‘Double Dare’ Host Reveals What Nickelodeon’s Slime Is Actually Made Of

by Shahrzad WarkentinJune 29, 2017

photo: Tech Insider via YouTube

Long before slime was the hottest thing on the playground, it was covering kids and celebrities in its neon green glory on Nickelodeon. As a mom you probably already know every recipe for making the modern day schoolyard variety, but do you know what the O.G. stuff is made of?

If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, you are definitely more than familiar with Double Dare and it’s host Marc Summers. If you spent your afternoons watching kids get slimed, you might have wondered just what that green goop actually was. Now Summers, ironically also the host of Food Network’s Unwrapped, is explaining to the world just what that ooze was.

The secret recipe to the original Nickelodeon slime, as Summers explains, was “vanilla pudding, apple sauce, green food coloring and a little oatmeal.” Regardless of the recipe, your kids will definitely get a kick out of the fact that you were enthralled by slime when you were their age, too.

Were you a Double Dare fan growing up? Tell us in the comments below.

Netflix Is Planning To Help A New Generation Discover Where In The World Carmen Sandiego Is

by Shahrzad WarkentinApril 18, 2017

photo: E! News

If you spent your own childhood afternoons trotting the globe to unravel the mystery location of Carmen Sandiego, you’ll be excited to learn that you can soon pass that love of geography trivia on to your own kids.

While nothing has been officially confirmed yet, according to a recent report by Tracking Board, Netflix is developing a reboot of Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? The original series, which was based on a video game of the same name, was an iconic series on PBS in the 90’s with an unforgettably catchy theme song.

The new show would be an animated series with Jane The Virgin’s Gina Rodriguez starring as the voice of the well-travelled Carmen Sandiego. It might be awhile till the series actually makes it to Netflix, so in the meantime treat yourself (and your kids) to a nostalgic trip down memory lane with the Rockappella theme song below.

Were you a fan of Carmen Sandiego as a kid? Share your thoughts on the reboot in the comments.

Make Your Own Mini Herb Garden with Only 4 Supplies

by Leigh WeinbergMarch 3, 2017

Summertime means harkening back to the simpler things in life: sleeping in, unplanned afternoons and fun that can be had with as few props as possible. Today’s idea for fresh & simple summer fun is to take products commonly found in your home to reinvent a mini garden.

Today, we are building a mini herb garden with only 4 supplies. Here’s what you’ll need.

Soil
Herb of your choice
Water
An empty container, like a cream cheese container

Step 1: Add a layer of soil.

Step 2: Add your plant.

Step 3: Add another layer of soil and don’t forget to water!

Step 4: Let it grow!

Watch the video for an easy tutorial. Find more ideas for fresh and simple summer fun here.

Did you know that Arla® is a farm-to-fridge dairy company that currently offers a full range of naturally delicious cheese varieties, including cream cheese, snack cheese and sliced cheese? As an added bonus, Arla cheese is made from only simple ingredients that you can recognize. Arla is the better-for-you-cheese the whole family will love. What more could a parent want?

Three Secrets to a Perfect Summer

by Erin FeherJuly 5, 2015

From boating to BBQ-ing, the options for summer fun are infinite. And while we started the school-free months with a long list of anticipated adventures, after looking back at the hundreds of smile-filled photos of all the warm-weather fun we had, we soon realized all our favorite summer activities fell under three simple categories—something we dubbed the holy trinity of summer. To prove our point, we dug into the overflowing photo archives of our Bay Area editor, Erin Feher, who rarely lets a moment slip by without capturing it on her iPhone. We had a blast creating a trio of slideshows using the RealTimes app, which let us easily combine photos from not just Erin’s phone, but also the devices of her friends and family—so no angle was missed (and she actually got to appear in a few precious snaps with her family). We think the photo creations below prove that the very best summer vibes come from these three very simple pleasures. Press play to find out what they are, then create your own memories by downloading RealTimes and looking back at your own summer in a new light!

Swim!
Any body of water counts—oceans, lakes, big blue swimming pools, and even the little inflatable number you set up in the side yard. Also filed under this epic summer activity is: burying yourself in the sand, kicking around a beach ball and even snoozing on a poolside lounger.

Eat Ice Cream!
This sweet summer treat never goes out of style. Just make sure to have your camera ready (and plenty of napkins).

