Despite what TV commercials tell us, the majority of families these days aren’t your stereotypical nuclear families anymore. In fact, 50% of families with children in the US are stepfamilies.

When kids come into…

It’s a lot for kids to take in when they start preschool or kindergarten for the first time, meeting new faces and being with a larger group of other kids their age. But they’re also developing rapidly during their time there.

“Do frogs have friends?” “Are there more trees than buildings?” “Why do I have to eat three times a day?” According to a recent study, our children ask around 73 questions each day. Exhausting... So what’s going on in their heads that makes them…

How do people make it through life without a sister? -- Sara Corpening Whiteford

When a new baby joins the family, it can be challenging. At Curious World, we face the toughest challenges with markers…

Stories abound in today's media about young children in unsafe or scary predicaments. As a parent, I could easily let fear seep in and control what I let my kids do—or not do. Can they swim in the ocean without a lifejacket or play in a yard…

Visit Curious World on YouTube to celebrate Kids Reading Month! We're releasing a new storybook video every day in June. (Look for the playlist called “Fairytales & Fables…

Turning screen time into off-screen learning is easy! Just "translate" the games that your children enjoy into real-life fun (and learning!). Zoe and August are a great example in the video below. (We've also used giant building blocks to play…

The multiculturalism represented by children in today's classrooms presents a wonderful opportunity for teachers and parents to spark conversations about diversity. Children begin to notice gender and physical differences in each other when they…

I love classic games like Go Fish and Telephone. As a child, my sister, cousins, and I would sit on the beach in the summertime and play them until dark. My favorite game was called I Packed My Suitcase. We would come…

The winter can be a tough time to stay healthy and active. Besides all the yummy comfort foods, being stuck inside on frigid days can lead to little or no daily physical activity. During the school week, it can be worse, as many kids often don't…

Even a distracted viewer of the evening news will notice that recommendations on kids' healthy eating and diet tend to change frequently. Eggs are bad. No! Eggs are good! Don't feed peanuts until age three. No! Introduce them in the first…

Have you ever been to a party where it seems that every parent you talk to lives in an alternate universe? They say their child goes to bed straight away, on a predictable schedule, followed by 12 uninterrupted hours of sleep! First, they are…

All of us, it seems, are zinging along these days at a million miles an hour. In many families, parents and kids sprint to keep up with what might be described as hyper-scheduled, overly connected, and perpetually rushed lives. When do we have…

Where did the time go? The gifts have been given, the presents unwrapped, and the holiday meal eaten. It's hard to believe the holidays are over and a new year will soon begin.

Even though schools are closed for winter break, you can…

The holidays are a wonderful opportunity for children to learn about your family's cultural traditions, as well as those of your friends and neighbors. If you're looking for a fun learning activity to teach your children more about the reasons…

We all remember great stories from our childhood or our parents' childhood. Remember the time your dad made a mess in the kitchen? How about how our grandparents came to this country, or when everyone came to watch you in the school play?

Cooking is always a great learning opportunity for young children. Helping in the kitchen gives kids hands-on experience with food preparation and provides a wonderful family bonding experience. The holidays, in particular, put a lot of emphasis…

Involve little ones with sending your family's holiday greeting cards this year by completing this fun weekend challenge. Kids love being included in holiday preparations and excitement, and while some tasks might be too big for them, making and…

The holiday season means family get-togethers and travel to relatives' houses. Whether by train, car, or plane, travel time can be stressful with young children. Navigating the busy airport or anticipating a long road trip with "bored" kids often…

It's that time of year again! The kids are off from school, relatives are coming to visit, and your to-do list is getting longer and longer. It's easy to feel the stress building along with the holiday excitement, and it can be very tiring. Our…

There's an old saying that goes "little pitchers have big ears," which means that we should be careful what we say around young children since they're always listening. However, sometimes it can feel like they aren't listening at all, or even…

Holidays are a wonderful time to share family traditions or invent new ones, especially in the kitchen. My kids get very upset if I make a change to a traditional recipe or forget to cook something, so I need to make sure to include the whole…

One topic that often comes up this time of year is teaching gratitude. Many parents approach me with questions about how to help them instill feelings of gratitude and thankfulness in their young children. My mother always made us write thank you…

Now that the holiday season is upon us, it's a terrific opportunity to teach our kids the importance of giving. In my family, we played a version of Secret Santa by putting our extended family members' names in a hat. Then, we would each draw a…

My mother's kitchen was the center of much learning during my childhood. There, she taught me how to read the alphabet, follow a recipe, set a table, and more. However, one of the most important lessons was printed on a small pink magnet attached…

Getting along with others and learning how to collaborate are important life skills, and it's never too early to learn. We all want our children to be happy, and are hopeful they will make friends and be included during playtime. As both an…

Oh, the playground . . . just the word conjures up images of lovely green spaces, children laughing, parents chatting, and everyone getting along peacefully. Sometimes, however, it can feel more like a war zone.

The playground is a…

We don't immediately think of math when we hum a favorite tune or get up and dance to a favorite pop song, but amazingly, there are mathematical concepts in all of it. Don’t tell the kids though! As an educator, I loved playing music in the…

Making friends and keeping them are important skills for healthy childhood development, but how do we help our children build these skills? One great way is by reading books together. From funny stories about finding and building relationships,…