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My oldest went to Japan when she was three and loved it! So for Christmas, she got this travel-themed game.
Players travel the East Sea Road connecting Kyoto to Edo (Tokyo), one of the most magnificent roads of Japan. You’ll meet new people, taste delicious food, and see magnificent sites. Players must decide whether to travel the road slowly to get more turns, or quickly to beat others to action spaces.
Play this game with family and friends to pass a cold, wintry day.
Tokaido is available at Amazon.
Sales of note for 9.10.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; up to 50% off everything else
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off wear-to-work styles; extra 30% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything; extra 60% off clearance
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Extra 40% off sale styles
- Talbots – BOGO 50% everything, includes markdowns
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- Zappos – 26,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
- Old Navy – 40% off everything
- Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs
Anone says
I’m not a great skier but my husband is and our kids ages 4 and 6 are skiing for the first time in one of the big Colorado mountains. it’s the same price for me to take a 7 hour private lesson with my kids than do three group lessons that are only offered from 9 am to 3 pm. My kids are active and adventurous and they’re excited to learn but I’m not sure if it’s a better for me to do adult lessons and let them do group lessons together or all do private lessons or maybe 1 day of group and 1 day of private? what would you recommend?
Anon says
I would do separate lessons from your kids for sure. You could maybe do a private lesson together later on once you’ve all got the basics down, but I think you’ll have more fun on your own in an adult group and they’ll have more fun with a group of kids. Instruction styles will be a little different for adults and kids anyway.
Good for you doing this!! You will love it so much more once you really get some great tips.
Anon says
We are big skiers, and at least personally, I would split everyone up. I have 4 kids, and I’ll go by my most athletic of the bunch – a coordinated, athletic 6 yr old will probably get the hang of it very quickly, and be able to do greens pretty easily. A beginner 6 year old can probably go off the beginner hill, and ski greens on the mountain just by virtue of being stronger. I have twin 4 year olds, and my much more coordinated twin was skiing independently and proficiently by day 1 of ski club — could have gone off the beginning hill, but probably still would have lagged speed wise behind a 6 year old. If the 4 and 6 year old end up in the same class, that’s great too, as everyone will be at the same level at the end of the trip. Also, I wouldn’t want to learn how to ski with kids. I am a skilled, advanced skier, and already at 6 and 7, my children want to ski faster than me. They are little rubber machines. They fall and hop right back up. If I was learning, I would not necessarily want to go at the pace of a fearless 6 year old (nor would I want to worry about a little kid who is just learning crashing into me).
MOST crucially why I would split everyone up is that my kids are much more likely to go along to get along in ski school than they are if they are with me. My 4 year old in particular would probably need (ahem, whine for) vastly more bathroom and hot chocolate breaks if she’s next to me than if she is in the ski school regiment. She is much more independent when I’m not next to her.
Let them go, take your lesson — and then pick them up at 3, and you can all ski together for an hour or two. It’s our favorite part — the kids love showing me what they learned in ski school (I still remember picking them up two years ago, and they both headed straight for the bumps in the hills, where it turns out they spent the whole day with their instructor!!), and I love not having to oversee the kids taking off snowpants to go to the bathroom, getting hot chocolate, or balancing a lunch tray with ski boots on, etc., which I would still have to do for my 4 year old if I’m with her. I love that they come out of ski school confident they can do all of this on their own, which is the only way we can make skiing as a family of 6 work.
Op says
Thank you! super helpful. I’m not sure about their physical stamina either so how many days if ski school should I book in advance on a 6 night trip?
Anon says
We just went skiing two weeks ago in Utah in a similar situation except my kids are twins. Your Kids go to ski school in separate groups and you do a group lesson. I think my kinds never would’ve learned anything if in the same group as mommy plus you’ll all learn at different paces
NYCer says
+1. Definitely different classes for all of you.
Anonymous says
+2. More fun and more learning for all.
Anonymous says
Everyone in their own group lessons. Waste of money to do a group private.
Anonymous says
It’s supposed to freeze here over the weekend, which means the entire state will probably shut down (can you guess where I live?). I need some ideas for activities to do with my 6 year old and 2.5 year old twins. If they’re not outside, they’re in my house jumping off furniture or throwing toys at each other, so I need some…kinesthetic ideas. So far I’ve got: build a fort, maybe baking soda and vinegar, cut pictures from magazines and lots of tv. Any ideas welcome!
