Back in December, when we asked teachers for the Best Teacher Gift Ideas , by far the most cherished gift mentioned was a handwritten note or card from their students. Just a few words to let them know that all their hard work made a dif…
Whether you call it Autism Awareness or Autism Acceptance like one of my good friends, April is a great month to learn more about autism and how to make our world more supportive to those families living with it. That's one reason we've …
With spring break in the rearview mirror, our kids are already looking forward to heading off to camp. So we thought it would be fun to explore the coolest summer camps out there. We were blown away by what we found -- from camps with lo…
If you find yourself saying Don't make a mess! to your curious, imaginative, and, yeah, messy preschooler more times than you care to count, we're going to challenge you to say Let's make a mess for a change. Wait til you see how good th…
Music is such an important part of children's lives from both an educational and entertainment standpoint. As a former music therapist and college professor I might be a little biased, but there are plenty of personal stories and scienti…
My five-year-old son told me he thinks girls are the coolest because, among other things, they get to lay babies. As in, lay eggs). Yep. While I feel like I may have nailed the pro-woman mindset with him, I might not have done so well in…
So, a couple years ago I predicted that my kids would still be flipping through the book Maps by Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizieliński—and I was right. The pages are well-loved, and it's still displayed prominently on our coffee …
April is National Poetry Month, so we're having some fun adding poetry to our bedtime reading routine. Of course, any reading out loud to my kids is good for growing brains, but kids seem to have a special love for poetry--even before th…
So, there's this really interesting website called The Book of Life . And I'm trying to figure out how to describe it, but I keep coming up empty. Is it an encyclopedic resource? An online self-help book? A place to turn for philosophica…
Imagine if you didn't have electricity at home and your kids had to go out and sit under a street lamp on a deserted street, alone each night, in order to finish their homework. That's exactly what a lot of kids face in other parts of th…
I want to answer my kids' questions and help them with their homework, but I can't always drop everything to help them find the answer rightthisverysecondplease-- nor do I want my younger ones doing a Google search on their own. Instead,…
This is a sponsored message from GiftedandTalented.com For parents with advanced learners, it can be tough to know how to meet their academic needs and keep them challenged. Whether you're looking to give yours an educational boost or wa…
Today we say hail to all the chiefs who have led the United States of America. The ones we voted for, the ones we didn't vote for, and even the ones we can't really remember. And to help our kids learn more about the men who have led our…
Ever in search for more colorful playthings to brighten up the dreary northeast weather, I am so happy to discover Laughing Crickets , an Etsy shop creating the most beautiful, bright, happy-making handmade toys for kids, with a focus on…
Black History Month is the perfect time for us to widen our scope on the lives of Black people in this country and their ongoing contributions to its advancement. In school, our kids typically learn about the impact that people like Mart…
I've been cleaning up and paring down lately, and that includes some of the wooden blocks my kids got as gifts when they were young. So I started thinking about upcycled wooden blocks craft ideas that might breathe some new life into the…
I'm always happy to introduce you to beautifully-curated independent web boutiques and here's one more new one that's caught my attention since its launch just a few weeks ago. Mini Life is an exquisite children's lifestyle boutique pack…
It's going to be a while before I can look out my window and see anything bright and colorful fluttering around my yard, so I'm especially pleased that LEGO has chosen to release LEGO Birds , a brand new set of feathered friends that is …
We love finding service opportunities for kids and families as a way to get kids excited about public service and volunteering early. So I was so delighted to learn that the wonderful NYC is My Backyard camp, which my own girls attended …
From amazing dolls to cool new games and imaginative toys, there have been so many fantastic options out for kids at play this year that encourage things we love, like creativity, imagination, building, interest in STEM pursuits, defianc…
You've heard us singing the praises of Kiwi Crate's monthly subscription crates full of projects for kids ages 3-8 for years, but if your kids fall outside of those age ranges, tough luck, right? Not anymore. Their three new crates will …
If you're still puzzled (yes, I went there) over what to get some of the kids on your list , keep reading. Whether it is a small wooden puzzle for little hands to manipulate, or something larger and more complex that gets the entire fami…
This year my husband and I loaded everyone up (even the grandparents) for a long weekend over fall break, and flew to Chicago, one of my very favorite cities, in search of some awesome kid-friendly activities. Our focus: checking out all…
There aren't many wooden toys for toddlers that I can imagine an older kid would love too, but these super nerdy ABC blocks from Uncommon Goods are a major exception. They're made from locally sourced wood and printed with non-toxic inks…