Is your crew ready to get away? We get it and so does Airbnb. They recently released their list of the most wishlisted rentals for families and it is full of great options for summer vacation and future get togethers with grandparents. From a massive lakehouse that sleeps 16 to an island paradise, there’s an option for every family. Let the planning begin!
Sea Turtle Lagoon | Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Set in a quiet neighborhood, this 3-bedroom beach oasis is perfect for families looking to relax on the nearby beaches and take in the local attractions.
Superhost François has decorated this gorgeous cottage with furniture imported from his native France. You can stay in and bake cookies in the fully equipped kitchen or enjoy the fire pit and on the large deck for fun family nights after a day at the local beach.
Boasting some of the best views in Steamboat, this luxury chalet features four bedrooms and huge entertaining space including pool table, tv room, full custom bar and a private walk out to your hot tub with views across the valley.
This beautiful 5-bedroom Berkshire is nestled in the woods just off the Appalachian trail, featuring an outdoor grill, dining areas with deck dining, screened porch dining and large lawn and garden with swings, and toys & books.
Family Friendly Home One Mile from Beach | Long Beach, CA
Airbnb
Located just one mile from the beach, this shore-themed cottage is set in a quiet neighborhood and boasts an outdoor grill, fire pit, mini playground and games, books, foosball table. Stroller and pack n' play crib are available for the little ones.
Ideal for making family memories, this lakehouse is close to the beach, downtown and local playground. The 3-bedroom house features an extra game room and a beautiful sun room with a sleeping area. High chair, stroller, pack n' play and kids' games all come with the rental.
Lux family 4 BR in the Heart of Franklin | Franklin, TN
Airbnb
Just a 10-minute walk to downtown Franklin, this ranch-style home boasts a private patio, perfect for grilling with the family, and a cozy fire pit for chillier nights. You'll have cruiser bikes available to head downtown and plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms for everyone to have their own space.
This spacious farmhouse is great for multi-generational families and features a screened-in porch with comfortable seating, gas fireplace for story time, and downstairs ping-pong room and media room. It's a 10-minute drive to Oval Beach or you can easily walk to downtown Saugatuck. Pack n' play. strollers and toys are included.
This centrally-located house features plenty of activities to entertain the little ones including a fully-stocked kitchen with all the amenities to classic children's toys and an original Nintendo Entertainment System. The house is also fully baby proofed. There's even a swing in the living room!
This island paradise on Siesta Key features four bedrooms with a resort-style heated salt water pool. It's close to the beach and local village. There's a fun home theater for family movie night!
Nestled in the woods in Vermont with a waterfall and brook rushing by outside the large wall of windows, this cabin is situated in the Green Mountains. It is the perfect place to relax and play with the entire family. Stargazing is at its prime here and you're close to some great skiing if that's your jam.
The Big Easy is full of museums, restaurants, and outdoor spaces for families to enjoy
Known around the world for its Mardi Gras celebrations, New Orleans has a lesser-known reputation for its family-friendly museums, attractions, carousels, streetcars, and other things to do with kids that go way beyond the typical tourist destinations (we’re looking at you, Bourbon Street). Here are our picks for a PG-rated, hangover-free visit to the Big Easy.
Ghost Tours with ToursByLocals
One of our favorite ways to get to know a city is through a walking tour. We recommend taking your tour at the beginning of your vacation because the tour guide is likely to give you lots of insider tips for under-the-radar spots to visit. A trip to New Orleans is incomplete without a ghost tour and you’ll love the Voodoo, Zombies, and Vampire Legends tour from ToursByLocals. You’ll get to visit the most haunted sites in the French Quarter and learn about the origins of voodoo. Best of all, your tour can be modified based on the ages and interests of the kids in your group.
