Stargazing in New York City is more likely to mean a celebrity sighting than watching actual celestial bodies. I grew up in the suburbs and have fond memories of standing in my yard with my dad and my telescope, talking about constellations. Even if you’re lucky enough to have outdoor space here, the light pollution precludes seeing anything but the brightest stars. If you can’t book a trip to some remote, rural location, the next best thing is a planetarium—especially since you also get expert guidance as to what you’re seeing.

While the next solar eclipse isn't due till 2024 (on April 8, if you want to really plan ahead), we will have a lovely lunar eclipse on July 4, 2020, and meteor showers happen quite frequently. The constellations are great story-telling vehicles, and discovering how to use the stars to navigate is a fun (if not necessarily practical) life skill to develop. If your child is fascinated by the night sky, we've rounded up some excellent options to help them explore the universe, and beyond!

Happy stargazing!

One of the most exciting milestones my husband and I have experienced with both our kids was hearing them utter their first words. The thrill that comes from the realization that repeatedly saying "dada" and "say ma-ma-ma-ma-mama" has finally clicked and then being able to watch your child's vocabulary explode is one of those experiences that you never forget. The months leading up to that, however, can be wrought with frustration for parents and babies as you both try to communicate to each other. There is a solution, though - baby sign language.

Baby sign language allows your child to effectively communicate with you well before they are verbal, and can ease the frustration and tantrums that are often a result of the helplessness born from not being able to communicate a need or want. Learning another language so early also paves the way to multilingual success as your child grows, and can be a fun and unique bonding experience for the two of you. Here are some sign language classes around Houston for you and baby to learn and grow together.

If your kid bounces off the walls even after a full day of activities, you might be raising a little ninja warrior, and a candidate for Orange County's hip and hopping gym, Firestorm Freerunning & Acrobatics. This Santa Ana gym is owned and operated by local fitness guru Justin Taylor (who appeared on the reality TV show American Ninja Warrior). It's also a premier training site for parkour, the latest fitness craze to capture the imagination of active kids.

The back-to-school section has been out for weeks at Target, end-of-summer sales are in full swing and summer packets have been mailed. But rest assured, it may be nearing the last few weeks of freedom but there is still plenty of summer left. Here are our picks for 25 things to do with your kiddos in Fairfield County before summer is over.

Kids love to play and parents love it when they learn new things while they do it. Just a short drive away in Wilmington, Delaware, the Delaware Children's Museum is an interactive, educational, and hands-on museum where kids can learn while they play. Kids can play, climb, jump, and splash, all while learning about the human body, building, conservation, and more.

From fried to frozen, cone to cookie, these ice cream places offer some pretty crazy confections. Crazy delicious. We've rounded up some of the top contenders (through rigorous research, of course) for the craziest ice cream creations in Connecticut. And don't stop here. Check out our favorite ice cream parlors in New Haven, Fairfield, New London and Hartford. 

Being a child of the late 80s and early 90s meant I partook in a lot of awesome and awesomely horrible trends. Feathered bangs: check. Acid-wash jeans: check. Walkman: check. Roller skates and afternoons spent at the roller rink: check, check, check. While some of these things are now rightfully obsolete (feathered bangs and Walkman, I'm looking at you), some of them are making a resurgence in popularity. Acid-wash jeans: suddenly - and questionably - cool again. Roller rinks: ALL OVER IT. 

Disco music, retro carpet, strobe lights, a smell that is entirely unique to roller rinks everywhere, and hours spent rolling in circles around the skate floor are making a BIG comeback, and there are a ton of roller rinks around Houston. Want to double down on your skating skills? Be sure to check out our list of Houston area ice rinks!

As summer winds down, it’s time to think about what activities will entertain your family in the fall. Luckily, Boston offers dozens of performances that will amaze and delight your kids. From traveling circuses to local children’s theater, here's a list of some of the best shows of the autumn. Whether your kids are in the mood for The Nutcracker or a comedy show with rescued pets, we’ve got you covered—so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!