Recently Kmart hosted a special Playdate Picnic at Hudson River Park in NYC and invited families to come play and meet special guest from Time to Play Magazine along with some of their Playdate Place Expert Bloggers.

So they wanted me to meet famous social media people AND play for most of the day? How could I say no?!


After arriving at the picnic, my son and I went off to enjoy some of the activities available. There was so many play options at the picnic. Families could play with all sorts of toys and games including board games, bubble blowers and hola hoops.

Time to Play Magazine Interview

As we went around playing at the different station, we discovered the special guest from Time to Play Magazine (www.timetoplaymag.com) are Christopher Byrne and Jim Silver.

Let me just say I'm always happy to see Chris and Jim. They really understand why kids needs to play and how to help parents understand that need. They took time out to share with me why their connected with Kmart's Playdate Place.

As Jim played with my son and tried to guess how heavy he is (a lot!), Chris shared that they loved the idea of helping parents plan playdates for their families. They provide toys to be featured on the site to help families find the right ones to encourage all different types of play.

Chris also shared that it's not always the hottest and latest toy that makes play fun for a child. Great advice I though so parents chose playtime toys for your family wisely!


Along with sharing toys, Jim and Chris was there to give toys away! They held a raffle and after picking a child's name, that child got to pick a toy to take home and enjoy.

Black & Married With Kids Interview

During the event I also met and chatted with Lamar and Ronnie Tyler, the couple behind the website Black & Married With Kids (www.blackandmarriedwithkids.com), about why the Kmart's Playdate Place website is a great family resource. Watch the below video to hear what they had to say.


Kmart Playdate Picnic Black & Married With Kids Interview



I also chatted with Lamar and Ronnie about juggling time with family while being social media rock stars. Their advice? Always keep family first and a priority. Everything else needs to work around that. Great advice!

Kmart's Birthday Club

A birthday was also celebrated during the picnic. Everyone gathered around to wish one child a happy birthday and help blow out his candles. If your child is celebrating a birthday soon make sure to sign up for Kmart's Birthday Club , where kids earn $5 birthday bucks on their birthday and parents can access great tips on gifts for children.

I had a great time at the picnic, and enjoyed hearing tips and advice to make our next playdate even more fun.

If you'd like tips on planning the perfect play date, visit the redesigned Kmart Playdate Place community - http://bit.ly/kmartplaydateplace

Don't forget to also enter to win the Ultimate Playdate Picnic Package, worth $250. Have fun playing!