My husband, 2 kids (6 and 8) and I are going to Chappaqua for a family event and will also be spending some time in the city after that for a few days. We would like to go somewhere in driving distance for a few days before. Any suggestions to what is somewhat close by and has stuff for kids to do. We will be going in mid June. My kids are out of school but I know the schools there are not out yet so I'm worried about things not being open. Any suggestions are helpful, Thanks.

There's so much for kids to do in NYC, I'm not sure what "stuff" you're looking for them to do in another location. There are some historic mansions/gardens in Westchester hudsonvalley.org....Hyde Park, home of FDR is near...Here's a website I found with some other things in Westchester for kids. http://www.westchestertowns.com/htm/lnk/Link0452.html

Heading north away from the city there are things like the Hudson Valley Maritime Museum. There's West Point...

I'd go either to the Berkshires in Massachusetts or elsewhere in upstate New York. There are plenty of wonderful places to go, including the historic areas that mclaurie has suggested.

Thanks, my kids have been in the city a few times and we thought we would spend some time exploring other areas but wasn't sure where. I'll check out hudsonvalley.org. Thanks so much! I thought about the Berkshires but wasn't sure what there was to do around there. I know there are many performances but didn't know what else to do. Thanks for your ideas.

Check Jiminy Peak in the Berkshires for activities. There is a lot to do there. Lots of hiking / biking around.

If you want to do beach you can do Long Island in June The water will be brisk - but shouldn;t bother the kids - and you're at the beginning of the season - so yuo can get good rates. There are moderate priced condo colonies right on the beach in Amagansett - so you have the beach, pool, several state parks, one with lighthouse, Montauk fishng port with whalewatching trips, an aquarium - and on the way out there's a sizeable air/space museum in westbury, Teddy Roosevelt's house in Oyster Bay ( an incredible number of stuffed heads/animals) and a colonial village reconstruction at Old Bethpage - with demonstrations of all sorts of arts and crafts as well as ahost of old buildings.