Boredom Busters

End of Summer Checklist: 30Things To Do in Connecticut with Kids Before School Starts

Submitted by Clementina Verge on Sun, 08/04/2019 - 6:00pm

Before beach towels get stored away for another season and late summer nights are replaced by bedtime curfews, there's still plenty of time to embrace late-summer fun with Connecticut kids. Here are our favorite things to close out the summer vacation season as a family. Don't forget to check our list of must-do August activities, free August fun, and events calendar for even more ideas for making the most of summer's end.

25 Water Games for Kids To Play All Summer Long

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Mon, 07/08/2019 - 10:30am

Water games are an easy way to keep the kids entertained—and cool—this summer. From a simple water balloon toss to fancier DIY fun like sprinkler Twister, these outdoor games are sure to please all ages.

One year, I found myself home with both kids for a whole summer due to a shift in my career path, so we got pretty creative with the water games. There were 10 weeks to fill after all! Read on for our favorites—and you can also download this free printable with all 25 top water games for kids.

Need more free and cheap activities for the kids this summer break? Our family started a Boredom Busters jar: a painted Mason jar full of ideas to keep them busy (and tired out). Anyone complaining of boredom can open it and pick out an activity. Many of the ideas come from the Mommy Poppins' 100 Summer Play Activities List and Free Summer Fun Ideas. But their absolute favorites are the water games for splish-splashy, low-key summer fun.

30 Rainy Day Activities for Families in Philadelphia

Submitted by Lindsay Li on Sun, 04/14/2019 - 12:00am

If rainy days and Mondays bring you down, it's probably because you feel stuck indoors. While a rainy day here and there is a great excuse for cuddling on the couch and watching movies, baking cookies, or crafting, a few rainy days in a row can be a real drag. But don't fret, there are many ways to get out of the house to have an indoor adventure in Philadelphia, from indoor playgrounds to more educational experiences than we can possibly name in one list, it could rain for 40 days and 40 nights and there would still be plenty to explore.

25 Ways to Spend a Morning with Your Toddler in Boston

Submitted by Elizabeth Fisher on Fri, 04/05/2019 - 3:00pm

Once you've gotten through breakfast and downed your second (or third) cup of coffee, have you ever looked at your toddler and thought, "what the heck am I going to do with you today?" Too young for many full-time schools or camps, too old to just tag along on errands all day, toddlers are suited for fun, interactive activities that don't require a long attention span and will tucker them out for their afternoon nap. Fortunately for parents and caregivers, there are a plenty of great local activities that will get you both out of the house; and many attractions are 100% free for toddlers.

LI-Based Pint Size Painters Helps Kids Make a Masterpiece

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Tue, 03/12/2019 - 12:55pm

Submerge your budding Picasso into an artist's world with a kit from Pint Size Painters. The fully equipped immersion kit, invented by a pair of Long Island parents, encourages the learning of art history while inspiring kids to create original artwork.

Explore more possibilities at these drop-in art locations for kids or become inspired at these Long Island museums and art galleries.

21 Wacky Ways to Celebrate Dr. Seuss' Birthday with Kids

Submitted by Ally Noel on Mon, 02/18/2019 - 10:34am

“If we didn’t have birthdays, you wouldn’t be you. If you’d never been born, well then what would you do?” Thank goodness Dr. Seuss’ birthday comes once a year—and it always gives us great reason to cheer!

On March 2, we’ll celebrate literacy and Seuss with fun crafts, treats, and other activities in honor of the literary rhyming master. Dr. Seuss’ birthday kicks off a nationwide reading celebration known as Read Across America Day. Schools, libraries, and community centers across the country observe the day with read-alouds, crafts, and Seuss-a-rific treats!

Use this list of 21 zany activities to commemorate the day at home with the kids. Whether you want to start it off with some green eggs and ham or plan your next family vacation to the birthplace of Dr. Seuss himself, there is something for everyone on this list of Dr. Seuss-themed crafts, recipes, and activities—no matter how small.

35 Best Winter Activities for Kids (and Their Grown-ups)

Submitted by Ally Noel on Mon, 01/21/2019 - 11:04am

It's finally winter, and you know what that means as a parent, right? Get ready for soggy snow pants, slurping cocoa, building snowmen, taking the kids sledding, and all things cozy for the family.

But if the thought of another long winter spent hibernating indoors with the kids swinging from rafters, leaves you shivering in fear, we want to help. Whether you're planning fun indoor activities for a school snow day at home, or just looking to entertain the kids on another winter weekend, we've rounded up nearly three dozen fun things to do.

These super simple ideas (many of them FREE) will come in handy when cabin fever strikes and make it easy to avoid the indoor entertainment pitfalls of more screen time and complaints about boredom of which we're all so familiar. Get ready to turn the long, dark days of winter into a season the whole family can enjoy.

Winter Fun for NYC Toddlers That Beats Another Barnes & Noble Visit

Submitted by Sydney Ng on Mon, 12/31/2018 - 12:20pm

Once the holiday season starts to fade and winter sets in, it's hard not to find yourself in a rut with your little one. We've constructed this list of 25 things to do with your toddler around New York City that will keep those blizzard blues away, from warm and toasty indoor activities to get-up-and-moving outdoor frolics. Eight of the suggestions are FREE activities.

Everything included below is just the speed and time commitment for the toddler set—and won't have you dreading another trip wandering around the children's section of B&N, restocking the books as your little one pulls them down one after another!