• Main
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Meet the Editors
    • Meet the Bloggers
    • Press
    • FAQ
  • Magazine
    • Current Digital Issue
    • Past Digital Issues
    • Purchase Print Issue
    • Stockists
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Advertise
    • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Babiekins Magazine

A Trendsetting Magazine & Online Community For The Trendsetting Child + Parent

TRAVELKINS :: A trip to Tweetsie Railroad.

By BrittR, Former Contributor Leave a Comment

IMG_21355  new pics  crew1  download22  33  tweetsie56  tweetsie55  tweetsie77  tweetsie44

For my sons Birthday’s which are a week apart we went to visit Tweetsie Railroad. Located in the beautiful mountain’s of Blowing Rock in NC. A place I’ve visited  for many years even when I was a child, it brought back so many memories. We had so much fun riding the train where they put on a show and robbers take over the train, a real “Cowboy & Indian” showdown. We road rides, ate chocolates from their candy shop, & sent Crew to Tweetsie jail (fake of course). tweetsie88

We even scored some really neat things to bring back. Next year we will be going back & boarding Tweetsie’s Ghost train, my kiddos are already excited!

XO,

Britt Ritchie

Filed Under: Fun Tagged With: kids travel tips, North Carolina, travel with kids, travelkins, Tweetsie Railroad Posted By: BrittR, Former Contributor

TRAVELKINS :: A Local’s Guide to Surfing Waikiki Beach…with Kids!

By Gina Munsey, Senior Editor 6 Comments

Most of us have probably dreamt of a jetting off to Hawaii at some point, right? Thanks to our newest contributor Dixie Rose, I have  a feeling we’ll all be daydreaming of those sunny shores a lot more frequently!  Beginning with today’s surfing adventure at Waikiki Beach, Dixie’s Travelkins column will chronicle her favorite kid-friendly spots around Hawaii. Now, who’s excited?!

—

Aloha! My name is Dixie and I call Hawaii home. My son is two and his name is Phoenix but we call him Phe Phe (we should probably stop doing pretty soon now that I think about it). My husband Mason is a photographer/filmmaker so there sure is no shortage of entertainment in our family.
Traveling to Hawaii with kids? Dixie (Babiekins Magazine blog) shows you how to introduce your child to surfing Waikiki Beach like the Locals

Traveling to Hawaii with kids? Dixie (Babiekins Magazine blog) shows you how to introduce your child to surfing Waikiki Beach like the Locals

Traveling to Hawaii with kids? Dixie (Babiekins Magazine blog) shows you how to introduce your child to surfing Waikiki Beach like the Locals

Mason and I both grew up in the water and we would not want Phe to grow up any other way…surfing, hiking, and dancing together as a family is our ultimate favorite past time. We try to do everything together, and I want to be involved in Phe’s life and do as much as I can with him until he will let me. Being a mother has brought the world to me. I am now more inspired to be the best I could possibly be.

Traveling to Hawaii with kids? Dixie (Babiekins Magazine blog) shows you how to introduce your child to surfing Waikiki Beach like the Locals

Traveling to Hawaii with kids? Dixie (Babiekins Magazine blog) shows you how to introduce your child to surfing Waikiki Beach like the locals

I’m a free spirit at heart, love a good laugh, a good latte, and telling outrageous stories of things that have happened to me. I’ve lived a crazy life, but like most moms, I feel that with having Phe, I am finally right where I need to be. I am so stoked to share with you all, everything this beautiful island has to offer, from culture to untouched beaches, and of course, super cute keikis (kids in Hawaiian).

