Outdoor Play

The thrill of the outdoors awaits.

From toddlers to tweens!

Parents everywhere, listen up.

I’ll be using it throughout summer and beyond.

And why it's the perfect kids party activity.

We haven’t had a single bite so far this summer.

Great ideas for long summer days.

Ready for any and all weather!

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

While, ultimately, this discussion may be different for each family, here are some things to consider when making the decision.

From someone who knows a thing or two about wildlife-spotting.

I was swayed by good design, and I don’t regret it.

I wanted to know: Is it ok sometimes, if you can’t totally keep them out of the sun?

Not all water toys make the grade. These totally do.

My kid needed something that could handle bumpy city streets. Was this the answer?

Get ready for a playfully spooky purple makeover.

There’s something SO FUN about watching a movie on the big screen in your own yard.

You know the motto: Be prepared!

It’s the sturdiest one we’ve ever used.

It’s complicated.

When you know the kids are in a creative mood and you’re cool with them leaning into that … outside.

Plus, 7 more inflatable water slides for ALL the fun.

Better jump on it - and get a few for friends and family, too!

Fun toys that get the kids wet in the backyard — most don’t require a pool, just a hose!

It’s a bike trailer and stroller in one!

Kids today can ride on light-up bikes and run under a waterpark-worthy rainbow sprinkler. Not fair!

Is this finally the summer I won’t have to deal with messy, sandy sunscreen hands?

It's now the go-to hangout spot for her daughter and her friends.

Including volunteering and service ideas you can do with your kids - even the littlest kids!

It's perfectly fun and delightful.

Must-haves for stress-free beach day fun.

As a busy mom of five, I know what to expect now.

I do these things so I can spend my time and energy watching for bugs instead.

Hey Maxwell! I know you were on vacation last month. What was the funnest thing you did with your daughter? TroublemakerDear Troublemaker,When I saw your question come in a smile ran across my face — for two reasons! Number one, I was glad you were holding my feet to the fire and putting me on the spot in my own current life, and, number two, I HAVE THE PERFECT ANSWER FOR YOU. This is going to be a very simple and short answer.

My daughter is really working on me to get a small, inflatable pool for the yard this summer, but I don’t want to buy something that is ugly and will break. Got any really good recs? AlisonDear Alison,With the heatwave that hit lately and deeply understanding wanting to keep kids out of the house and active this summer, I got your back.

My tips for hiking with little kids, including one game-changing secret weapon.

Because who doesn’t love a good swing set?

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. The first blush of warm weather always feels like a rebirth to me, but with hope for the pandemic’s abatement on the horizon (huzzah!), I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited for summer.

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.

Spring has sprung here in Denver and my kids are playing outdoors again! They have always wanted a treehouse. Any easy tips? RinaDear Rina, You are in luck (and so am I) because while my daughter is going to high school next year and has announced that she’d also like to live in the city in her own apartment (not going to happen for years), when she about 6 years old I built two simple treehouses for her and her friends AND carefully documented the process. Here you go!

For my family, the Year of the Hike started on New Year’s Day. After having been cooped up for the winter break, my husband, son, and I bundled up and headed out for a walk in the woods on January 1st, despite the frigid temperatures. Up until then, longer walks had been a bit much for our son, but at almost 4 1/2 he was able to tackle two miles.They were not fast miles, but they were just the thing to cure an energetic boy of his wiggles and two weary parents of their cabin fever.