It’s July, which means your kids are probably staying up well past their average bedtimes because, really, who wants to go to bed when it’s still daylight outside? If you’re looking for the perfect way to knock out that end-of-day energy burst, then catching fireflies is your beacon to bedtime bliss. From wooded paths to tall grass, along with ponds and in bushes, fireflies are lighting the way to some serious summertime memories. Here’s where to look for these little bioluminescent beetles in Atlanta.
Since fireflies rely on their blinking lights to communicate with one another, areas with lots of light pollution have far fewer insects because they can't as easily make plans with one another. But, thanks to Piedmont Park's 189 acres, it's a haven in the hullabaloo of our modern city. Whether you look for them in the Northwoods across from the Atlanta Botanical Garden, or stay late at one of the park's two playgrounds, you've got a very good chance at seeing some lighting bugs lighting up.
This 135-acre multi-use park is the largest park in the City of Brookhaven, but thanks to its miles of nature trails and preserved wetlands, it's a great spot to see the lightning bugs come out at night. You don't have to veer too far off the path (or away from the parking lot, for that matter) to witness the twinkling lights of your favorite luminary insects. For your best show, steer clear of the sports fields and head towards the wooded area and trails near the lake. Lightning bugs don't like the chemicals that are used to make each multi-use field so green and weed-free.
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is a 2,965 acre National Battlefield that preserves a Civil War battleground of the Atlanta Campaign. You'll find fields with taller grass that are perfect for lightning bugs to levitate from, and the wooded trails that circle the mountain are crawling with the critters.
Among Allatoona Creek Park's 1450 acres are large open fields, forest, and the shores of Lake Allatoona. Two creeks (Little Allatoona and Big Allatoona) merge as you near the lake, and the land is managed to accommodate all species of wildlife with archery hunting for deer allowed during the season. The park is open for public use except during hunting season, and among these acres, you can find an impressive showing of fireflies.
Near the Cohutta Wilderness, this Georgia state park is a mecca for hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders who come for the trails that wind through hardwood forest and blueberry thickets, crossing streams, and circling a pretty lake. There's even a mysterious 855-foot-long wall that's thought to have been built by early Indians as fortification against more hostile Indians or for ancient ceremonies. But the wall isn't the only ethereal thing about this park. The rare blue-ghost fireflies unique to the Appalachian mountain range can be found early in firefly season, but visitors should look and not catch these unique bugs.
Warmer weather is coming and we are looking forward to long days spent outside. Now ALDI has a way to create a water park in your backyard!
The Banzai Aqua Drench 3-in-1 Inflatable Splash Park will be available at ALDI starting Jun. 30 and it has everything you need to make an epic summer.
This inflatable splash park has a sprinkler that drenches you while you run around on the grass, a water slide with water coming out of its side and an inflatable pool with a mini slide. Your kids will stay active while having fun in the sun!
The Banzai Aqua Drench 3-in-1 Inflatable Splash Park is available at your local ALDI at the end of June, and at only $29.99 it’s quite a steal.
Never in history has it been more important to stay connected online. Working from home, social distancing and homeschooling can be isolating and overwhelming, so we’ve found over a dozen Facebook groups you can join to reach out and connect with other parents in the Boston community. Read on to find that support, shared knowledge and camaraderie are just a few clicks away in a local online group for parents.
Boston Moms This group of over 7,000 members is for moms in Boston and the South Shore area to connect for support and playdates (especially!) and to share interesting articles and advice pertaining to being a mom.
Polish Triangle Parents Polish Triangle Parents (PTP) is an online community for parents living and/or working in Boston's Polish Triangle, a neighborhood in Dorchester.
Boston South End Parents Parents in the South End neighborhood of Boston can connect in this Facebook group to share area resources.
Somerville (and beyond) Parents This is an informal group for parents in the Somerville, MA area. This group is designed to make it easier for parents to arrange get-togethers, seek advice, share articles or resources, and just get acquainted. Nannies, grandparents and other people who care for children are also welcome.
