From May 1 through the 8th, Star Wars enthusiasts can celebrate their love of a galaxy far, far away with the annual LEGO event that boasts brand new building sets, gifts with purchases, double VIP points and sweepstakes opportunities.
Now for the fine print: The sale officially start on Thur. May 4th. However, if you are a VIP member (which is completely free to sign up for and you can do now), you can start shopping four days early on May 1st. When it comes to Star Wars merch, this is a big deal as they often sell out before reaching the general public. What kind of new building kits await? Keep scrolling to start making your wishlist.
This isn't just any Landspeeder, it's the X-34! The 1,890 piece set joins the Ultimate Collector's Series with major attention to detail and two minifigures. It's geared toward builders 18 and older.
"One thing's for sure. We're all gonna be a lot thinner!" This iconic scene from "A New Hope" can now be yours. The 802-piece set comes with Han, Chewy, Luke and Leia, but thankfully, no garbage.
Perfect for budding builders, this special set marks the first time a 187th Legion Clone Trooper mini fig has been included. Not only that, you'll be able to use two spring-loaded shooters to reenact some epic battle scenes.
Size matters not, with this new diorama featuring Yoda's time on Dagobah. The 1,000-piece set comes with everything you need to recreate Yoda's hut, Luke's X-wing and more.
Complete your diorama collection with one of the most epic flight scenes in all of Star Wars history. It takes just 665 pieces to build this pint-sized version of the Death Star in intricate detail.
In addition to plenty of new sets available for purchase, there are also several gift with purchase items. When you make a purchase of $40 or more, you’ll get a free AT-ST. Buying $70 or more of new goodies? If you’re a VIP, you’ll snag a Mandalorian keychain. When you spend more than $160, you earn a Lars Family Homestead Kitchen that, of course, comes with a carton of blue milk.
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If you’re a VIP member and reading this, head to lego.com on May 1 to start snagging your Star Wars deals. Otherwise, mark you calendar for May 4th, and may the force be with you.
Travel across the bridge and see for yourself: Marin County’s natural beauty is unmatched. Your kids will love the expansive beaches and adventuresome hiking trails, but they’ll also get a kick out of Marin’s museums, playgrounds and restaurants. Add a family afternoon of mini-golf, pottery painting or LEGO® building to the itinerary—the options for Marin family activities are endless! Keep reading to see our favorite family activity spots north of the Golden Gate bridge!
Sam's Anchor Café Open for indoor and outdoor dining in charming Tiburon, enjoy fresh seafood (like Lobster rolls, fish tacos and more!) while you and your kids soak up the views of Alcatraz, Angel Island and the San Francisco skyline.
Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria What kid doesn't love pizza? Inspired by traditional Italian brick-oven pizzas, these thin crusts and fresh flavors make this restaurant a hit for the entire family. And the best part? Kids eat for FREE on Tuesdays (with each adult meal purchase) from 5 p.m. to close.
Sol Food A local favorite, this bright green Puerto Rican restaurant in downtown San Rafael is hard to miss. It features chicken that falls right off the bone, a wide variety of tasty sandwiches, combination plates, soups and salads. Something for everyone! Personally, we love the Maduros (sweet fried yellow plantains)! Location: 811 4th St. San Rafael, CA Website: Sol Food
Bay Area Discovery Museum Let your imagination run wild! With gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge, this museum is a popular Marin family activity and offers indoor and outdoor fun, STEM-focused exhibits and daily programs for kiddos (like woodshop, building challenges and a mud kitchen!). And don’t miss the Bean Sprouts café, where you can enjoy a Grilledzilla (grilled cheese with veggies), a spacequedilla (chicken quesadilla with veggies) and much more! Ideal for children aged six months to 10 years old.
The Marine Mammal Center Watch veterinarians and volunteers prepare marine mammals for release back into the wild. The world’s largest mammal hospital in Sausalito is currently closed, but get alerted when they reopen! In the meantime, your family can check out these fun events, like the onsite Fish Kitchen Experience (a free event for high school students) and virtual events (on the 1st Monday of every month).
Fox & Kit Half grown-up coffee house—half (beautifully designed) kids' wooden playground. Enjoy a latte and some adult conversation while your little ones burn off energy, invoke their imagination and have FUN!
McInnis Park Mini Golf For a family that loves sports, this is the perfect place. Marin County's only miniature golf course, McInnis Park, also has a 9-hole golf course and driving range, baseball, hiking and skateboarding. You’ll also find tennis courts, softball fields and soccer fields nearby. After you’ve worked up an appetite, pop into the McInnis Park Club Restaurant. The burgers are delicious!