Cb says
March 2020 vibes – video calls with grandparents, homemade playdough, kids yoga videos. Do you have a garage that you can use?
Do you have warm enough clothes that you can just go outside? It was barely over freezing today, and while I was miserable in the playpark, my son just had on his uniform and a Primary puffer and was fine.
Anon says
Oh man! I have twins and 2.5 was no joke :) Honestly, I’d find a Holiday Inn or some other chain hotel about an hour away from your house with a pool and a breakfast buffet. I can usually cash in some otherwise unused credit card points for a one night stay at a commuter hotel. Invest in some of those puddle jumpers, and drive out there on Saturday morning. Ask for an early check in, have the kids swim all after, order a pizza to the pool, back up to the room for a movie or just a late bedtime, sleep in, eat all the waffles at the breakfast buffet, drive home the next day at noon. You’ll be happy to be back at your house, so the last two days of the weekend will fly by (relatively speaking of course).
Mary Moo Cow says
Yes! A friend did this with the Drury Inn because they have heavy snacks at 5 o’clock on Fridays ( I think) included with the room and an indoor pool. They had a great overnight.
Anonymous says
Drury Inn has the free food every evening. It’s very mediocre food but people love it because it is free and it is enough for dinner.
This seems like a great idea if you can swing it.
An.On. says
Scavenger hunt! We got a card set from amazon, but you can make your own with clip art or something, that way the twins can do it too. Things like: buttons, hats, something that is blue, something with stripes, etc.
Anonymous says
There were days when kids were young that a long walk through Target counted as exercise.
TheElms says
I would still try to dress up warmly and try to get outside for 20-30 minutes in the late morning and then again in the early afternoon when it is warmest. It its not windy and happens to be sunny it probably won’t even feel that awful. Doesn’t have to be fancy — I’m thinking take the scooters around the block.
As for indoor activities. I’d build an an obstacle course using pillows, painters tape, and whatever else you have on hand for the kids to do. It will be messy and consume the living room but it will get the wiggles out. You could also set up indoor bowling (any ball rolled at plastic cups). You could also use painters tape to make a road to race cars around on the floor. A glowstick bath in the dark could also fill an hour for the 2.5 year old twins.
Anon says
My kids like to make obstacle courses. They’re not elaborate and usually involve things like leaping from throw rug to throw rug or pillow to pillow, crawling through a tunnel, jumping over a toy, spinning around, etc.
We also play in the kitchen sink. I’ll put the learning tower in front of it and line the area in between the sink and tower with towels so they don’t get water on the cabinets. They get out bowls, utensils, etc. I also pull out ice maker so that they can make “soup” in a mixing bowl. If we have produce, they will also wash the fruit and veg.
If cold weather is a novelty, you can set a cookie sheet outside overnight filled with an inch or so of water. It’ll freeze and you can take it inside to be an “ice skating rink” for their toy figures/little people. If they sprinkle salt on it it melts and makes holes.
They also really like to paint or glue stuff onto random shipping boxes. They’ve made all kinds of lunch boxes and trash cans for their play kitchen. A couple baby cribs, too.
Anonymous says
This might not work with multiple kids, but you could try some kind of bath activity. When we rented and i did not care about my grout, I did painting in the tub a lot – add food coloring to shaving cream and use a muffin tin to make a palette of different colors. Or just offer plain shaving cream. You could also offer water beads or glow sticks to play with.
Anon says
You also in Texas? Water play in the tub or shower with different bins/food coloring, funnels, little toys etc. indoor bowling (use whatever you have to improvise), obstacle course, flashlight dance party
Anonymous says
2.5 was a prime age for setting up a washing station to wash all the toy cars or ponies or whatever. Easily occupied 30 min.
Anonymous says
OP here. Yes Texas :) I set up a wash station for my twins last summer and they used it for two minutes. I might try again in the tub this weekend though.
