The trick? Doubling the portion of vegetables on the plate. That tactic increased veggie intake by 68%! The study involved lunch servings at childcare centers once a week for four weeks. 67 children from ages three to five participated and received broccoli and corn, along with classic preschool favorites like fish sticks, rice and ketchup. Researchers weighed the meals to determine intake and served the vegetables plain, or enhanced with butter and salt. They also varied the veggie portion to be a regular size or double size.
Surprisingly, adding “enhancements” did nothing to affect vegetable consumption. When asked to rate the taste, preschoolers had a similar liking for both plain and enhanced versions of the broccoli and corn. They also ate just as much of the rest of their meal with a double veggie portion, as opposed to a regular portion.
“It’s important to serve your kids a lot of vegetables, but it’s also important to serve them ones they like because they have to compete with the other foods on the plate,” said Barbara Rolls, Helen A. Guthrie Chair and director of the Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior at Penn State. “Parents can ease into this by gradually exposing kids to new vegetables, cooking them in a way their child enjoys, and experimenting with different flavors and seasonings as you familiarize them.”
So the next time you’re cooking dinner, put a little extra scoop of the vegetable on your kid’s plate and see what happens!
Great news! NYC’s free outdoor swimming pools are among the many, many things that are reopening for the summer 2021 season. The outdoor pool season starts June 26 and runs to September 12. NYC is home to numerous free, public pools — including the pool from that In the Heights scene. Whether you want to just splash around or work on swimming skills with your kids, there’s a pool for you. Here are the best outdoor pools in NYC where you can beat the heat free of charge this summer.
Know Before You Go
Malcom Pinckney/NYC Parks
Before we tell you the top pools, here's what you need to know about swimming at NYC pools this summer. Outdoor pool hours are free and open to the public from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m., with a break for pool cleaning between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Early morning and late night adult lap swim hours are also available at some locations.
In the past, the city has offered free swimming lessons through the Learn to Swim program. It is still being determined if the program will take place in 2021. More info is available here.
Be Cool, Know the Rules: New York City Public Pool Rules
Before you head to one of the pools to take a quick dip, be sure to read all of the rules carefully—and be prepared to take them seriously. Staff is on hand checking all pool guests to make sure they adhere to the rules, and they are not messing around. First, masks are required everywhere except in the pool, and don't be surprised if you have to show your padlock and bathing suit before they'll let you in.
Other rules include:
Only white tees are allowed in the pool (over the top of suits), no water toys or floatation devices are allowed, and you must take a shower in the locker room before entering the pool.
Don't plan on taking more than the essentials (towels, goggles, sunscreen) on the pool deck. Beach chairs, baby strollers bags, blankets, beach balls, phones and cameras are all prohibited on the pool deck.
Cool Pools: New & Improved Spots to Splish & Splash
NYC Parks
In recent years, the city has rolled out the "Cool Pools." These pools haven't undergone improvements since the 1970s, and are located in under-served areas (one in each borough). The pools are spruced up with more green plantings, fun summer wall art, cabana-style structures for shade, and lounge chairs. The most recent batch of Cool Pools can be found here:
This Olympic-sized pool is near a recreation center, ball fields, IKEA and cafes. Make a day trip of it and stuff yourself after your swim at a food truck (during the summer they usually park at the edge of the park), or try a hipster cafe on Van Brunt Street.
Insider Tip: This pool is usually a lot quieter than most public pools and includes a large splash area perfect for toddlers. Get there early and you can even score one of the few provided lounge chairs.
Go: Sol Goldman Pool 155 Bay St. btwn Clinton and Henry Red Hook, Brooklyn Nearest transportation: Smith - 9 Streets Station (F, G)
Washington Heights: Highbridge Pool
Malcolm Pinckney/NYC Parks
Yes, you too can frolic in the massive pool seen in the film In the Heights. Highbridge Pool is part of the larger Highbridge Park, which gets its name from the historic bridge that connects Manhattan and the Bronx. There's an Olympic pool and a wading pool here, and the park itself, part of a $150 million effort to upgrade five neighborhoods parks in the city, includes athletic courts, a rec center, playgrounds a skate park and more.
