Play
Page 5
5 Chores Our 5-Year-Old Tackles Without Having to Be Asked
These tasks are really are so simple and kid-friendly that she can't wait to help. (Plus, I can get some cleaning done myself while she's occupied!)
Oct 12, 2021
28 Cool Gifts for Kids Under $50
When you're shopping for lots of people, sometimes it's helpful to have a price limit. Here are the best kids' gifts under $50.
Oct 12, 2021
West Elm Kids Is Celebrating Black Voices In the Best Way
Quilts with rustic farm scenes to a snuggly science-themed kids chair — these new launches have it all.
Oct 12, 2021
8 Things New Parents Secretly Wish You’d Bring Them
They may not say it aloud — but these practical gifts are what new parents REALLY need.
Oct 11, 2021
20 Exciting New Science Gifts for Kids of All Ages
From home-grown volcanoes to experiments they can eat, these gifts will get your mini-scientist thrilled to learn.
Oct 9, 2021
Before & After: This DIY Playhouse Gets the Most Incredible “Vampirina” Makeover for Halloween
Some affordable paint samples and cardboard cut-outs give this playhouse a playfully spooky purple makeover.
Oct 9, 2021
22 Gifts for the Tech-Loving Kid
From cool new gaming systems to robots that teach them the basics of coding, these fun toys give them access to age-appropriate tech skills.
Oct 2, 2021
15 of the Best Experience Gifts for Kids and Families
Running low on time and tired of all the STUFF? We've got some great last-minute, low-clutter gift ideas for kids and families.
Oct 2, 2021
13 Adorable Halloween Books for Kids of All Ages
As a former teacher, books are my love language. Here my top picks for the spooky season.
Oct 1, 2021
9 Budget-Friendly and Instagram-Worthy Family Halloween Costumes
You don't have to spend a lot of money OR time to get a show-stopping, IG-worthy group costume.
Oct 1, 2021
10 Timeless Nursery Items That Will Grow With Your Kids
For long-lasting pieces, ditch the cutesy trends and focus on classic products like these.
Sep 30, 2021
8 Tips for Raising Creative Kids from Working Artists
Creative kids are natural problem solvers. Here, doable tips to nurture their creative impulses.
Sep 30, 2021
Three Unexpected Ways to Use a Babysitter
As parents, we're much too tired for date nights — so we got creative for some necessary R&R.
Sep 26, 2021
The $15 Gadget That Finally Got My Bedtime-Avoiding Daughter to Sleep
We tried everything ... but this inexpensive Amazon gadget was the secret to peaceful slumber for my kiddo.
Sep 26, 2021
20 Retro Toys That Bring All the Nostalgic Fun
These gifts bring back the 80s, 90s, and beyond for our modern kiddos (and for us!).
Sep 25, 2021
Our Favorite Source for Kids’ Art Just Launched New Disney and Pixar Collections
Affordable, stylish art and home design picks for kids.
Sep 24, 2021
20 Educational Gifts for Kids That Will Make Learning Fun
Learning can be so fun with these kid-beloved gifts!
Sep 22, 2021
Working With a Parenting Coach Saved My Family From Itself
We never thought we'd use one — but now, we can't imagine going back.
Sep 21, 2021
The $10 Solution to Cluttered Craft Supplies
It contains the clutter AND saves space — win-win.
Sep 20, 2021
30 of the Best Halloween Costumes for Kids This Year
New popular characters, classic favorites, and adorable baby costumes ... we've got the best of the best!
Sep 15, 2021
20 Really Cool Gifts for Tweens and Teens
From trends like fidgets and Hydro Flask water bottles to unique finds like hot new board games and a nail polish maker, we found plenty of fun gift options for your tween or teen.
Sep 15, 2021
30 of the Best Little Kid Gifts This Year
With 30 awesome gifts to choose from, you’ll have plenty of options to put together the perfect gift for even the pickiest little kid.
Sep 11, 2021
10 of the Best New Video Games for Kids
DC Superhero girls, Pokemon, and racing games — we've got the insider scoop on the hottest kids video games for fall.
Sep 11, 2021
These Target Fall Home Goods Bring ALL the Cozy Vibes
Throw blankets, thermoses, and orange blossom candles — your home is about to get a cozy level-up.
