Naomi Pallas

One of the best ways to spend a summer day? That would be heading to a local farm to pick your own fruit (and eat it on the spot). Come June, it's time to start thinking about cherry picking in New York. There are great farms just a short drive from the city in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Most spots go beyond cherries—you’ll find hayrides, farm markets and even petting zoos—offering plenty of activities or a full day out. It’s an easy, fun family day trip, and you'll come home with a load of sweet, delicious cherries to snack on or turn into delightful, homemade treats. If you can’t get enough fresh-picked fruit, strawberry and blueberry picking season are right around the corner too. When is cherry picking season in New York? Cherries tend to ripen in late June or early July in the New York area, but because mother nature is in charge, be sure to call ahead and check farm websites to make sure the cherries are ready to pick. Cherries are at their best for a brief window, so mark your calendars and make plans to head out when the sweetest, ripest cherries are ready.

The city is brimming with fun and educational family activities to celebrate the week of Passover with the kids. (This year, Passover begins on the evening of Monday, April 14, and ends at sundown on Tuesday, April 22.) This year's events in NYC allow the whole family to enjoy dinner, music, and crafts at 92Y’s Shababa Passover seder, jam with Mama Doni before touring Streit’s Matzo Factory, learn about 10-year-old Jacob’s seder dinner with a Yankee soldier during the Civil War at the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, and even turn the plague into chocolate at the Museum at Eldridge Street. The holiday coincides with the public schools’ spring break, so the plethora of Passover family activities and events below will give little ones plenty to do! RECOMMENDED: 50 things to do with kids in NYC this spring

If your mouth started watering the second you began browsing this summer's NYC Restaurant Week options, your next instinct might be to book a babysitter for an adult's night out—but there's no need! Though fancy dinners make great date ideas for parents, many of the participating eateries also offer kid-friendly fare in addition to the prix-fixe menu options. If your young gourmands are ready to expand their palates beyond New York pizza, make a reservation for the whole gang at one of these spots—a few of which even made our list of the 50 best family restaurants in NYC. Blue SmokeAt Blue Smoke, parents get to sink their teeth into some serious Southern cuisine ($25 for the prix fixe lunch, $38 for dinner) while your kids feel very grown-up with their tasty main course, side dish, dessert and drink ($11). We think the baby back ribs would go particularly well with grilled zucchini, root beer and a scoop of vanilla ice cream afterwards! Blue Water GrillParents, satisfy your seafood craving this Restaurant Week at Blue Water Grill. For the mature palate, order a round of market mussels or West Coast oysters to start, and pan-seared tile fish for an entree ($38 for the prix-fixe dinner). Your kids may say “yuck” to shellfish, but they’ll love a mocktail ($3) to go alongside their pint-sized plate of free-range chicken fingers or grilled scottish salmon ($9). And don’t forget the dessert menu—order the kiddos a brownie-bite sundae and, for yourself, the market blueberry shortcak