Boston Autism Moms/Dads This is a support group for families of children with autism. The group's intention is to help parents share information about educational, medical and social supports and services.
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Boston-Area Special Needs Parents This group welcomes parents of children with special needs who live in Boston and its immediate surroundings. It is intended to help families in very close proximity connect on social, educational and medical issues; serve as a networking opportunity for parents who may wish to conveniently connect in person as well as online; and assist in the hyper-local share, resale, and trade of unwanted or excess medical supplies, durable medical equipment, and other specialized equipment that serves children with special needs.
Brookline Parents This group draws parents from the Brookline neighborhood to arrange meet-ups, buy and sell kids items, offer advice and get to know neighbors with similarly-aged kids.
Arlington Parents This is a discussion group for parents and caregivers in and around Arlington, MA on topics related to parenting, children, caregiving, families, school and more. The group numbers over 6,000 members.
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Newton Parents This robust group of over 8.000 members is for parents in Newton, MA to communicate about local programs, classes and offerings.
JP Families This group is a grass-roots list organized by Jamaica Plain parents and guardians and those working towards adding children to their family who want to connect on Facebook, ask advice and find resources. Its local area is primarily Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, West Roxbury, Roxbury, Mission Hill and parts of Brookline/Dorchester/Hyde Park/Mattapan.
Boston Desi Parents This group brings together parents who are interested in socializing and sharing Indian culture with their children.
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Gay Dads of Greater Boston This group aims to bring together gay dads raising kids in the greater Boston area and it adjacent cities and towns, so that their children can get to meet each other, play and develop a positive self-esteem. Also, gay dads can develop long-term friendships, allowing them to share support and ideas on how to raise happy, well-adjusted kids proud of their family composition
Braintree Moms The Braintree Moms group has been set up as a resource for expectant, new and experienced moms (as well as female guardians) that are currently living in Braintree, MA or those planning on moving to the area.
Quincy Moms This group supports moms in Quincy, Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham and beyond.The group shares school information, tips for families and support for those living in the area.
Bedford, Massachusetts Moms & Dads Group This page is for Bedford parents to communicate on all things related to kids: from school-related events, weather cancellations and special programs to parents trying to get rid of old kids' toys, clothes etc. Here you can find recommendations for babysitters and summer camps.
Do you have a parenting group that you’d like added to this list? Send an email to kate.loweth@tinybeans.com.
America’s fave doll continue to move up in the world and she’s got a new crib to prove it. Mattel has just announced an all new Barbie DreamHouse!
The 2021 DreamHouse is the most customizable to date and continue to be compatible with the wheelchair ramp. So what else is new in Barbie’s digs?
Barbie can now enjoy soft grass and plush blankets in addition to a movable pool and slide. Also, she has her first-ever party room with a light up DJ stand, customizable lighting and sound with eight different colors, three songs, and two soundscape, plus an outdoor BBQ that turns into a dessert buffet!
Want to see the DreamHouse stat? Barbie is sharing a 360-degree interactive tour on the Mattel YouTube channel, where you can use your computer or phone to view the entire house.
Moving house can be stressful, but luckily Barbie has her gal pals Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin from The Home Edit to help. The organization duo have swooped into help Barbie organize her bedroom and kitchen.
Using their signature techniques like rainbow organization and clear storage, Barbie’s space has been completely transformed! Want some tips and tricks from The Home Edit on keeping your Barbie space in order?
Clea and Joanna encourage everyone to label everything (like accessories), use clear, modular storage and to use a rolling cart to make a Barbie play station that can be easily moved. It’s also better to use broad categories, like dolls, accessories and clothes when sorting, so kids can easily maintain their collection.
The all-new Barbie DreamHouse is on sale now! You can find it at Walmart, Target and Amazon for $179.
