All Maria Stavropoulos has ever wanted to do is act. So when the Goodman Theatre offered the Frankfort teen a walk-on role in last weekend's Sunday matinee of "A Christmas Carol," she was more than ready for her stage debut.  Read more...

Hundreds of girls in tutus sashayed, curtsied and pliéd their way through a holiday classic at the eight annual Dance-Along Nutcracker.  Read more...

More than 150 years after its publication, "A Christmas Carol" remains woven into our seasonal psyche. Here's a look at the story itself and a sit-down with four kids from the Goodman Theatre's production to talk about what this holiday classic means to them.  Read more...

The Goodman Theatre's production of "A Christmas Carol" has been a Chicago holiday tradition for more than three decades. So we sat down with four kids in the cast to talk about what this family favorite means to them -- and what's on their holiday wish list.  Read more...

A new study about the long-term benefits of relatively harmless, everyday germs may have parents thinking twice before slathering their kids with antibacterial soap.  Read more...

Seven years after it first opened, "Play it Safe," the Chicago Children's Museum's fire safety exhibit, has reopened with a renewed focus on interactive learning.  Read more...

The number of babies born with Down syndrome rose by nearly one-third from 1979 to 2003, a new study has found, likely because women are waiting longer to have children.  Read more...

What do your kids have in common with a 10,000-pound killer whale or an Asian small-clawed otter? More than you might think, according to Chuck Tompkins, a longtime animal trainer at Sea World who has written a new parenting book.  Read more...

The federal government and the window industry recalled more than 50 million Roman-style shades and blinds because of the strangulation risk posed by the cords.  Read more...

Let's face it: New Year's Eve is chock full of grown-up fun. But how to make it appropriate for kids -- and early bedtimes? Meredith Sinclair to the rescue, with ideas to turn your New Year's Eve into a family-friendly event, with homemade ice cream, creative noisemakers and (gasp!) some learning!  Read more...

If we're being honest, the entire concept of wrapping paper is pretty bizarre. So why not chuck your rolls for some of these creative alternatives?  Read more...