I'm a huge fan of the National Parks!  They are one of our country's most beautiful assets and I really feel that every family should take the opportunity to visit at least one of the parks with the kids. 

There are more than 400 national parks and sites located across the country so I'm sure there's one close to you.  And April 20^th - 28^th, 2013 is National Parks Week which is a wonderful time to schedule a visit!

I'm very excited to introduce a new series to the blog beginning next week! 

I will be co-hosting Discover & Explore, a weekly themed linky with Shaunna from Fantastic Fun & Learning.

 

I'm so excited to be part of the "Christmas Around the World" series this holiday!  We have 34 bloggers who are shaing some great information about the holidays in various countries.

Our host blog, Beth at Living Life Intentionally, has done an AMAZING job of creating a FREE printable e-book for the kids so they can 'travel' to each country during the month. 

Please take a minute to print out the book or passport which has coloring sheets, fun facts and lots more!

Are you looking for gift ideas for a curious kid?  You know, a child who loves to ask 'why', takes things apart to see how they work and is always wondering about something?

I LOVE curious kids!  And shopping for them can be lots of fun because there are a number of great gift ideas that they'll enjoy.

It's going to be quite a week -- our country will celebrate both Election Day & Veteran's Day.  These are two days that are very important to discuss with kids but many times kids aren't old enough to understand their significance.

Have you ever thought about visiting a national park? 

We've visited quite a few local and state parks - all beautiful -- but nothing compares to our visit at Rocky Mountain National Park this summer!

I was so enthralled with the beauty of the park, the abundance of wildlife and the amazing back-to-nature connection that our family experienced, I feel compelled to share our visit in the hopes that you too will consider a trip to one of our national parks!

 

Summer is coming to an end and soon we'll be dealing with schedules, homework and early bedtimes.  Are you trying to squeeze in a few more fun activities before the kids go back to school?  Here are a few ideas for some quick get-out-and-do-something places:

 

Lately, some of the most common questions in our house are "Mom, do you know where this country is?" or "I heard about this place on the news/in school, where is it?" 

And with the Olympic Games this summer, I imagine that we'll have a lot more of these geographic questions.

My response "Let's find it on the map."

You know how kids get so excited when you visit a new playgroud?  One that has 'monkey bars that are cooler than the ones at our old playgroud' or 'the biggest slide in the world', right? 

So, why not take them on a Playground Scavenger Hunt!

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games are less than a month away!  So many families spend time together watching the events and learning about the Olympics and the host country.  This year, the Olympics will be hosted in London - I wonder what type of opening ceremony & events we will see? 

Do you have a child who just loves trains? 

Or maybe you're one of those parents who doesn't mind getting caught at a railroad stop while the kids try to count how many train cars go through? 

Trains are a form of travel that we should introduce to our kids - real train travel! 

A few years ago, my family took a trip by train for just a few hours.  The kids loved the idea that we could all do things together (like visit the dining car for a snack!), had lots of room to stretch out and saw some unique places on the trip.

 

Looking for some fun and educational t.v. time this week?  Try some of these great kids movies - animated, feature films & documentaries - that will help kids learn about environmental issues.

 

We are only a few weeks away from the opening of the SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium.  I was able to attend a media event last week and thought I would get everyone excited with a few pictures and fun facts about one of the sea creatures that will call the aquarium home:  stingrays!

The Iditarod starts this weekend - known as the "toughest race on Earth".  Kids are intrigued by the idea of mushers and dog teams traveling miles through Alaska's wilderness.  A unique topic of discussion with kids -- and here are a few resources that can help:

 

"The Lorax" movie is a great way to introduce kids to the topic of ecology!  Take this opportunity to share one of the many messages from Dr. Suess' story about "The Lorax":  the long-term consequences of a decision, why we should protect nature, and how one person can help to change the world.

Exploring the world and learning about different cultures is an important way to help your kids to grow. 

One fun way to do that this month is to celebrate Chinese New Year.