310 Smith Ranch Rd. San Rafael, CA Website: McInnis Park
Play-Well Marin Activity Center If you love LEGO® as much as we do, check out the Play-Well Marin Activity Center—one of the largest licensed vendors of LEGO® building sets in the area. Try a workshop, day camp or just drop-in to play with their tens of thousands of LEGO® pieces and get guidance from one of their passionate instructors.
216 Greenfield Ave. San Anselmo, CA Website: Play-well
Do Art Studio With pottery painting for ages 2-102, this Marin family activity will put a little color into your afternoon with creative fun for the entire family!
1547 4th St. San Rafael, CA 94901 Website: Do Art Studio
San Rafael Summer Farmers Market Starting May 6th, come on down to 4th Street in downtown San Rafael for a night of summer fun! Yes, there will be fresh fruits and vegetables from 100 local farmers, but there are also specialty food purveyors (think honey, jams, pasta, cured meats and more!), one-of-a-kind pieces from local artists, live music, and street-style foods from local restaurants. Have a wander, a bite to eat, a little dance, and travel home with lots of good for you goodies. Click here for more information.
Take a Hike!
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Lakes, ocean views, redwood forests, valleys, dirt trails and open spaces. When you’re in the mood for a little (or large!) adventure, check out a few of our favorite spots:
Muir Woods: Explore the tranquil and towering redwoods!
Sausalito Boardwalk: An urban hike amongst shops, café’s and restaurants with gorgeous views of the bay and the San Francisco skyline.
Mount Tamalpais State Park: Whether you hike one mile or climb to the top of the mountain, Mount Tam has something for everyone with over 75 trails to choose from. Check out some options here.
Angel Island: The largest natural island in the San Francisco Bay, the views from hiking trails around the island are spectacular and some of the best in the Bay Area.
China Camp: On the shore of San Pablo Bay in San Rafael, this state park surrounds a historic Chinese American shrimp-fishing village and a salt marsh.
And if your little ones are truly nature lovers, check out the Junior Park Rangers Program. They'll explore, learn and protect wildlife in the ultimate outdoor Marin family activity and take home a cool badge in honor of their efforts.
If you were diehard Marty McFly and Doc Brown fans back in the 1980’s, good news has just arrived. You can stop living in the past and bring one of the most iconic film franchises to life with a brand new LEGO building set!
The LEGO Back to the Future Time Machine is the DeLorean at its best. The 3-in-1 building kit lets you create the time machine’s three unique versions from each of the three movies. The set comes with everything you need to travel to the past: a light-up flux capacitor, box of plutonium, Marty’s hoverboard and LEGO minifigure versions of Doc Brown and Marty McFly.
No details were spared in the recreation of the DeLorean. Look for things like wheels that fold down during flight mode, printed dashboard dates, opening gull-wing doors and hood, swappable license plates, banana, tin can and more Easter eggs the uber fan will notice.
The reason the set is so authentic? Universal, Amblin Entertainment and the Back to the Future filmmakers all collaborated on its creation!
Bob Gale, co-writer and co-producer of the trilogy shares, “In the movie, Doc Brown spent almost 30 years and his entire family fortune to build his Time Machine. Fortunately, you’ll be able to build this LEGO model in significantly less time and with far less expense – although your completed version will be unable to travel through time!”
To make the release even more special, LEGO captured some special shots with the OG DeLorean when it took a trip to the Backlot at Universal Studios in Hollywood where the franchise was filmed.
Not only that, you can now watch a special animated short, “Brick to the Future” where Marty and Doc have another time-traveling mission to repair the broken time machine! You can view it now on lego.com.
The LEGO Back to the Future Time Machine is meant for adults 18 years and older and comes with 1,872 pieces. While you can create all three versions of the DeLorean with the included pieces, you won’t be able to do all three at once. The set retails for $170 and is available starting Apr. 1 (NOT an April Fool’s joke) on lego.com and at your local Lego store.
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We have to admit, shopping for a birthday gift for a five-year-old might just be our favorite. They totally appreciate the gifts they receive and bonus, they are able to play with them on their own. We polled our parent-editors for their top picks and you’ll find building toys, books about the world around you and even a sweet treat that turns into a garden activity.
Help your child build a piggy bank, train and more. The kit includes smooth pine pieces, a lightweight hammer, nails, glue, a ruler and a guide with instructions for all the projects you can make.
Easy-to-follow instructions and easy-to-use modeling clay allows little ones to manipulate shapes into farm animals or wherever their imagination takes them.
Will this require a bit of extra work (like sourcing six mini cake pans?) Yes. But for a kid who loves baking and bright surprises, it'll be beyond worth it.