Garden District via New Orleans Streetcar New Orleans is home to the oldest continually-operating street car in the United States. Operating since 1835, the street car has several routes through the city. We recommend taking a ride to the Garden District. Once there, you can visit Ann Rice’s favorite book store, Garden District Book Shop, and Lafayette Cemetery Number 1, the setting for that thrilling scene from the Ashley Judd film Double Jeopardy.
Louisiana Children’s Museum / Arts District An interactive museum with over 30,000 square feet of art, music, science, math, health, and role-playing environments, the Louisiana Children’s Museum is a local favorite. Activities include the “Little Port of New Orleans,” where kids can pilot a towboat down the Mississippi River or serve a make-believe meal in the cruise ship galley. The museum is located in the Arts District (Warehouse District), a historic neighborhood with cool art galleries and restaurants (including the Original Emeril’s). The whole family will love exploring the “Soho of the South.”
Fat Tire Tours
Fat Tire Tours is one of the most highly rated outdoor experiences in New Orleans and offers a variety of year-round bike and Segway tours that are led by expert, local guides. One of the most popular New Orleans options is the French Quarter & Garden District Bike Tour which features fascinating stories and anecdotes about the history of the city, covering popular highlights in “the Quarter” including St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square along with some lesser-known gems, all while telling you fascinating stories about your surroundings. Kids of all ages and with any level of biking experience are welcome on the tours. Parents can choose from a variety of kid-friendly bikes and bike modifications, including baby seats, tandem bikes, and toddler trailers for kiddos who are still learning to ride, as well as smaller city bikes designed for kids ages 6-11.
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas Located on the Mississippi River adjacent to the French Quarter, the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is a favorite destination for families. The 400,000-gallon Gulf of Mexico Exhibit includes a walk-through tunnel featuring gigantic sharks, tarpon, and rays. Other highlights include live penguins, a sea otter and parakeet feeding opportunity. The aquarium is closed for renovations until summer 2023.
City Park Spread out over 1,300 acres in the heart of the city, City Park is bustling with family-friendly fun, including the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, Storyland—a theme playground filled with 20 larger-than-life storybook sculptures featuring classic fairytale characters, The Historic New Orleans Train Garden snuggled inside the Botanical Garden, and CityPutt, a 100% ADA accessible mini golf complex showcasing streets and iconic themes from around the city.
Mardi Gras World Imagine the costumes, floats, and décor of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras parade without the crowds of drunk revelers. This tour is an excellent option if you are in New Orleans outside of Mardi Gras season. To be clear, this isn’t a museum, but rather a warehouse filled with memorabilia. Don’t worry though, there are plenty of Instagram-worthy photo ops with all of the props and costumes. Each tour ends with a slice of King Cake (which is hard to find out of season). A complimentary shuttle is available for people taking the tour.
Steamboat Natchez Tour Many locals believe the best way to see New Orleans is from the water. As the only steamboat in New Orleans, Steamboat Natchez takes visitors on an old-timey tour of the Mississippi River, as the captain shouts through a hand-held megaphone and a band plays vintage jazz music. You can have lunch aboard the ship or buy ice cream from the gift shop, as the tour guide points out an area of historical significance and industrial points of interest like a sugar factory. Kids love the walk-through of the engine room.
National World War II Museum Kids love the spacious layout of this museum that sprawls out over a large campus where they have the opportunity to climb aboard a Sherman tank as well as ride on the world’s only fully-restored combat-veteran PT boat in operation today.
French QuarTour Kids Tour The only tour company focused exclusively on kids, this tour is a great way to navigate the French Quarter in New Orleans with kids. Led by two former teachers, the tours include following a treasure map, life as a Creole kid, or a not-too-spooky ghost hunt. Stops on the tour included the Mississippi Riverfront, Jackson Square, and the Old Slave Auction House.
Since you can’t get to the parks right now, you can still experience a trip around Disneyland Park. Disney+ has curated park-inspired watchlists to entertain your family. From a whole new world to a galaxy far, far away, to Main Street, U.S.A., you can experience the magic of Disney right from your couch.
