Jessica Laird

Latest posts by Jessica Laird

Best Family Fun Summer Vacations for 2024

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Tue, 06/04/2024 - 2:30pm

These family-friendly Marriott hotels and resorts are packed with on-site water parks, kids camps, oceanfront rooms, and more top-notch amenities.

Where should we go on vacation this summer? Whether you’re beach lovers, theme park goers, or outdoor adventurers, we’ve got the hottest summer spots for a family vacation, plus the best places to stay for an array of budgets—family-friendly hotels and resorts packed with on-site water parks, kids camps, oceanfront rooms, and more top-notch amenities.

We’ve partnered with Marriott Bonvoy, the free loyalty program that helps you earn rewards and get the best rates and benefits when you stay at any of their hotels, resorts, and villas across the globe. Choose from 10,000 properties from more than 30 hotel brands, designed to fit every traveler’s budget. Become a Marriott Bonvoy Member for free.

5 Summer Safety Issues Experts Want Parents to Know

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Sat, 05/18/2024 - 1:00pm

We’ve partnered with Connecticut Children’s to share guidance from their free 2024 Summer Safety Toolkit.

When it comes to kids, summer safety goes hand-in-hand with summer fun–from keeping the ticks away to avoiding dangerous dehydration when temperatures climb. To ensure that families are on top of common warm weather woes, we’ve partnered with Connecticut Children’s to share guidance from their free 2024 Summer Safety Toolkit. As always, the comprehensive kit provides straight-forward, age-appropriate advice from leading pediatric experts 100% dedicated to kids.

Here are five summer safety tips you may not have considered, plus guidance from the pros:

Best Bluey Episodes, Themed Snacks and Games for a Memorable Family Night In

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Thu, 05/09/2024 - 10:35am

Catch all three seasons of Bluey–plus the show’s biggest episode ever–right now on Disney+.

The best Bluey episodes plus show-inspired snacks and games for an easy family night in that everyone will love.

Absolutely hilarious, heart-warming, and oh-so-relatable, if there’s one show that’ll have your entire house happily huddled around the TV, Bluey is undoubtedly it.

Recently–and unsurprisingly–named the most-streamed series across all audiences,* kids love Bluey for its exceptional storytelling, while grownups appreciate the honest portrayal of modern parenting—plus thoughtful solutions to some very common dilemmas. It’s that perfect balance that makes it a great show for families to sit down and watch together. Not only is it laugh-out-loud funny (and sometimes dry-your-eyes touching), but it lends itself to wonderful teachable moments too.

While all three seasons of of Bluey are streaming on Disney+, we’ve picked out some of our all time favorite episodes to watch as a family, plus suggestions for Bluey-inspired snacks and games that will make your night in extra special.

If you don’t have Disney+, you can sign up here.

This Top LA Area Music and Arts Camp Still Has Spots Open

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Thu, 04/11/2024 - 9:00pm

Amplify’s one-of-a-kind music and arts camp attracts deeply creative kids from California and around the world.

Amplify is an award-winning, American Camp Association accredited, music and arts summer camp in Ojai, California with day and sleepaway programs in music, photography, film, theater, dance, and much more.

Tucked away in the beautiful Topa Topa mountains–just an hour and a half outside of LA–Amplify’s totally one-of-a-kind music and arts summer camp attracts deeply creative kids from California and around the world. The empowering program invites girls entering grades 4 through 12 to bust through gender bias, giving them an unmatched opportunity to freely explore their interests and talents, express themselves authentically, and build beautiful friendships that last far beyond the summer.

Within Amplify’s truly nurturing and inclusive environment, not only do kids get to choose a creative focus for each camp session–from rock band to photography. They also create their own customized daily schedules, choosing from incredible ever-changing elective activities like screen printing, surfing, and karaoke. Add in campwide field trips to the beach and nighttime dance parties under the stars, and you’ve got a really unforgettable summer for preteens and teens.

Learn more about why Amplify’s transformative summer program is a perfect pick for creative kids:

How to Choose the Best Pediatric Dentist or Orthodontist in NYC in 2024

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Tue, 03/19/2024 - 10:00am

Upper East Smiles is a comprehensive dental practice in Manhattan that includes General Dentists, Periodontists and an Endodontist.

When searching for a good pediatric dentist or orthodontist in NYC, there are a number of factors to consider–from location to credentials to anxiety-reducing practices. We spoke to Dr. You-na Kim and Dr. Junginn Choi from Manhattan’s Upper East Smiles for guidance on choosing the best pediatric dental practice for your kids in 2024.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that infants see a dentist for their first checkup within six months of getting their first tooth or by age one. “A dental home should be established by the first birthday to help children and their families institute a lifetime of good oral health,” pediatric dentist Dr. You-na Kim explained to us.

But, where do parents begin to look for this “dental home” in a city full of dentistry practices? And how do you find the best fit for your family? After showing us around Upper East Smiles’ brand new pediatric office on East 78th Street and 2nd Avenue–just around the corner from its first Upper East Side location–we sat down with Dr. Kim and orthodontist Dr. Choi for some much-needed expert advice on what to look for in a pediatric or orthodontic dental practice in 2024.

Top Summer Day Camps in NYC for Kids

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Sun, 03/17/2024 - 6:20am

WCS Education has your summer covered with fun, educational camp experiences at our zoos and aquarium! Photo courtesy of WCS

There are myriad summer camps in NYC for kids of all ages, with everything from preschool summer camps to summer day camps for teens. Whether you're looking for a day, a week, or a whole summer of fun, summer camps in NYC are seemingly unlimited.

Below we've rounded up some of our favorite summer camps in NYC, and take note: Summer camp registration is already underway, and the time to sign up is now. For even more ideas, check out our New York City Summer Camp Guide, or browse our NYC Kids' Summer Camp Directory where you can search for summer camps in NYC by type, age, and location.

Fever Facts, Ear Infections, and How to Identify Common Kids’ Illnesses

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Tue, 02/20/2024 - 4:00pm

The pediatric health experts at Connecticut Children’s have you covered with answers to common children’s health questions.

What temperature is a fever? Are ear infections contagious? What is colic in babies? These common children’s health questions and more can be answered by the pediatric health experts at Connecticut Children’s.

Read on for their helpful guidance on some of the most common conditions and illnesses you’ll encounter over the years. And, for more straight-forward, age-appropriate, expert advice, you can visit Connecticut Childrens’ Growing Healthy Blog or subscribe to their information-packed newsletter.

Top STEM Summer Camps in Chicago: Robots, Coding, and More

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Sun, 02/18/2024 - 10:00am

Work on skills at a fun STEM summer camp. Photo courtesy of Camp Invention

Chicago is jam-packed with STEM summer camps at local universities, museums, and other nearby centers, so if architectural model making, video game development, battle bot competitions, 3D printing, and Harry Potter science sound like the makings of your kiddo's perfect summer, you're in luck. As science, technology, engineering, and math become increasingly crucial in our tech-centric world, you can give yourself a pat on the back for hooking up your kid with skills that will serve them long after their school days.

Here are our picks for the best Chicago area STEM summer camps. For more of the best Chicago summer camps, check out our Chicago Summer Camp Guide or our directory of summer camps in Chicago.

Latest posts by Jessica Laird

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