Sep 10, 2021
The 24 Best Gifts for New Parents This Year
What do new parents really need? Life-saving newborn products ... and coffee.
Sep 8, 2021
Before & After: This HGTV “Home Town Takeover” Helped a Family of 6 Open a Cramped Living Space
It’s one thing to renovate a home — which is a lot of work in itself — but revitalizing an entire town? That’s what you call next-level. Ben and Erin Napier, who host HGTV’s “Home Town,” took the task on in their new show “Home Town Takeover,” where they’ve chosen the lucky town of Wetumpka, Alabama, to be the star of the series.
Sep 7, 2021
10 Coloring Books and Pages That Keep Kids Busy for Hours
From coloring rolls you can store in your bag all the way to Star Wars characters with a twist.
Sep 6, 2021
The Very Best Baby and Toddler Gifts of the Year
From tummy time mats to toddler ride-on toys, you’re sure to find something here your little one will love.
Sep 4, 2021
A New Report Shows Which ’90s Toys Are Now Worth a Fortune
If you’ve got a box full of ‘90s toys in the attic of your childhood home, you might want to spend some time rummaging through the collectibles. A nostalgic new report from TheToyZone reveals the iconic ‘90s toys worth a fortune today — and the highest childhood treasure is valued at $50,000, so there is that. According to the toy review site, the most expensive toy sold has been a Rainbow the Chameleon Beanie Baby from 1997, raking in a whopping $50K.
Sep 4, 2021
All the Best Labor Day Sales for Families
Must-have furniture, baby gear, toys, and so much more — at steep discounts.
Sep 1, 2021
27 Gifts from Walmart for Every Age
This year, I’ve made it a mission to only give thoughtful and useful gifts — here are 27 of the best gifts for kids of all ages from Walmart.
Sep 1, 2021
Padma Lakshmi Talks about Family Recipes and Her Brand-New Picture Book With Us
Cubby spoke to this food icon about cooking with her daughter and mother, the practice of writing recipes, and balancing her creative pursuits with parenting.
Aug 31, 2021
16 Really Unique Amazon Gifts for Every Age
To make your shopping easier, we handpicked 16 of the best gifts available on Amazon for kids of every age, from babies to teenagers.
Aug 28, 2021
20 Gifts Every Caregiver Will Absolutely Love
To the babysitters, grandparents, nannies, teachers, and more who have stepped up to keep our kids safe, supported, and inspired every day: You're rockstars.
Aug 25, 2021
Back to School Coloring Page
Print out our latest Cubby coloring page for the littles and get them excited about going back to school.
Aug 18, 2021
This New Target Collection Is Brilliant! Here Are Our 10 Favorite Items.
Illustrator Christian Robinson designed every single product I could possibly want in a kid's room.
Aug 16, 2021
12 Books to Get Any Kid Excited to Go Back to School
I'm a former English teacher, so I've personally read every single one of these — they are my must-haves.
Aug 13, 2021
Ask Maxwell: Great Gift Ideas for a 7-Year-Old Who Only Likes Video Games?
Since you’re so amazing at gifts: can you suggest a gift that will truly delight a 7-year-old who doesn’t like much more than video games?DonDear Don,Great challenge! Let’s see what we can do. Before I start I’ll also say, no matter what you think of my response, don’t give up!
Aug 11, 2021
5 Brilliant Ideas for Making Playtime More Magical Than Ever
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! Before the pandemic, we always packed our schedules. We jammed the day full of playdates, visits to museums, and trips to somewhere local or far away, all before bedtime (and sometimes, way past it). We never wasted a single minute.
Aug 8, 2021
13 Brand-New School Supplies That Kids Will Be Obsessed With
Nothing says back to school more than these bright essentials!
Aug 6, 2021
The 40 Best Gifts for Kids of All Ages
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! Birthdays are endlessly magical for children (and teens, even). Before my daughter recently turned 3, we made a paper-chain countdown so she could visually see how many days were left until her birthday. The paper chain managed to cut the “How long until my birthday?
Aug 4, 2021
I Switched to Reusable Decorations for Celebrations and Am Never Turning Back
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! Growing up, we kept boxes filled with sets of door wreaths, window decorations, streamers, and ornaments for every holiday.