Main Street U.S.A.
America’s Heart and Soul
America’s National Parks
Encore!, ep 112 “Ragtime”
Glory Road
Invincible
Lady and the Tramp
Lady and the Tramp (Live-Action)
Mary Poppins
Miracle
Old Yeller
Pollyanna
Remember the Titans
Secretariat
The Greatest Game Ever Played
The Rookie
Tomorrowland
Apollo: Missions to the Moon
Expedition Mars: Spirit & Opportunity
Finding Dory
Finding Nemo
Mars Inside Spacex
Miles from Tomorrowland
Mission to the Sun
Phil of the Future
Science Fair
The Rocketeer
Toy Story 1-4
Tron
Tron: Legacy
WALL-E
Year Million
Zenon Girl of the 21st Century
Fantasyland
Aladdin
Alice in Wonderland
Babes in Toyland
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Dumbo
Escape to Witch Mountain
Fantasia
Frozen 1-2
Onward (Streaming April 3)
Pete’s Dragon (1977)
Peter Pan
Pinocchio
Sleeping Beauty
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Tangled
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
The Little Mermaid
The Sword in the Stone
Frontierland
Davy Crockett: And the River Pirates
Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier
Encore!, ep 105 “Annie Get Your Gun”
Encore!, ep 106 “Oklahoma!”
Pocahontas
Sheriff Callie’s Wild West
Spin and Marty
Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventure
The Adventures of Huck Finn
The Journey of Natty Gann
Those Calloways
Tom and Huck
White Fang
Mickey’s Toontown
A Goofy Movie
An Extremely Goofy Movie
Chef Donald
Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers
Donald’s Tire Trouble
DuckTales (1990)
DuckTales (2017)
Fun and Fancy Free
Goof Troop
Hawaiian Holiday
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Pluto and the Gopher
Steamboat Willie
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Star Wars: A New Hope
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Rebels
Star Wars: Resistance
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
The Mandalorian
Critter Country
A Bug’s Life
Bambi
Brother Bear
Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet
Piglet’s Big Movie
The Fox & the Hound
The Incredible Dr. Pol
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Unlikely Animal Friends (Season 1–2)
Winnie the Pooh
Zootopia
New Orleans Square
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
With a family heritage that is South American on my side and Germanic/British/American on my husband’s, we have quite a mix in our family that is reflected in hair color, skin tone and the like. And I have many friends from various ethnicities or those who are in biracial marriages, or raising a blended family via adoption. All that to say is that we are all very intentional of reading books that feature characters that actually reflect the world around us and I’ve led workshops with children’s author Lauren Ranalli on creating an intentional bookshelf (please contact me if you would like more information on that).
I grew up surrounded by the European/North American ‘ideal’ of blonde hair and blue eyes and while much has changed in the world of children’s literature, it is still staggering to note that only 13% of books in the last 24 years (1994-2017) contain multicultural content (source: Lee & Low Books). Representation matters and we can do our part by being mindful of what we put into the hands of our littles. With that in mind, here’s a short list of some of our favorite picture books and early chapter book series with diverse characters if you’d like to intentionally diversify your children’s summer reading:
A bookish Latina raising three bookworms in Ann Arbor, MI. I started Living by the Page as an antidote to our current frantic high-tech world: to remind both children and adults alike that we can still find creativity, imagination and refuge in the written word. Boolists, reviews and more at www.livingbythepage.com
When you combine trains, technology and barbecue, the only place you can be is Kansas City. This kid-friendly Missouri town offers loads of attraction for visiting families. We’ve gathered up a slew of our favorites below and visit our Kansas City events calendar for the full scoop on events for kids during your stay.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Spend day wandering through world-class galleries. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is the cultural jewel of Kansas City and just three blocks from the Country Club Plaza. Bonus: admission is free
National WWI Museum and Memorial
The National WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding this war and its enduring impact on the global community. The museum offers activities for kids like a scavenger hunt that will take you all over the museum.
