This is a series of 5 posts. We will post each Monday in August. 40. Learn solitaire. Remember when our own parents used to say “play solitaire!” when we were bored? Time to teach your kids how to play. There are more than 150 variations of solitaire to choose from! 41. Set up a bike car wash. We discovered this clever drive-through bike wash idea a few years back when we were looking for fun block party activities and ideas, and it’s still a top favorite screen-free summer

This is a series of 5 posts. We will post each Monday in August. 30. Practice coding with screen-free toys. There are tons of screen-free ways to learn coding techniques. My kids love their Cubetto robot, which teaches them coding sequencing without a screen. Or, for a much more affordable option, snag a copy of the board game Robot Turtles. It also teaches the concepts of BASIC coding language to kids as young as four. 31. Try food crafts. You can turn snack time into craft

Before you can make colorful pumpkin seed art, you need colorful pumpkin seeds. Materials to Dye Pumpkin Seeds Dry pumpkin seeds Liquid watercolors Place the seeds into a baggie or container. Add a few squirts of liquid watercolors and seal the baggie. Shake everything up until the pumpkin seeds are colorful. Add more watercolors if need be, and shake again. Spread the dyed pumpkin seeds on a tray or a plate to dry. Once they’re dry, the seeds may need to be separated a bit.

For one week only, your kids can receive special messages from their favorite Disney Princesses through the Ultimate Princess Celebration Hotline. The hotline is a part of Disney's first-ever World Princess Week, which runs from Aug. 23 through Aug. 29 and celebrates the courage and kindness of the various Disney Princesses. Parents can call toll-free 1-877-70-DISNEY to hear messages from five Disney Princesses — Moana, Ariel, Belle, Tiana, and Jasmine — and can hear two spec

Learn to make these adorable ladybug painted rocks. use special outdoor paint for this adorable garden craft so you can keep garden ladybugs all summer! Author: Amanda Formaro Supplies Patio Paint in colors of your choice I used Larkspur Blue, Petunia Purple, Fiesta Yellow, Fuchsia, Citrus Green and Salmon Smooth rocks preferably oval or round in shape Paintbrush Toothpick Outdoor sealer or Patio Paint Clear Coat Instructions Wash and dry your rocks. Paint with colorful Patio

If the Barbie #ThankYouHeroes initiative isn’t the epitome of our times, in the best possible way, I don’t know what is. Barbie has added all kinds of famous role models to their collection in recent years, and now they’re honoring some global women that you may not have heard of, but are just as admirable as any Olympic athlete or famous artist. They’ve created some very cool one-of-a-kind dolls in the likeness of six truly remarkable women including: ER nurse Amy O’Sullivan

This is a series of 5 posts. We will post each Monday in August. 20. Have an indoor dance party. Alexa will play most any song you ask her to, so pick an upbeat one and dance your tush off right in the kitchen. Or, play Jeopardy or 20 questions or any of the other fun skills Alexa knows. Of course you don’t need Alexa for a dance party; just a good playlist! Spotify Free has tons of them, as does Apple Music if you are a subscriber. 21. Choose a random act of kindness. Mail

People might have nothing but good intentions when checking in on a new parent in their lives, but when they ask, "How's breastfeeding going?" they may not realize the layers of stigma and shame associated with such a personal question. Nearly 75 percent of babies in the United States receive some form of infant formula by the time they are 6 months old, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, but even still, the decision to bottle-feed babies is met with