Parents, the hot weather is coming, and you probably feel like you need more water toys like you need more LEGO bricks underfoot. We get it! But, to guarantee a summer of fun in your backyard oasis, you might want a few new pool toys and pool floats to throw into the mix. We’ve scoured the web to find some of the coolest ones out there, and trust us, you might even be tempted to try them out. From a super backyard water slide to an obstacle course/wading pool, keep reading to see them all. 


Inflatable Super Backyard Water Slide

$119 BUY NOW

Create your own water park in the backyard with this giant inflatable water slide. It inflates and deflates quickly, can be used with any water hose and works both on the grass or by the pool! 


the sting ray glider is a popular water toy

Aqua Stingray Underwater Glider

$15 BUY NOW

Catch it if you can! This brightly colored stingray propels itself and glides through the water—traveling over 60 feet!


Pool Volleyball Set as a water toy

Pool Volleyball Set

$12.50 BUY NOW

Cool off with a quick game of volleyball in your kiddie pool. Made from sturdy 10-gauge vinyl with a 7-gauge vinyl ball, this kiddie pool volleyball set also features weighted pole bases so it won't tip over. 


Max Liquidator Water Blaster

$35.65 BUY NOW

You can never have too many water blasters in the summer. Fun for the pool or just about anywhere, this ultimate water toy comes in a pack of six.


basketball hoop water toy

GoSports Splash Hoop 360

$37.38 BUY NOW

Basketball is always cool ... but it's even cooler in the pool! Make a splash as you try to beat the buzzer and the heat this summer with the Go Sports Splash Hoop 360. The set includes one splash hoop, two water basketballs, and a ball pump. Swish!


diving water toys

Splash Bombs Treasure Hunter Dive Set

$8 BUY NOW

Sunken treasure? Yes, please! Little treasure hunters will enjoy searching for this underwater treasure hunter set's shiny gold and silver coins, faux jewels and stones. They all glitter at the bottom of your pool, just waiting to be discovered.


Swimline BattleBoards Squirter Set

$56 BUY NOW

These kick-powered inflatable boards make for an epic pool game! There are two squirters and a splash screen on each board.


Louie Lobster Grabbing Water Toy

Louie Lobster Claw Catcher Pool Toy

$17 BUY NOW

Squeeze the handle and—SNAP!—Louie Lobster's claws clamp shut. This colorful playset comes with three fishy sinkers to grab.


slip and slide water toy

Team Magnus Slip and Slide

$68 BUY NOW

If you don't have one afternoon on a Slip and Slide, is it summer? This heavy-duty version has twin lanes for racing, and you can get bodyboards for the extra slide factor.

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Steve Irwin would have turned 60 today, and his daughter, Bindi Irwin, 23, is paying tribute to him In a special way. She’ll spend the day with her daughter, whose middle names “Warrior Irwin” are a tribute to her father, and she’s posted memorable family photos on her personal Instagram.

“Today I’ll watch ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ with Grace Warrior and share stories about her incredible Grandpa Crocodile,” she wrote.She also posted a photo of her dad holding up a snake with her by his side. The late conservationist loved to explore nature with his family.

Bindi wrote “I love you with all my heart. Your legacy lives on,” to end her memorial post to her dad, captioning the photo she shared “Happy Birthday to the greatest dad and Wildlife Warrior.”

Steve Irwin, a wildlife expert known for his vibrant personality and love of nature, was 44 when he died in 2006 after a stingray stung him in the chest while he was filming a TV show.

His son, 18, also posted about his father, writing “My earliest memories are my fondest, thanks to you. Hanging on tight to the handlebars of the motorbike, when you’d take Bindi and I on your morning lap of the zoo — before going to get ice cream for breakfast. Every minute spent with you was a blessing,” he wrote. “I’m gonna ride that lap on your old motorbike this afternoon. ❤️”

Big sister Bindi commented on her brother’s post “Love you. So proud of you. Dad is always with us. ❤️”

—Shelley Massey

 

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Australia Zoo Animals Flock to Bindi Irwin’s Baby: ‘That’s Steve All Over’

 

Animals flock to Bindi Irwin’s baby, Grace, proving that wildlife expert Steve Irwin’s 10-month old granddaughter appears to have inherited his animal magnetism.