We’ve all been there: you spend time and money finding the perfect basket, only to have your kiddos gather eggs in their Halloween bucket. This year, ditch the cheap-o weave and try one of these seven enticing alternatives that keep on giving long after the hunt. Scroll down for inspiration!
photo: iStock
1. The Living Basket
Turn a simple easter basket into something verdant with a little soil, seeds and lining. Once the grass is sprouted you can nestle a few eggs and treats inside. Start this one a couple weeks before Easter (you can do it all indoors) to be sure your grass is long enough by the big day. Get our complete how-to here.
photo: iStock
2. Flower Power
Find a pot and fill it up: a simple terracotta pot filled with seeds, gloves, a spade, a kid’s book about gardening and even paints for the kiddos to gussy up the pot themselves all make great additions. Or pick up some plants, pots and a few tiny things to start your own fairy garden, nestle them in the basket with some seeds and Easter treats and watch their eyes light up!
This one does double-duty: it serves as an awesome catch-all for those Easter Bunny surprises and it encourages the kids to get active and get outside. In fact, once you trick out their bikes with a sweet basket, it will be hard to get your kiddos to stop riding. If the kiddos already have a nice basket, you can still use it: make a Easter bike ride part of your family tradition.
It doesn’t get much simpler than this. If your house is overflowing with baskets and toys but you still want the kiddos to have a special find, try setting up a chair with a sweet little stuffed animal and a few eggy-treats. What makes it extra nest-like is the faux fur, but even a cozy blanket will do. (Although you have our full permission to purchase faux fur or a plush new throw!).
With summer fun right around the corner, get the kiddos jazzed for beach play by filling a sand bucket with toys, gardening gear and a chocolate bunny or two. You an also consider a small inflatable pool (especially if you have two kids) and fill it up with gear for the warmer weather.
If you build it, they will grin! Pull out the LEGO bricks after they’ve gone to bed and get building: you’re going to create a basket shape. Once you’ve completed it, add some minifigs to plastic eggs (wow them with these mega-cool DIY gold ones from A Few Shortcuts) and tuck in a cool new LEGO City book. Bam!
Put the pedal to the metal and hunt dinosaurs with the Dino Tracker 4×4 from Kid Trax! Designed for kids ages 3-5, the ride-on toy gives little ones a lifelike driving experience with working headlights, a horn, and engine noises, as well as real foot pedal acceleration that goes both forward and reverse at a maximum speed of 2.5 mph. The sound effects really add to the realistic driving experience, helping to set the scene for imaginative play. It can handle driving on sidewalks, driveways, grass, and uphill slopes with its Power Trax rubber traction strip tires that keep the ride smooth and steady while kids are out searching for dinosaurs.
The Toy Insider is the go-to source for product information and the latest news about children's toys, tech, and entertainment. Its team of toy experts publishes two annual gift guides—one for summer and one for holiday—and reviews toys 365 days a year on thetoyinsider.com, a trusted resource for parents.
Conventional wisdom in the U.S. is to bundle babies up and keep them indoors. But research and long-held wisdom around the world tells us that infants and toddlers in well-designed outdoor spaces benefit from access to a wide variety of sensory stimuli the likes of which they just can’t experience indoors.
The first months and years of life are a “critical period” in which the brain develops more than any other time. To the parent and educator in me, this can feel like both an incredible opportunity and an overwhelming responsibility. Adults, especially parents, are born ready to support their babies as they grow. But, it can feel hard to see that, especially as we are trying to learn to parent a brand-new human, and there is so much advice and expertise tugging at us.
One easy way to play your role as #1 supporter of a baby’s development is to provide an ideal learning environment. Since babies are born with the instinct to explore, a natural setting is a wonderfully stimulating environment for them to grow. The benefits of nature to babies abound, and to follow are a few of our favorites:
Because of the variety and richness of the sights, sounds, textures and smells in nature, the outdoors offers increased chances to expand a baby’s understanding of the world.
The more we learn about the brain, the more it makes sense that greater sensory opportunities like those in natural settings also support synaptic development in the brain—the defining work of the baby’s brain during this period. On average, the human brain grows synapses from around 2,500 to 15,000 in total in the first 2-3 years of life.
As babies grow, the outdoors offers surfaces and objects that are ready-made for baby to use to challenge him or herself on the next gross motor achievement, and that gives feedback to help baby increase strength and balance. This means enhanced physical and motor development.
