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During these uncertain times, if you’re staying home following social distancing rules or preparing for summer with your kiddos, planning some time outside or away from the screens is a sure way to spend quality time with each other. Sometimes it seems very difficult to get your kids to sit still for more than a second, so you have to find a way to keep the little ones engaged and entertained with fun and unique activities. A good way to keep your kids’ busy and active minds occupied is by promoting wanderlust and a traveling spirit — even if you’re...

Deception is a marvelous technique for the seasoned storyteller. Once one masters the basic skills (check out my new plotting class), this then frees the artist to begin honing more highly advanced techniques for beguiling audiences. Of all storytelling techniques, I believe my favorite is the unreliable narrator. Deception is key in order to successfully pull off this charade. No duh, right? Yes, but easier said than done. The one advantage we authors have going for us is that trust is one factor audiences assume as a given from the beginning. Silly Reader, Tricks are aren’t just for kids. Deception...

Tablets are a fact of life in most families. They’re how we read, how we get our news, and how we order our groceries. And the truth is, when deployed responsibly, they’re not a bad thing for the youngest members of your family. The best kids’ learning tablets are loaded with educational programming. They let kids watch movies, play games, and stay away from unsavory digital content.How parents handle screen time is a personal choice for each family. But if you are in the market for a kid-friendly tablet, keep a few things in mind. Make sure it’s robust, meaning...

By age 3, kids are speaking in full sentences and thus are old enough to let you know if they like something — but too young to clearly and specifically articulate what they want. So that leaves the guesswork to you, as you try to decipher which toys will keep your 3-year-old challenged, entertained, and engrossed. The best gifts for 3-year-olds play to their existing strengths, while also helping them develop and master new ones. The right educational toys for toddlers boost learning by rewarding discovery with delight.“Three-year-olds are eager to solve problems and will make their own if needed. That’s why...

In December 2019, before the world fell into viral chaos, my family of four embarked on a homesteading project. For a decade prior to the release of my novel — about a post-apocalyptic mutual aid society — I’d spent countless hours researching doomsday prepping and communal living. After the book was published, I realized I didn’t actually know how to do any of the practical things I’d so painstakingly described. Far from self-sufficient, I watched my 5-year-old son’s tinkering skills surpass my own.Determined to overreact, I decided to transform my family’s 3.5-acre woodland plot outside of Charlottesville, Virginia into a sustainable...