As families spend more time at pools, lakes and rivers this summer, instructors at the Botetourt Family YMCA are encouraging parents to prioritise swim lessons and water safety to help prevent drowning accidents.

The Wytheville Police Department is bringing back its Kids Public Safety Camp this summer, giving children a hands-on look at careers in law enforcement, emergency services, and 9-1-1 dispatch.

Kids grow fast, and keeping up with clothes, toys, and all the gear that comes with them can get expensive. Back on the Rack's spring/summer consignment event is hoping to make that a little easier for families.

Whether your son is still little or all grown up, share those cherished memories and proud moments with us! 💙

A short-lived warm up is ahead!

Ivana Sumbundu, founder of Vana Verse, is dedicated to connecting local authors with local readers in Southwest Virginia.

The program’s main goal is to provide consistent food support for qualifying families, helping them stretch their resources while staying connected to the community.

Huddle Up Moms had another successful diaper drive, which saw hundreds of diapers and wipes donated to those in need!

October 10th marks World Mental Health Day.

As kids head back to school, it's crucial to set limits on screen time to ensure it doesn't interfere with their routine.

Kids are getting ready to head back to school, and divisions are urging drivers to be extra careful as you’ll see more school buses out on the roads.

The Danville Police Department is ready to roll out the red carpet for kids in the area with a back-to-school fashion show.

If you’re planning to take your kids swimming in a lake or river this summer, it’s important to make sure you’re being careful.

Feeding Southwest Virginia announced an expansion of its summer meals program, adding new locations across Roanoke City, Roanoke County, and Salem to help combat childhood hunger during school breaks.

The City of Salem’s annual Easter Egg Hunt is moving to the home of the Salem Red Sox this spring. This year’s free event takes place today, April 9, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Salem Memorial Ballpark.

Unfortunately, cyber bullying and online predators are getting more common. But there are ways to keep kids safe.

They will be at various parks throughout the city, hosting free events that include food trucks, yard games, sports activities, balloon making and even a bouncy house.

Sleep is important for everyone, especially for children and teens, because it plays a role in growth and development

Many children in our area are not able to get dental care due to the cost.

If you’re still looking for a way to give back this holiday season, AAA is collecting toys for kids in need.

Not all kids get the chance to trick or treat on Halloween. For kids currently staying at UVA Health Children’s, they got a spooky surprise from a furry friend to help them celebrate.

Before you take your ghouls and goblins out trick or treating, remember to remind them to put safety first, especially with cars.

Trick or treating is often associated with buckets of candy, but one organization is helping to make it inclusive for kids who can’t always have the candies offered.

Feeding Southwest Virginia and other non-profits hosted a kids farmers market at the Boy and Girls Club.

A before-school program for middle schoolers is coming to local YMCA’s, according to a Facebook post by Roanoke City Public Schools.

This happened last year and is a part of a series where we are looking back at viral videos.

As your kids are getting ready for their first day, 10 News was spending the entire summer tracking where your tax dollars are going for school safety.

About 250 veteran motorcyclists, made a stop for lunch at Montvale Elementary on Thursday, just like they do every year.

Kids in Salem were reeling in some fun on Saturday.

The full story can be seen in the video above, which is part of a series where we are looking back at most-watched viral videos.

Wednesday is officially recognized as the iconic doll’s birthday, and it appears Barbie is aging like fine wine.

If you need some inspiration, here are three of our stories about parent-child bonding through learning an activity together.

It can be tempting to hand our kids a tablet or turn on their favorite TV show, but how does this affect their brains and overall development? Dr. Cara Goodwin gives WSLS 10 the answers.

For the first time ever, Roanoke Public Libraries is hosting a free Halloween costume swap.

Back-to-school season is here and we’d love to see your kids’ smiling faces as they head back to school!

More than 100 kids walked in the program walked one mile to the Grandin Theatre on Tuesday.

Keeping your child safe while in school begins before they even get to the schoolhouse and continues well after they’re gone.