Traveling to Hawaii with kids? Dixie (Babiekins Magazine blog) shows you how to introduce your child to surfing Waikiki Beach like the Locals

Traveling to Hawaii with kids? Dixie (Babiekins Magazine blog) shows you how to introduce your child to surfing Waikiki Beach like the Locals

For my first post, I thought it was only right that we take you down to Waikiki Beach. Most people will stay here, at least once in their lives, and no doubt it is a happening spot. There is no where like Waikiki, and all of us locals all learn to surf here. There is no better waves to learn to surf on than Waikiki. The waves are little “roly poly waves” as Phe calls them. They literally rolls you off and sends you off down the best slide. Today was 1-2 ft as it most of the time is, and perfect conditions for us to go out. Surfing is truly nature’s roller coaster ride.

Last month, we finally took Phe surfing for the first time. In Hawaii, we say kids surf before they swim, but we really wanted him to trust us, and know what he was doing before we actually got him out there. He went through a phase where he was scared of the water, and recently came back around. At two and a half, he now confident with the waves, and LOVES surfing.

Kid-friendly Hawaiian vacation spots - Surf Waikiki Beach with kids - Dixie (Babiekins Magazine blog) shows you kid-friendly Waikiki surfing

Today, we went out at 8 am in the morning, perfect glassy not too crowded conditions in Waikiki. We caught waves together and snapped a few shots with our Go Pro. We caught a few waves together as a family, and there is really no better feeling in the world than to be on a party wave with the ones you love.

Tips on Surfing with your Little Grom in Waikiki

1. Take a surf lesson. Our surf instructors here know the waves more than anyone. It is a pretty intensive process to get an instructors license and they don’t just give it to just anyone, so you really know you are in good hands, and they really have a way of getting your kids up!

Kid-friendly Hawaiian vacation spots - Surf Waikiki Beach with kids - Dixie (Babiekins Magazine blog) shows you kid-friendly Waikiki surfing

2. Invest in a Puddle Jumper. Trust me, we have gone through so many floating devices and have been looking everywhere for YEARRRS. Puddle Jumpers are Coast Guard certified and work wonders. Costco has them on sale right now for $13! Walmart and Target also carry them.

Kid-friendly Hawaiian vacation spots - Surf Waikiki Beach with kids - Dixie (Babiekins Magazine blog) shows you kid-friendly Waikiki surfing

3. Go early when it’s not too crowded so you can get more waves and awesome photos. The surf lessons usually always come with a surf photographer and you will have the option to buy them.Traveling to Hawaii with kids? Dixie (Babiekins Magazine blog) shows you how to introduce your child to surfing Waikiki Beach like the locals

4. Encourage your keiki in surfing by making it all fun. This is especially true if they have been scared of the ocean before. It helps using words like “sliding” instead of surfing, which might intimidate them. It really is like going down a big slide except you’re standing (and let’s face it don’t all kids try to stand on slides?) When we paddle out, we try to look for turtles…there’s a lot of em! Sometimes Phe will say “Let’s go paddle and look for turtles…and then surf.” that really gets him going.

Kid-friendly Hawaiian vacation spots - Surf Waikiki Beach with kids - Dixie (Babiekins Magazine blog) shows you kid-friendly Waikiki surfing

Happy Aloha Friday!

Dixie x

Filed Under: Fun Tagged With: gopro, grom, hawaii, hawaii with kids, kid-friendly hawaii, kids travel tips, oahu, south shore, surf, surf lessons, surfing, surfing with kids, travel with kids, traveling with kids, travelkins, vacation with kids, waikiki Posted By: Gina Munsey, Senior Editor

FUNKINS :: London with Kids–Top 5 Things to See & Do

By Gina Munsey, Senior Editor 1 Comment

Spring is finally here in the Northern Hemisphere and the days are growing longer and warmer. It is around this time of year when we as a family feel the itch to pack up and travel.

Anyone else know the feeling? One of our all time favorite destinations with kids is London, England.
Travel in London with Kids - Top 5 Things to Do and Places to Go - Via the Babiekins Magazine Blog
Travel in London with Kids - Top 5 Things to Do and Places to Go - Via the Babiekins Magazine Blog

We always read about our destination in advance and let the kids choose a few things they would like to do.  Here are their top five favorites for London:

Travel in London with Kids - Top 5 Things to Do and Places to Go - Via the Babiekins Magazine Blog

1) Visit Piccadilly Circus at night when the neon lights are lit up.  My son read about it in This is London so we made sure to plan dinner in the area that night just so we could check that one off his list!

