The Summer blockbuster season kicks into high gear this weekend with the highly anticipated release of Monsters University, but it's not only the flicks that have kids (and retailers) excited — it's the toys. Movie tie-in toys are always a hit with little ones, who love to reenact scenes from the movies, but all toys aren't appropriate for kids of all ages. That's why we've done the dirty work for you — playing with the toys to advise you which are best for each age group. Happy playing!
Royal baby fever is spreading as we await the arrival of Kate Middleton and Prince William's baby. The heir to the throne is sure to be gifted luxurious clothing and baby gear, but the tot isn't the only one who will be raking it in next month. According to analysts, the British economy may see a $380 million boost due to baby's birth, and that will mostly come in the form of royal fans buying just about anything that screams of babies and Great Britain — think onesies, strollers, booties, and more! With that in mind, we sought out our favorite British finds for little ones — be it the future king or queen of England, or your own little prince or princess!
It wasn't all that long ago that we were amazed by the launch of Orbit's Sidekick, a skateboard attachment for their G2 stroller. The added ride-on fave gives bigger tots the luxury of rolling when their young sibling was being pushed.
Now it looks like Quinny is about to one-up things in the skateboard-loving baby world with plans for the Longboard Stroller. According to our friends at Child Mode, the Dutch stroller company is working with Studio Peter van Riet to "develop strollers to suit the urban lifestyle." The ultimate way to do so? With a stroller that combines mobility with practicality, thus a longboard (skateboard) attached to a stroller seat — providing parents with a mode of transportation and exercise, while still giving tots a safe, comfortable place to sit.
The project is still in development mode, as the designers work to perfect the stroller, ensure its safety, and incorporate testers' feedback. But even in its current state, we're doing a bit of a kick flip over the entire idea. How about you?
There's more than one way to keep a toddler in his or her crib. Just ask Jeff Frese. After watching his daughter make easy escapes from her crib — during which she interrupted his much-needed sleep — he was desperate to find a safe way to keep her in her place. While crib tents seem like an easy solution, a recent nationwide recall sent the NYC dad searching for a safer solution.
The result: Crib Pants, a footie for active tots that is restrictive enough to keep them in the crib but flexible enough to allow them to move around and play in their space. The pants of the footie have a bat-like wing sewn between the legs that prevents little ones from raising their legs high enough to escape their cribs. The product makes its Kickstarter debut today, where a limited early-backer reward will include two pairs for the price of one at $25. Crib Pants' designers hope to raise $10,000 to "kick" the pants to market. Watch the video that details how the pants came to be, and tell us: would you buy a pair?
With two cold-weather babies, I've always envied moms who could plan an outdoor birthday party and take advantage of their backyard or local park. Nature makes the great outdoors ideal for garden parties, water games, messy projects, and sporting events — and best of all, they can be done at a fraction of the price of indoor ones without rental fees. Check out 44 fun parties you can throw right in the yard, without ever worrying about how you'll fit all those kids in your home!
Barbecues and carefully wrapped gifts took a backseat to simply spending time with family around Hollywood this weekend. Celeb dads got the royal treatment from their partners and kids on Father's Day, and lucky for us, celebrity moms were on hand to capture and share the moments via social media. From Dean McDermott's relaxing day in the pool with baby Finn to Neil Patrick Harris's combination birthday and Father's Day, take a look at how Tinseltown's dads were feted by their kids.
Well hello there, Everly Tatum! In honor of Father's Day, Channing and Jenna Dewan-Tatum shared their first picture of their little bundle of joy! Everly Tatum, who was born on May 31, made her public debut on her parents' Facebook pages today.
For a long time running, it seemed People had a monopoly on introductory celebaby photos. Nicole Richie, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, and the Jolie-Pitts all turned to the well-established magazine to show off their newest family members. However, today, many celebs are turning to competitors who are doling out generous offerings to new parents. Others are releasing their own photos — either on their own or through photo agencies — to bypass the whole magazine scenario. See how your favorite Tinseltown parents debuted their little ones, and tell us how you think the newest Hollywood babies will be introduced to us!
Naming baby is the first big decision parents make for their child. The word will follow their kiddo for the rest of his or her life, but it's not something that moms and dads need to fret about. It's fun! We've rounded up our hottest tips and conversation topics to give you the complete guide to baby-naming.
Moms love to share their parenting experiences — the good, the bad, and the ugly! From searching for the best postbaby bathing suit to how to speak to your child, moms have a lot to say. Take a look at the five stories that had our readers talking the most this week.
