Every playground has one. The mom who seems to be there from dawn to dusk, rain or shine. The one that other moms nod hello to in recognition as well as sympathy, knowing that she'll be spending her entire day there...again. She's the Playground Princess and if you're spending more time in the park than anywhere else, she could be you. Here are 10 signs that you should be crowned royalty at your Read more

If we don't build it, kids will come! Most playgrounds are filled with standard equipment: slides, monkey bars, swings, and a jungle gym. The stationary objects can lead to hours of fun, but don't do much to inspire creativity. David Rockwell, the architect and designer behind trendy restaurants and the Oscar's set design, is changing the way children play with a new playground set to open in New Read more

Drop the kiddos off at this Saturday's first ever Take Our Children to the Park . . . And Leave Them There Day. Playgrounds are abuzz with parents discussing the amount of freedom children need. The day, which free-range parenting pioneer Lenore Skenazy created to draw attention to today's tendency toward over-parenting, is encouraging mom and dad to allow their kids — particularly those over 7 Read more

Keep monkeying around on the playground – but do so safely! Neighborhood playgrounds filled with jungle gyms, slides and fireman poles that keep lil ones occupied throughout the day also pose potential hazards that can thwart an otherwise fun afternoon. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 200,000 children visit the emergency room each year for playground injuries. Before Read more

Mommy Dearest, I live in NYC where the neighborhood playground is part of my family's daily routine. I've gotten over my fear of germs on the jungle gym and swing equipment, but the sandbox is a whole other story. Convinced that rodents and insects visit the sandbox during the night and leave their excrement behind, I've forbidden my three-year-old son from playing in it. His father, Read more