“So she’ll go out in the morning in the stroller, and all the kangaroos just gather around her like they’re having a meeting,” said her grandmother, Terri Irwin. Her father, Chandler Powell, shared the beautiful image on Twitter:

Bindi’s mom Terri opened up to Entertainment tonight about just how much the new addition to the family resembles her late husband. “I think she’s got that determination that Steve had and that connection with wildlife,” She said. “Because it is weird to see animals just gravitate to her. So she’ll go out in the morning in the stroller, and all the kangaroos just gather around her like they’re having a meeting.”

Steve (aka the Crocodile Hunter) died on Sept. 4, 2006, after his heart was pierced by the barb of a stingray while filming at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Known for his wildlife documentaries, exuberant personality and sense of adventure, it’s no surprise to Bindi, 23, that her baby girl is taking after her grandfather. “Oh my word, the koalas … literally climb out of their trees to come see her.”

Considering how adorable Grace is, we’re not surprised. We’d climb out of a tree to say hello, too.

—Shelley Massey

 

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Sometimes it’s hard enough to figure out where you’re going for family vacation this year, let alone what you’ll do once you get there. Luckily Tripadvisor just released the 2021 Travelers’ Choice “Best of the Best” Things to Do Awards and for the first time there’s a whole family-friendly category!

If you’re headed to the Smoky Mountains area, make sure to look up Smoky Mountain Outdoors Rafting. The company’s Upper Pigeon Smoky Mountains rafting trip is the number one ranked family activity worldwide, with 395 glowing reviews. Family members eight and up can take on Class III and Class IV rapids, but the activity is billed safe for beginners! The most recent comment? “A 10/10 experience.”

Here’s the Top-10 list of family-friendly fun:

  1. Exciting Upper Pigeon Smoky Mountains Rafting Trip, Hartford, Tenn.
  2. Whale Watching Trips to Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary, Gloucester, Mass.
  3. 2-Hour Strasbourg Euro Tour by Segway, Strasbourg, France
  4. Elijah Mountain Gem Mine plus On-Site Goat Farm, Asheville, NC
  5. Private, luxury, custom charters to Stingray City, Snorkeling & More, Grand Cayman Islands
  6. Athabasca River Mile 5, Jasper, Alberta
  7. Natural History Walk: ONLY YOUR SOCIAL BUBBLE (private tour), Monteverde, Costa Rica
  8. Ada’s Tours – Pompeii, Pompeii, Italy
  9. Abu Dhabi City Tour Including Ferrari World Tickets Guided Tour from Dubai, Dubai, UAE
  10. Amber Cove Shore Excursion: 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua / Cruise Ship Passengers, Puerto Plata, DR

Whether you decide to whale watch, mine for gems or raft the rivers, you’re in for a real treat. For even more recommendations from Tripadvisor, check out the full Traveler’s Choice lists for 2021. Happy travels!

––Sarah Shebek

Featured image courtesy of SMO Rafting and TripAdvisor 

 

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Editor’s note: We’re making every effort to provide you with the most up-to-date information. However, there may be last minute closures due to Covid-19. We highly recommend that you call ahead or check a park’s website before you pack your kids  (and all those snacks, and diapers…) and haul them across town. Stay safe!

