Northern Michigan Kids Articles

North Stars: Patricia Soutas-Little is a Rural Child-Care Champion

Patricia Soutas-Little is trailblazing innovative new child care options for Northern Michigan families. This article first appeared in Traverse...

14 Amazing Northern Michigan Summer Camps for Kids

Help your kids abandon their screens and fall in love with Northern Michigan summers just like you did. These classic sleep-away summer camps will...

Jeepers Creepers: Head to St. Ignace for Autumn Leaf Peeping and Jeep Creeping

PAID CONTENT St. Ignace is set to host its annual Strait U.P. Jeep Creep, a fall-themed trail riding event (exclusively for Jeeps!) at the end of...

Northern Michigan U-Picks: Best Places for Local Fruit

Northern Michigan U-Picks: Looking for a place to hand pick local cherries, apples, or blueberries? Here’s a list of the best U-Pick farms in the area.

Mental Health Support for Kids in Northern Michigan with NAMI

Roughly 22 percent of American kids will face a severe mental health issue. But getting support and treatment for the under-18 set and their...

Squatch Watch: How to Hunt for Bigfoot in Northern Michigan

Nope, we don’t think the elusive creature exists, but our belief in fun is sure sparked during the wet and wild days of early spring in Northern...

Ashlyn’s Picks: Northern Michigan Easter Brunches, Egg Hunts & Events

On the hunt for Easter plans? We've rounded up 20 egg hunts, family outings and brunches taking place this weekend, April 8–9, across Northern...

Ashlyn’s Picks: 10 Events to Round Out Your Weekend

Kick off the first weekend of April with these 10 Northern Michigan events taking place from March 31 to April 2. Hosting an event? Let us know!...

15 Family-Friendly Activities Across Northern Michigan

For a family day out or all-ages fun with the grandparents, we've rounded up 15 of our favorite family-friendly outings across Northern Michigan,...

Ashlyn’s Picks: 10 Things to Do This Weekend, January 27-29

Wrap up the last weekend of January 2023 in Northern Michigan with an enchanted hike to a yurt, ice skating, winter festivals and more, taking place...

Ultimate Winter Rental Guide: Skis, XC Skis, Snowshoes, Snowboards & Fat Tire Bikes

Explore all that winter in Northern Michigan has to offer. From cross-country skiing to snowshoeing, here are our favorite winter rental spots...

Ashlyn’s Picks: 18 Christmas & New Year’s Eve Celebrations

We’re counting down the final days of 2022! Whether you’re searching for an upscale dinner or a family-friendly holiday party, you’ll want to check...

Ashlyn’s Picks: 10 Festive Events Happening This Weekend

'Tis the season to celebrate! From a Santa meet and greet to a local Christmas concert or festive shopping experience, here are 10 upcoming holiday...

7 Northern Michigan Children’s Books to Snuggle Up With this Winter

Go on a journey! From the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to the Upper Peninsula, add these seven children's books by Northern Michigan...

Ultimate Holiday & Gift Guide for Gaylord, Grayling & Cheboygan

It's Time to get into the Up North holiday spirit! Whether you're looking for holiday events, gift guides, or post-shopping drink spots, here are...

Easy Family-Friendly Camping in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Take one more family camping trip this summer in Michigan's Upper Peninsula—and leave the tent at home.This article first appeared in Traverse,...

Substitute Teacher: Changing Young Lives a Few Days a Week

Changing young lives a few days a week is the perfect way to give back to the community. Here's how two Traverse City healthcare workers chose...

Family Fun: 4 More Magical Dinky Doors Appear in Alden

Have you heard the story of Alden’s cutest creatures? Tiny and clever, Dinkies live in Northern Michigan towns much like ours, only much smaller and...

3 Family-Friendly Summer Activities: Craft, Paddle & Discover

Chasing fairies, crafting in nature, paddling a pristine river—these three simple summer family outings will stoke your nostalgia and leave your...

New Business Highlight: Hungry Ducks Farm in Charlevoix

Add Hungry Ducks Farm in Charlevoix to your family-friendly activity list. From the interactive petting zoo to hayrides, this new Northern Michigan...

Inland Seas Education Association Introduces New Expansion

Inland Seas Education Association is expanding its Suttons Bay campus and creating new learning opportunities for Great Lakes advocates young and...

Summer Camps at Lake Ann Camp Offer Fun, Faith, Friends

| PAID CONTENT Northern Michigan's Lake Ann Camp is a place for young people to come together and expand...

How Munson is Caring for Northern Michigan’s Littlest Patients

Munson Healthcare in Traverse City brings pediatric specialists from top hospitals to complement care for Northern Michigan’s littlest critically...

