Long Island Parent Talk

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...

The Long Island Children’s Museum is sponsoring a “Puppets Take Long Island” festival this summer with nearly 100 performances for kids at various venues across Long Island – but the organizers have thrown in an entertaining treat for Mom and Dad as well.

The “Puppet Slam – Puppets After Dark: Immature Entertainment for Mature Audiences” goes on at 8 p.m. on July 10 at the Long Island Children’s...

Now that the summer months are here, you'd think kids would spend more time outside. But according to a new Busch Gardens survey, most kids only spend two hours during the week in natural, unstructured activities such as playing tag, riding bikes and exploring nature.

In fact, 85 percent of moms worry that their children aren't spending enough time outdoors, yet 56 percent of moms never or...

"Our America" host Lisa Ling sure  has been one busy first-time mom. Aside from taking care of her 5-month-old daughter, Jett, the TV journalist serves as an ambassador for The Ikea Life Improvement Project. This initiative donates to Save the Children‘s Early Steps For School program that supports early education.

Lisa opened up to CelebrityBabyScoop.com...

Looking for things to do with the kids besides hitting the beach or heading to barbecues? From carnivals and crafts to performances, Fourth of July celebrations and more, there's so much to do on Long Island. Here are 8 fun, family-friendly activities this weekend:

1. Stars and Stripes Festival at the Talfor Boat Basin (Main and Front streets; East Rockaway). Kids and adults will enjoy games,...

Just because school's out doesn't mean your kids have to veer off their normal routine, especially when it comes to healthy eating.

Kate Geagan, author of "Go Green, Get Lean" (Rodale; $) and nutritionist for Earth's Best offered five tips to keep your kids snacking healthfully all summer long.

1. Include a fruit or a veggie in at least one snack each day. Most children don't...

Happy Fourth of July! In honor of this festive holiday, cool off with these frozen, family-friendly treats, courtesy of Spoonful.com, a Disney website featuring thousands of crafts, recipes and more.

Patriotic Pops

Ingredients — 2 cups blue Powerade, Gatorade, or Kool-Aid — 12 5-ounce disposable cups — 1 cup frozen whipped topping — 1 cup vanilla yogurt — 12 craft sticks — 2 cups cran-raspberry...

In my ongoing quest to find tasty, kid-friendly food appropriate for the whole family, this week I chose a fun dessert cookie. I found the recipe on CookieThing.com. The Cookie Thing is a baking tool made with solid maple that helps you roll out all sorts of dough to the exact thickness you need. The wooden roller is specific in design of size and comes with four variations of measuring boards.

Lemon...

The much anticipated "Monsters University," made it's debut recently, starring everyone's favorite friendly monsters, James P. Sullivan, "Sulley" (voice of John Goodman) and Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal).

Fans of Disney Pixar’s films love to scour the screen in search of the "hidden gems" the filmmakers sneak into each film. For example, WALL•E’s explorations...