Anon says
my twins were 2.5 in Houston during the 2021 power outage/freeze/snow. i just looked at pictures of what we did before ew lost power and it looks like some kind of water/ice play with legos, and eventually added some flour and it turned into a sensory mess, made their own pizzas, decorated cookies (it was near valentine’s day), played on their indoor little tikes slide, played on their nugget, did some kind of dot sticker activity, took the kids to a playground (we were very covid cautious and my kids hadnt been to one in almost a year and we figured few others would be there in that weather). if the power doesn’t go out you can still go places
Anon says
I would Amazon prime one of those giant cardboard castles/spaceships, whatever and a new set of markers and let them color it all weekend.
anon says
My 7 year old DD is happy setting up elaborate pretend play scenarios with her toys when she’s on her own, but she has friends over regularly and it doesn’t seem like we have good playdate toys for her age. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Anon says
My DD is a year older, and she and her friends are usually playing Barbies or American Girl-style dolls together in pretend scenarios, playing school, doing some sort of talent show, or doing makeovers. (I never thought I would have such a stereotypical girl!)
So dolls and accessories, craft/paper/chalkboard type stuff, kid-friendly make up, and music players (she has a kids karaoke machine) are big things. And space to play, which we’re lucky to have. The trampoline also gets a lot of use in the spring & fall.
Mary Moo Cow says
Same here with my 7 (now 8) year old. I bought her some used AG backgrounds and gave her a digital camera or old iPad and let them shoot photos and videos of the dolls. They do love to craft, so I’ve bought a few Kid Made Modern kits to have an hand.
I also let them set up a hot chocolate stand in our driveway and send a text to the neighbors. We’ve done that twice, and it’s been hugely popular. Girls are out of the house for an hour, neighbors like an excuse to come by and socialize. I don’t let them charge but do let them accept tips (an average of $.50.)
AwayEmily says
POTIONS! My 7yo and her friends are obsessed. get a bunch of empty jars, some food coloring, some liquids (old sample size shampoos/lotions work great, plus water, vinegar, etc) and let them go nuts. my kids also love to design their own labels and tape them on.
Cb says
I’ve just spent the afternoon sitting at the kitchen island, vaguely working while my son played potions, writing down various recipes.
Ideally it would be an outside activity but it was too cold.
Ifiknew says
my kids would love this but where do you contain this mess?
AwayEmily says
They do it at the kitchen table, and then help clean up when they’re done.
Anonymous says
I was just jumping on to say potions!!!! My 8 year old boy, his almost 9 year old best friend, and our 5 year old boy spent an hour on potions last weekend. Mostly it was baking soda and vinegar, but I also let them add food coloring, salt, and random expired/not suitable old hair products. As a kid my friend and I often used soap and toothpaste for this at around age 7/8 (not sure we had permission though).
8 year old also does cooking projects with friends (more or less independently, I may help with the oven) and that’s been a success also for 5 year olds with more adult leadership.
Costumes are a huge part of our kids’ play still including with friends. A giant costume box with thrift store stuff that can be used for different kinds of outfits has been worth its weight in gold.
TheElms says
We do potions too! and have done since age 2.5. We do smaller containers inside a larger low bin (underbed bin) or cookie sheet on the kitchen island by the sink. We do toiletries, food coloring, and any food staples (rice, flour, lentils, cereal etc) that are going off / expiring.
Anon says
Mine is only 6 but art kits are normally a big hit.
Anonymous says
The most popular playdate toys seem to be the ones the guest doesn’t have at home. We kept our play kitchen long after it had seemingly been outgrown because playdate guests found it novel and it always got used during playdates. Other good options are stuff to build obstacle courses or make messes (see potion suggestion below).
Anonymous says
Channel my childhood by having them watch Annie then play orphan by mopping the dining room floor while singing loudly. I still cannot believe my mother let us fling so much water around on our hardwood floors.
Anon says
Making bracelets with beads. Coloring/drawing. Dressing up.
Anon says
What’s everyone’s take on kids having a YouTube channel? I’ve heard a few times of my kids’ friends having one, but I’ve sort of shrugged it off. Now my daughter’s long-time BFF (3rd grade) has one and has been posting videos of herself playing, and also apparently of her and my daughter, on it (they love to make movies or make up songs or that sort of thing). Daughter says she’s OK with this. I’m not super particular about social media and such, and I can’t really say this is a problem exactly, but I’m a little surprised that her parents (who we are very friendly with) are OK with it. At this point, it certainly seems harmless, though I don’t know if that might change as kids get older.