Travel in London with Kids - Top 5 Things to Do and Places to Go - Via the Babiekins Magazine Blog
Travel in London with Kids - Top 5 Things to Do and Places to Go - Via the Babiekins Magazine Blog

2) See the mummies at the British Museum.  Thanks to a tip from Not For Parents: Everything you wanted to know my son was obsessed with seeing the mummies!  (His favorite was the pet cat mummy!)

Travel in London with Kids - Top 5 Things to Do and Places to Go - Via the Babiekins Magazine Blog

3) Of course Big Ben is an absolute must…

Travel in London with Kids - Top 5 Things to Do and Places to Go - Via the Babiekins Magazine Blog
Travel in London with Kids - Top 5 Things to Do and Places to Go - Via the Babiekins Magazine Blog

4) Ride on the London Eye.  They begged to take a ride and it ended up being their absolute favorite!

Travel in London with Kids - Top 5 Things to Do and Places to Go - Via the Babiekins Magazine Blog
Travel in London with Kids - Top 5 Things to Do and Places to Go - Via the Babiekins Magazine Blog

5) Watch the Changing of the Guards.
 It may not be something you would have to do if you visited frequently, but for a first-time visitor?  Mandatory!

Travel in London with Kids - Top 5 Things to Do and Places to Go - Via the Babiekins Magazine Blog

Don’t forget to take a photo in a red phone booth and try fish and chips, too! We are always amazed by how open our kids are to new experiences and how well they travel!

Are you planning a spring or summer vacation this year?  Where will you be heading?

xo Tina
Flying House by Traveling Mama
—
Editor’s Note: Tina will be back next month, sharing more kid-friendly things to see and do in another fun travel destination!

Filed Under: Fun Tagged With: england, kids travel tips, london, london with kids, sight-seeing with kids, things to do in london, things to do with kids in london, travel, travel with kids, traveling with kids Posted By: Gina Munsey, Senior Editor


Start Exploring!

  • DIY
  • Editorials
  • Editors’ Lifestyle
  • Farm + Homesteading
  • Features
  • Food
  • Hey Pretty Mama
  • Homeschooling
  • Interiors
  • Kids’ Parties
  • Street Style
  • Travel


























































Archives

ABOUT

  • Our Story
  • FAQ
  • Blog
  • Contact

ADVERTISE

  • Media Kit

MAGAZINE

  • Current Digital
  • Past Digital
  • Print
  • Stockists

CONTRIBUTE

  • Submit Work

Copyright © 2022 · Babiekins Magazine | A Trendsetting Kids' Fashion Magazine and Online Community for Parents and Children Alike · Since the Southern California birth of Babiekins in 2010, the magazine has grown from into an internationally-recognized print publication with a global circulation and now a thriving online community. We are more than a kids’ fashion magazine. We search everywhere for inspiration, and go beyond trends to bring you fashion, style, decor, design, books, DIY, parties, and playthings. Our readers look to us to keep up with the best and most up-to-date concepts in the children’s market worldwide. We have an eye for quirk. We’re high-fashion, but we value whimsy over tradition. Playful childhood is more important to us than making kids into copycat adults. We believe life is beautiful, life is valuable, and life changes when you see it through the eyes of a child. We seek to transcend skin color, language and zip codes and bring out the real, wild, magical creativity inherent in every child. And behind Babiekins is an optimistic team of mothers-turned-editors, working from home, often with our own little babiekins climbing on, under and around the desks. We want to encourage you, and challenge you to see something different — something special — in yourself and in this world we all share. Welcome to Babiekins!

Privacy | Terms of Use