One way to cope with any extra stress or anxiety is to have the kids engage in play time to help develop motor skills, social skills and language development, according to Dr. Jen Harstein, a children’s developmental psychologist who works with autistic children daily.

Whether you’re just a road trip away from Chicago, you go there on business every so often, or you’d love to visit someday, it’s truly a fantastic city, with so much to offer.

Dr. Nicole Avena, a nutrition expert, joins us with ways to overcome the biggest challenges parents face when trying to get their kids to eat healthily.

Monetary gifts allowed deputies to shop for what they didn’t have. They raised $5,300 this year.

90s kids can live out their "Home Alone" dreams for real.

Gretchen Beedle from the The Conner Group explains why parents should consider giving life insurance as a gift to their children.

Mustaches for Kids is an event where participants grow out their mustaches while raising money throughout November.

Let’s Get Creatively shows us a DIY they’ve been doing for a long time for Thanksgiving.

On Wednesday, the White House Administration announced its plan to rollout COVID-19 vaccines if and when they’re authorized for children ages 5-11. The move was met with mixed reactions from parents.

I’m not always the best “get on the floor and play” kind of mom, but any time one of my kids wants to bring me a book, I’ll drop what I’m doing in favor of some cuddles and reading time.

A pilot program put kids and officers on the same path: a 3-mile run through Roanoke on Wednesday.

On Friday, your kid will have a chance to learn bike safety from the experts.

Runners are racing to celebrate the Fourth of July by raising money for kids in the community.

If you want your kids to stay up on their math skills this summer or maybe they need some extra practice, you can sign them up for the Summer Math Challenge.

Saturday May 1, at the Vinton War Memorial you can buy anything from baked goods to scrubs and home decor created and sold by kids in the Roanoke Valley.

Track and field and swimming are among the team sports that might be best for children with autism.

There’s a new friend in the neighborhood!“ Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” that is.

You and your kids will be over the rainbow for these snack cups. To see a very similar Rainbow Snack Cups that Bridget and Lindsey made on the show today, check out our Pinterest page! Check out our other Pinspirations below! Groovey Disco Ball VaseHow to make your dog the next Paw-blo PicassoMatcha Ice Cubes

The Democracy Badge is one of Girl Scouts’ newer badges., having launched in 2020. “Right now for the 117th Congress, 122 women, representatives and delegates (in the House), will serve as a part of that congress and 55% of those are Girl Scouts. So it is an incredible time in women’s history and I believe we’re making history every day,” said Williams. Williams said Girl Scouts is all about helping girls become ambitious leaders in a variety of avenues including the U.S. government. There are different democracy badge booklets for each age group.

Roanoke City Public Libraries believes the magic is helping kids get through tough times. From politics and racial injustice to this pandemic and how much life has changed, there’s a lot of things kids are exposed to. Here is Roanoke City Public Libraries’ recommendation for children’s books for addressing topics like personal obstacles, death, stress, anxiety, friendships and more. For parents looking for a little more support, here are parenting books to help children and teens through stress and anxiety. Roanoke City Public Libraries are not open but are offering curbside services.

DANVILLE, Va. – Danville Science Center is reopening Saturday, Nov. 14 after a multi-million dollar renovation. The science center has been around for 25 years, and Executive Director Adam Goebel said it was time for a change and a reimagination of the place. From design to installation it was a 15-month long process, and it’s only Phase Two to Danville Science Center’s reimagination plan. “Individuals can walk through a rain maze without getting wet, they can visualize water consumption on a 2,400 bottle water wall," said Goebel. Danville Science Center is operating at limited capacity and taking reservations to limit the spread of coronavirus.

ROANOKE, Va. – This pandemic has created loss and challenges but some people have been able to find positivity in music. Apex Piano Showroom in Roanoke has a lot to offer: pianos for purchase, rooms for private and group lessons and an event space for recitals. Since the pandemic, the showroom has had to adapt as business picked up; shifting to appointment only, becoming more online-based and offering remote lessons. Gross hopes whether it’s a traditional instrument or one with extra technology people recognize music’s true value. This summer, they were busier than in past years because kids who typically take a break from music or lessons for summer sports didn’t this year.