Looking for a day trip that combines fun, nature, and a whole lot of learning? Then point your compass south to Westmoreland State Park in Colonial Beach, Va. Just a 2-hour drive from DC, this gorgeous park features 1200 acres on the Potomac River’s Northern Neck.  It’s a beautiful spot to take the kids for a day (or weekend) of hiking, camping, fishing, boating, swimming and–the best part–hunting for ancient shark teeth.

photo: Virginia State Parks via Flickr

So. Many. Teeth.
Millions of years ago, Westmoreland County, VA was under water and a breeding ground for sharks, including the Megalodon, which is said to be the ancestor of today’s Great White shark. If you scoop up some sand at the water’s edge and sift through the pebbles, beach glass and mollusk shells, you’ll soon catch a glimpse of a pointy triangular-shaped shark tooth that is most likely millions of years old. You’ll find teeth from sharks such as mako, cow, sand and tiger, and if you’re lucky you might even find the tooth of a Megalodon (some are the size of a human hand!). But the coolness doesn’t stop there; you’ll also come across other artifacts, such as whale vertebra, stingray dental plates and crocodile teeth.

photo: Virginia State Parks via Flickr

Know Before You Go
But why so many shark teeth? If your shark-loving lad asks you this question, you can remind him that sharks have an unlimited supply of teeth, which are not firmly set in their jaws but in their gums, where they appear in layered rows. If a tooth falls out, another one simply moves forward to take its place. That means lots of fun fossil finds for the rest of us!

photo: Virginia State Parks via Flickr

Mark Your Calendar
Combine your trip with the free public event Music on the Cliffs which takes place on July 18  and Sept. 19. Grab a lawn chair and enjoy the sounds of summer while taking in a spectacular view of the Potomac River. Pets are welcome at these events!


145 Cliff Rd.
Colonial Beach, VA
800-933-7275
Online:
dcr.virginia.gov

—Meghan Yudes Meyers and Jamy Bond

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If your little beach bum has been attempting to ride the waves that are really your sofa cushions, it may be time to give him a real surf experience. Surf Diva, a surfing school that welcomes kids as young as five years old, is an iconic part of the San Diego surf scene. While your sofa will get a break, the skills your little gremmie learns will last much longer than a 15-minute thrill ride. Here’s what you need to know before you dive in.

Surf Diva teacher kids groovy SD web

Grab Your Boards

Founded in 1996, Surf Diva is one of the biggest and most well respected surf schools in the world. Their expert instructors work with surfers of all levels and ages, though the youngest little surfers must be at least age 5 and able to swim 10-15 yards in a pool.

To start the lesson, Surf Diva expert instructors will take the kiddos (and adults alike) out on the beach with some shore education. There, your little surfers will learn to respect the beach and wildlife all while in the water (read: doing the stingray shuffle). Then, the instructors will jump into the surf basics: paddling, board positioning and popping up to standing. After perfecting the techniques on land, it’s time to hit the water.

SurfDiva - instructor with kid in waves

Surf’s Up! (Where It’s At)
Surf Diva teaches their lessons at La Jolla Shores Beach, the widely agreed “Best San Diego Beach to Learn Surfing.”  The Shores are known for their mellow waves and the soft, sandy bottoms that keeps little toes happy. If your young ones need any further enticing to get out there, this beach is also known for its wildlife sightings. On calm days, dolphins, stingrays and seals share the waters with surfers.

The beauty of La Jolla Shores beach are the waves. Surf Diva will take the kids to a tame, mellow and shallow area and keep your little surfers within their comfort zone. When your little dude or dudette rides his or her first wave, it just might become the best day of your little one’s life.

Insider’s Tip: Parking can be tricky in the area, especially on weekends. Your best bet is to park near the shop to start as there is a 90-min limit. Go in, sign your documents, pay and get your wetsuits (thankfully, boards will be down at the beach waiting for you) before driving down to the beach. There you can park without a restricted time limit.  Because you and your kiddos will be having the time of your life, the last thing you want to worry about is having to move your car in 90 minutes.

SurfDiva - thrilled surfer

Catch a Wave! (When to Surf)

As we know, what passes as winter here in San Diego is quite tropical compared to the rest of the country. Even though the air may be a bit cooler, surfing is a year-round sport. Equip your kiddos with a wetsuit and they will barely know it’s winter. Surf Diva will rent you one for $5. Rent it without hesitation – this is a vital component for happy surfing kids.

