kids Archives

Let the games begin

🎉 Here’s what you need to keep the good times rolling.

Level up with a gaming controller ($56) that’s fast and smooth.
A Toniebox speaker (30% off) tells kids’ bedtime stories and more.
Help your child learn to swim with a back belt floater (18% off).
Fetch! This oddly shaped dog ball ($8) bounces in some cool ways.
Watch your cat chase this laser cat toy ($25) in random directions.

🧸 Catch ’em all: Toss your kid’s stuffed animals into a hanging net ($29) for later.

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🧠 Viral trend, real brain damage: Talk to your kids about TikTok’s risky new “Dusting Challenge.” This brain stunt features teens inhaling computer duster spray for what they think is a quick high. What they’re actually getting: seizures, suffocation and possible brain damage.

More than 100

Telegram founder Pavel Durov says he’s fathered that many kids. He’s got six from three partners and has also been donating sperm for 15 years (paywall link). The kicker? He recently wrote a will saying he’ll split his $14 billion fortune equally among all of them. That’s $100 million or so each. Move over, Nick Cannon.

🛡️ Protect your kids on YouTube: Restricted Mode filters out videos flagged as mature (drugs, alcohol … stuff you don’t want them seeing). Click their Profile (top right) > scroll to Restricted Mode > toggle Activate Restricted Mode. Then hit Lock Restricted Mode on this browser. Bonus: It also hides comments.

🧃 H2 Oh no: Be smart if someone wants to sell you a bottle of water. Two drivers lost $1K+ after handing over their phones to pay $2 for a bottle of water on the Cash App. The kids allegedly drained entire bank accounts. PSA: Never let strangers handle your phone.

Roblox predator walks free: A mother called the FBI after finding out her 10-year-old daughter was groomed by a man she met in-game. The sicko turned the conversation sexual, asked for pictures over text and even hacked into her online schooling accounts. And yet? Still no charges. Watch your kids.

Amazon Prime deal: You can now get six months free if you’re between the ages of 18 and 24. It’s part of the newly rebranded Prime for Young Adults program. Same perks, no student status needed. After the trial? It’s half price at $7.49/month. Tell the kids or sign up here.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

📚 Keep their brains busy: Want your kids to stay sharp in math or science this summer? Check out Khan Academy. Free lessons include short videos, practice exercises and hints. There’s even an AI tutor they can chat with when they’re stuck (it’s $4/month). Pro tip: Track their progress with a parent account.

🕳️ Internet’s new boogeyman: Online predators have gotten a terrifying rebrand. “764” is a nihilistic extremist group targeting kids via Discord, Roblox and social media. The FBI is on it, but that’s cold comfort if your 12-year-old is getting radicalized during Minecraft. Talk early and often with your kids about online dangers. Audit their apps, and maybe uninstall a few.

🍋 From lemonade stand to citrus baron: Got a future CEO at home? Check out Shopify’s free guide for kids who want to get started selling online. It’s packed with fun branding and business exercises you can do together as a family.

🐶 Dogs look like their owners? Science says it’s not just in your head. We might subconsciously choose pups that resemble us or our kids. Women have hair similar in length to their dog’s ears. And yep, they match our vibes, too. The longer we’re together, the more they start to copy us. Look at my Bella!

$10.8 billion

That’s how much Steve Jobs left behind, and his kids didn’t inherit. The Apple founder’s estate went almost entirely to his wife, Laurene, who made it clear: The dynasty dies with her. So while Eve Jobs models, Reed invests in cancer research, and Lisa Brennan-Jobs writes about her dad’s icy legacy, none of them are cashing in.

“Rilly big shoo”: I’m talking about The Ed Sullivan Show that just passed a million YouTube subs. Turns out there’s an endless audience for grainy footage of Elvis pelvis-ing and Beatles mop-shaking. Kids today don’t remember when every performance had 18 backup dancers, no autotune and a ventriloquist, but now they’ll get to experience all the grandeur.

🎮 Kids and online games: When they play games online, they’re chatting with strangers since no friend request is needed. Anyone in the lobby can talk using a mic. Make sure they know not to share personal info and to never agree to meet up in real life. Too many wackos are behind the screen.

🔞Texas going hardcore parental: Texas wants to ban all minors under 18 from using social media. That means no Instagram, no TikTok, not even Facebook (RIP). Kids would need an ID to make accounts, and platforms would have to delete profiles if parents ask. Lawsuits incoming from tech giants and probably teenagers themselves.

Dumb TikTok prank: Kids are sneaking up behind people in stores, tapping their phone to your phone and playing the Apple Pay “ding” sound. No, they’re not stealing your money. They’re just faking it with a sound clip. It gets worse. Someone’s filming your reaction. Because apparently, that counts as great content now.

About $33 million

How much Mark Cuban invested during his time on Shark Tank. Surprise, surprise, the billionaire says those deals are now worth at least $250 million. As for why he left the show? He wants to spend more time with his kids. Solid exit strategy.

61%

That’s the share of parents who use DoorDash. More than half of families with kids are ordering delivery at least once a week. Because between soccer practice and homework meltdowns, no one’s got time to sauté. Basically, Uber Eats is the new family dinner.

📝 Sneaky students: College kids are turning in papers with typos … on purpose. This helps fool AI detectors after using chatbots to write essays. Some even tell bots to write like a “dumb” freshman or run their work through multiple tools to hide the AI fingerprints. Clever? Yep. Smart? Not so much.

📵 Virginia limits kids’ screen time: A new law will ban anyone under 16 from using social media for more than one hour a day. Apps will verify age, and parents can adjust if their kids get more time. Once they hit the limit, the app is supposed to block access … though it’s unclear how that’ll work.