Kids’ Activities

Young People, the 2006 Elections, and Preparing Our Children

Americans under 30 voted in the largest numbers for midterm elections in at least 20 years, and may have made a difference in the many close races. Young people favored Democrats by 22 points, nearly three times the Democratic margin among other age groups. Some say this indicates a rising Democratic bloc that could be […]

Hacking Board Games for Preschoolers

Although my son has an apparently infinite capacity for playing Candy Land (interspersed only by rounds of Cariboo), I have a limit. I don’t, however, have a limitless budget for buying new games. My solution has been to create variations of older kid/adult board games we already have around the house. Here are a few

Reciprocal Membership at Children’s Museums

I’m visiting Boston with partner and son on a house-hunting trip. We took a break today, however, to go to the Boston Children’s Museum—and got in free, thanks to a Reciprocal Membership I’d bought at our local Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum. The Reciprocal Membership Program, sponsored by the Association of Children’s Museums, gives free admission to

Travel Guide: San Francisco Bay Area

As promised, here’s a thread for our next travel guide installment. This week’s location of choice is the San Francisco Bay Area. (Boston was last week, and I’ve been writing about New Jersey for two days, so it’s time to switch coasts.) If you live in the Bay Area or have visited, please leave comments

Androgynous Bristle Blocks

Is it just me, or does the supposed “father” in this pair of Bristle Blocks figures look androgynous enough to make this a lesbian couple? Most toys that include family figures include opposite-sex parents. It’s nice to find one that, however unintentionally, works for my family. (OK, I don’t think either of us would ever

Halloween Safety Tips

It’s the beginning of the extended dance mix that is Halloween—the assorted parades, parties, and costume contests all leading up to the big night. I thought I was going to get away easy this year, since my son told me in early September he wanted to be “a spooky ghost.” I could handle a sheet

Breakfast Pizza

The other day, when I asked my three-year-old what he wanted for breakfast, he replied, “Pizza.” Now, I’ve been a fan of cold leftover morning ‘za since my college days, but not having any in the house, and wanting to instill good breakfast habits in the next generation, I came up with this quick, healthier

Free Play vs. Structured Activities: What’s Best for Kids?

Two recent studies offer somewhat contradictory advice on the importance of free play vs. structured activities for kids. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says: Free and unstructured play is healthy and—in fact—essential for helping children reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones as well as helping them manage stress and become resilient. .

Free Museum Admissions

Tomorrow, September 30, is Museum Day, and that means museums across the U. S. will be offering free admission. Simply print a pass from the Smithsonian Web site and you and a guest can get in free to participating museums. (Special exhibits may not qualify.) The Smithsonian organizes the yearly event, but this is the

Preschool Craft Ideas

As the weather turns cooler for many of us, it’s always nice to have a line up of indoor activities for the little ones. Here are a few simple ones. (Of course, if you can get outside to enjoy the last few weeks of summer, by all means do so.) From Martha Stewart Kids comes

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