Arabia Steamboat Museum
The Arabia Steamboat Museum is a favorite Kansas City attraction, a history museum housing 200 tons of cargo from life on the American frontier in 1856. This steamboat was recovered in 1988 and and serves as a time capsule of American frontier life.
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Opened in 1991, this museum is a tribute to some of baseball’s best-unknown players. The NLBM is a self-guided tour experience. The exhibition features text panels, hundreds of photographs, artifacts and several film exhibits that is integrated with a timeline of baseball and African American history. Length of tour varies but we recommend a minimum of an hour to fully enjoy the exhibit.
The Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden
This two-acre garden is part of the Kauffman Legacy Park in the heart of Kansas City. Open year round, the park serves as a tranquil place for families to visit.
4800 Rockhill Rd.
Kansas City, MO Online:kauffman.org
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures
This museum features the world’s largest collection of fine-scale miniatures and one of the nation’s largest collection of antique toys on public display. Visit on Wednesdays and Saturdays and you can take an in-depth tour of one of the exhibits.
Kaleidoscope
Provided by Hallmark Cards, Kaleidoscope nourishes the creative spirit. It is a place where all children and their families are invited to be creative, have fun and feel good about their own special ideas. Admission is free. Children use their imaginations to make art with materials from Hallmark’s manufacturing processes. Some are cut into shapes, while others are left just as Hallmark sends them. And Hallmark provides different materials so the projects are ever-changing!
Science City at Union Station
See how astronauts train for space missions or discover the chemistry behind some of your favorite beverages. Kids and adults alike will be entertained for hours at this center dedicated to showing how science is a part of our everyday lives.
Kansas City Zoo
Explore the Kansas City Zoo, with more than 1,700 animals on 202 acres. It’s the most affordable family fun for kids of all ages. Hop aboard the Zoo Sky Safari for an aerial view of the park and then ride the Zebra Tram when the kids get tired.
SEA LIFE Kansas City
SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium will transport you into an amazing underwater world! Come nose to nose with sharks and prepare for astonishingly close views of everything from humble starfish, seahorses and graceful rays.
The Best Upcoming Events for Kids in Kansas City
If you’re looking for events and activities, don’t miss our local Kansas City events calendar, which has everything from story times to seasonal activities like apple picking, pumpkin patches and Christmas tree farms.
It’s not often your favorite worlds collide so when Disney and LEGO come together on a collar, it’s a happy day for all. A brand new Disney LEGO Minifigure collection features over a dozen of your favorite Disney characters.
The new collection of Disney LEGO Minifigures features classic Disney characters, like the original black and white Vintage Minnie and Vintage Mickey from Steamboat Willie. Traditional Disney fans will also be excited to see Duck Tales’ Scrooge McDuck, Huey, Dewey, Louie, as well as chipmunks Chip and Dale in the lineup.
Contemporary Disney movies are also represented in the new collection with Elsa and Anna from Frozen, Jack Skellington and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edna Mode and Frozone from The Incredibles, Jasmine and Jafar from Aladdin and Hercules and Hades from Hercules.
The entire collection of Disney LEGO Minifigures will be available for purchase at toy stores, as well as online and in-store at LEGO starting May 1. Each Minifigure will retail for $3.99 per blind bag.
One of the greatest ideas of all time has inspired LEGO fans to come up with an incredible idea of their own. Thanks to the LEGO Ideas crowdsourcing platform, master builders will soon be able to get their hands on a Steamboat Willie LEGO set.
The new LEGO Ideas Steamboat Willie set features the boat and mouse couple that went on to become the most iconic figures in animated history. Mickey Mouse made his screen debut as the star of Steamboat Willie in 1928—and now you can celebrate Disney history with your very own brick build of the S.S. Willie.