HOT SPRINGS, Va. – Kids love sending mail to the North Pole at Christmas, but now some children are putting their stamp on mail heading out of this world. It’s a place to step back in time, but one featured activity will be stepping into the future: postcards to space! I love space!’ I just love thinking about like what’s all up there,” said 7th grader, Brooke Hess. We carried 23 payloads today including thousands of postcards from kids all over the world for @ClubforFuture. The idea of postcards to space is certainly thinking outside the box.

But if you’re in need of more ideas, how about this one: Have you tried taking your kid golfing? Depending on which part of the country you golf, other wildlife such as deer and alligators can also easily be present on a golf course. On a side note, you don’t have to have your kid hit EVERY shot. Golf courses know the value of introducing the game to youngsters, and thus, will often offer heavy discounts for kids to play, if they even charge them at all for a round. Some golf courses also will offer discounts for families who want to play.

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. – Two teenagers are safe after an hours-long search in Bedford County, according to the Forest Fire Department. Investigators said the teens didn’t make it to a location at a certain time. Several boats, three Bedford County Special Operations swimmers and two support personnel members responded to the Big Otter River Sunday night. For about two hours rescue swimmers searched the river until Virginia State Police’s helicopter tracked found the pair on land, waiving to get the pilot’s attention. The teens were flown to a safe place and checked by medics.

If it goes off as planned, this will mark the first mission involving astronauts from U.S. soil since 2011. Still, NASA astronaut Bob Behnken has said he and Doug Hurley are “really comfortable” with the risks. So you’re making educated guesses, at best.”It seems there’s just more uncharted territory when it comes to space travel. “The first astronauts really started out as test pilots,” Garfinkle said. But assuming this launch goes well, “It would be great for kids to see a successful, triumphant moment of science,” Fink said.

A mother of two mindlessly picked up a paintbrush in late March, and started painting the cover of one of the books she had read to her children earlier in the day -- and said she incorporated some “cartoonified” coronavirus themes, to try to make the situation less scary.

How much do you remember, or what have you retained, from high school?

Nat Geo for KidsSite address: www.kids.nationalgeographic.comWhat it does: Kids learn about geography and fascinating animals. Into the BookSite address: www.reading.ecb.orgWhat it does: Through playing games, kids can practice reading strategies. SuessvilleSite address: www.seussville.comWhat it does: Allows kids to hang out with Dr. Seuss and his friends, all while playing games and reading. PBS KidsSite address: www.pbs.orgWhat it does: Kids can learn while hanging out with their favorite PBS characters. Highlights KidsSite address: www.highlightskids.comWhat it does: Allows kids to read, play games, learn random facts and do activities such as crafts and recipes.

SALEM, Va. – Police arrested a teacher from HoneyTree Early Learning Center in Salem after she allegedly hit a child under the age of six. Jay’Neva Franklin, 21, of Roanoke, has been charged with assault and battery. The child wasn’t hurt and didn’t need medical attention, according to Salem city officials. Salem police received a formal complaint on Tuesday that a child had been assaulted at the HoneyTree Early Learning Center located on Roanoke Boulevard. The child’s mother told police that an adult female teacher assaulted her son while he was under the instructor’s care at the center, according to police.

Here are some of the best ways to keep your kids healthy, both mentally and physically, over the upcoming holiday breaks.

Before you answer with an assured “NO,” know that ‘secret stash’ containers are increasing in popularity, and getting easier to obtain. The containers have some things in common: They’re easy to purchase, they’re cheap -- usually around $10 -- and they look exactly like real household items. A new corner of the Internet is dedicated to selling secret stash items. Drug addiction experts say kids are buying them to store drugs, hiding them, and their habit, from their parents. The following are some otherwise innocent-looking household items that could be secret stash containers: