Nemours Estate With Kids

Nemours Estate is one of the many mansions and gardens you can visit in the Wilmington, Delaware area. You’ll quickly learn that this is the land of the duPont family – there is no escaping them in this region.

The entrance to Nemours Estate. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Nemours Estate was the home of Alfred duPont and two of his three wives (but at separate times!). He built it for his second wife in just 18 months, which seems miraculous when you see how advanced it is. It is on the same property as the Nemour’s Children’s Hospital, so the entrance is a bit odd and the hospital is there just beyond the parking lot and gates. It was something both Alfred and his third wife Jessie wanted, and it was built after his death.

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Review: National Havoc Robotics League – NHRL With Kids

My kid competed at the National Havoc Robotics League (NHRL) in November and has been a few times prior to that too. We went to Norwalk to watch the competition and were blown away by the experience. The NHRL with kids is awesome – they will love it and it’s a great family outing.

3 pound bots competing at the NHRL tournament in Norwalk, CT. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
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Weekend in Philadelphia: A Few Things to do With the Kids

It’s nice to be able to travel again! We spent a weekend in Philadelphia. If you missed our series a while back about Philadelphia for families, check it out. There’s a lot you can cover in a day or two. Here are some ideas: Federal Donuts, the Constitution Museum, Reading Terminal Market, and the Museum of Illusions.

Federal Donuts

For weekend in Philadelphia breakfast, head to Federal Donuts. There are a bunch throughout the city.

Federal Donuts in Center City. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
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What to Expect at the Harry Potter Store in NYC

The Harry Potter store opened in NYC in June, and I’m guessing it’s still as busy now as it was when it opened. We went last weekend (mid-December) on a Sunday, which is probably one of the busiest times we could have gone. To find out more about the virtual queue system, scroll to the bottom. Getting INTO the 21,000 foot store is an ordeal. What to Expect at the Harry Potter Store in NYC? Read on.

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Review: the QVC Tour

I have to admit, I’m not a home shopping on TV kind of gal, (or even home shopping on the internet person). Certainly I buy things online, but I rarely browse sites just to see what they’re selling, and if I’m going  to watch TV, it’s not going to be a shopping show.  While I’m not alone in that, I am in QVC’s demographic, of women 35-64, who are educated homeowners. BUT, I can’t resist a factory tour, and the QVC tour of the studio sounded like too much fun to pass up.

Inside the QVC studio. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

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Fossil Hunting With Kids at Big Brook

Did you know that October 12 is National Fossil Day? With a few days off this week, and fall break/teachers’ convention coming up next month, you may be looking for day trip ideas. Think about going fossil hunting in New Jersey! Turns out there are a couple of places that are easy to get to, where you can wade through streams looking for sharks’ teeth, oyster shells, squid fossils, and other items that are millions of years old. Even though you’re not by the ocean, this area was once covered in water.

Big Brook Preserve. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
Big Brook Preserve. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

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