's our list of 50 fun things to do with kids in Baltimore, Maryland, from attractions to festivals, restaurants and even a few hotel suggestions for when you're ready to crash. Check out our other City Guides for more family travel ideas.

With summer camp registration starting before you've even put the families' winter coats away for the season, it's really easy to fall behind. Fortunately, even if you haven't spent a single minute thinking about camp, there's no need to panic—yet. 

Sure, some programs fill up quickly with returning campers who get first priority, but there are so many awesome programs that still have availability. You'll find specialty camps for every interest, camps for preschoolers and toddlers, cooking camps, tech camps, arts camps, and traditional, general interest country day camps where your kids will breathe fresh air all day and come home dirty and tired...you name it. We've rounded up over 25 of our NYC area camp partners that still have spots for summer 2019 as of this writing. To find by location, click to open the map at the bottom of the post.

For even more New York City-area camps, check out our comprehensive Summer Camp Guide and browse hundreds of programs by location, age, and type in our NYC Summer Camp Directory.