We are HUGE fans of LeapFrog items in our home.

My kids have used them for years – and for very good reasons.

First, they are high quality, well-made toys. They last a long time and can really take the wear-and-tear that kids dish out.

Second (and I’ll admit, more important to me than the kids) they encourage learning and enhance skill-building for kids.

Welcome back!

Today is Day 2 in our week-long series: The ABC’s of Family Field Trips!

During the first day, we shared tips for getting ready, ways to use books, exploring on your visit and 24 ideas of places to take the kids.

Today we’ll focus on topics and outings for F – J.

Happy 2013!!

I’d like to welcome the New Year by telling all of our readers “Thank You” for visiting us, leaving comments, & helping me to make this a better site each day — you guys are great!

To bring in the New Year, I thought I would share the Top 12 posts from 2012 — the ideas and articles that were most loved by our readers.

Are you raising curious kids? You know, kids who love to ask questions, search for the answers and learn new things? If so, BRAVO! Curious kids are the result of ‘thinking families’ — You must be a ‘thinking’ family!

Thinking families encourage kids to ask questions. When your child asks ‘why’ or ‘how’, thinking families enjoy the exchange of ideas and the hunt for ways to answer the questions.

I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

It’s time to choose your book for our October Book Club!

You can learn more about our Online Book Club for Kids or visit our September book and activity for more fun ideas!

Our author this month is Amy Krouse Rosenthal. She describes herself as “a person who likes to make things”. To learn more about some of Amy’s great books, visit her YouTube channel to see some fun videos.

I love Autumn! It’s my favorite season – cool days, beautiful colors, fun things to do with the kids and a great time to enjoy nature!

My family will tell you that I love to plan for visiting new places (they’ll actually say I spend more time planning than I do visiting ;). What can I say, I like to be prepared. So, I thought I would put together a guide for those of you getting ready to visit SEA LIFE Aquarium in Kansas City.

Take a look at some of these FAQs (frequently asked questions) and tips before your visit!

Do your kids love space? Are they asking questions about the moon, stars and other celestial wonders? In celebration of Space Day (which is the first Friday in May), we put together a list of books and activities for an educational and enjoyable evening under the stars!

Do you have plans to visit a national park or national monument this year? If so, don’t overlook the Junior Ranger programs offered at more than 100 of these locations! Kids can learn about nature, history, science — and earn some very cool badges!