The best bet to launch your little surfers is a private one-on-one lesson. A one-on-one instructor to kid ratio is the best way to ensure ample riding and devoted attention. This investment is for a fun skill and a lifetime of fun. They also run after school surfing programs, camps and much more.

SurfDiva - girl on board
 
2160 Avenida de la Playa
La Jolla
Online: surfdiva.com
 
 
 

Have you taken your kiddos surfing? Tell us about the experience in the comments below! 

— Kathleen Berkson

Photos provided by Surf Diva 

For a city that offers plenty of culture without losing that Southern charm, look no further than Oklahoma City. Local families know they’ve got affordable + adorable and with so many free and cheap things to do with the kids, there’s never a dull moment. From the City Zoo & Botanical Gardens to the Science Museum to the Youth Zone in the Boathouse District, your biggest struggle is deciding what to do next. Swing on by our Oklahoma City events calendar for even more excitement!

photo: Nick N. via yelp

Science Museum Oklahoma
Science Museum Oklahoma houses more than eight acres of hands-on science experiences. Travel beyond the Milky Way in the Kirkpatrick Planetarium, experience the explosive fun of Science Live, discover where the familiar meets the fantastical in CurioCity and beyond—the museum allows your inner-child to run wild!

2020 Remington Pl.
Oklahoma City, OK
Online: sciencemuseumok.org

Max’s Magic Theatre
Max’s Magic Theatre – Where Impossible Happens! A private and intimate performance presented in a residential venue where your brain will be taken on a roller coaster ride. The magic and mentalism performed has more twists than your favorite movie thriller and everything happens in an environment tailored to give you the most personalized performance possible with some of the magic happening only inches away from your face!

8312 NW 118th St.
Oklahoma City, OK
Online: maxsmagictheatre.com

photo: Carol N. via yelp

Museum of Osteology
Focusing on the form and function of the skeletal system, this 7000-square foot museum displays hundreds of skulls and skeletons from all corners of the world. Exhibits include adaptation, locomotion, classification and diversity of the vertebrate kingdom.

10301 S Sunnylane Rd.
Oklahoma City, OK
Online: skeletonmuseum.com

Bricktown Downtown
The former site of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show is today the location of a massive tourist redevelopment plan.

Oklahoma City, OK
Online: bricktownokc.com

Martin Park Nature Center
More than just a park, Martin Park Nature Center is a hub for nature exploration and education for visitors of all ages.

5000 W Memorial Rd.
Oklahoma City, OK
Online: okc.gov

photo: Sari Marissa G. via yelp

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum stands as a symbol of strength in the wake of unspeakable violence. Visit the Memorial Museum to experience the brutality of the Oklahoma City bombing, and the tenderness of the response. Share our dream of a world without violence and terrorism.

620 N Harvey Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK
Online: memorialmuseum.com

Oklahoma City Zoo
This 110-acre zoo is often called a living museum. Ride the Elephant Express, join in a giraffe feeding, touch a stingray at Stingray Bay and take a spin on the Endangered Species Carousel.

2000 Remington Pl.
Oklahoma City, OK
Online: okczoo.com

Myriad Botanical Gardens
The Myriad Botanical Gardens is one of Oklahoma City’s most beloved public spaces, offering its visitors a 15-acre natural escape in the very heart of the metro known as downtown Oklahoma City. A children’s garden, an off-leash dog park, the Park House restaurant, “splash fountains,” as well as paths for walking and jogging provide guests young and old with a place in which to find solitude with nature or seek community and the company of others.

301 W Reno Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK
Online: myriadgardens.org

The Best Upcoming Events for Kids in Oklahoma City
If you’re looking for events and activities, don’t miss our local Oklahoma City events calendar, which has everything from story times to seasonal activities like apple picking, pumpkin patches and Christmas tree farms.

