summer activities Archives

5 smart and easy tips for your first backyard campout with the kids.

We’ve still got a lot of summer left for camping out with the kids! If you love the idea, but you’re not sure you’re ready to head out into the wilderness with the family just yet, a backyard campout is a great place to start. If it goes wrong...

This amazing DIY rocket craft is perfect for kids now obsessed with the moon landing.

by Liz Gumbinner | Art + Decor, DIY, Toys + Playthings

If your kids got as excited as ours did following all of the cool space-themed events this weekend, you can check out our roundup of our favorite space themed toys and kids’ gifts to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. But if you’re...

25 beautifully illustrated free printable summer coloring pages for kids. We found them!

by Caroline Siegrist | DIY

It’s been a while since we put together some of our favorite free printable summer coloring pages for our kids. With the weather fairly unbearable around the country right now, seemed like a good time to find some new printable coloring pages with summer themes...

7 fantastic new summer books by women authors to add to your beach tote, stat

by Caroline Siegrist | Books for Adults

Summer is one of the rare times each year that I have time to read for pleasure, and this year I am taking full advantage with these new books, all by women authors. It’s such a diverse group of writers, offering diverse perspectives and themes, and wow, I...

These 8 cool new kids’ activity books are screen-free boredom busters for every interest

by Kate Etue | Kids

We’re already hearing, “I’m bored,” from the kids this summer, which is where we turn to all the cool kids’ activity books available. Having a stash around our house for them to choose from is one trick that’s helped around our...

7 crazy lawn sprinklers that will get your kids outside all summer long.

by Kate Etue | Party Ideas, Toys + Playthings

We have found some of the OMG, craziest, fun lawn sprinklers for kids this summer, because come on, don’t you need more silly, crazy fun in your life? We know we do. With one initial investment (ranging from small to oof in the options we’ve found), your...

The lawn sprinkler made entirely from predatory humanoid alien parts

by Liz Gumbinner | Toys + Playthings

The trend of crazy inflatable lawn sprinklers and cool pool floats shows little sign of slowing down. But if rainbow and unicorn sprinklers aren’t quite up your kid’s alley, I wouldn’t be surprised if a predatory, inter-dimension humanoid lawn...

Slime pies: The next craft for your slime-obsessed kid.

by Liz Gumbinner | DIY

I don’t know about you, but DIY slime projects show no sign of slowing down in our home — let alone taking over less of our kitchen counter space. We love the star-spangled July Fourth slime craft that Lexi shared here, but now with a little more summer...

19 incredibly cool gifts for dads who love the outdoors | Father’s Day Gift Guide 2019

by Kate Etue | Father's Day Gifts

This Father’s Day, if you’re shopping for a dad who loves the outdoors — and struggling a little — I feel you! My husband would rather take my kids hiking and camping than pretty much anything else, and I love that so much. And yet it can be...

My go-to shops for the best camp basics for kids. Hurry: Big sales now!

by Liz Gumbinner | Kid Fashion

It’s that time of year: Camp clothes shopping! Or more accurately, the time I look at the kids’ camp clothing checklist and realize we have outgrown everything and gah, where am I going to get those non-itchy navy shorts again? If you’re like me, I...