Discover enrichment ideas for lifelong learning at home and abroad – including engaging classes, fun home projects, day trip recommendations, and experiential travel around the world.
It’s hard to believe that we’re into October, and I have yet to plan my children’s enrichment programs for the academic year. That’s how it goes with teens. When they reach adolescence, school-based clubs and after school sports take up what little time they have left after homework, and parents are left to squeeze in…
September 11th is a difficult, yet imperative, topic for educators to teach and explore with their students. On this anniversary of 9/11, many teachers have students who either were not yet born or do not remember the terrorist attacks. It is hard to believe that high school seniors this year were only about 7 years…
Nestled within the hills of the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts is the quaint little town of Pittsfield, Massachusetts and home to a number of galleries and museums. We recently visited the Berkshire Museum with the Bean (5) and the Dude (2). This is one of those destinations that is an easy 45 minute drive from…
Along with my quest to introduce more positive female role models (sorry Cinderella) we’ve been reading fabulous children’s books about the leaders of the women’s suffrage movement, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. I know at nearly 5, the Bean is too young to fully comprehend how lucky she has it today, but when…
What is it about sharks and stingrays that casts a spell over even the most jaded teen? I practically had to drag my 16 and 13-year-olds into the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, while later it was almost impossible to tear them away from the ocean predators. Despite housing the world’s longest sea tube, the Greater Cleveland…
Zoos are not my thing. Ever since I was peed on by a hippopotamus at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. as a young child, I’ve tried to avoid them. But as a parent, I’ve had occasion to visit many zoos around the US, and even around the world. I’ve accompanied my children to zoos in New…
Combat brain drain while keeping the “fun” in summer trips. A recent U.S. News & World Report article on educational family vacations opens with the popular notion that teens have to be dragged kicking and screaming on family vacations. The author goes on to suggest ways to sneak in teachable moments, all with the underlying assumption…
On a recent road trip to Philadelphia with my family, I attended a behind-the-scenes sneak peek tour of the US Mint, the largest coin manufacturer in the world. The re-designed public tour, which is free, opens July 3, 2012. I was able to also go right down on the factory floor to get an up-close-and-personal…
How do you build on a child’s love for the new breed of Disney princesses? Consider our short list of favorite girl power books. One day my dreams will come, someday I’ll find my love….. and blah, blah, blah. You know the iconic songs of the earlier Disney Princess movies of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and…
Summer is finally here, which means we now see a steady supply of fresh vegetables from our farm subscription. Luckily, I have a creative and industrious kitchen helper in the form of my daughter, who from a young age has been cooking and learning about healthy eating. A big part of her enthusiasm has been…