—Kate Loweth

There’s a good chance that you’ve pinned at least one cute animal-themed food art idea by now. Because….well, cute! Of course, whether you execute is a whole other story. No worries, most of these are totally doable—but we did throw in a few jaw-dropping, looks-too-good-to -eat masterpieces, too. So move over, teddy bear toast; we’ve rounded up the best wildlife masterpieces for your ogling (and maybe even replicating) pleasure.

Leopard Lunch
While scrolling through Sarah Gonzalez’s (aka @lunarbell_lunch) Instagram feed, three words will come to mind: “we’re not worthy”. She takes food art to a new level with such detail, like the realistic spots on this leopard. Note the heavy use of veggies as flora, too! Grab some popcorn and park here a while; you may even be inspired to try your hand at an idea or two.

photo: @lunarbell_lunch

Bear-Shaped Pizza
The all-time kiddie favorite just got an adorable upgrade. This version on Bento Monsters comes with a step-by-step tutorial and is something even the littlest of hands can help out with thanks to a cookie cutter, tomato sauce and slices of cheese.

photo: Bento Monsters

Tiger with Camera
Are you admiring the tiger, or is it the other way around? The shoe’s on the other, er, paw with this clever lunch. A sandwich cutter and a few geometric cuts are all you need for this bento meal by Mamabelly.

photo: mamabelly

Stingray Mushroom
Plant-based diets are making a big splash these days. Elevate the humble mushroom to a mighty stingray on a bed of rice, an instant marine biology lesson for your pint-sized foodie. Get the details from Becoming a Bentoholic.

photo: Becoming a Bentoholic

Squirrel Bento
We have yet to meet a toddler who doesn’t squeal at the sight of a squirrel. This one from Wendolonia is both cute and doable thanks to a shaped cookie cutter. It’s the supporting cast that steal the show, though, with cheese leaf shapes waiting for a nibble. Pure genius.

 photo: Wendolonia

Babybel Cheese Penguin
So cunningly simple, you’ll kick yourself for not thinking of it first. Eats Amazing turns a snacktime staple into a polar delight with a mini circle cutter, candy eyes and a bit of carrot. Make sure to scroll down, since you’ll find ways to transform a clementine, sandwiches, and raisins into these irresistible creatures.

photo: Eats Amazing

Cow Cake
Udderly adorable. As if anyone needed more coaxing to eat cake, the mom and baking genius behind Cococakeland uses her piping prowess to make this cow. Poke around on her blog for other animal and non-animal creations, many with tutorials.

Photo: Cococakeland

Fishy Breakfast
Fish first thing in the morning is a must when it looks like this: croissant dough baked in the shape of an aquarium, hand-cut fish-shaped bread, apple-slice fish skeleton on a skewer (so creative!) and just-the-right details like aquarium greenery and a fishing rod.  Follow Instagram user mikodesign for more whimsy.

 photo: Miko Designs

Sheep Bento
Little Bo Peep would definitely have kept better track of her sheep if it came this way. Provolone cheese, nori, candy eyes and grapes in the hands of the Bento School Lunches blogger become a super fun meal. Bonus points for the spelling lesson in the veggies.

photo: Bento School Lunches

Relaxing Panda
Keep calm; charaben on. “Charaben” is the Japanese term for most of what’s on this list—crafting food into characters, animals or cute scenes. Instagram user @5ambento is a pro, but this particular rice panda is a fun reminder to keep things simple and lighthearted.

photo: @5ambento

Bunny Egg
Clean and simple is Food for Harper’s mantra, perfect for minimalist lovers. Her bunny-shaped egg is made with a mold, and looks like a breakfast or snack any little one would gobble up in no time.

photo: Food for Harper

Bumblebee Burgers
When it comes to the food art world, Instagram user @leessamantha is queen. If you haven’t heard of her by now, prepare for jaw-dropping photos of full meals-turned-masterpieces.  You’d be hard-pressed to find a kid who’d turn down these burger bumblebees, using melted cheese, nori, cucumbers, and a couple dabs of ketchup.