Exposure to the microbes that live in natural environments boosts immune system development, leading to a healthier childhood and even adulthood. Research from around the world and dating back to the 1900s shows that young children who spend more time outdoors are less likely to get sick.
Reduced stress and anxiety for both baby and treasured adult and increase in positive emotions and limit the stress that we know can deter healthy development across domains.
According to research, knowledge of the natural world gained by young children through direct experience leads to greater respect for and love of nature. If we want our children to connect to nature for a lifetime, infancy is a prime time to foster that connection. Infants and toddlers have not yet formed a fear of nature—a fear which, according to experts including Richard Louv and David Sobel, is increasingly present among older children and adults and is associated with lack of experience and/or knowledge of the natural world. Because the adults in an infant or toddler’s life have a tremendous influence over that child’s experience of the world, we can offer them this direct connection and set them on a path of stewardship from the start.
Perhaps best of all, research from the Journal of Sleep shows that time in nature even helps babies establish healthy sleep patterns. The more babies can rest, the more resources they have to learn, and the better they can solidify their cognitive, emotional, and physical development. Plus, as any parent of an infant knows, getting baby sleeping regularly is worth gold!
Here are a few simple things to try to help provide the benefits of nature to our babies:
1. Spend even more time together outdoors. It sounds simple, but there are barriers that keep us indoors—weather, gear, nap schedules, and worst of all, fear. But, there are ways around it all. Babies have so much to learn, and the sensory stimulation that natural settings provide supports so much learning.
2. Walks are a super starting place: If you are just getting started, focus on taking longer and longer walks outdoors with your baby. Whether you are wearing your baby or pushing them in a stroller, your baby will benefit from the sunlight, the fresh air, and the myriad sounds, smells, and sights that come with being outdoors.
3. Get on the ground with baby: If you are already getting around outdoors with your baby, try getting down and giving your baby lots of direct contact with the earth. If going right onto the dirt or grass feels like a stretch for you or baby, start out on a blanket and watch your baby play with her hands and feet or with a few objects from home or nature that support exploration. Just moving the play you might do indoors outdoors offers baby the benefit of the sensations, sights, and sounds of being outdoors.
If you’re ready, start to have daily tummy, seated exploration, or crawling time right on the grass or dirt. There’s so much to discover as a baby feels and tugs at the ground cover.
If your baby is already crawling around or walking, get a low box or bin and fill it with natural treasures. Some of our favorite treasures for babies include pine cones, smooth stones (greater than 2” in any direction), edible herbs like basil, edible flowers like violets, and bunches of grasses tied with twine. Watch how your baby explores these objects and enjoy exploring them yourself right alongside.
4. Gear up: Read more about how to dress baby for when the weather is wet or cold. Remember, you’ll be on the ground too, so you may want gear that will keep you comfortable too.
5. Mud Play! When you are ready for it, water, dirt, and mud make for wonderful play for baby. It will be messy, and some mud will likely make it into the mouth. But, the free, joyful exploration and sensory are so worth it! Read more about the benefits of messy play at any age.
After 18 years as an educator, curriculum developer and school leader, Meghan has her dream gig—an entrepreneur/educator/mom who helps families everywhere, including hers, learn outside. Today, Meghan serves as co-founder and Chief Learning Officer of Tinkergarten, the national leader in outdoor play-based learning.
Turn up the nostalgia this summer, and take the family to an old-school drive-in movie. Drive-in theaters are making a comeback—in a major way. Whether you’re on a road trip getaway, visiting family on a summer vacation or spending a stay-cation at home, we’ve got you covered with the ultimate list of drive-in theaters across the United States. Keep reading to see them all.
Boxcar Drive-In Movies, Various cities: Bixcar brings drive-in movies to cities across New Jersey, including Berkeley Heights, Blairstown, Franklin Lakes, Madison, Montville, Randolph, Springfield, Union and more.
Tribeca Drive-In is coming to Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Seattle, Arlington, Texas and other select U.S. cities starting Jul. 2. Featuring a series of 30 films, look for classics such as The Wizard of Oz, nostalgic faves such as Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and a special Kids' Night with Spy Kids and Inside Out. Click here for info on ordering tickets.
