In an effort to reduce screentime at home, especially with Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks around the bend, I've been stocking up on some arts and crafts-type activity books for kids. Instead of everyone sitting on the couch, looking a…
In a world where a quick Google search can answer even the toughest question in just seconds, we love the delicious act of waiting for a surprise in the mail. But while most subscription boxes give you a pretty good idea of what to expec…
This election in particular has been a tough one for me to wade through all the issues with my kids, so I've been getting creative with how I'm involving them in our family's political discussions . I've been implementing Kristen and Liz…
When you've got a little one, you probably know that means you have a whooooole lot of preschooler birthday party gifts to look for over the course of the year. One gift for each party for each kid in your child's preschool class? Yeouch…
With the cooler weather around the corner, we've got one terrific way to get ready for lots of indoor play: The fun new craft kits and art supplies from our most excellent sponsor, Handmade Charlotte Kids , now available at Michael's sto…
As a first time mom-to-be, I am already thinking about creating a household where my child can be whatever they want to be. A doctor, lawyer, sandwich artistan, or even a Silicon Valley techno mastermind. And given that my husband's an I…
If you ask me, it's never too early to teach a child about emotional intelligence. I still remember my teacher making us practice "I" statements -- as in, "When you steal my Hello Kitty pencil, I feel hurt and sad." A couple of decades l…
My absolute favorite feature on my iPhone isn't the smart to-do list that keeps my life sane or the ability to look up random facts on Google whenever I want -- it is, of course, the camera. I take thousands of pictures each year, and as…
During this summer's Olympic coverage, we all enjoyed seeing beautiful images of fun, lively Rio, and its gorgeous beaches, but there was one major aspect of the city that wasn't broadcast -- the favelas, or slums, which populate Rio and…
My youngest child started Kindergarten this week -- sniff -- and he's learning to read so quickly. I'm thrilled to find out he loves books, and I've been scouring our bookshelves and grilling our librarian for some great beginner chapter…
If your family is anything like ours, you're only now getting caught up on lost sleep from the Olympics. But in its wake, the games leave us all with a healthy dose of wanderlust and interest in oh, say...Tonga. For no apparent reason. S…
If your family is divided by the word nerds who love Scrabble and the strategists who love Monopoly, then we've found the family tabletop game for you. It's called Word Domination , it's on Kickstarter now, and it's already winning gamin…
There's something so special about sharing our very favorite childhood books with our kids. When we see our kids falling in love with Anne of Green Gables , or imaging themselves racing through Narnia to defeat the White Witch, there's a…
I am finding myself a little choked up today, on the anniversary of the 19th amendment, in a way I can't recall ever feeling before. Maybe it's because this is the first August 18 in which we have a female presidential nominee from a maj…
The idea of combining education and conservation with a family vacation is super appealing to parents, which is why ecotourism is such a fascinating concept for me -- and maybe for you. If you're not familiar with ecotourism, it's aimed …
This election cycle has been pretty brutal, leaving a lot of us wondering how to talk to our kids about politics . Well, I just got a copy of Grover Cleveland, Again! by the celebrated documentarian Ken Burns and illustrator Gerald Kelle…
It's probably one of my kids' least favorite things to talk about these days: Summer reading. Which is odd, because they really do love to read. They just don't like someone else telling them what they have to read -- and when to read it…
My kids and I have encountered some very memorable girls with very memorable experiences in their children's books over the years -- Madeline's midnight appendectomy, Freckleface Strawberry (a favorite among my brood of redheads) wearing…
Like many of the world's greatest ideas, She's the First began with a cupcake bake sale (okay, maybe not many great ideas begin with a bake sale, but I say it's never a bad place to start) and from there it's grown to become an organizat…
Of all the toys that have passed through the hands of my three kids over the past dozen or so years, there is no question that LEGO bricks have been the most enduring and versatile. From their first little plastic bucket of mixed bricks,…
Even though I've got a couple of avid readers in my house, I'm always looking for ways to continue to encourage them to pick up a book. Thankfully, there are no shortage of summer reading challenges that offer kids a little incentive for…
When we asked teachers what they thought made the best teacher gifts a couple of years ago, an overwhelming number of them said a personal note from their students was the one thing that really made their day. Yes, gift cards, classroom …
For many of us, summer means heading off to our go-to camp where our kids spend their days playing outdoors, going on nature hikes, swimming in ponds, and singing goofy camp songs with all their friends. But if your kids would prefer a l…
The 2016 National Scripps Spelling Bee finals ended last night and just wow. For the third year running, two amazing kids tied as winners: 13 year old Jairam Pathwar of Upstate NY, and Austin Texas' Nihar Janga who is only 11. Wow. To cl…