Labor Day Weekend 2025 in Orlando: Disney On Ice, Kennedy Under the Stars, and More Things to Do with Kids

Submitted by Charlotte B on

EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival kicks off this weekend at Disney! Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World

Looking for the best things to do for Labor Day weekend in Orlando? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list this three-day weekend.

During Labor Day weekend in Orlando, get your tickets to Disney On Ice at the Kia Center, where Mickey and friends dazzle on skates in a magical live performance. At the theme parks, Universal Orlando kicks off Halloween Horror Nights and Walt Disney World launches EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival. Enjoy an after-hours experience at the Kennedy Space Center Saturday night during Kennedy Under the Stars. Plus, kids receive FREE admission to the Central Florida Zoo for the rest of August AND Florida resident kids get FREE admission to the Brevard Zoo during September. Keep reading for more exciting events happening across Central Florida this Labor Day weekend!

If you want to get away for the long weekend, check out Amazing Weekend Getaways from Orlando and Florida Campgrounds for Family Getaways for cool ideas.

Labor Day Weekend 2025 in Los Angeles: Festivals, Blippi, and More Things to Do with Kids

Submitted by Toby B on

End the summer with gelato. Photo courtesy Gelato Festival World Masters

Looking for things to do this Labor Day Weekend 2025? Add these fun things to your list of what to do with kids in Los Angeles this Labor Day weekend.

Labor Day weekend marks the end of a jam-packed Los Angeles summer. This weekend brings some summer favorites to a close, such as the 2025 Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival​, the OC Parks Sunset Cinema Movie Series, and the Rescue Exhibition at Discovery Cube LA. Crank up the volume on Labor Day weekend with festivals like the Gelato Festival World Masters, the Long Beach Greek Festival, and the Orange International Street Festival​. 

There's still time for summer fun, so head to the best beaches in Los Angeles over the long Labor Day weekend or take a family road trip from Los Angeles. Make those end-of-summer memories with ideas from our Ultimate Los Angeles Kids Summer Vacation Guide.   

The Gateway to the Ozarks Needs to Be on Your Travel Bucket List

Submitted by Gabby Cullen on

Dogwood Canyon Nature Preserve is one of the most popular Ozark tourist attractions.

Springfield, MO, and the surrounding areas are known as the gateway to the Ozarks: a stunning region in the heart of America filled with caves, springs, forests, and vast limestone formations. It’s also home to Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro, and one of the country’s most important conservationists.

His foundation has created nature parks and important educational institutions that put the spotlight on his home state far more than a certain Netflix show could ever hope to do. And while I loved watching Jason Bateman captain his boat among the fingers of the Lakes of the Ozarks, it was by exploring the land preserved by Mr. Morris’s that I was able to truly understand the historical and natural impact and wild beauty of the Ozarks.

Springfield, along with the nature preserves that fall under the Johnny Morris Foundation umbrella, is just an eight-hour drive northeast of Dallas, near Branson, one of the most popular Ozark tourist attractions for North Texans. If you’re planning on exploring this beautiful part of the country on your next vacation, include the gateway to the Ozarks in your itinerary.

Clothespin Magnets - Fun &Easy Craft for Kids

Submitted by Dari Litchman on

Have fun with your little one creating these colorful magnetic clothespin keepers! They're great for pinning up kids' artwork, important reminders, or even as a sweet handmade gift for teachers or Mother's Day. Decorate with things you have lying around the house, like odd buttons, for a personalized touch.

10 Tips For Making Middle School Amazing: Middle School Kids are the Best

Submitted by Melanie Preis on

Middle schoolers can be so much fun to hang out with! Photo by the author

As school starts up again across the country, tweens and teens are beginning the arduous adventure that is middle school. And thanks to pretty much all of pop culture—and many adults who have gone through the middle school years and lived to tell the tale—kids go into middle school fearing the worst. You know—classmates are terrible. School is terrible. Everything is terrible.

We're here to assure you—and your anxious middle schooler—that middle school can, in fact, be the best. Many teachers say middle school kids are their favorite age to teach. That's because they're learning to think critically, joke cleverly, and care deeply. They're growing, learning, and finding their spark. In other words, middle schoolers are becoming themselves.

Read on for middle school tips for parents that will help you encourage, inspire, and celebrate your kids. You'll learn how to make middle school better for your children so they'll become happy and thriving in middle school.

Our 2025-2026 Back-to-School Guide has even more advice on how to make this the best school year yet, including our list of the best school supplies (from a veteran teacher).

Pages