We veterans of Florida summers know that August has a lot of similarities to January in Chicago. People don't go outside much on some days because of the weather.

We've had a couple of all-rain days lately and we certainly have plenty where it's too hot to think about taking the kids outside for very long. So what do you do for rainy-day fun? We rounded up this list of all the indoor fun zones in the bay area. Skating rinks, bowling alleys, trampoline parks, jump zones, we seem to have a lot. 

A check of articles on how to get through snow days gives me some good ideas for hot weather activities: ... Read more

I will admit getting judgey on the parents I hear dragging little terrified kids around the Halloween horrors at Busch Gardens or Universal when signs all around clearly say this is not for little kids. Just this week Busch Gardens and Universal revealed their Halloween themes for this year: Zombies vs. Morphing Aliens. That's just some of the heart-stopping, scream-inducing frights planned for the annual Halloween extravaganzas at Busch Gardens (zombies) and Universal Studios in Orlando (aliens) this year. ... Read more

I got a newsletter this week from the Suncoast Waldorf School and one article that caught my eye was this one on how to visit a museum or historic site without overwhelming the kids. The focus, they say, should be on letting a kid learn and discover on their own without cramming them full of fast facts as you race around. I liked the reminder not to "over-answer" any questions. Let them struggle a bit and find out the answers for themselves. Here's what they say:

Summertime is fast approaching and many parents and children have opportunities to visit museums, historic villages/settlements, and other vacations that include facts and information.  Is this too much information?  How do we allow our young children, tweens, and teens to enjoy these fascinating places of interest without overwhelming them with too many facts and sights?

Follow Your Child's Lead:  My suggestion is to simply walk around the museum in a normal way and see what comments and questions naturally arise from your children.  With my children, I have avoided any graphic or disturbing pictures or displays.  This may sound too obvious, but sometimes you have to be really quick when a display pops up (which sometimes has me questioning what the managers of the exhibit could have been thinking...or not thinking). ... Read more

I really loved Tracey Henry's blog post on healthy eating this summer when she makes a comparison of the start of summer to New Year's Day, when we set some resolutions. Does anyone else start the summer with the best of intensions (Be it resolved: We will learn to tie shoes well this summer) only to find yourselves racing around in the last weeks of August (Where can we find Velcro sneakers in the bigger sizes?).

We have some goals we set. I don't necessarily think the school should assign work but it might make it easier for the parents to enforce if they can point to the school as the bad guy. The problem is summer is a time for chucking routines. How can we sneak in some learning activities and goals without making it look like Mommy Boot Camp?

Our goals: ... Read more