The Sbyke: the best gift your tween or teen will get, period.

by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings

The siren song of electronics has a huge pull on my tweens this holiday, so if I’m going to ask Santa to bring them something that doesn’t begin with an “i” it’d better be something pretty cool. I found something pretty cool....

The best scooter for little kids? The one that’s the best for big kids.

by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings

There is no question in my three-kid household that one of the favorites in our fleet of ride-on toys is the Mini Kick scooter. From the moment they could balance on the stable footrest, my kids were cruising the driveway and declaring it “best scooter...

Active for Life: because a fit family is a fun family

by Stephanie Slate | Health, Fitness + Wellbeing

I have active kids. No amount of running, skipping, biking, swimming, gymnastics, dancing or soccer ever seems to tire them out. But each year the cooler months make it a challenge for all of us to stay as active as we’d like.Organized sports are one thing....

10 tips for camping with children for the first time

by Christina Refford | Tips + Tricks

We just returned from our third tent-camping excursion, and while I wouldn’t call us back-country experts, I’ve learned a lot since that first trip when I was still nursing a toddler while trying to keep the other two from falling into the campfire. I...

Birthday gifts for 5-year-old girl? Reader Q&A

by Christina Refford | Tips + Tricks

I need a birthday gift idea for my soon-to-be 5-year-old daughter. She has tons of Barbies, tons of clothes – she is a girly girl and loves all things to do with painting nails, wearing girly stuff. I feel like we have way too many toys and clothes. What else is...

Gardening. You know, for kids.

by Barbara | Kid Style

I’m not the best gardener — my entire vegetable haul, from June to September probably equals little more than one large salad — but gardening really is good for the soul. And, there are always gardening chores that even the smallest kiddos can do,...

Creating chalk roads with 100% fewer backaches

by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings

Around the same time our daffodils appear, the kids drag their big bucket of chalk out onto our driveway to create an elaborate chalk city. And while I love that we all get out into the fresh air, have you ever tried to help draw a road with a 4-inch piece of chalk on...

KaZAM – a balance bike that thinks about your feet

by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings

If you are looking for a balance bike for your eager-to-ride toddler or preschooler, get ready to weigh your options because in the past, we’ve found great eco friendly balance bikes made of birch and ones made in a lightweight, long-lasting composite resin....

Banish bug bites without using any nasty chemicals

by Melissa | Health, Fitness + Wellbeing

The first sign of summer for me is always my first mosquito bite. I always consider bug bites to be the price I pay for good weather and barbecues. But now that I have kids, I feel the need to douse them in something to ward off bug bites, and I’ve never been a...

Be the talk of the neighborhood with 3 cool new ride-on toys

by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings

Our garage is filled with bikes, trikes, scooters and even one Skoooch, but I’m a big believer in “you can never have too many outdoor toys.” So, I’m always on the lookout for cool new ride-on, kid-powered things that can hold their attention...