photo: Lees Samantha

Turtle Sliders
Is it slow and steady, or cute and healthy that wins the race? This impressive bento meal covers both with its simple-yet-clever use of pickles to upgrade a burger (oh hi there, summer BBQ party inspiration!) Don’t miss the graham cracker crumb “sand” and yogurt-covered raisin “turtle eggs” that pinch hit for a lesson in the birds and the…turtles. Get the full how-to on Lunchbox Dad.

photo: Lunchbox Dad

Which one of these works of art is your favorite? Share with us in the Comments!

—Selena Kohng

If you’ve said it once, you’ve said it a thousand times: “Look, but don’t touch.” This summer, save the phrase for the china shop and cut loose at Shedd Aquarium. Its Stingray Touch exhibit, opening Friday, May 17, invites kids of all ages to reach out and caress what are thought to be some of nature’s dangerous creatures. Along with learning about different stingray species and their wild habitats, you’ll see just how docile and friendly these ocean swimmers can be.

All About the Rays
Stingrays are graceful, entrancing creatures — the ballerinas of the sea, you might say. Shedd captures their beauty and intrigue in a massive pool set in a tent along the Aquarium’s south terrace. Close to 40 cownose and yellow stingrays dart in the re-created ocean habitat. The cownose rays can reach up to three feet from wing tip to wing tip and are typically found throughout the western Atlantic and Carribean, although some of these resident rays were born onsite through Shedd’s breeding program. Yellow rays are a bottom-dwelling species that make their home in the tropical western Atlantic.

Despite their stereotype, stingrays are actually quite tame. In the wild, they use their stinging barbs as a defense mechanism, but without the threat of predators, they have no use for them. Shedd’s animal health team trims the barbs in a simple, painless manner similar to how we clip our fingernails. That makes them safe to touch.

A Peek at the Pool
Stingrays have mesmerized Shedd guests for years in various permanent exhibits. Freshwater rays can typically be found in Amazon Rising, while blue spotted rays, ribbontail rays and fiddler rays glide through Wild Reef. Southern rays, yellow rays and cownose rays have their own special home in Caribbean Reef. But never before has the public been given a chance to touch stingrays at the Shedd, which is why the new exhibit is so special.

Stingray Touch’s oblong 80-by-22-foot pool holds 18,000 gallons of water and a waterfall, making it the largest outdoor exhibit in Shedd history. The pool has varying depths, with yellow rays slinking along the bottom of the pool, and cownose rays gliding at the surface. Colorful stingray-like structures dangle from the ceiling of the exhibit, and soothing music sets the soundtrack.

As you enter the exhibit, Shedd staffers dish interesting facts about stingrays. (Did you know, for example, that a stingray’s mouth, nostrils and gill slits are on its underbelly?) Then you have the opportunity to reach into the pool as the cownose rays swim by. Go ahead — touch the soft skin on their “back.” And don’t forget to brag about the experience to grandma afterward.

The Fine Print
Stingray Touch is open from May 17 through the fall. Tickets are a $5 optional add-on ($3 for Shedd members) to the Shedd Pass ($28.95 per adult and $19.95 per child ages 3-11). Tickets are included in the Total Experience Pass ($37.95 per adult or $28.95 per child ages 3-11). Advance tickets are available now through Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. The aquarium is open 9:00 am- 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and 9:00 am-6:00 pm on weekends and holidays. Since it is an outdoor exhibit, Stingray Touch may not be open in inclement weather and rays will be moved to an indoor 45,000-gallon habitat behind the scenes for their safety.

Shedd Aquarium
1200 S. Lake Shore Dr.
Museum Campus
312-939-2438
Online: www.sheddaquarium.orgx

What is your favorite animal to check out at the Shedd Aquarium? Let us know in the Comments section below.

— Matt Kirouac

Photos: ©Shedd Aquarium/Brenna Hernandez