Go: Highbridge Pool Amsterdam Ave & 173rd St. Washington Heights 212-927-2400 Nearest transportation: A or 1 train to 168th Street
Another Olympic-size pool, Greenpoint’s McCarren Pool is located in the 35-acre McCarren Park. After being closed for a couple of decades in the 80s and 90s, the pool became a spot for concerts and events. In 2012 it re-opened as a public pool, with the bathhouse and dramatic entry arch preserved.
Go:McCarren Park Pool Greenpoint 776 Lorimer St. Nearest transportation: Bedford Avenue or Lorimer Station (L), Metropolitan Avenue Station (G)
Astoria: Astoria Park Pool
NYC Parks
Astoria Park has the largest pool in New York City, at 330-feet long. As well as the main, Olympic-sized pool and diving pool, you'll also find a wading pool here.
Insider Tip: They have a great area for kids where you'll also find sprinklers. This pool has lounge chairs for use if you can find one free.
Go: Astoria Park Pool 19th St. and 23rd Dr. Astoria, Queens Nearest transportation: Astoria Blvd Station, Astoria-Ditmars Blvd Station (N, Q)
For Uptown Manhattanites, this is the go-to pool, and not surprisingly it's packed with families. Besides having a 145-foot pool and a special diving area (a rare public pool find), the recreation area also boasts a playground wth a "rivers edge" theme: you'll find a Whitehall row boat to play in, an elevated sand table, a water play area, wavy decks and a climbing net.
Insider Tip: Arrive at least 30 minutes before the pool opens if you're braving a weekend here. Prep the kids before you go, that you might not actually get to go swimming. Lines can get ridiculously long here.
Go: John Jay Pool East of York Ave. on 77th St. Upper East Side Nearest transportation: 77th St. Station (6)
Staten Island: Lyons Pool
One of 11 Olympic-sized pools built in 1936, Lyons Pool is known for its distinctive chimney feature, which is a well-known Staten Island landmark. From the top of the recreation center you can see Downtown Brooklyn.
Insider Tip: This is one of the few pools with a diving pool. It also features a wading pool for kiddos to enjoy.
Go: Lyons Pool 6 Victory Blvd Staten Island Nearest transportation: Tompkinsville Station (SIR)
Lower East Side: Hamilton Fish Park
NYC Parks
This beautiful pool is an oasis of calm and cleanliness on the Lower East Side. It has such a great reputation that the U.S. Olympic Team used it for practice sessions on their way to the 1952 Helsinki Games.
Insider Tip: The locker rooms don't have benches to sit on or to place your things, while you get ready, so be prepared to juggle. There also isn't much in the way of deck furniture, so bring a large towel or picnic blanket to sit on if you're planning on hanging around for a while.
Go: Hamilton Fish Park Pitt St. and Houston St. Lower East Side Nearest transportation: Essex St Station (J, M, Z), Delancey St Station (F), 2 Av Station (F)
Bronx: Van Cortlandt Park Pool
NYC Parks
The largest non-Olympic sized public pool in NYC (it’s 164-feet long), Van Cortlandt Park Pool is edged by trees, a rarity in NYC!
Insider Tip: Expect a long line to get in, but don't be put off by the hordes of people — there's enough room inside for everyone. Want to beat the queue? Plan to get there an hour before it opens.
Go: Van Cortlandt Park Pool 6000 Broadway and 242 St. Bronx Nearest transportation: Van Cortlandt Park - 242nd St. (1)
— Christine Knight & Julie Seguss
Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of NYC Parks
We’re all ears! The Mickey Mouse themed Pyrex collection launched last year and was an instant hit. After selling out, the line is now available on Corelle and for a steal!
The collection is broken up into three sets as well as individual pieces. All options come with colorful lids and a whole lotta Mickey magic.
You can choose from a green and yellow “Oh Boy!” round four piece set ($16), a blue and red “Since 1928” round four piece set ($16) and a multi-colored “Mickey Mouse the True Original” round and rectangular set ($36).
The round containers come in a four-cup size while the eight piece set offers three-cup and four-cup sizes.
You can head to Corelle (or Target and Amazon) to find the entire Mickey Mouse Pyrex storage collection, in addition to mouse-inspired dinnerware.
