Spring Gardening: 10 Perfect Plants to Grow With Children
My favorite part of parenting is watching my kids hunt for sweet peas in the garden or offering me a warm tangerine they harvested to peel for them. These are the moments that make gardening with children so rewarding. The garden is a natural playground for kids, with its wriggling worms, muddy hands, bizarrely shaped […]
Boredomtunity: Ways Boredom Makes Kids and Ourselves More Extraordinary!
“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” – Dorothy Parker Boredom improves creativity Before addressing questions about nurturing, navigating and/or mitigating boredom, I think it’s important to identify the state of mind we’re talking about. Too often we think of “boredom” as a passive deficit state – “nothing to do” […]
Can Kids’ Videogame Play be Healthy?
Amidst historic wildfires and a global pandemic, virtual worlds hold an understandable appeal. Yet, many parents fear that videogames pose risks of their own – that these all-too enticing digital ecosystems may interfere with children’s healthy emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Indeed, parents have struggled to manage their kid’s videogame play, even before COVID-19 relegated […]
7 Best SoCal Gardens for Kids
Southern California is a year-round outdoor kind of place, but spring is still a great excuse to visit our beautiful local gardens. Here are seven of the best L.A. gardens for kids. South Coast Botanic Garden This Rancho Palos Verdes oasis covers 87 lush acres with more than 2,500 different species of plants, plus rabbits, […]
Six Local Farms That Welcome Families
We live in a state that is blessed with a year-round growing season, but spring is undeniably the best time to visit many of California’s small farms. Even here bountiful SoCal, many farms are closed to the public during the winter, and the summer months can be too hot and dusty to make for a […]
We Love It: Outdoor Toys, Gear & More
From stylish gear for parents on the go to hands-on learning toys for kids, this roundup features the latest must-haves for family life. Whether you’re packing lunches, exploring the outdoors, or keeping toddlers engaged, these products combine function, fun, and a dash of genius. GillyGro Pro A unique 5-in-1 backpack perfect for on-the-go. Includes a […]
April Book Corner: Celebrate Spring With These Nature-Themed Reads
Spring is in full swing, and we’ve got the books to celebrate. From National Garden Month and Earth Day, to Passover and Easter, April is a time to reconnect with nature, gather with family, reflect and rejoice in new beginnings. National Parks in the United States By Abracadabra Books This 4-book box set introduces young […]
2025 Spring Festivals for L.A. Families
Wildflowers are in bloom, gardens are thriving and Easter egg hunts are just around the corner. Springtime in L.A. is the perfect time to get outside and celebrate the season with your family. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite spring festivals, featuring puppets, music and more to enjoy this season renewal, possibility and joy. […]
Back Outside With Nature-Focused Summer Camps
Summer camp is a great way to keep education rolling by offering kids lessons in social skills, encouraging them to develop new interests and interact with the world outside the classroom. If you’re interested in pushing your kids’ learning beyond the four walls of a building, we’ve rounded up a few nature camps to get […]
Spotlight: Meet Candice Dickens-Russell, President and CEO of FoLAR
Candice Dickens-Russell raises her family in L.A., where Candice herself grew up. Having served as the regional director for environmental education for the State of California Department of Education, on the Blueprint for Environmental Literacy Taskforce and on the board of Friends of the LA River where she now works, she understands the significance of […]