The new LEGO set features 751 pieces, which include moving steam pipes and rotating paddle wheels. The entire set—and even the box it comes in—features a black-and-white color scheme. The set also comes with two minifigures of the original Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.
The LEGO Ideas crowdsourcing platform allows LEGO fans to submit their ideas for potential LEGO sets, which are then voted on by other fans in consideration for being turned into actual sets.
This one is clearly a home run and will be available for all fans to purchase online and in LEGO stores starting Apr. 1 for $89.99.
Just a rough drawing of three circles or a photo of red shorts with white buttons will have your kids screaming, “Mickey Mouse!” This timeless character from Disney is perhaps one of the most recognized figures in the world. But did you know that Mickey Mouse didn’t always start off as the friendly critter kids know him as today? Read on for the full story and history of the Mouse.
It all started way, way back in 1928 when Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, who worked at Universal Studios the time, created Oswald the Rabbit. Unfortunately, Universal refused to give Disney a budget increase, so he parted ways and created Disney Studios. The Disney team went through many animals before Disney fell in love with the mouse. Earlier publications of both show stark similarities in the character designs like the black body, oval eyes and white pants.
Fun fact: Mickey Mouse’s original name was Mortimer Mouse until Disney’s wife convinced him to change it.
Contrary to popular opinion, Mickey Mouse actually made his first debut in a short called “Plane Crazy.” Unfortunately, it didn’t do very well and neither did the second short after. But when “Steamboat Willie” came along in 1928, the audiences went crazy. One of the factors was because it was the first of many shorts to feature synchronized sound. After this, Walt Disney revisited his previous shorts, added sound and rereleased them to much greater success.
Fun fact: In traditional animation, Mickey’s ears would always be circular, no matter what direction he faced. This lead to the unofficial trademark sign of three circles (where two are ears) that’s often identified as Hidden Mickeys.
Mickey Mouse soon began to appear in comics in 1930s. While it was a short-lived year for Mickey’s life on paper, these comic story lines catapulted his fame across the world. He became famous in Italy, Greece, France and even Egypt.
Fun fact: Mickey Mouse’s personality has also gone through many changes. Originally he was cast as a mischievous anti-hero, then an everyday man and recently in 2009, a more adventurous Mickey.
As Mickey’s popularity grew, so did his appearance and family. A bit like real life really. Mickey met Minnie, his body became more round and slowly became a role model for children. By 1934, Disney introduced Donald Duck to the family, a character gave much reason behind Mickey’s shy, falsetto voice.
Fun fact: Mickey’s classic gloves are actually as much logistical and stylistic. Since animation was black and white, his gloves made it easier to distinguish his hands from his body.
From 1935-1940s, when color began to be used in film, Mickey began to have the most significant changes that put him on track as the Mouse we recognize now. Artist Fred Moore gave Mickey white eyes with pupils, a Caucasian skin colored face, and a pear-shaped body. He then starred in the movie Fantasia, which solidified his currently look to the mass audiences.
Fun fact: In the redesign, Mickey Mouse lost his tail.
The Mickey Mouse we know now is much more huggable than his first editions, especially in his 3D form. His friendly smile, expressive eyes and iconic gloves have been in place since he appeared in the animated television series, particularly in The Mickey Mouse Club. However in 2013, Disney began airing a series of Mickey Mouse shorts that throwback to Mickey’s Steamboat Willie days. A white face, thinner frame and a more mischievous glint to his eyes.
Fun fact: When it came to fame, Popeye and Bugs Bunny were Mickey’s competitors throughout the years.
Which version of Mickey is your favorite? Tell us in the Comments below!
“New” is a big buzz word in this town. We’re always hearing about new restaurants, new shows, new buildings — even the hot neighborhood on the rise. New parks, however, are few and far between. But in early June, the city opened a brand new park—the Highbridge. Stretching more than a quarter-mile across the Harlem River and Harlem River Drive, the structure from which the park gets its name connects more than just two boroughs, it also links visitors to New York City’s past. We headed uptown to give you the scoop on the new and improved spot.