Hang with Friends and Family!
Our biggest discovery was that it often doesn’t matter what your doing, as long as you are surrounded by your favorite people. From long, leisurely family vacations with cousins and grandparents to “wish they lasted forever” afternoons with old friends, any old activity quickly becomes a party when friends and family are involved.

Did you get plenty of the magic three this summer? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Download RealTimes here.

—Red Tricycle Editors

Bring your memories to life with RealTimes. Easily create montage Stories from your photos and videos. With RealTimes you can customize these Stories with your own music and titles, and share them with friends and family either privately or through social media. RealTimes also lets you safely store all of your media and Stories in a secure cloud that you can access from any device or computer, anytime – your moments are always with you. Share your moments, tell your story.

Grand Slam! Best Birthday Party Venues for Little Sports Nuts

by Kate LowethMarch 19, 2015

Did your tot memorize the lyrics to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” before “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”? Do they spend their afternoons setting up a sick skatepark in your back yard? When birthday time comes around, you may be thinking that your party options are limited to mini golf and bowling. But with this list of Bay Area birthday party venues geared towards little sports nuts, you are guaranteed to score a major birthday touchdown!

Shred Like It’s Your Birthday: Society Indoor Skatepark

Planning a party for your little skater? Look no further than San Carlos where you will find Society Indoor Skatepark. Society boasts ramps suitable for every level of skater, from beginners to the more advanced. Birthday parties at Society include professional instruction that is guaranteed to get all partygoers up on their boards. Plus, the birthday kid goes home with a free Society skateboard deck to take home!

850 East San Carlos Ave.
San Carlos, Ca
Online: activities.societyskateshop.com

Photo credit: Tom Nungaray via Flickr creative commons

What’s your sports fan’s favorite birthday party venue? Let us know below!

—Kate Loweth

Handmade Holiday: 6 Kid-Friendly Spots for DIY Gifts

by Hanna NeierDecember 8, 2014

Here’s a holiday PSA from us here at Red Tricycle NY: Your mother-in-law does not need another serving platter that you picked up in a panic at Macy’s. However, she’ll love one personally hand-painted by her grandchild! Make holiday dreams come true — and keep your little one engaged on a cold or rainy day — at one of these drop-in spots where kids can unleash their creativity and help you cross a few folks off your gift list!

For Tons of Options: Make Meaning in Manhattan

With its four stories of lofty modern colorful creativity areas, Make Meaning is an Upper East Side hangout with lots of options for you and your crafty kid. Make Meaning goes beyond the ordinary and offers an enormous range of activities and crafts like soap and candle-making to cookie decorating and more. Many projects costs less than $25 to make, including the make-your-own candles and soaps; you can also decorate a pair of four-inch cookies for $19.

Good to know: The activities here are suitable for all ages with the exception of glass-making, which is for kids ages eight and up. Weekday mornings are open studio where you're pretty much on your own and receive little instruction and, depending on the day, limited to plaster and ceramic painting. For more instruction, and more options, come in the afternoons or weekends when staff run drop-in, hour-long workshops every half-hour. Although drop-ins always welcome, Make Meaning offers and recommends making reservations if you want to avoid a table wait during busy hours.

Hours: Sun.-Thurs., 10a.m.-7p.m.; Fri., 10a.m.-8p.m., Sat. 10a.m.-9p.m.

212-744-0011
1501 3rd Ave. Upper East Side

Online: makemeaning.com

photo: Make Meaning/Shirley Serure Photography

Have a favorite DIY spot? Leave a comment below and let us know about it!

—Hanna R. Neier

Just Opened: Papabubble

by Erin FeherSeptember 5, 2014

As if the little ones needed a reason to love candy even more, a sweet little sweets factory has popped up in Hayes Valley, where every day sugary ropes of the good stuff are pulled, rolled and wrapped into mini morsels of confection perfection. Pappabubble is the newest sugar den to land in the neighborhood, and to find it, all you have to do it follow your nose.

The Sweet and Lowdown
This is the third US location of the artisan candy shop (NYC and LA came before), but it seems to have cracked the code of the new SF treat shop: beautiful, Instagram-worthy product displayed in an equally alluring storefront; gourmet, chef-concocted flavors (how about jackfruit or sparkling wine?); and master confectioners making the stuff right in front of you. Have you ever tried candy while it was still warm? We bet you won’t be able to resist.