It Takes A Village: Volunteer with this Northern Michigan Nonprofit

It takes a village! Eagle Village, a Northern Michigan nonprofit in Hersey, supports youth through love, education and care—and it needs your help....

4 DIY Northern Michigan Souvenir Ideas from Photo to Pottery

Tired of dime-a-dozen tourist trinkets? Here are some places where you can be the maker. Explore glass blowing, pottery or photography in these four...

Red Hot Best 2021: Top 7 Teachers in Northern Michigan

Now more than ever, teachers deserve a hearty round of applause and recognition for their herculean efforts to educate and encourage students while...

Empire Bluff Trail Adventures at Sleeping Bear Dunes

| PAID CONTENT This Northern Michigan hike is always a must on a visit to Sleeping Bear Dunes National...

Visit These 4 Mysterious & Magical Dinky Doors in Alden

Magical, kid-friendly and located in Alden, you can't miss the community's Dinky Doors! Learn all about Northern Michigan's Dinky creatures and...

6 Great Family-Friendly Activities at Sleeping Bear Dunes

PAID CONTENT With an afternoon promising sunshine, a slight breeze and zero percent chance of precipitation, our family’s planned ride on the...

10 Fun Things to Do with Kids in Traverse City

Northern Michigan Vacations: Kids may be out of school, but with 25 cent matinees at the State and enriching museums, it’s hard to get bored in TC

Elk Rapids Students Raise $21,000 for Great Lakes Preservation

Three eighth-grade students from Cherryland Middle School in Elk Rapids raised more than $20,000 for Great Lakes preservation on the 46.2-mile...

Winterlochen Brings Free Virtual Arts Event to Northern Michigan

Winterlochen, the annual family-friendly festival brought to you by Interlochen Center for the Arts and featuring arts exploration and creative fun...

Five Fun Ways To Stay Connected to Kids and Family Virtually

These five, kid-friendly ways to stay in touch virtually with loved ones are especially welcome during COVID-19, but they will be valuable long...

East Jordan Middle-Schoolers Raising $70,000 for Solar Array

The East Jordan Middle School “Shoe Club” announced plans today to raise $70,000 to build a 30KW solar array at the school—and have it installed by...

National Writers Series Classes Help Students Develop Cooking & Writing Skills

The National Writers Series in Northern Michigan is creating classes that will help young people cook, create a children's book, and publish a...

5 Things to Do This Winter at Traverse City’s Farm Club

Farm Club has become a welcome escape to country living simplicity, dressed up at a clean and contemporary Leelanau County haven. Already a massive...

Stoney Cabin Toy Store in Elk Rapids Makes Finding Joy Easy

When Becky Lancaster purchased the iconic stone building in 2016 that's home to the Northern Michigan toy store, Stoney Cabin Toys, she planned to...

Northern Michigan Child & Family Services, Hope & Healing

Northern Michigan’s Child and Family Services nurtures neglected children and struggling families so they can become healthy and whole. On a good...

Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center Intervenes for Kids

Ten years ago, Northern Michigan professionals dealing with child abuse recognized the damage created when children, already traumatized by abuse,...

Kids Find Home at Northern Michigan’s Innovative Eagle Village

With love, support and a new state-of-the-art learning center, traumatized kids can find a path to peaceful adulthood and lifelong success at Eagle...

14 Northern Michigan Toy Stores with Holiday Gifts & Games

Discover the magic of shopping locally at these Northern Michigan toy stores, and find the perfect Hanukkah and Christmas gifts for everyone on your...

Battle of the Books Grand Traverse Launches Pandemic Edition

Battle of the Books Grand Traverse is launching its annual reading competition for area fourth- and fifth-graders with an information session via...

Piper’s Project Has Given 100+ Bikes to Northern Michigan Kids

Piper Shumar believes every child who wants a bike should have one, and she’s dedicated to making it happen. Every week for the past three years,...

Michigan Nonprofit MIAEYC Helps Children & Educators Thrive

The potential loss of early education centers and early childhood educators could spell disaster for Michigan’s families and workforce. But not if...

Traverse City Children’s Garden Hosting Safe Halloween Event

Looking for a safe, family-friendly Halloween event? Through the end of October, Grand Traverse Area Children's Garden is hosting a Spooky Halloween...

Parallel 45 Theatre Announces Fall Drama Classes, Coaching

Parallel 45 Theatre in Traverse City is expanding its youth educational programming with after-school classes for grades K-8 and private coaching...

Crystal Mountain Ready to Peak with Fall Family Activities

As autumn paints its exquisite colors across Crystal Mountain’s 1,500 acres in Thompsonville, the best place to watch the changing leaves is from a...

