New Yorkers are lucky to be surrounded by water: When we get the urge to take a dip on a hot summer day, there are plenty of family-friendly beaches a short drive or subway ride from NYC. But for families with little kids, the ocean can be intimidating, with its choppy waves and miles of hot sand without an inch of shade.

Sure, there’s always the local pool, but if you’re itching to get the kids out of the city to enjoy a swim in the great outdoors, what better place than one of our area’s beautiful, placid, freshwater swimming lakes? We’ve rounded up the best lake swimming spots within a two-hour drive from the city.

Find more fun things to do this summer (and ways to cool down) with our Beaches, Pools, and Water Parks Guide for NYC kids.

Even if you brought a bag full of snacks to your Brooklyn Botanic Garden excursion, kids will be hungry after all that time running through the grass, collecting sticks, and chasing butterflies.

The good news is that there are plenty of family-friendly options for a bite in the nearby Crown Heights and Prospect Heights neighborhoods, many with high chairs and changing tables available. These restaurants are also close to the Brooklyn Museum, and a short walk from the Brooklyn Children's Museum and Prospect Park.

Every year, your kid's birthday arrives even faster, right? It seems like you just had her last party! But here you are again, and you need some new ideas. 

Good news! So many great new spots have opened in NYC in the last year, so you're about to be the coolest parent party planner. Whether your kid wants to make art, roll in a ball pit, dress up her dolls, play with dogs, or just bounce up and down for an hour, there's a new place for everyone. Read on for six new kid party spots that have opened in the last year.

Find more party spots and entertainers in our NYC Party Directory.