A Candy by Another Name
Their specialty is what is technically called caramels, but not the burnt, brown, soft caramels we think of. This is rainbow colored hard candy in dozens of specialty flavors, served up in lollipops, pillows (think of little bite-sized poofs) and teeny logs, decorated with even smaller designs, words or pictures—the art behind the candy artisans behind the counter. For gifts or special occasions, you can order custom candies featuring the birthday-boy -or girl’s name inside.

The Candy Cooks
Candy is made in house everyday, usually in the afternoons. The incredibly friendly staff will happily explain the process, and even cut off little sections and offer warm, gooey samples. The candy makers move at a breathtaking speed, as they have to get their creation into its final shape before everything hardens, so the kids will be captivated.

Give It A Taste
The sample jars are abundant, so it’s best to go in with a game plan, or you could have some kiddos suffering from a serious sugar overdose on your hands. If you want to practice some delayed gratification, pick up a bag of mixed flavors for $5.50, or a lovely oversized lollipop for about the same. It will taste even sweeter since they know exactly how it’s made.

488 Fell St.
San Francisco, Ca
415-533-1188
Online: papabubblesf.com

All images courtesy of the author

Have you tried this special sweet shop yet?

—Erin Feher

Playtime With a View: The Country’s Most Scenic Playgrounds

by Claire SchillingsOctober 25, 2013

Whether you’re in the city or the suburbs, every family has their favorite go-to playground for those sunny summer afternoons. While there are tons of beautiful parks around the country that kids adore, not all can boast jaw-dropping views and killer locations. Click through the slideshow and check out these picturesque playgrounds with views that even the little ones will appreciate…when they’re not busy playing of course!

Mission Dolores Park, San Francisco

Situated in one of San Francisco's most culturally vibrant neighborhoods, Mission Dolores Park commands spectacular vistas of the city's expansive skyline that are sure to impress even the most focused park-goers. The playground has recently been renovated, and the grassy hills offer picnic and play spots for the whole family to relax and enjoy the view!

Park Perk: Keep the fun going and grab an ice cream at SF favorite Bi-Rite Creamery, located diagonal from the park on 18th Street and Dolores, for a special treat!

19th & Dolores St.
San Francisco, Ca
Map it

Photo courtesy of A Name Like Shields Can Make You Defensive via Creative Commons

Did we miss your favorite playground with a view? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

— Claire Schillings

5 Fun Things to Do After School

by writerredtriDecember 2, 2011

Back-to-school hasn’t been easy on any of us. Well, any of us who were left behind, that is. So even though our trips to museums and parks have slowed down, we’re still trying to fill our afternoons with fun. Here are a few ideas of ways to make the most of your post-school time with little ones.

Build a Chalk Track/City– Breathe new life into scooters, bikes and plasma cars by building a road system on your driveway or street with sidewalk chalk. If your little ones are speed demons, time them on the track and see who can complete the course fastest. If racing isn’t their thing, give them a list of “errands” to run and let them explore the imaginary city. Hint: Create your masterpiece while the kids are at school to maximize play time.

Water Balloonball– Even my little major leaguers get tired of the same old ball sports. While it’s still hot, enjoy cooling off with a twist. Head out for a game of baseball, but toss water balloons instead of balls—then even a miss is a hit. Just beware of the grass getting too slippery. Hint: Prep the water balloons while the kids are at school to maximize play time.

Hand Over the Camera– Turn an ordinary afternoon into something special by giving your kiddo a camera. Just doing the same old thing becomes fascinating when they get to decide what to capture. And you’ll be amazed how different the world looks through their eyes. (Big took the picture above—along with some really unflattering ones of me—while playing with his stomp rocket.)

Send ‘Em Hunting– Before the kids get home, set up clues around the house/yard that lead them to a special snack. You can bring the treasure hunt theme to life with goodies like Pirate’s Booty and chocolate coins.

Make a Rainbow– Go on a walk around the neighborhood and try to collect an object for each color of the rainbow. To make things a bit more challenging, have them look for objects that start with each letter of the alphabet instead.

What are some of your family’s favorite afternoon activities?

Amy Heinz uses her words to tame her three kids, as well as share ideas and funny parenting moments at her slice-of-life blog, Using Our Words.

ML Interest Tag: afternoon

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