Category — Family Fun

While you can’t control traffic delays and TSA bottlenecks, you can make the trip easier for your tot and your fellow travelers by filling your carry-on with projects and toys that make time pass a little faster. For a look at some of our favorite in-flight activities.

 Source

[Read more →]

source

An amusement park for parents and children? Take me to it! Whether your child watches Sesame Street religiously or is a casual viewer, Sesame Place is destination for families looking for adventure this summer.

Located about 30 miles north of Philadelphia, the park features more than 30 attractions, including a dozen water rides, three live shows (including a live production of Elmo’s World), daily parades and visits from the entire Sesame crew. Unlike other parks we have reviewed, Sesame Place is designed for the seven and under crowd, meaning even toddlers are welcome on most rides. To see what makes Sesame Place special, read more.Inspired by the show’s characters, there are kiddie versions of the traditional pirate ship ride, an airplane ride, a brand new carousel, a simulated hot air balloon and the requisite tea cups.

[Read more →]

 By Ericka Lutz

Eating out with toddlers doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Try these great tips to make your restaurant experiences more palatable.

OK, let’s get it straight: having kids doesn’t mean your life is over or that you have to sacrifice your social life. I’m passionate about this belief, especially when it comes to eating out, an activity our family long ago elevated to high hobby. I want my daughter to appreciate fine food and good dining as much as I do, so from the time she was born we’ve been hauling her to restaurants—and having a good time, too.

Granted, we’re unusual. If you’re like most parents, it’s been a long time since you ventured beyond the neighborhood pizza parlor with little ones. Remember those long ago days before kids when you used to go to real restaurants? Not McHotDog Queen. Not that faux Italian place in the mall with the floor sticky from spilled soda where they pass out free earplugs at the door to drown out the endless beeps and crashes of the video arcade. I’m talking about places with tablecloths and wait staff, not announcements over the loud speaker (”Number 12, your dinner is ready … number 12, please!”).

I know. Next month is your anniversary, and you plan to get a babysitter and go out. Until then … Until then …? That’s no way to live! While going out to eat with babies and toddlers can be a challenge, it isn’t impossible, foolhardy, or insane. It’s usually enjoyable. It does take a little practice but it’s worth it.

Here, then, is a quick hit version of everything I know about restauranteering with the under-five set. [Read more →]

One of our first reviews featured Daniels Wood Land Custom Treehouses for kids. If you didn’t get a Daniels (because they started at $6K), we have found the next best thing…Kids Crooked House. I only wish I had a play house like this growing up. Mine was the typical wood construction with square windows and a door. It did have a custom paint job courtesy of my brother and me. Kids Crooked House custom playhouses are colorfully painted and whimsically designed for kids and those who are kids at heart. [Read more →]

Don’t you wish there was a place you could take your kids where they could play, take classes, you can enjoy a good meal and get spa services done all at the same time? Sounds like Fantasy Island? This place is real, I went there and wished it was next door to my house. It is the Tree House Social Club in Los Angeles, started by 2 moms (of course), Jeannine Chanin and Tricia Leigh Fisher. The giant space has a tree house in the middle with dining tables to one side and class rooms and additional play areas on the other side. There is a manicure pedicure room, a private spa room for massages and facials, video game room, art room and a room for dance and music classes. [Read more →]

By Jennifer Sembler

How do you find time for romance when you barely have time to brush your teeth? Here are 10 sweet, unexpected, totally doable ideas for squeezing a little you’re-so-hot-when-you-burp-the-baby intimacy into every day. Try them on your guy — and see how little things can make all the difference.

[Read more →]

Today my auntie took me and my mommy out to eat at Chuy’s Restaurant by Westheimer and Kirby. I liked my food it was great i just love going out.

Today I did a funny dance for my auntie and mommy and they laughed and laughed. I love to dance and sing and run around all day! Now you can watch me do my silly cute dance. Enjoy my very first video clip! 

Welcome to a typical mom morning. It begins when your toddler dive-bombs into your bed at 5 a.m. You stumble through the dark for an eyes-half-open diaper change. Next comes breakfast. The daily recipe: spilled milk and fistfuls of Cheerios dumped on the floor. Then you do the dishes and get your child dressed, all before you drink your morning coffee. Are we having fun yet? The answer is not so simple.

Being a parent is inspiring and rewarding, but it’s also demanding and thankless. A recent Princeton University survey found that typical child-care tasks are roughly as pleasurable as housework-in other words, not very. But the fact is that our kids are our pride and joy. How can this be, when they’re also a drag on our quality of life?

If your 3-year-old routinely sits through a video at home, he might be ready to go to the theater for a “first run” show. “Just be aware that watching a movie in a darkened theater will be a very different experience for him than watching a video in the familiarity of your family room,” says Victoria J. Youcha, of Zero to Three,a nonprofit organization devoted to the healthy development of infants and toddlers. “Some children as old as 5 or 6 are overwhelmed by the experience.”

read more | digg story