If your family is experiencing the Jurassic Era at home, marked by dinosaurs everywhere, T-Rex facts at the dinner table, and playground dates that inevitably include you reminding Junior to “make sure they know you’re a nice dinosaur, not a scary one,” then we’ve got the perfect playbook for your next summer adventure. From digging for dinosaur bones to marveling at life-size replicas, Atlanta dinosaur activities abound. Keep reading for our favorite ways to please your pint-sized paleontologist.
Fernbank exhibitions and programming about natural history are hard to beat, but its permanent exhibitions—including Giants of the Mesozoic that has a 123-foot long Argentinosaurus and a Giganotosaurus—comes pretty close. The permanent exhibition, A Walk Through Time in Georgia, tells the twofold story of Georgia's natural history and the development of the planet, including the era of dinosaurs in today's Georgia.
Extinct from Earth for millions of years, some Jurassic giants have made their way to Stone Mountain Park. This captivating creature collection features 20 life-size dinosaurs with special effects allowing them to move and roar just like their ancient ancestors. Begin your adventure with a trip through a time machine portal to find yourself among some of your pre-historic favorites including the giant T-Rex, Allosaurus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Brachiosaurus, and more. Families will also enjoy interactive paleontology tents, fantastic photo ops, and a dinosaur feeding wall.
1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd. Stone Mountain, GA 800-401-2407 Online:stonemountainpark.com
Stare into the mouth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, catch a glimpse of a saber-tooth cat and discover how life on Earth began in the Tellus Fossil Gallery. This walk through history will take visitors past millions of years of dinosaurs, reptiles, and giant mammals that dominated the land, sea, and air before becoming extinct. Follow up a tour of this gallery with a visit to the Fossil Dig. For an enhanced learning experience, download and print your own Fossil Hunting License and bring it with you to identify your finds.
100 Tellus Drive Cartersville, GA 30120 770-606-5700 Online:tellusmuseum.org
As parents of super active kids, we’re more than a little relieved to see how those monstrous foam domes that passed as helmets during our childhood are being replaced with newer, safer and way more stylish designs that kids are actually excited to wear. Below we’ve selected the latest crop of kids bike helmets on the market for your newbie cycling enthusiast. Whether they’re on a bicycle, tricycle, scoot bike, skateboard or a passenger in your family cargo bike, rest assured your kiddo will be safe and stylish this season.
Nutcase Baby Nutty Helmet
Protect their noggins from the minute they are passengers on your family cargo bike with this cute option from Nutcase. It comes with the top-of-the-line MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) for extra protection.
Skater-inspired styling, stickers for customization and a no-pinch magnetic buckle are what kids love about the Bontrager Jet WaveCel helmet. Parents love that it comes with super noggin protection from WaveCel, a leading technology in the protection against cycling-related head injuries.
From the bike makers who really know how to outfit kids, comes this helmet from Woom. You'll get everything you want in a helmet: extended protection for the forehead, temples and back of the head, an easy-to-use magnetic closure system, optimal ventilation and a perfect fit thanks to interchangeable pads and a size-adjustment dial.
Little ones will appreciate the pinch guard on the chin of this kids helmet and parents will appreciate the price tag and safety features. Snag it in red or orange to really stand out during family bike rides.
How cute is your little rider going to look in this shark-inspired helmet from the pros at Bern? They revamped the style and shape of the original Nino helmet, with their newest safety technology and updated patterns like fruit and the solar system. The Nino 2.0 is complete with MIPS Brain Protection System and the no-fuss EZ-fit system. In addition, the Nino 2.0 features 13 vents with increased airflow, EZ-fit system, a removable flip visor, lay flat adjustable straps, compression-molded pads and a lightweight shell.
It's all about safety with this helmet that has front and back lights with different modes to adjust for day and night. You can charge the helmet after use with a USB cable.
If you want protection, you want to look for MIPS or Multi-directional Impact Protection System that redirects energy in case of a crash. This option from Giro comes in a dozen colors and sizes from little kids to big.
Whether you go for bright coral to really stand out in the crowd or the more subtle black, the Electra Lifestyle Bike Helmet is turning heads all over town. It has a durable ABS hardshell for protection and EPS foam liner for security.
Older kids will love the racing style of this helmet that was engineered and tested in Giro's helmet testing lab. It is super lightweight and the size adjusts so you get the perfect fit, right out of the box.