7 Northern Michigan Farms & Markets to Visit (Pumpkins!)

These local farms and markets all offer plenty of fall fun (think cider, doughnuts, animals), plus plump pumpkins in all colors, shapes and...

New Educational Guide Brings Sleeping Bear Dunes to Life

A new educational guide is out just in time for school—in whatever form school is taking. "Exploring Sleeping Bear: An Educational Guide" has been...

Northern Michigan Celebrates International Walk to School Day

Norte once again invites families across Northern Michigan to join others from around the world to celebrate International Walk to School Day on...

TBCAC Virtual Fundraiser Event to Protect Children from Abuse

Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center (TBCAC) has taken its annual Circle of Friends fundraiser online. In lieu of its annual luncheon, TBCAC is...

Check Out Norte’s New Elk Rapids Bike Library

Norte Executive Director Ty Schmidt shares some awesome news about a new Elk Rapids Bike Library. In the winter of 2016, Norte moved out of the...

Don’t Miss Pond Hill Farm’s Fall Fest Weekends!

2020 has brought about changes and cancelations to numerous events in Northern Michigan. In Harbor Springs, Pond Hill Farm has been working with its...

How to Have Best Outdoor Movie Night in Northern Michigan

Let nature dim the lights as your yard sets the stage. Here are tips, popcorn recipes and more on how to have an awesome outdoor movie night in...

TOPOnexus in Harbor Springs Launches Learn Local Academy

Kids in the Little Traverse Bay area have an exciting opportunity to take their learning to the next level with Learn Local Academy. Families opting...

United Way of Northwest Michigan Hosting School Supply Drive

Join United Way of Northwest Michigan in supporting teachers in its five-county region.United Way of Northwest Michigan invites community members in...

Ludington Offers New Visitor Attractions, Splash Pad, Exhibits

Visitors still have time to enjoy a warm-weather trip to the beachfront resort community of Ludington, and plenty to do and see once they arrive,...

Get Your Berry Fix at Buchan’s Blueberry Hill in Traverse City

At Buchan's Blueberry Hill in Traverse City, the thrill of harvest can't come soon enough.Echoing through the storefront of Buchan's Blueberry Hill...

Monkey Tails Are a Must at Bardon’s Wonder Freeze

In June 1986, Traverse Magazine columnist Thomas BeVier noted a long-standing Traverse City tradition—to be accepted into polite Traverse City...

Summers are Magic at Arcadia’s Watervale Inn

There was a time and place during my childhood when I was sure my dad loved me. It was on our two trips each summer to the Watervale Inn in Arcadia,...

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Active, Healthy Kids!

Fun Ways to Get Outdoors With Kids

Healthy Snacks, Local Food Recipes, Tips for Health

Up North Kids

Summer Camps for Kids

These Northern Michigan summer camps embrace a love of the outdoors and the arts.

Endless Summer Family Fun

There are endless opportunities for outdoor fun, so we’ve created this list of 10 healthy and affordable Northern Michigan summer activities to keep your family moving. 

Best Beaches For Kids

We asked our readers to share their favorite spots to take young children to cool off (bonus points for places with playgrounds, restrooms, and picnic tables). These are their picks for best Northern Michigan beaches for kids.

Fun Things To Do With Kids in Traverse City (even on rainy days!)

From exploring the Children's Museum to family-friendly wineries, Traverse City offers endless options for kids and families!

Best Biking For Kids

Sometimes difficult terrain or cars zipping by can make riding too difficult for kids. Read on for our picks of the best Northern Michigan bike trails for kids.

Make It a Day on Mackinac Island

Forts, fudge, biking the island and horse-drawn carriage rides. It's kid heaven...and parents love it, too!

Up North Kids

Summer Camps for Kids

These Northern Michigan summer camps embrace a love of the outdoors and the arts.

Endless Summer Family Fun

There are endless opportunities for outdoor fun, so we’ve created this list of 10 healthy and affordable Northern Michigan summer activities to keep your family moving. 

Best Beaches For Kids

We asked our readers to share their favorite spots to take young children to cool off (bonus points for places with playgrounds, restrooms, and picnic tables). These are their picks for best Northern Michigan beaches for kids.

Fun Things To Do With Kids in Traverse City (even on rainy days!)

From exploring the Children's Museum to family-friendly wineries, Traverse City offers endless options for kids and families!

Best Biking For Kids

Sometimes difficult terrain or cars zipping by can make riding too difficult for kids. Read on for our picks of the best Northern Michigan bike trails for kids.

Make It a Day on Mackinac Island

Forts, fudge, biking the island and horse-drawn carriage rides. It's kid heaven...and parents love it, too!

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