It's a great time of year to visit New York City. Can't make it in person? Instead, try this Virtual Field Trip to the Museum of Natural History.

Read more

• Virtual Field Trip to the Museum of Natural History
• Virtual Field Trip to the Empire State Building

If you live on the East Coast of the United States, this is turning out to be quite the week for natural disasters. But regardless of where you live, it's always a good idea to be prepared for emergency situations. I wanted to share some links for you to make sure your family is ready if disaster should strike.

• Disaster Supply Kit
• Hurricane Prep (Good advice for general disaster preparedness)
• Earthquake Info for Kids
• Hurricane Info for Kids
• Kid's Activity Survival Kit (Don't forget entertainment for kids in your Supply Kit!)
• Family Disaster Plan
• Talking with Kids About Disasters (PDF from the Red Cross)

This is also a good time to make a backup of important files, including digital photos and storing them in a safe place, such as at your office or with a relative.

The much-anticipated The Sims Social game app went live on Facebook earlier this week. If you're a fan of The Sims, you'll want to head over and create your Sim. The online game has a lot of similarities to other versions, so you'll find yourself concerned with all the basic necessities, while building your house, making friends, and earning Simoleons!

A missing child is one of the biggest nightmares for parents. The feeling of helplessness adds to the fear of the unknown. Most of us are familiar with the Amber Alert system, but not everyone realizes that there are specific criteria for when an Amber Alert is issued:

• Law enforcement must confirm that an abduction has taken place
• The child is at risk of serious injury or death
• There is sufficient descriptive information of child, captor, or captor's vehicle to issue an alert
• The child must be 17 years old or younger
• It is recommended that immediate entry of AMBER Alert data be entered in FBI's National Crime Information Center. Text information describing the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the child should be entered, and the case flagged as Child Abduction.

What do you do when your child doesn't meet that criteria? One father had an idea and created SecuraChild, a website that uses social media to help the search for missing children. To use the service, sign up and provide information about your child, such as eye color, hair color, and identifying features. If your child goes missing, notify SecuraChild and they will spread the information through their social networks. The site is still relatively new and their social media reach is too small to have much of an impact, but I would expect it to grow over time.

What do you think? Is this a service that would make you feel more secure?

Read more

• Visit SecuraChild
• Follow SecuraChild on Twitter