With warmer weather on the way, it's a perfect time to power down and unplug the kids' gadgets and games and send them outside for some fresh air and back-to-basics fun. To help, here are 12 surprisingly engaging activities that moms say keep their kids happily entertained outdoors. Bonus: many of them are free!
Letting your grade-school-age child watch a movie you've never seen yourself can be like walking in a field of land mines. As many Circle of Moms members point out, even movies with G and PG ratings contain violence, crude language, and sexual themes that are scary or age-inappropriate. What's more, a G or PG rating is far from a guarantee that your child will be enchanted.
Circle of Moms member Teresa resignedly states, "It depends on the specific movie, not the rating." So what's a mom in search of a good movie for her grade-school-age child to do?
I surveyed the Circle of Moms communities for movies that not only get the mom seal of approval, but that grade-school-age kids also tend to love. Queue up your DVR!
Looking for a fun new game the whole family can play? Here, moms dish on the best family board games — ones that keep both kids and parents engaged and entertained. From enduring classics we played as kids ourselves to new favorites involving labyrinths, train cars, and some serious strategic thinking, these 10 games will be surefire hits on your next family night.
Traveling with kids can feel a bit like rolling the dice: what will the next turn bring? A room that somehow doesn't contain its promised crib? A 3 a.m. wake-up call from your partying neighbors? While we've detailed the most amazing hotels around, designed to impress everyone in your family with over-the-top extras, and some exciting themed hotel rooms that your kids will talk about for years to come, what about lodging for those trips when a hotel is just a necessity, not the destination? We have seven hotel chains that are always a safe bet when traveling with kids.
Offering everything from babysitting services and extra bedrooms just for little ones to kid-friendly room-service specials and check-in gifts, these chains have hundreds of locations all over the globe, all ready to make your family's travel experience a bit more like an actual vacation.
When handing mobile devices over to our young children, it's comforting to have apps that help them learn and explore. Yet finding educational apps that kids want to play again and again can be tough! Look no further; every playful app in this list of 10, which includes several that are free, has been given two thumbs up from both kids and parents.
Note: All listed prices are subject to change
If your child has read the Harry Potter series and is trying to cast spells on the cat, then it's time to dive into a new book! Here are 10 more beloved science fiction and fantasy books that make great follow-ups to the magical world of Harry Potter.
Once all the colorful plastic Easter eggs are found and opened, what do you do with them? If you're not keen on keeping them in storage till next year, check out these 12 fantastic ideas from Circle of Moms Facebook members on ways to reuse plastic Easter eggs — from teacups and cupcakes for pretend play to a bird feeder you and your child can create together. Click through to see them all!
As adults, we sometimes forget just how magical holidays can be for our kids. Since family traditions are one reason the days feel so special, we asked moms to share their most treasured Easter and Passover traditions. Here, we've rounded up 15 of their ideas — from throwing confetti and hunting for mini muffins to camping out no matter what the weather — all of which are wonderful memory makers.
When we asked moms to share their absolute favorite family activities, their ideas were a reassuring reminder that sometimes it's the simplest activities that make the sweetest memories.
Whether it's a morning spent tasting fresh fruit at the farmers market, an afternoon passed gleefully riding a carousel, or a relaxed evening walk through the local park, these family activities are perfect (and easy) ways to bond with your loved ones.
Kids say — and do — the darndest things, and if their parents are lucky, they have a smartphone or video camera at the ready to capture them for posterity. Sharing an especially funny video on YouTube with friends and family can result in an instantaneous 15 minutes of fame, so share with caution. Here, some of the best kid-centric viral videos that have had us laughing out loud, forwarding to friends, and sharing on Facebook!
