When it comes to practicing gratitude, it’s never too early to start! Naomi Shulman’s Give Thanks, with Hsingping Pan’s delightful illustrations, offers kids a collection of 50 uplifting activities and games, like this friendship flower, for spreading joy and happiness in the world. What you'll … Read More

My kiddos started second grade this year, but I still remember their first day of preschool and the jitters (mine maybe more than theirs?) when they started—new teachers, new routines, new EVERYTHING. Looking for a fun way to keep the jitters at bay? Whether just … Read More

This fun and functional project from Wilderness Adventure Camp by Frank Grindrod will leave both you and your kids with a sense of accomplishment and a good story (including a spoon as proof!) to share around the dinner table when you return home.

What can we learn from a walk in the woods? It turns out a lot more than you might think. On a recent sunny weekend, I printed out a couple of Tree Bark Scavenger Hunt pages from Backpack Explorer: Discovering Trees (you can download … Read More

DEANNA: How did you decide to become a kid's book illustrator?  HSINPING: I have loved to draw since I was a kid, but I never thought that it could be a career option for me. Until when I was in high school, there was a … Read More

Whether in the backwoods or the backyard, a sun compass is a fun and simple way to use the sun to tell what direction is north. For best results, start making your sun compass before noon, when the sun is still at an angle, not … Read More

Mindfulness is about noticing what’s happening right here, right now. We can discover so much, just by paying attention! These kid-friendly yoga moves—and many more peaceful activities—can be found in Mindful Moves by Nicole Cardoza. Rise and Shine. It feels good to … Read More

On my run this morning, I came across a long trail of caterpillars marching in a head-to-tail procession. My mind began concocting all kinds of stories about why they were lined up and what they would transform into. Perhaps the procession was a mechanism to … Read More

You may think of wildlife as being African elephants and Antarctic penguins, but there’s wildlife all around you. How can you save the wild animals, like birds, foxes, butterflies, and turtles, that live in your neighborhood? Become a backyard ranger and make your own yard … Read More

Stop me if you see a pattern here. My wife, having never previously demonstrated an interest in puzzles, has recently become a jigsaw junkie, burning through 1,000-piece projects every two weeks. Many of her friends are doing the same. Harry Potter star Daniel Ratcliff says … Read More