Aug 4, 2021
5 Easy and Inexpensive Ways to Incorporate Kids’ Birthday Themes into a Party
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! Another birthday means another party theme, and *cue deep thought* — figuring out how to entertain a bunch of kids! Even if the theme is as specific as “Doll and Donut Dance” of all things, do not panic — I got you.
Aug 1, 2021
A Tinker Box That Guarantees Hours of Play — with Almost Zero Prep Time
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! Summer is in full swing, and it’s too hot to think straight, let alone come up with creative activities for the kids. Allow me to introduce you to the easiest, most open-ended and sustainable activity in my toy closet: The Tinker Box.
Jul 25, 2021
Why I’ll Always Choose Hotels Over Vacation Homes
When I had kids, I was told my longstanding relationship with hotels was over. So long, lavender-scented cold towels! Bye-bye, crisp sheets! See ya, infinity pool! Arrivederci, lobby bar of my dreams! It was nice knowing you. Based on the advice of many parents I know, vacation homes seemed to be the only option in the 2.0 version of my life. “When you have a family, it’s just easier with a kitchen, you’ll see,” they told me.
Jul 23, 2021
10 Best Water Bottles to Keep Kids Hydrated This 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. Join us over on Instagram for more! I have a weird quirk that I’m not embarrassed to admit: I love water. When I drink it, I gulp  —  and it’s quickly followed by an audible “ahhhh.
Jul 23, 2021
20+ Cool New LEGO Sets That Keep Kids Occupied for Hours
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! My earliest memories of getting presents all revolve around LEGOs. I still remember my very first sets: a tow truck, a family car, and a little road repair cart. Those initial gifts turned into a lifelong love of the plastic building bricks.
Jul 20, 2021
My Daughter Called This New Independent Learning Toy Her “Favorite Gift Ever!”
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! Every time I saw an ad for the Yoto Player peppering my social media feed, I was totally fascinated. Bright, colorful, completely kid-controlled — what’s not to love?
Jul 18, 2021
10 Dress-Up Costumes to Keep Kids Busy for Hours at a Time
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! As adults, we only really get one day a year to dress up and play “make believe” without feeling totally out of place, right? The occasion is called Halloween, and it’s still months away … sigh.
Jul 12, 2021
My Secret to the Best Weekends for Kids AND Adults
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! Over the years, my Saturdays developed a dependable rhythm. After being awakened by the crow of our youngest family member, we threw on jackets over our PJs and wandered down the street to our favorite coffee shop and then, the neighborhood farmers market.
Jul 10, 2021
The 10 Best Cooperative Video Games for Families
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. When I was a kid, family game night usually ended with someone toppling the board, hurling tokens and fake money, and stomping to their room in anger and frustration at losing AGAIN to a craftier player. (When I say “someone” I mean 4-year-old me.
Jul 4, 2021
Just 12 TikTok Videos to Turn a Parent’s Bad Day Around
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! Look: We’ve all had those days, when everything feels just, well, kinda terrible, often for no big reason at all.
Jul 2, 2021
8 Fun Afternoon DIY Projects Fit for Grownups, Kids, and Everyone in Between
Whether you’re at home by yourself or hunkered down with friends or family, you might be looking for new ways to spend your newfound free time indoors. Good news! We’ve rounded up our favorite low-lift DIYs that are perfect for beginner to intermediate skill sets and feature materials you already have on hand or can buy online. Our favorite picks for whiling away an afternoon below.
Jun 29, 2021
10 Temporary Tattoos for Kids and Adults That Give Us All the Summer Vibes
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! Flashback fashion has been having a fierce renaissance in the last few years, and we’d be lying if we said we weren’t completely here for it.
Jun 23, 2021
My Easy and Fun Plan for a Very Memorable At-Home Campout
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.
Jun 23, 2021
Cubby’s Father’s Day Coloring Page
For the pun-loving father-figures in our lives, we made this deliciously fun coloring card. Let your soup-er star know just how much you love him! Just download, print, color, and fold it up.
Jun 16, 2021
The Top Misconceptions about Screen Time and Why Parents Need to Let Go of the Guilt
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. Lately, it seems like everywhere you turn, there’s another article about kids and screens — or rather, what you should be doing instead of letting your kids use them.
Jun 15, 2021
10 Brilliant Wheeled Toys Our Kids Play With for Hours
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. We all want our kids to get outside and be active. We also long for those seemingly elusive toys that allow our kids to play while we sit back and relax. Enter: active toys with wheels.
