Active Play

They're all mineral-based, affordable, and easy to find.

Toys that'll keep up with kids on the move!

I was looking for a lighthearted way to hang out together, with the hope that conversation would ensue.

Because who doesn’t love a good swing set?

From accessible sensory gardens to actual dragon-and-castle themed spots, these are the most fun picks for littles to play.

Just a few simple steps — and some trusty products you can grab easily — turned this underused space into one we all love.

It arrives on my doorstep, has unlimited creative possibilities, and ISN'T a toy?! Miracle.

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. Join us over on Instagram for more! Let’s face it: After spending much of last summer cooped up inside of our homes, we’re all itching for some serious adventure in the coming months. That said, if 2021 is anything like last year, the highways could be jammed up with all kinds of road-trippers.

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. Driving around last fall, I kept coming across these interesting-looking multicolored jungle gyms set up in the parkways around our neighborhood. Upon further investigation, I found out they were exactly what they looked like — obstacle courses, or “Ninja Slacklines.

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. A year ago this month, our life turned upside down, and among other losses, my elementary-aged daughter’s beloved bharatanatyam classes pivoted online.

At the start of winter, things at our house were getting a little dire on the physical activity front.Our preschooler had a lot of energy to burn through and nowhere warm to do it. On the other end of the spectrum, our middle schooler would rarely leave her room on virtual school days, and my husband and I couldn’t break away from the kids or working from home in blocks long enough to fit in a workout. By the end of the day we were too exhausted to do anything but collapse on the couch.

While 2021 has quite a bit of hope on the horizon (vaccines! reopenings!) the present reality for my family is still the cautious lockdown and quarantine we observed for most of 2020. That plus the extra-gray Ohio weather is tough for my kids’ exercise and energy. They get outside as much as possible, but I also entered 2021 determined to create more active play opportunities for them indoors.