Rachael Ray and Guy Fieri had to start somewhere! If you have a budding chef on your hands, try one of these culinary classes to help teach them some professional tricks of the trade. They'll learn how to pair ingredients, handle utensils and--if you're lucky--please their own picky palates!  

Looking for other ways to chase away the winter blues? Check out our Inside Activity Guide.

If there is one film in this year's Oscars field deserving of the sometimes overused label “modern day classic,” I think it’s the French animated feature Ernest and Celestine. The film has been nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature, and it’s easy to see why; in today's sea of computer-animated, 3-D action adventure movies for kids, this hand drawn tale is a visual treat, with endearing characters and a gratifying story. It's got to be tough getting attention for a small foreign children’s film in a year that is overwhelmingly dominated by Disney’s mega-phenomenon, Frozen, but this little film is absolutely worth the attention of movie-loving kids and their parents, whatever the Academy's final decision.

"Read Across America Day" is a fun and important day for your little reader! This year Read Across America Day falls on March 3, 2014, but we should be celebrating reading everyday. We're sure your local library and child's school is celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday and Read Across America, but why let them have all the fun? Here's our roundup of fun reading events and ideas for celebrating Read Across America for New Jersey kids and families.

We have one in our neighborhood, and perhaps you have one in yours. Or maybe you walk your kid to one every morning, and you wonder as you peer through the fence: Why does all that good space go unused when school is not in session? Ah, yes, school playgrounds. Those acres of wide open land we (and our children) often crave here in this space-cramped city of ours - play spaces, though, that (frustratingly) we mostly can't access on weekends and in the summer. Thankfully, this has started to change.

A handful of area schools have opened (or will soon be opening) their play yard gates on weekends and in the summer. Hurray! Below is a list of playgrounds already waiting for your kids to visit, as well as information on others slated to open in the not too distant future. If you, too, would like your neighborhood school yard to be open on weekends, read on. We cover that, too.

A young child’s interest in toys changes quickly. A new plaything that was a huge hit when first received is forgotten just a few days (make that hours) later. That can be frustrating for parents as the clutter and the bills mount up. That's why a toy rental service makes so much sense. It saves money, space and the environment. Less junk to throw in the landfill!

Toy rental websites offer Netflix-style subscriptions so your kid can try out new playthings on a regular basis. These services are also great for when your child goes on an extended visit to a grandparent or another relative who doesn't have playthings lying around the house. Traveling families can also benefit from shipping toys to a destination to lighten the luggage, just like you might rent strollers or car seats on the road. Here are some toy rental websites that ship packages throughout the United States.

It's that time of the winter where we’re all going a little stir crazy! If your house is anything like mine, you’ve probably exhausted almost every indoor activity and creative motivation come late February – we’ve done play dough, painting, indoor bowling and baked countless batches of cookies. It’s amazing how kids have seemingly endless energy! So instead of spending another afternoon cooped up, head out to one of these awesome indoor play spaces in Central Jersey.