For blossoming readers, a special place to call their own is in order. This dangling nook can be hung indoors or out and comes in a variety of color combos.
Get the kids carrying their own water and gear from a young age (you won't regret it). This backpack is the perfect size for a weekend hike and they can stash all their "treasures" in the zippered compartment so you don't come home with a pocket full of rocks.
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Your tot just keeps growing and is ready to hit big number three. In addition to their growing independence, three-year-olds are learning to play with their peers, can count and are generally learning through physical activity. That means gifts for your little’s third birthday are nothing but fun! From role-playing games to awesome art supplies, keep scrolling for great ideas on cool birthday gifts for kids turning three.
This article is sponsored by Vtech, the global leader in electronic learning toys for babies, infants, toddlers, and pre-k learning levels. Learn more information about Vtech here.
Give the best gift ever with the Level Up Gaming Chair™ from VTech®! Little gamers will love to play just like big kids with their very own gaming station including a chair that swivels, a joystick, pretend headphones and a cool interactive tablet that teaches letters numbers and more. Detach the tablet for on-the-go fun!
Sidewalk chalk just got tasty looking! This six-piece set includes four crinkle-cut fries and a two-piece burger in a glitter finish. Even better, TWEE will donate $2 to GLSEN, an organization that ensures that peope in every school community are valued and respected, with every purchase.
Even picky eaters love playing in the kitchen. This one comes complete with lights, sounds, an ice maker, and planter boxes so kids can at least grow their own vegetables.
It's a truck! It's a helicopter! It's a 67-piece kit with endless posibilites for curious minds. They'll love that there's a pull-back motor to make their creations move, you'll love that there are no batteries and that's compatible with other BRIO sets.
Your tiny animal lover gets a sweet plush and certificate of adoption; your donation that helps support WWF's global conservation efforts around the world
Like the rest of us, the folks at LEGO® are feeling the itch to do a little globetrotting. With their new LEGO® Ideas The Globe set, you can scratch that itch from the comfort of your own kitchen table.
But be warned! This is not a set that you can give to your kids in the hopes of buying time for an uninterrupted shower. The 2585-piece beauty is a realistic, brick-built earth globe with names of the continents and oceans that glow in the dark (cool, right?) that spins. But it is not—and we repeat—not an “I just need 15 minutes alone” addition to your arsenal of keep-em-busys.
The LEGO® Ideas The Globe is one of the most innovative LEGO sets we’ve seen, and timely, since we all seem to have developed a case of the travel bug while we’re waiting for this Covid bug to buzz off. The adult-centric building kit will take you some time to put together, but will keep you dreaming of future trips for years to come.
You can snag the new building set starting Tues. Feb. 1 on lego.com for a cool $200.
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…one tree tipping, two rising electric bills, three scooter crashes, four crashing ornaments and five major headaches. For all the fun of the holiday, there are some real hazards to consider, outlined in a new report.
This year, 10% of Americans surveyed said they’ve been injured setting up a tree, which is actually down from 20% last year. Whether that happens when the tree falls over, or when a rogue branch strikes, it’s definitely something to keep in mind while decorating. If you’re a pet owner, it’s pretty common for your furry friend to wreak some havoc, too. Another 72% of respondents said their pets have knocked down the tree or ornaments, often causing damage.
While scooters are an ever-popular Christmas gift, they’re also the most dangerous present. There have been 477,082 injuries attributed to nonmotorized scooters since 2011, but fortunately that trend is on the decline. In 2020, injuries dropped by 81%! Other dangerous toys (based on number of injuries caused) include balls, toy vehicles and building sets.
Finally, it might be nice to leave your lights twinkling all night, but that can be a fire hazard. The danger intensifies if your lights are old, since the wiring can be faulty. Real trees can also be a bigger risk for going up in flame, but the study found that parents are more likely to choose a live tree. Play it safe and turn those lights off at bedtime!
Anytime you can get a deal on LEGO kits is a parent’s dream come true.
While LEGO stores don’t tend to share their deals in advance, there are a few sneak peeks the brick maker is sharing, in addition to other retailers who are already marking down towns of products. Keep reading to get some early sale picks!
We’ve all heard the expression, “The days are long but the years are short.” And that has never felt truer than when you realize your snuggly newborn has suddenly transformed into a toddler who’s holding your hand for a walk around the block. (Sniff, sniff.). Throughout the first year, your little one will go from one movement milestone to the next. Here’s what to expect, along with tips to foster curiosity and safe exploration of their exciting world.
Like any milestone, babies follow their own timetables. If you have any concerns about their development, talk to your pediatrician.
