Kids' Activities and Family Fun

When today's a no school day, what can a working parent do? Well, it depends. See seven scenarios for non-school days.

What qualifies a plaything as a "good toy"? A toy that engages kids and inspires imagination and doesn't need lots of adult supervision. That's a good toy in my book. Find them here.

Sometimes saving money means spending more time. And for a busy mom, that isn’t always a good exchange. But remember the whole family helps spend the money, right? So ask for help. When kids save money along with you, you’ll also save time. And saving money teaches valuable skills and lessons to kids. Save money with these tips for kids of all a

The right family spring break activities can be the difference between a week that's a blast or a bust for your family. Spring break Looks a little different for every family depending on dates, kids' ages and work schedules. With two work-at-home parents in our family, spring break is a team effort for mom and dad. We plan activities for the...

School winter break, to kids, sounds like it should be a winter wonderland of fun. But problem is, many of us parents have to work while the kids are on winter break. And that could mean too much TV for the kids or added child care costs during winter break. And even if we can take time off, that doesn’t guarantee family fun…at least not without...

But you know what they say about teaching a man to fish, right? So I'm teaching my kids to cook. Kids Make Dinner Night is my attempt to teach my kids cooking and working in a team in small, weekly doses.

Though stressful for parents, school snow days are special for kids. They are the stuff of lasting childhood memories. Intentionally or not, families often develop snow day traditions, like sledding or playing board games or making cookies. What are your family's snow day traditions?

Independent play is an important skill for all kids, but children of work-at-home moms, in particular, should be able to find their own fun. A work-at-home mom needs a repertoire of independent activities for kids.

Making school snow day contingency plans is extra work for parents, but kids love snow days! When school is cancelled, parents need to make child care arrangement and also think up some fun snow day activites. Snow days can be an opportunity to build lasting memories with your kids.

When working from home, you can use all the help you can get, right? So let the kids help out with your job or business wherever possible. As kids grow and gain new skills, parents must recognize when kids are ready for more responsibilities and privileges. Think of ways to encourage your kids to help both at home and, if possible, at work.

Kimberly L. Keith, About.com's Guide to Parenting K-6, has a few ideas for how kids can burn off energy indoors.

Don't let the grandparents have all the fun! Susan Adcox, About.com's Guide to Grandparents, has ten suggestions for "old-fashioned" fun (you know, the kind of things you did as a kid). But there's no reason parents can't enjoy these activities with their kids too.

Kids always want to gain more privileges ("Mom, can I have a cell phone?"), but when it comes to responsibilities, like household chores, well, they'll just as soon opt out. Household chores are rarely met with enthusiasm. But in the long run we're doing our kids a disservice if we don't teach them how to take care of household chores. And in...See submissions

Do you let your kids watch TV while you are working? If yes, how much is too much TV? If not, why not?