Got a tween who loves to hit the slopes in the winter and the bike trails in the summer? This is the helmet you want. It comes with a removeable inner liner for snow sports and transforms into a bike helmet for summer. Utilizing the EPS Thin shell technology, the Bandito has a lightweight yet burly construction certified to protect consumers on a bike or on the slopes.
There’s nothing like giving kids a place to get creative and messy. And since warmer weather is just a couple of months away, it’s the perfect time to consider an outdoor space to do exactly that. From a classic mud kitchen to one with wheels, we’ve rounded up 11 adorable mud kitchens you can buy on Etsy. Scroll down to see them all.
Double-Sink Mud Kitchen
This gorgeous double-sink outdoor cedar kitchen is begging for mud fun!
If your family has a passion for sneakers and LEGOs, the following news will make your day. The LEGO Group just announced two exciting drops that combine the best of both worlds: an actual sneaker that’s emulates the look of LEGO bricks and a brick sneaker that you can build and display proudly with the rest of your collection.
First up, the adidas Originals LEGO Superstar sneaker. It will be available in both kid and adult sizes and will likely make people do a double take when it’s on your feet. Purposefully styled to mirror the LEGO brick pattern, it also features the classic adidas black and white leather and three stripes. Don’t forget the gold foil accents! You can buy it as part of the adidas x LEGO collection on July 1.
Want to take it as step further? You’ll also be able to buy a set to make your own adidas shoe out of bricks! The LEGO adidas Originals Superstar 10282 model is life-sized and features the iconic sneaker graphics and branding. It includes 17 extra elements so you can decide if your brick footwear is right or left-footed. It even comes with shoelaces and an authentic shoe box, so we don’t blame you if you try to slip it on. You can find this model exclusively online starting July 1 for $80.
LEGO also has some great ideas for customizing your brick sneaker (spoiler alert, many bricks you own currently can be added on). The company is constantly innovating and we can’t wait to see what comes out next!
No more stealing spoonfuls from the bowl of cookie dough! Nestle is making it easy for you to get your fix with new Toll House Bite-Sized Chocolate Chip Edible Cookie Dough and Bite-Sized Cookies & Creme Edible Cookie Dough! They’re both in eight ounce grab and go bags, perfect for snacktime anytime.
The cookies & creme flavor is made with real chocolate and creme sandwiches, coated in a delicious creamy shell. And the chocolate chip flavor is the original you know and love, now in poppable pieces that are also perfect for decorating! You can buy both bags for $5.39 each at grocery stores and major retailers as they roll out this month.
That’s not all in the arsenal of Nestle cookie dough products! Keep an eye out for the Funfetti Cookie Dough with Rainbow Sprinkles (14 ounces for $2.99), Hot Fudge Sundae Morsels & More (8 ounces for $3.99) and Chocolate Peanut Caramel Morsels & More (eight ounces for $3.99). Basically a flavor for every day of the week (and we promise not to tell if you don’t share).
If you’re not lucky enough to live in a state with an In-N-Out, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the goodness. The burger restaurant is floating into summer with a sweet new raft!
The Fry Boat Pool Float is the exact replica of the holder that carries those delicious, salty fries at In-N-Out. It even has the description printed on the inside!
photo: Courtesy of In-N-Out Company Store
The float measures six feet long by three feet wide, making it the perfect size for a solo float. You can grab you own fry boat only at the In-N-Out Company Store for $59.95. Order up!
Play mats, activity rugs, whatever you call them, they’re a staple of toy rooms everywhere. They’re great for screen-free entertainment for older kids and provide a few minutes of distraction for the younger set.
Now there’s an even more imaginative option on the market, the IVI 3D Play Carpet. It’s just what it sounds like: a mat with raised features and tactile textures that takes playtime to the next level.
Created by a mom with an architecture background who worried about the effects of screen exposure, the 3D Play Carpet comes in four different styles: beach houses, mini city, farms and playhouse.
Each are incredibly detailed with various sections, like a pool at the beach house and parking strips in the mini city. The 3D technology is patented so it’s the only product of its kind on the market.
The mini city and playhouse have four different sizes to choose from and beach houses and farms have three. The small size starts at $79.99 on the IVI website and the carpets are also sold at other retailers like Amazon.
Fabricated with a wool-like substitute that was approved by the European Child Protection Standards, they’re perfect for kids who struggle with allergies. And they might entice you enough to get down on the floor and play along!
