Long Island Parent Talk

Kate DiCamillo — writer of children’s favorites “Because of Winn-Dixie” and “The Tale of Despereaux” — will be on Long Island tomorrow  to read and sign copies of her newest book for early readers, “Bink and Gollie: Two for One,” co-written with Alison McGhee.

DiCamillo is scheduled to appear at 2 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers at the Country Glen Center, 91 Old Country Rd....

Looking for things to do with the kids this weekend? From classic Disney performances, Dickens, trains, toys and more, there's much to do on Long Island. Here are my top five picks for fun, family friendly activities this weekend:

1. Disney's The Little Mermaid at the Smithtown Center for Performing Arts (2 E. Main St., Smithtown). Watch your favorite characters from this classic Disney movie...

It appears "50 Shades of Grey" and the band One Direction provided inspiration for the top baby names of 2012.

While Sophia and Aiden hold tight to top spots, Mia and Jack made their way into this year's top 10 list.

BabyCenter.com announced today the top 100 baby names of 2012 based on the names of 450,000 babies born in 2012 to moms who registered on the site.

The top...

Many parents will agree, a child's first birthday is a significant milestone. And along with the location, decorations and entertainment, the cake — and the ceremony around the cake — is one of the most memorable moments of the party.

Over the past few years, all the rage at first birthday celebrations are smash cakes — a smaller cake for the birthday boy or girl to smash, explore and enjoy....

In my ongoing quest to find tasty, kid-friendly meals for you that are appropriate for the whole family, this week I chose a hearty vegetable soup. I found the recipe in "Nickelodeon SpongeBob's Kitchen Mission Cookbook," created by Stephen Hillenburg (Wiley; $16.99).

Diabolical Delight (Vegetable soup) (Makes 8 servings) Ingredients -6 cups vegetable or chicken broth -2 teaspoons...

Sometimes playtime is anything but fun. A push here, a shove there between young playmates can turn into a flood of tears. Aside from carrying a hankie to wipe our kids’ tears, there are ways parents and kids can address aggressive behavior, including allowing kids to initially try to resolve the conflict themselves, says Smithtown psychologist Dr. Deena Abbe.

For example, when one kid pushes...

The Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City has received the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, presented at a White House ceremony.

Long Island Children’s Museum President Suzanne LeBlanc and Uniondale resident Francisco Quijada and his 6-year-old daughter, Ruth, accepted the award in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 14 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

This...

My 20-month-old loves to dance. Whether she's boogying in her weekly music class or getting down to her favorite TV show's theme song, Maggie knows how to move to the beat.

We try to have a dance party every day, playing toddler tunes on a playlist we set up for her through our iPhones. We dance all through the house, and it's a nice way to spend time together doing something fun.

I...

Admit it: sometimes you look at the stack of parenting books on your shelf, and wonder just how much a book can teach you about raising a child.

Well, maybe it’s time to dig into a book that will be absolutely no help whatsoever, but will be hilarious. Barney Stinson, a fictional character on the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother," is here to fill that void with his latest offering...

Chances are, your kids have encountered inflatable bouncers, such as bounce houses, slides and moonwalks at birthday parties and family festivals.

Although your child is having a blast, you may want to take note.

In recent years, injury rates on inflatable bouncers are on the rise. According to a study in the December issue of Pediatrics, from 1990 to 2010, more than 64,000 children...