Long Island Parent Talk

Calling all budding artists, the U.S. Kids magazines ("Turtle," "Humpty Dumpty" and "Jack and Jill") annual cover contest recently kicked off.

The cover contest is open to children ages 3 -12 and this year's theme is "If I Had A Superpower." Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges that includes Jim Davis (cartoonist and creator of "Garfield"),...

Kids looking for something to do this summer? Why not make a daily plan to do something fun with family and friends — whether it's in your backyard or at a nearby destination?

According to a new Busch Gardens survey, 49 percent of kids agree and actually ask for more opportunities to engage in more unstructured outdoor play — with or without friends. And more than two-thirds of moms feel that...

If you are contemplating adopting as a single parent, or have already, you may want to read a relatively new book, “Single Adoptive Parents: Our Stories,” by Sherry Fine and Lee Varon (Bookstand Publishing; $12).

Authors Fine and Varon, two single adoptive moms who are also both licensed social workers, interviewed dozens of single parents to find out their stories and to help others navigate...

Vintage carousels. French-inspired carnival rides. Parisian street fair sweets and eats. If you're heading into Manhattan with the family this summer, you may want to check out Fete Paradiso fair.

The first festival of vintage French carnival rides and carousels will debut tomorrow on Governors Island. The museum-quality collection of Fete Paradiso includes attractions from the late 19th and...

The brand-new teen a cappella group The Hamptones is scheduled to open on Saturday evening for Duke University's all-male a cappella group The Pitchforks at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center. It's The Hamptones' first professional performance.

"I'm extremely excited to do it," says Hamptones member Fred Nydegger, 17, of Hampton Bays. Nydegger uses his voice to make the...

In my ongoing quest to find tasty, kid-friendly food appropriate for the whole family, this week I chose a delicious steak dish that can be barbecued or cooked indoors. I found the recipe in "Fresh," by the editors at Better Homes and Gardens (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; $29.99).

Soy-Glazed Flank Steak with Blistered Green Beans (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients — 1 pound fresh...

As the world waits for the first images of North West — the newborn daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West — the question remains: to tweet or to make a deal?

With rumors swirling that Kim’s momager Kris Jenner will introduce her granddaughter on her new daytime TV show, to reported offers of up to $2 million for a magazine cover debut, we await the first images...

If you have a teenager at home, you may want to listen up: July is the most dangerous month to drive, according to a new study from Driving-Tests.org.

The learning site for permit test preparation and new driver education compared National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data on traffic fatalities from 2005 through 2011 and found the summer months to be the most dangerous time...

Scholastic is offering 15 public libraries a “Harry Potter Celebration” party package to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the U.S. publication of the first Harry Potter book, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”

To enter, librarians must describe in up to 500 words the celebration they would throw to welcome a new generation of readers to the world of Harry Potter.

The 15 winning...

Dragging luggage through the airport with a screaming baby. Listening to "are we there yet?" over and over again. Poorly-timed bathroom incidents, lost pacifiers and more.

Now that school's out, many families may be heading on vacation, and whether you're flying or driving, heading to a tropical destination or an amusement park, there are many ways parents can help their kids' avoid...