Nestled in the Canadian Rockies is the majestic town of Banff. Built as a tourist destination on the Canadian Pacific Railway, this charming mountain town has entertained the likes of royalty, presidents, and my entire crazy, extended family for a whole week. Our family trip to Canada was definitely one for the memory books. 

By Susan Jara

It’s a terrifying scenario that has become all too familiar: A gunman walks into a school and starts shooting. Parents rush to the scene and wait in desperation to find out whether their child survived. Some of them do not.

The shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, is one of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. Since the tragic 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, more than 400 people have been shot at schools, according to the New York Times.

As a parent watching these tragedies unfold over and over again, I felt powerless, frightened, and bewildered as to how to discuss these events with my children—and really, how to keep them safe going forward. Many parent friends say they’re afraid to send their kids through the school doors every day in light of these mass shootings. We wonder: Are the active shooter drills they’re participating in even helping?

“Every day I leave the house, thinking, ‘What if something happens at my school or at my child’s school,’ says Jill Murray, a mom and social worker in a high school near Newtown, Connecticut. “What if this is the last time I see my son?”

So I sought the advice of experts to help guide myself and other parents through this. What can we do to keep them safe, and what can we do to prevent anxiety from taking over?

Sure, you can go big 'n' splashy for July 4th; New Jersey hosts some of the best (and biggest) July 4th fireworks around, from Atlantic City to Jersey City to great beach spots. But why not try a celebration in a small town? They may not have Macy's fireworks, but the charm, the history, the food, and the Americana feel may more than make up for the loss of crowds, noise and, well, crowds.

Check out some of our favorite small town New Jersey July 4th celebrations below that come complete with parades, fun runs, antique car shows, and so much more than just fireworks! And for more summer awesomeness, check out our New Jersey Kids Summer Activities Guide. Of course, you can find even more July 4th fun in our Event Calendar.  

While there are lots of Mommy and Me classes to take in Westchester, they’re usually geared towards the under-5 set. But what if you’re looking to spend time trying a fitness activity with your kids, like swimming or yoga, once they’ve made their way to elementary school? We’ve got those too!

Here are a few places in where families can work up a sweat together. The best part? You’ll get in a workout, kids will see firsthand the importance of staying healthy and active—and everyone will have fun. 

Prefer to workout solo? Check out a list of gyms in the area with on-site childcare.

My family doesn’t do a lot of camp. I have two children who loath having their time scheduled, and I am mostly home with them, so in the summer I let them loaf. We all enjoy not having a schedule, and, let’s face it, camp can be pricey. We peruse Mommy Poppins’ Event Calendar, where I always find something fun and usually free. Inevitably, though, the point arrives when somebody, maybe even everybody, is a bit bored—or, in the case of the camp director (me), tired. Also, I do work part time, so I can’t always be in charge of the entertainment. This is a recipe for that most dreaded of all childhood diseases: too much screen time. That's when camp starts to seem like a really good idea, and I regret not having signed up. Even the kids sometimes yearn for something scheduled, because most of their friends aren’t around; they're at camp.

So what to do with a couple of bored couch potatoes? It’s summer. Send them to the beach, the beach, the beach! This is a no brainer. People travel from far away to spend their summers by our shores. We are already here. It would be crazy not to take advantage of this most glorious natural resource. Slather on the sunscreen, get some UV sunglasses, maybe even invest in a wet suit, but make sure those kids get some time in the surf and sand! Of course, if the beach is not your cup of tea, we also know a few other places that don’t require advance planning and will welcome your children for the day. As the summer progresses you may even find more, because sometimes a camp that books by the week becomes more flexible if it doesn’t fill all its places.

Here are 10 you can count on:

As kids get older, it gets harder to find indoor family activities that aren’t “boring” or “stupid.” Fear not; there’s good news. If you’re the parent of older school-age kids or 'tweens, you might want to try an escape room adventure. People all over America are paying to be locked in a room for an hour—to try to get out, together. Escape rooms are the newest trend, and your family might love it. We’ve found five nearby escape rooms, or similarly-themed quest activities, where you and your kids can test your quick-thinking and problem-solving skills (and maybe do some bonding at the same time).

Like all worthwhile adventures, This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing at Atlantic for Kids starts down a familiar path, hits a fork in the road, and then goes off in unanticipated and delightful directions. Although at the outset this seriocomic play interweaves a number of fairy tale tropes—a sudden death, an evil stepmother, an ineffectual father, and three disparate triplets—it ends up being as kooky and unpredictable as an overtired toddler.

It's also long and explores some complicated themes such as abandonment, longing, and how our childhood dreams evolve as we grow. So is This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing right for your child? Read our review for a sense of what to expect from this unpredictable fable, or check out our complete Theater Guide for NYC Kids for many more options.

The winter weather may have you counting down the days until you and your family can hit the road for a fun-filled adventure. While you’re waiting for the temps to rise, cabin fever may also be increasing.

Thankfully, the Philadelphia area is home to countless kid-friendly activities to stimulate little minds and make the countdown to summer fly by. Stay home this winter and take advantage of all that Philly has to offer with these great staycation ideas.