What are the hive’s thoughts?
anon says
I would nicely ask the parents to make sure videos of my kid weren’t included on this channel. I would be very uncomfortable with that because you have no way of knowing who is viewing those, what the audience is, etc. I try not to be too pearl clutchy about these things, but I see zero upside to these random videos of kids playing. Teaching a skill? Maybe.
anonamama says
+1 – They should have asked you for your consent before posting, as well. I can’t think of any benefits here, so I would suggest a firm but polite conversation that your daughter should not be included in these. And with your daughter, maybe a careful explanation about the unknowns that come with posting videos online.
Anon says
+1 I wouldn’t be overly worried, but I also see no upside here and plenty of downside. Among my concerns is the fact that it makes playing performative. I get that kids make up skits and like to perform, but having a YouTube channel and filtering all your actions through the lens of “content” seems like a really bad habit to get into
Anon says
I am very anti social media, for myself and my kids. I think there is already strong evidence that early exposure is bad, and that evidence is only getting stronger. Given that, I would not let my kids have a YouTube channel, and for privacy reasons, I wouldn’t allow someone else to include video of my child on their channel.
Personally, I deleted all my social media accounts, as did my husband, a few years ago. My stepdaughter (13) has Snapchat, because her mother allows it, and my stepson will also be allowed to have it at 13. Our child together has never been posted on social media and we will not allow him to have any form of it until, likely, late teens. (Neither my husband nor I posted the older kids on social media when we still had it, but their mom does post pictures of them, although her accounts are private.)
Anon says
Hard no from me. I really don’t think kids should be on social media period, but especially not YouTube with open access for any creep in the world. It’s a sad fact that millions of innocent photos and videos end up reposted on very dark pages of the internet. This is avoidable.
HSAL says
Skeeves me out. I’d ask that she not be included in any more videos.
Nope says
Definitely a no from me. I use social media, but the evidence is overwhelming for delaying phones and social media as long as possible. And an 11 year old on YouTube is all downside and no upside, as others have mentioned.
Mary Moo Cow says
Hard no for me and I understand that it could be an awkward communication with the other parents. I just don’t see any upside but lots of downsides (exploitation being the biggest, but I’ve noticed with my own kid’s BFF will start to “perform” when playing or ask incessantly to make a video and end sentences with “like and subscribe!” and it annoys me.)
Spirograph says
Hard, hard no. I’m surprised the parents didn’t ask you first, it’s really inappropriate to put someone else’s kid on social media without their parent’s consent. I would 100% ask that my daughter is not included in any more videos.
My daughter is a first class ham and sometimes uses her tablet or my phone to make videos of herself (mostly giving tours of her room, introducing stuffed animals, or showing off Lego creations). She and her bestie sometimes film their variety show-ish performances, too, but no way would I post any of it to a social media platform. I’m not on social media at all, but even if I were, I feel strongly that my kids should not be part of the content.
Cb says
Yep, my son and his bestie will ask to record videos and ask us to send them to group chat (best friend’s parents and us, used for coordinating kid stuff, emergency SOSs) and that feels fine within a closed group. But I’m a bit creeped out by how they use youtube language – the only youtube videos my son watches are Lego speedbuilds by the Austrian lego guy (his special grandma visit treat)
Anon says
I’d probably be okay for stop motion stuff or puppets where my kid doesn’t appear on video, but not for video where my kid appears.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Ugh, YouTube, my nemesis. We go back and forth between banning it altogether, and then allowing a few educational videos, which then leads to my kids finding all the annoying videos with teens doing stupid stuff. I would not be happy if my kid was shown in one of them. Are the parents posting these for the kid or the kid herself?
Dr. Lisa recommends waiting until 15 or so for social media, so I’m going to try my best on targeting that.
Anonymous says
Nope nope nope. The only YouTube or social media videos I’m comfortable with my child being in are of public group performances, and I can’t really stop those from being posted. I would ask the parents not to include your daughter in any videos and also monitor the channel to be sure your daughter doesn’t show up in any more videos. If your daughter keeps showing up then all future playdates take place at your home and you make sure the friend doesn’t have access to a recording device during the playdate.
CCLA says
Same. Whole class performances ending up on youtube, or kid being in pics shared in the class app doesn’t bother me, but this feels so personal. I find it really weird the parents, assuming they know about this, didn’t ask before letting that content get posted.
Anonymous says
Trash. And I’d tell he other parents that my daughter is absolutely never to be posted on YouTube.
