Local women bring scoop on family activities with Macaroni Kid newsletter

Rachael Benion

Business Name: Macaroni Kid Harrisburg & West Shore

Years in business: 5 months, though in the area for longer

Location: Mechanicsburg area to West Shore to Harrisburg area

Contact: harrisburg.macaronikid.com

Q: Why did you want to start this kind of business?

A: Frankly, I’m allergic to staying home. Or more specifically, I’m allergic to the very identifiable sound of a bin of Legos being dumped, the bickering, the 38th request for snacks, the “I’m Bored Anthem” and most especially the tornado that demolished my living room during the 18 seconds I stopped to pee.

On the other hand, I love to go, go, go. I love the real experiences that my kids have. I love the people in my community. I treasure the diversity within my greater community. I adore discovering new places and making memories with my family. From learning new crafts, exploring new places, pushing our bodies physically and experiencing and interpreting beauty through arts and nature to basically everything else there is to do out there, we want to experience what life has to offer, especially in our amazing capital area and the West Shore.

For the last 10 years or so, I’ve spent hours and hours each week curating activities to entertain, educate and enrich my children, and I took over Macaroni Kid with the intention of helping other families build memories and more easily find the experiences and activities that help build respect, responsibility, curiosity and compassion. I also want to help build connections in the community and actively build the village it takes to raise our children.

Q: How did you get your start?

A: For a few years I’ve been playing with the idea of starting a blog about the village it takes to raise a child and specifically how to engage with the community to strengthen that village. When I saw that Macaroni Kid was looking for a publisher to take over Harrisburg and the West Shore, all the pieces fell into place and I immediately applied. Also, quick shout-out to my bestie, Kendra Bradford. We went into this together and she took over Macaroni Kid Carlisle – Boiling Springs -Shippensburg at the same time with the same mission.

Q: What does your business sell or provide?

A: Simply put, we bring you the scoop on everything to do with your family in Harrisburg and the West Shore. Every week, we release a newsletter full of local activities and events, crafts, recipes, parenting hacks and more. Our website serves as a comprehensive resource for local families with a full event calendar, family friendly business directory, guides on everything from family hiking spots to back-to-school shopping and much more. Consider it the how-to guide to parenting in the Cumberland Valley.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you are facing right now?

A: Balancing the demands of parenting four active kids (with a fifth on the way) with the demands of starting a business. And, as always, pacing myself; I have so many ideas I want to roll out. I really want to focus on helping people access all the wonderful things in our area and bring budget friendly and free activities into the spotlight, promote and support venues that are friendly and accessible to everyone regardless of ability, and roll out about 7 million ideas and initiatives, but I need to step back and prioritize and listen to what is needed most and first in our community. It’s hard for me not to be able to do all the things all at once.

Q: What is your favorite thing to do or place in Cumberland County?

A: Oh gosh, you can’t make me choose. Obviously, as my business is all about how very much I love Cumberland (and Dauphin) County, it’s hard to pick a favorite. I’m going to go ahead and say you’ll just have to subscribe to my newsletter to get my opinion on the best things in Cumberland County each week.