Though I know some eager young children who are excited to begin their kindergarten adventure, not one of them wants to be doing flashcard drills and workbooks on a summer's day. Which is why I love the adorable and smart monthly subscri…
The very first word my son ever spelled was S-T-O-P, which is not surprising given how many hours he spent accompanying his older sisters to their many activities. If you also have a little road warrior who's more interested in street si…
Father's Day is Sunday, and while we've been giving you loads (and loads and loads of Father's Day gift ideas , we understand that you may still be looking for that little special "something" that will pull it all together. Instead of sc…
Long before it was considered the "right thing to do", one of our favorite toy companies, PlanToys was making imaginative, eco-friendly toys in cool, modern shapes and bright colors. While they've pushed the standards in environmentally …
Once my kids had outgrown toddler-pop songs and quiet lullabies, they were ready for music that was a bit more grown up, though not of the he did me wrong/I partied all night long genre. Fortunately, elementary-school kids like mine have…
Father's Day is only one week away so no wonder we've been fielding so many questions from our readers about last minute gifts for Father's Day! To help you out, we thought we'd gather a few of them from Facebook, Twitter, email, and our…
Want to know why we're in love with The Secret World of Arrietty ? Family Movie Night in our house usually means the kids pick an animated-to-the-gills cartoon that tries to make itself relevant to "all ages" with lots of double-entendre…
I just had my fifth baby a couple weeks ago and need some ideas for baby sun protection. Could you tell me some of your favorite products for making it easier and safer to be out in the sun with a very young infant? -Kim Congratulations …
I'll be frank, quite a few of us groaned along with many of you when LEGO Friends was announced; that series of pastel-colored, "girl-friendly" kits which seemed heavy on the pink and purple, with themes like Butterfly Beauty Shop. (Gah.…
H elp! We are trying to come up with an end of year DIY teacher gift from the whole classroom for our kindergarten teacher. Something every kid can participate in but won't require too much work from the parents. I know Cool Mom Picks wi…
When I wrote about the first Okee Dokee Brothers CD back in '08, I called them "equal parts hillbilly, seven-year-old boy and your favorite teacher"...heavy on the 7 year old boy. Now on their third release, it's as if the two jokers wit…
We are not generally fans of albums of popular music covered by band that dumb down the music for kids--or worse, have kids sing the music. I'll take my Beatles sung by the Beatles, thanks very much. That said, I was nervous when I heard…
I've seen enough tangram activities in my kids' math books to know that they are supposed to be great at fostering an early understanding of geometry , spatial reasoning, and design. But eh, my kids just think they are fun and make neat …
I love the look on kids' faces when they open a book and see their names in the pages of the story. So in celebration of the biggest day of all---their birthday!---here are a couple beautifully illustrated books that will make the birthd…
The news that The Bee Gees' Robin Gibb died this weekend seems particularly poignant following Donna Summer's passing last week: Two of the most significant voices of my childhood, gone. I, for one, am thrilled that their music will live…
Living with three LEGO-obsessed children, it does seem like these little bricks multiply like magic. But now, it appears that those innocent-looking little minifigures have been busy doing a little uh, multiplying on their own. Oh, yes, …
Since returning home from this year's Kindiefest, I've been listening to loads of great kids' music I can't wait to share, like this brand-new release from one of our kindie favorites, Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band. Their latest col…
As much as my kids and I love Japanese Kokeshi dolls, I can't bring myself to let another collection into the house, what with all the stuffed animals and favorite rocks already displayed around my girls' room. But, I've found a way to c…
When Caspar Babypants burst onto the kindie music scene, I remember thinking it was cool that this Presidents of the United States of America lead singer had dipped his toe into the kindie pool with this little side project. Now, four ye…
Thank goodness for Mother's Day printables! With the big day right around the corner, if you haven't ordered a thing yet, stop and take a deep breath because we've got you covered. First calculate expedited shipping rates on your favorit…
Around the same time our daffodils appear, the kids drag their big bucket of chalk out onto our driveway to create an elaborate chalk city. And while I love that we all get out into the fresh air, have you ever tried to help draw a road …
My 8 year old niece is about to celebrate her First Communion, and I don't have any good gift ideas. Can you help? Thanks, Sarah I don't remember much about my First Communion oh-so-many-years-ago, but I think my relatives gave me cards …
From the moment they could successfully maneuver a crayon, my kids have loved open-ended coloring books like Taro Gomi's finish-the-picture Scribbles book. So, it's no surprise that they adore a new rules-free coloring book with an inter…
With three kids and an ever-growing number of nieces and nephews, it seems like I'm on the lookout for a "wow" birthday gift every month, and a monthly gift subscription is always a great idea. In the past, we've lauded the genius of Kiw…