The oldest span still standing in New York City, the Highbridge was originally constructed from 1837 to 1848, and served as a Romanesque aqueduct carrying fresh water from the Croton Dam 41 miles north, to two reservoirs in Manhattan. Resting on a series of elegant stone archways, the 140 foot-high pipeline was an engineering marvel at the time, using gravity to pull water into the city.
Between 1861 and 1864, the bridge’s pipe system was expanded and a brick walkway was added to the top of the bridge, beckoning visitors from around the region to come and enjoy a scenic stroll; day trippers came by steamboat and streetcar to do just that. (A plaque on site depicts well-heeled pedestrians sporting top hats and parasols and a wooded countryside in the background.) In 1928, the narrow stone arches were replaced with a wide steel arc that was better-suited for the big barge traffic of the time.
By the 1960s, fashionable walks over the river were no longer in vogue, and the surrounding neighborhoods, like most throughout the city, were falling into decline. The pedestrian walkway was closed by 1970 — it was illegal to cross it — but revivalist talks began as early as the 1990s. By 2006, plans and funding were well underway to restore the Highbridge to its previous grandeur.
photo: Cheryl and William de Jong-Lambert
You Can See For Miles and Miles
Nine years of restoration and construction has resulted in an awesome experience that rivals a walk on the Brooklyn Bridge, The High Line or Walkway Over The Hudson. (You can learn about the improvements to the Highbridge here.) From the center of the span looking south, you can easily see the Freedom Tower, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and the New York Times building; looking north, you get a unique perspective on the incredible cloverleaf system that routes drivers around the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx. From the uncommon vantage point, visitors can also observe that northern Manhattan is still a thickly-wooded and very steep escarpment, probably not too dissimilar from the landscape the area native Lenape Indians would have known.
Informational plaques along both sides of the bridge help give historical context to the bridge and the views, with events unfolding chronically when you walk from the Bronx toward Manhattan—the direction in which water once flowed.
photo: Cheryl and William de Jong-Lambert
How to Get There & What You’ll Find
Take the 1 train to the 168th Street/Washington Heights stop. If you have a stroller or toddler, you probably want to head southeast to 167th Street and Edgecombe Avenue where a ramp brings you through a series of basketball courts to a paved pathway along the Highbridge Park escarpment.
From the subway you can also head northeast to the park’s entrance at Amsterdam Avenue and 174th Street. Along the way, John B. Jervis’ 1872 Highbridge Water Tower will come into view on the horizon. Enter Highbridge Park near the park’s recreation center, where you’ll see a playground and massive pool complex on your left. Nearby you’ll find Water Tower Terrace, a shady, bench-lined promenade currently featuring an ingenious public art installation entitled Oh Sit!:15 Sculptors Consider the Chair. The Terrace leads to a very steep staircase that ends at a paved path that leads to the bridge. Breathtaking views await you!
The park surrounding the bridge itself is home to the aforementioned pools, playground and rec center, as well as popular biking trails, spots for barbecuing, basketball courts and athletic fields and a skate park.
Oh Sit! photo: The All-Nite Images via Flickr
Come Celebrate the Highbridge on July 25
The High Bridge will be hopping on July 25 from noon to 4 p.m. with the free High Bridge Festival. The celebratory festival will commemorate the re-opening of the iconic Highbridge with fun events including historical walking tours, outdoor fitness, public art, a scavenger hunt and more. That evening, a SummerStage concert featuring Jose Peña Suazo y La Banda Gorda will take place at 7:00 p.m.
photo: Cheryl and William de Jong-Lambert
High Bridge Park
W. 155 St. and Dyckman St., Edgecombe Ave. & Amsterdam Ave.
Daily, 7 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Online: nycgovparks.org
Have you visited Highbridge Park? Let us know what you thought in the comments!