Ally Noel
Ally Noel has lived in Connecticut for over two decades. Before becoming a parent, she worked as an Educational Technology Specialist, helping schools and teachers integrate technology into learning. Now, she’s all about discovering the best family-friendly adventures, activities, and hidden gems. Share your tips, questions, or just say hi at ally@mommypoppins.com, and follow along for family fun at @mommypoppinsct.
Latest posts by Ally
Momming is hard work. But necessity is also the mother of invention, so it seems only fitting that moms have been discovering (and sharing) simple tricks to make mothering a little easier for all of us. From getting kids to eat their vegetables to soothing sunburn, these 15 life-changing #MomHacks will save you a little time and energy—and hopefully a little sanity too.
Looking for more clever mom life ideas? Check out our other creative parenting hacks and tricks, like these fun Tooth Fairy ideas that kids love, some screen-free activities for family night, and even tricks to get toddlers to play by themselves!
Who can resist the urge to pop that bubble wrap once it comes floating loose from a package? Certainly not any kids we know!
Well, instead of shooing them away from the box as they ready their stomping feet, try one of these 10 clever ways to let kids play with it, get messy with it, and generally have some fun with bubble wrap. It's actually one of our secretly fun exercise games for kids. Also, you're demonstrating some healthy plastic upcycling practices, too. Win-win. Go ahead and add a little "pop" to your playtime. These kid-tested crafts and games will have you engineering roads and creating beautiful swirls and whirls of color and design.
Natural beauty, charming downtowns, and a seemingly endless amount of open space make it is easy to fall in love with Vermont. But camping in Vermont is maybe even more charming of a family getaway!
We recently stayed at a KOA campground in southern Vermont, right next to Brattleboro. This little corner of the Green Mountain State is known for its arts, outdoor adventures, artisanal foods, and tons of Vermont-style fun. Read on for our full campground review, and don't miss our Camping Travel Guide filled with great campgrounds all around the country, or explore our Vermont Family Travel Guide for more New England adventures.
Looking for a change of scenery? Want to get away from it all? Well, the adventure that you seek may be no farther away than pitching a tent in your own backyard. A backyard camping trip is a perfect activity for the whole family or as a special occasion sleepover for kids' friends. Unplug those devices and recharge with a healthy dose of outdoor fun with the kids.
This colorful rain will have you wishing for cloudy skies every day! Nor do you need to be a professional meteorologist to pull off this easy science experiment for kids.
Create this scientific rain model using shaving cream to represent the clouds and dyed water as the raindrops. Rain is the result of water droplets becoming heavy enough for gravity to pull them out of the clouds as raindrops. As you add colored water to the shaving cream, young scientists can begin to understand how rain is created.
Your kids may think you're a real live wizard when they see the colorful results of this Skittles science experiment. What they won’t know is that there is actually a lot of science behind those swirls and whirls of color.
The different colors in Skittles are composed of slightly different properties. When the warm water dissolves these colors, kids witness a phenomenon called water stratification. The different densities of each ingredient create a barrier between the colors and thus a very cool and colorful pattern.
A New England summer is sparingly short, so locals and visitors alike try to cram as much fun as they can between Memorial and Labor Day. A fabulous family resort can help make the most of the season by taking care of the details so that everyone can relax rather than worry about whether or not they packed the sheets and towels!
We've rounded up some of our favorite Cape Cod hotels, seaside Maine resorts, pretty mountainous Vermont resorts, and more New England hotels that cater to families with kids.
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