With swimsuit season finally upon us, we're not surprised at all that a story about one mom's quest for the perfect, confidence-boosting swimsuit is among our most popular posts of the week. More than 130 weighed in with their thoughts on her final pick, and why it was a winner.
We often forget how carefully we need to talk to our children when discussing important things. Our post about choosing our words when telling tots we're disappointed in their actions received a vote of confidence from more than 80 readers.
Keep reading for the rest of the most talked about stories this week.
A little (OK, a lot of) rain throughout the week failed to put a damper on celeb tots' activities. From Harper Smith's jaunts throughout New York City to Ben Brady's leisurely swing up in Boston, celeb parents had a great time snapping — and sharing — photos of their little ones soaking up life this week. Click through now to see this week's cutest celeb tot candids, and don't forget to follow POPSUGAR Moms on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter!
If your iPad looks anything like ours, it's filled with apps for your kids, rather than yourself. You're also probably always on the lookout for a new app that will not only occupy your little ones' time, but teach them something at the same time. There are more than 33,000 kids' apps in the iTunes store, so finding the best ones out there can be a chore. Lucky for you, we've found recent additions to the iTunes store that will make both mom and tot happy. From new color-educating apps for toddlers to a movie-making app from Disney, check out our favorite latest downloads now!
If your tot's lemonade stand is raking in the dough this Summer and turning into more of a business venture than an afternoon activity, you might want to book a trip to NYC's Trump SoHo Hotel. In true Trump fashion, the hotel just launched the Trump Kids Young Entrepreneurs SoHo program, where kids 3 to 17 can live like minimoguls in the hotel. Kids receive personalized business cards, invitations to exclusive events like film screenings at the Children’s Museum of the Arts, and cooking and etiquette classes. They can even enjoy beauty days at the hotel's spa, and receive a soon-to-be-launched shopping card that grants them discounts at local clothing boutiques and toy stores. During their first stay, the tots also receive a monogrammed child-size robe, while subsequent visits will bring them surprises like bedtime milk and cookies or a candy buffet. And while the focus of the program is on the kids, Trump doesn't leave the parents out — they receive waived fees on rollaway and sofa beds and dining incentives throughout their stay.
We've seen hotel rooms designed for almost every type of tot, but for budding tycoons, it doesn't get much closer to living the high life than this. We're just wondering if the hotel staff gives tips for achieving the Donald hairstyle as part of the program.
I'm the first one to admit that I'm a bargain shopper. It's great for my wallet, but not for my time-starved, working mother schedule. Spending endless hours comparison price shopping is the last thing I really have time for these days. So when I heard that Decide.com was expanding to the baby and kids realm, I was anxious to test it out.
The site not only provides purchase recommendations based on user reviews (all products receive a color coded and numerical rating from one to 100), but it uses proprietary price-predicting technology to determine if the price is likely to rise or fall in the next two weeks, so you won't feel burned when the high chair you purchase goes on sale the day after it ships to you. Playing around, I found it to be an easy way to make a decision about anything from high chairs and strollers to a set of Legos. The high chair I was looking at was ruled a "Buy before prices rise" while the stroller received a "Wait for prices to drop" mention (and it told me how much they should drop in the next two weeks). It made purchase decisions a cinch, freeing up my evenings for the first time in ages.
I kept looking for a catch, but couldn't fine one. The service is free for all "Decide Scores" as well as up to eight price predictions. After that, there's an annual $30 membership fee that gives you unlimited access to price predictions for the year. So tell us, would you pay for access to such a site?
The clothes are labeled and the bags are packed; all that's left is for your child to head off to camp for the Summer. While it may appear that mom and dad's job is done once they ship their little one off to sleepaway camp, the moment the bus pulls away is when the real work begins — sending care packages that show the kids just how much you care. Though camps have pretty restrictive lists of what can and can't be brought onto campgrounds — candy, baked goods, and snacks are often banned — there are still plenty of fun, small items that can be shipped up to your tot. Click through for 18 of our favorite care package finds, including one sneaky item that your child will love!
Homemade gifts are all the rage when it comes to Dad's big day. Before you pull out the crayons, paper, and glitter, get thee to the computer and get ready to print! The web is filled with gorgeous printables that add a lil creative juice to your lil one's gift this year. Check out our favorite Father's Day finds for your printer, from printable posters to cupcake toppers to tags for his favorite brew!