Anonymous says
Heck no. There’s totally people out there with ill intentions watching those videos right now. I’d call the parents tonight and say u want anything with your child taken down immediately
Anonymous says
Hard no on anything showing child’s face or body in anyway. Do some reading on the use of AI to generate CSA material from innocuous videos. Stop motion animation or similar is okay.
Anonymous says
Is it a private channel? A few of my kids’ friends have them and they are all private which is a lot different to me. Still OK to ask that your kid not be on it though.
Winter says
Third snow day this week, and coming up on a long weekend of below-zero temperatures so we can’t even go outside and sled or play in the snow. As long as the power stays on we will be okay, but I’m trying to remember how we all did this during covid? I honestly have no idea.
Anon says
TBH, I’d be tempted to make a game of bundling the kids up in their warmest clothes (including face masks/goggles), telling them they have “10 minutes to have a dance party/snowball fight/snow angel session outside,” and then bring them back in. Repeat as necessary. Obviously safety in those temperatures is very important, but you can still go out for short periods with necessary precautions.
Anon says
Oh man, repeatedly getting kids in and out of winter gear and cleaned up sounds so much worse to me than just staying indoors. Indoor playgrounds and trampoline parks are there if they need to burn energy.
Anon says
If you’re in a rural area and being driven crazy by the thought of getting stuck indoors, bundling up a couple of times may seem a small price to pay…
Mary Moo Cow says
I think the same sometimes, just on a normal weekend that feels long and too unstructured. I ran across an old photo where I had stockpiled board games and playdough and bought a new mini indoor trampoline and started to scold myself, then remembered that my kids are 3 years older now, so what worked in 2020 might not work today (now then can read! but instead of playdough, it’s complicated kiwi crates.) Solidarity.
Anonymous says
You can go out in below zero temps! Sledding warms younup
Winter says
With -20 wind chill? Not unless you want frostbite!
Anonymous says
Yes, you can. -40 is actually dangerous. -20 is not. Bundle up and go outside for 20 minutes. You’ll be fine.
Anon says
I agree. It’s worth it – even 10-20 minutes in that cold of air is SO refreshing and can turn a blah indoor day totally around. Make sure to wear proper clothing and don’t go anywhere unsafe (e.g., over frozen river) and you’ll be fine.
Anon says
Are you in Iowa? :) This double blizzard and arctic blast is something else!
I have to confess I’m actually looking forward to a quiet, cozy weekend at home because we’ve been on the go a lot lately and winter break wasn’t as low key as I’d hoped for, but my kids are older. It’s definitely not fun with 1-3 year olds. I think I still have low grade PTSD from spring 2020.
I’m looking forward to doing a lot of baking, digging out some unopened holiday presents, and I’m sure there’ll be a lot of movie-watching too. If you need to get out of the house and let toddlers run around, an indoor playground is always good. Or even just Target or the mall.
Daycare woes says
Our awesome daycare’s director just quit, again. This is the second director at our center to leave in the last two years. We were at a previous center for two years prior to starting here, and we went through three directors there. And don’t even get me started on staff turnover; it’s terrible for both leads and assistants.
Is there any way to avoid this? When we started at each center, the directors had been with their respective company for 4-5 years. So I think it’s just the industry, timing, and some bad luck. But sheesh, it’s hard to provide stability for your kids when there is no stability anywhere.
Daycare woes says
*our daycare’s awesome director, I meant.
Boston Legal Eagle says
We’ve dealt with a lot of director and staff turnover at our current daycare (we’ve been at 4 total). Luckily it seems to have stabilized in the last year or so, with a consistent director team. It’s tough because the pay, especially for teachers, is way too low for the work they’re doing. I will say that a lot of the stability and consistency for my kids at least comes from going to the same place and seeing the same friends, regardless of how many different teachers they have, and even less so for them on the director part.
Anonymous says
Unless you are having issues with the teachers that warrant intervention from the director, I have never found that the director contributes much to our family’s experience with a day care center. I would be more concerned about high teacher turnover.
Anon says
Same, my kid was at one daycare center for 5 years and barely knew who the director was. Teachers matter a lot more.
OP says
That’s a good point. Weirdly, at this center the director is also the lead teacher for one of the classrooms. (Probably a big part of the problem in keeping staff.)
Anon says
My daycare has had five directors in the last five years, which was not great, but I always felt confident in the teachers they hired and my kids were happy, so I didn’t do anything about it. The latest director is the best yet and seems to be sticking….
Anonymous says
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Anonymous says
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