Web Smarts

www.gocitykids.com

What: If you intend to vacation with your children in Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, San Diego, or San Francisco, have a look at Gocitykids, an online city directory for parents.

BEST POINTS: This well-designed website provides a wealth of information on after-school activities - whether indoors or outdoors - child care, schools, stores, and family restaurants. Parents will discover a wide range of activities - with time, cost, and event description - all geared to a child's age, the weather, and the kind of fun you prefer.

Learn where in New York, for instance, your child can go climbing, practice yoga, visit a teddy-bear craft workshop, savor mandarin ice cream in Chinatown, and visit an aquarium. Or find where to enjoy storytelling, parades, or field trips. Through the website, you can also plan a birthday party with clown and balloon artists for your child.

What YOU NEED TO KNOW: Gocitykids offers valuable information about emergency numbers, 24-hour pharmacies, and baby sitters, as well as medical care. You can sign up for a free weekly e-mail newsletter about the city of your choice to help you plan in advance of your trip.

Ten more city directories are being planned for this year, including Washington, Chicago, and Miami.

(c) Copyright 2001. The Christian Science Monitor