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This story was produced by the Food & Environment Reporting Network, a non-profit news organization.    Cortney Edwards’ camp at the mouth of the Kasilof River in south central Alaska looks like a preschool in the sand. His white Suburban and a long piece of driftwood cordon off a stretch of beach that is filled with toys, a pink princess tent, camp chairs sized for the kindergarten set, and an outdoor kitchen under a portable canopy. Here with his wife, two adult daughters, five grandchildren, and two foster kids, the 59-year-old—who works as a safety and security specialist at a public high...

Children usually get bored with playing monotonous indoor games and activities. Some outdoor activities are so thrilling that they empower kids with a huge chunk of energy and positivity. To let your little one indulge in such types of fun-filled activities, it is essential to invest in corresponding toys and accessories. For water fun activities, inflatable water parks are one of the best products. They are also referred to by names like water toys or water sprinklers or inflatable play centers. The process of inflation is through a blower and an attached hose. This allows kids to dress up in...

Though my five kids are growing up with today’s modern technologies and can often be found on a comfortable couch or in their rooms with their cell phones, gaming computers, laptops, XBOX, or Wii game systems, they do engage in some healthy activities like dancing at Pulse in Housatonic, taking walks with me around our neighborhood, or swimming in our backyard Intex pool. When I was a kid, we spent countless hours outdoors since we lacked the digital distractions that are ubiquitous in today’s society. Growing up in quaint bucolic Egremont, we only had five television channels–3 and 6 were...

Being stuck at home for going on five months definitely has us desperate for new ways to entertain the kids—beyond downloading Disney+ and just handing over the remote. Our Los Angeles Editor Shannan Rouss feels us. A full-time, working mom with a four year old, Shannan shares her top picks for games, toys and gears to get you through the pandemic. As a mom to an only child, I’m also my son’s only playmate. Which means I’m always looking for toys, games and crafts that he can do on his own, so that maybe—just maybe—I might get a few minutes...

In ordinary times, K–12 schools offer valuable services to two distinct populations, and arguably get far more credit for serving one than the other. School famously provides kids with an education—as well as socialization and, in many cases, support (in the form of meals and medical and mental-health services, to name a few). At the same time, with decidedly less fanfare, it provides their parents with some eight hours of daily child care, five days a week, for most of the year, freeing up time for adults to earn the money it takes to raise kids for the remaining 16...