Is tummy time always a favorite activity? Nope. Most newborns prefer to be held, rather than doing this hard work. Tummy time helps build head, arm, and neck muscles that pave the way for more mobility. Seven weeks is a good time to try placing your baby on their tummy a couple times a day. They may only be able to keep their bobble head up for a few seconds, but they’ll build up to longer lengths of time. Don’t give up, even if you’re seeing some fussing. Distraction with a favorite toy in front helps shift their focus.
Let’s roll
All of that upper body strength building sets the scene for rolling, starting around four months. Going from front to back is more common than rolling from back to front at first, but rolling progression isn’t an exact science. One thing’s for sure: once they start, they won’t want to stop. Moving from one end of the living room to the other is fun for budding explorers. Keep a constant eye on your traveling baby and make sure childproofing is in place.
Sitting on top of the world
Anywhere from four months to eight months, you may see signs of your tot trying to sit. Good head control is important for sitting to be successful. You can support the gradual process by seating them upright on your lap often. When they’ve built up the strength to sit on their own, make sure it’s on a soft activity mat (not unattended on a couch or bed) and that you’re very close by to catch them should they topple back. This exciting new posture gives their favorite toys a whole new vantage point!
Cute crawling
Sitting unsupported (with the ability to independently move into and out of a seated position), rocking on all fours, and rolling are the major clues that crawling comes next. This movement milestone usually occurs between 7-10 months. Place their favorite toys just out of reach so they eagerly crawl to get to them. Some babies create their own unique “scoot” and work their way straight to walking (skipping crawling altogether!). It’s especially important that secure baby gates block the stairs.
Cruising (cool shades, optional)
The next step towards walking is pulling up, followed by cruising. Usually between 8-12 months, your busy baby will start using furniture and crib bars to stand tall and see their world. (Dressers, TV stands, and bookshelves should be securely mounted to the wall in case they want to use them as “props.”) They’ll also use furniture to support them as they shuffle around. The more opportunities you give babies to move (even if they’re unsteady and you’re in a constant state of panic—welcome to parenthood!), the better. You can walk with your baby, by holding onto both of their hands as they take little steps.
We’ve got a walker!
Alas, all that muscle strengthening, coordination, balance, and confidence building has led to walking. Many babies’ take their first steps around their first birthday (but it can happen earlier or later). It’ll start with a few wobbly steps and lots of wobbly falls. But the more practice, the more confidence and control. You’ll see your baby become able to walk in different directions, and even squat to pick something up and continue on their way! Indoors, your little one doesn’t need shoes. Walking around barefoot or in socks greatly supports healthy foot development. But if you’re heading outside on a walk, closed-toe, flexible shoes provide excellent support and protection.
How you can encourage exploration.
Boost resilience. Falls happen. Stay close by and provide reassurance after a fall that it’s okay and they can try again!
Add a new toy into the rotation. Push toys can help little ones work on standing and moving from place to place with some extra “help.”
Let them roam. You may be used to putting them in the stroller, swing, and activity center throughout the day. Try to minimize the use of those contraptions and give them lots of time to move about and work on their new skills.
Create new ways to explore. Who knew Tupperware and spatulas were so exciting? Put together a baby-safe (low) cabinet full of kitchen objects like plastic bowls and wooden spoons. Let them sort, stack, and bang.
Help them “help” you. While it’s not the most efficient way to get things done, opportunities to be helpful are wonderful for giving babies a sense of independence. Whether that’s sorting socks or cleaning up toys, little tasks go a long way.
Add a pet to the mix! Even though they’re little, babies and toddlers can learn from their parents how to care for and be kind to animals. They can help with getting supplies ready, joining you for walks, adding water to the dog bowl when it’s low and providing plenty of snuggles to your furry family member.
What do you get when you cross Magna-Tiles (the magnetic building set kids love) with Crayola markers? Answer: A super exciting new collab called Doodle Tiles.
Yes, it’s as cool as it sounds. You can draw right on these tiles (without mom getting mad), giving kids tons of new ways to get creative. Create a flower-covered house, build a rocket ship, the sky is the limit. And when the next inspiration strikes, wipe off the marker designs with a wet cloth and kids can create new masterpieces.
It’s not only kids of all ages who can’t get enough of CreateOn’s Magna-Tiles. Parents love the way the tiles encourage kids to use their creativity, while working on fine and gross motor skills, shape recognition, balance, symmetry and teamwork with siblings or friends. Adding drawing to the mix multiplies both the fun and the learning.
Snap up Doodle Tiles for $29.99 on the CreateOn website. And coming later this year from CreateOn and Crayola: PaintOn Magna-Tiles!
