Nine Holiday Activities for Kids in New York City
New York City is a magical place any time of year but the holiday season is an especially wonderful time to visit with children. There are the famous window displays and decorations on every street corner and building, and countless pop up shops and restaurants, but most children will tire of just “looking” pretty quickly. This week, we’re sharing (early because tickets for many events just went on sale and will sell out quickly!) nine holiday activities for kids in New York City and we promise adults will want to do them, too!
10 Family Friendly Attractions in Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, the third most populated city in Massachusetts, may be most well known as the “Birthplace of Basketball” but is also home to many historical sites and family friendly attractions. The greater Springfield area is located in Western Massachusetts, about 90 miles west of both Boston and Providence, Rhode Island and 30 miles north of Hartford, Connecticut. The attractions in this post are spread throughout towns in Hampden and Hampshire Counties. Hampden County includes the city of Springfield and almost two dozen towns from Brimfield in the east and Tolland in the west, and includes Holyoke and Ludlow. Directly north of the Hampden County is Hampshire County, which includes towns another 20 towns, a couple of which are home to the Five College Consortium: Amherst College (in Amherst), Hampshire College (in Amherst) , UMASS Amherst (in Amherst), Smith College (in Northampton), Mount Holyoke College (in South Hadley).
Summer 2023 Connecticut Bucket List
Every summer, our family makes individual bucket lists of things we want to do and places we want to explore. We usually have a good mix of perennial favorites and new-to-us spots. This week, we thought we’d share some suggestions of things to do in Connecticut this summer (most of which can easily be modified for your neck of the woods). We’re sharing this list now because 1. We always like to be ahead of the game and 2. Some of these activities require reservations that will fill up quickly.
25 Ways to Love the Springfield Museums in Springfield, Massachusetts
One of the most popular attractions in the Western part of Massachusetts, the Springfield Museums are a collection of five museums that showcase over 130,000 artifacts related to the areas of science, history, art, and culture. Located in downtown Springfield, the third largest city in Massachusetts, 90 minutes west of Boston and 30 minutes north of Hartford, Connecticut, the Springfield Museum welcome close to 400,000 visitors each year and offer dozens of exhibits that will engage families of all ages.
Six Ways to Explore the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Massachusetts
Recently celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2022, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts honors and showcases the life and work of Eric Carle and other picture book artists and publications. The Carle Museum is the first American museum devoted to picture book art. The museum is located on the edge of the Hampshire College and offers beautiful grounds for walking, picnicking, and gathering. Eric Carle illustrated and published more than 70 books; A copy of his most famous book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, is sold every 30 seconds. The museum is home to a massive collective of books, as well as a large art collection (the majority of which was donated by individuals and families) which is on rotating display in three exhibition galleries, and tons of daily and weekly programs and events for the whole family.
City Guide: 11 Ways to Explore Cape Cod in the Winter
I was lucky enough to grow up less than 40 minutes from Cape Cod and spent many a summer day on the Cape’s iconic beaches. However, the Cape is a beautiful spot to visit anytime of year and the winter season offers a peaceful, calmer pace of relaxation. We recently spent part of our holiday on the Cape and we found plenty of family friendly attractions still open and offering special events and activities. Some of these attractions do close for a period in January or February, so we’ll suggest visiting for a holiday or after the February break, and always check online or call ahead of time to confirm hours.