Tips & Tricks for the Drive-In Theater
courtesy Door County Visitor Bureau
To make the most out of your drive-in movie night, here are a few tips and tricks.
Be sure to do these things before you arrive:
Go to the bathroom. With COVID and social distancing, public restrooms might not be open.
Eat something healthy and/or bring your snacks: the snack bar will only have candy and treats, and it may not even be open due to COVID.
Be sure to bring the following:
Cash for the snack bar.
Garbage bags for easy clean-up.
Sippy cups or cups with lids so the back seat doesn’t get sticky.
Coloring books, crayons, pens for pre-movie doldrums.
A board game the family can play if there’s a spot to spread a blanket.
Ah, LA, La La Land, City of Angels (and movie stars, and freeways and mountains and beaches). It seems like forever ago that we were in bumper to bumper traffic on the 405 (and it wasn’t even rush hour!), just trying to get to the westside. And now that we’ve been stuck—er, we mean safer—at home, we’re feeling a little wistful for all the things we can no longer do. Sure, we’re making the most of being on lockdown, but we’re also really, really looking forward to doing these 11 things again.
Visiting Our Animal Friends at the LA Zoo
We wonder: Do they miss us as much as we miss them?
Dining at Our Favorite Strip-Mall Sushi Spot
Because it's our Cheers. The place where everyone knows your name. Or at least your face. And your kid can eat rice and edamame and borrow a pen from the server to draw on the paper menu.
A stroll through the rose gardens is the perfect end to a visit to the nearby California Science Center, Natural History Museum or California African American Museum.
The sculptural exhibit outside LACMA never ceases to inspire.
Living that Farm Life at Underwood
We were so looking forward to the springtime festivities at Underwood Family Farms, but we'll have to wait a little bit longer to ride the tractors, pet the goats and pick berries at the Moorpark spot.
Whether it’s the change of season or just a space issue, you don’t have to have a huge plot of land to be a gardener. From dinosaur terrariums to a magnetic wall garden, we’ve got eight great ways for kids to get their hands (kinda) dirty. Read on for the details.
1. Make a Dinosaur Terrarium Brought to you by horticulturist Katie Elzer-Peters, this fairy-sized and kid-friendly version of Jurassic Park makes an excellent indoor project. Click here for the full instructions.
photo: Erin Lem
2. Paper White Bulbs in a Mason Jar Soil free (say goodbye to itsy-bitsy pieces of dirt) and is easy as 1-2-3, this easy gardening project only requires three materials. In fact, it literally only takes three steps to finish up! Get our tutorial here.photo:
3. Terrarium Wall Garden Add a little green on your walls with this neat magnetic terrarium. This project by DIY blog Ruffled is extremely easy to maintain, which is great if your planter is forgetful when it comes to watering their leafy family member. Shimmy over to Ruffled for the 411.
4. Re-Growing Vegetables from Scraps Watch your peanut’s eye grow in amazement as you show them how vegetables scraps can produce fully fledged, edible plants. Stay at home mom and blogger, Erica of What We Do All Day, had a race with her kids to see which grew the fastest. Check it out here.
5. DIY Zen Garden Grab a container, sand, rocks from the park and a tiny rake to make a relaxing Japanese garden. Your toddler will have a blast making soothing shapes and marks in the sand. Check out this tutorial from art blog Paintspiration Art.
6. Decorate a Mini-Greenhouse Let your artist go to town with a little interior and exterior design with their own mini greenhouse. This clear home from IKEA provides the perfect environment for seeds to sprout without trekking dirt onto your carpet. Crafty blogger Tania of Run to Radiance turned hers into a royal golden home, which you can see here. Available at ikea.com, $19.99.
7. Wheat Grass Egg Planter Bring a little spring into your home and into your early riser’s step with these wheat grass egg planters. Green shoots will come up within three days, and if your tot is feeling adventurous, juice your results! Check out the full tutorial over at Gardenista.