Find out how Diwali, five day festival of lights, is celebrated – origins of the festival, lighting oil lamps, offerings to the goddess Lakshmi and god Ganesha, special Diwali sweets and snacks, and children’s books.
Read more…California Gold Country: Sweet Delights
Strike it rich at candy and ice cream shops as you travel California Gold Country with kids. Enjoy locally-made ice cream, sundaes, cold milkshakes or sarsaparilla soda, and old-fashioned sweets like giant lollipops, pink peppermint sticks, and homemade fudge.
Read more…Basho’s banana tree
The great haiku poet Matsuo Basho lived in Edo (Tokyo).
He had a house along the Sumida River, and a banana tree (basho) in his yard.
Visit Basho park in Tokyo, and read haiku childen’s books wherever you are.
Lake Tahoe & Gold Country in fall
Fall is a delightful season to visit Lake Tahoe and California Gold Country with kids. Gold is everywhere, though not in the ground. Aspen trees are incandescent yellow, meadows and hills glow with golden grasses, and bright red Kokanee salmon are in the lake.
Read more…Mount Vernon: George Washington at home
Visiting Mount Vernon with kids, discover George Washington in a different role than commander in chief of the American Revolution or president. Here George was a progressive farmer, planting trees and taking a turn in the garden, eating corncakes and honey for breakfast.
Read more…Summertime: Cooking with Grandparents
Summer is time for families to get together. It’s always fun when grandparents share recipes and family cooking traditions with grandchildren.
Read picture books about Chinese dumplings, ice candy, mac n cheese, tomato dishes from India, flan, Jamaican beef patties, spicy sambal, berry picking in Alaska.