Jun 11, 2021
Everything You Need to Buy for Your Medicine Cabinet This 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. As we welcome warmer weather, newly skinned knees and shoulders tinted red like lobsters have us thinking about all the items we need to stock up on for summer first aid. Unlike the kit we have floating around in the car, you might need a few extras beyond band-aids and bacitracin for summer care.
Jun 8, 2021
The $10 Piece of Equipment That Provides Endless Workouts to Do With Kids
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. Over this past year, parents really flexed their multi-tasking muscles. Before, we juggled the requirements of caretaking, school, professions, and self-care. But then, we needed to do it simultaneously. And exercise was no exception.
Jun 5, 2021
9 Dads Share the Best Gift They’ve Ever Received (No Ties Involved!)
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. Is there any Father’s Day gift better than waking to the adoring, smiling faces of your children? Of course not … but there are a ton of things that are a really, really close second.
Jun 2, 2021
My Preschooler’s Birthday Wish List is Full of Fun New Gift Ideas 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. I know exactly what toys my soon-to-be 5-year-old wants at all times — except for when her birthday actually rolls around. All the grandparents and aunties call to ask what to get her, and frankly — I’ve forgotten almost everything we talked about over the past year.
Jun 1, 2021
Our Favorite LGBTQ Picture Books for Kids
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. To celebrate this beautiful month of Pride, Cubby editors rounded up a few of our favorite books with LGBTQ representation. Joyful, meaningful, complex, and utterly moving, each picture book helps shade in the many vibrant hues of the rainbow of identity.
Jun 1, 2021
If Your Tweens or Teens Are on Social Media, Go Do This Right Now
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. There’s no shortage of coverage on generational wars. The anti-millennial discourse has shifted to rhetoric about Boomers and Karens and jokes about Tide Pods. But as an elder millennial myself, I feel somehow centered in all of it. Defending myself from the older generation (millennials are not teenagers!
May 30, 2021
The Top 10 Road Trips for Families in America in 2021
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. Six years ago, the first road trip my husband and I took as new parents was a journey from the San Francisco Bay Area to Southern Oregon, for a funeral. Our 1-year-old had always been generally happy riding in the car, but she chose this opportunity to snooze and scream, alternately, every 15 minutes.
May 26, 2021
The 12 Weirdest and Most Wonderful Roadside Attractions Across America
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. Nothing compared to the freedom of going on family road trips as a child. Rolling down the windows in the backseat, wind blowing through my hair, I literally watched the world go by. The open road opened doors to an otherworldly life where rules were bent and adventure triumphed over routine.
May 25, 2021
The Best Books for Growing Emotional Intelligence
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. In a year of multi-tiered catastrophes, parents, teachers, and caregivers have been uniquely challenged in guiding children through our radical situation. We need resources to answer children’s questions and give them frameworks through which to understand their own and others’ experiences.
May 19, 2021
The 12 Coolest Outdoor Toys to Give Them the Best Summer Ever
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.
May 19, 2021
What I’m Gifting My Pregnant Friends from Parachute’s Gorgeous New Baby Line
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. You know those friends that are more like family? And then they get pregnant and have families of their own? There’s nothing like it. Those are the people you really want to cherish and spoil.
May 19, 2021
The Top Family Road Trip Tips from Real Parents
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. My best memories of being on the road with my parents are the pit stops at gas stations. My mom would hand me a five-dollar bill ($10 if we were flush!) and let me go wild in the convenience store. Then I’d snack happily all the way to our destination, oblivious to the sea of crumbs and wrappers littering our backseat.
May 14, 2021
The Most Fun Bath Toys for Kids (Beyond the Rubber Duckie)
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. When we first started bathing our son in the regular tub instead of the bitsy infant one, he was so excited that he was allllllll over the place — pulling himself up here, bonking his head there. Add water to the mix and it was nothing short of terrifying.
May 12, 2021
The Best Drugstore Sunscreens for Kids, According to a Parent — Plus, Tips from a Pediatric Dermatologist
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. When our daughter was just a baby, we ordered the bougiest, highest-SPF sunscreen we could find. I popped it in the diaper bag and we were good to go — until I stopped carrying the diaper bag. After that, I couldn’t for the life of me remember to grab sunscreen when we left the house.
May 5, 2021