UrbanBaby Buzz
Like many city dwellers, Little Rabbit had it all, but she was a bit lonely.
But in Moon Rabbit, a story of newfound friendship by Scottish author Natalie Russell, she encounters a kindred spirit during a day at the park. Her brown bunny pal is the companion she was wishing for, and anyone with a BFF will relate this gentle picture book with a loving message.
Friendship is golden.
Available at penguinputnam.com.
Remember Slinkys, Pixie Sticks and Silly Putty? Chances are your kids don’t.
Reintroduce them to the classics — and some spirited newcomer — with the selection of super toys at Aunt Jean’s Toys & Treats. The Montclair, New Jersey shop opened an online outpost that carries a hand-selected assortment of playthings that appeal to any child. Opt for the Automoblox, doll houses, French wood blocks or plush sea turtles (toys are grouped by age, from infant to tween).
Inspire a little imagination.
Available at auntjeanstoys.com.
Your entire household has memorized the contents of the bookshelf — time to restock.
One Potato was recently launched by a father of two whose love of children’s picture books turned into an online guide. The site advocates for the lesser-known quality kiddie literature that may not get shelf time at the bigger chain stores. With more than 500 titles currently listed, recommendations range from the foreign or fables and folklore to the familiar and familial. After filling your cart with formerly unknown titles, the site directs your order to Amazon — it couldn’t be easier.
It’s for those times when getting a great new book for bedtime reading feels like finding a needle in a haystack.
Visit onepotato.net.
With so many great children’s books out there, how do you pick one that’s engaging, educational and age-appropriate?
What to Read When: The Books and Stories to Read with Your Child — and All the Best Times to Read Them guides parents through the process of finding that perfect book for any child at any moment. Award-winning educator and literacy advocate Pam Allyn offers an annotated list of more than 300 titles, broken down by childhood themes (from friendship to divorce), age and stage, and type of book (pop-ups, tactile, books for the bath). Family-oriented tips, like how to create a comfortable reading place in the home, will help foster a lifetime love of reading.
Available at whattoreadwhen.com.
Doing some spring cleaning? Make sure the little helpers are ready to assist.
The Chore Board turns tasks into a game, as every job well done — organizing, setting the table, walking the dog — moves the player one step closer to a predetermined prize (call it the great motivator). A magnetic board mounts on the refrigerator or wall, while a dry-erase marker helps redefine goals again and again.
Ready, set, scrub.
Available at chroniclebooks.com.
Baby it’s cold outside — stay indoors and cuddle up with a new book.
The One and Only Marigold, a new book by renowned children’s author Florence Parry Heide, presents four connected stories about the clever, complicated and hilarious little girl (or, unidentified animal-like girl). Follow Marigold as she buys a new coat (yet still wears her old one to bed), invents ugly faces and lists her favorite foods and friends. Plus, punchy illustrations by Jill McElmurry bring all the escapades to life. Readers of little heroines like Eloise and Olivia will relate well to the simplicity and sass of this new character.
It’s sure to be a new family favorite.
Available at amazon.com.
Remember back in the ’70s when only four TV stations existed and The Electric Company or Sesame Street ruled your world?
Four decades later, Sesame Workshop is recharging The Electric Company with a hipper, updated version of the kids’ classic. That’s just one of the shows putting a jolt in kids’ TV programming this winter.
The Electric Company
Hey you guuuuyyyys! That famous line is back in the show designed to make learning to read fun. The new Electric Company borrows the best of the old — like silhouettes sounding out words — and mixes it up with hi-tech graphics, music videos, sketch comedy, animation and lots of hip hop. Plus it’s got a diverse cast: Whoopi Goldberg, Tiki Barber and Jimmy Fallon are just a few of the celebs plugged in to the 2.0 edition.
When: PBS Kids Go! presents a special two-hour sneak preview on January 19th, before the show settles into its regular timeslot on Fridays beginning January 23rd.
Spectacular!
Nickelodeon’s answer to High School Musical is a surprisingly entertaining, smart and sweet movie (with only minimal kissing) that manages to avoid being cloying. You’ll even want to buy the soundtrack. Zac Efron look-alike Nolan Gerard Funk plays Nikko, an aspiring rock star forced to join his high school’s not-so-cool show choir (”Eye of the Tiger” is their specialty). Adorable Tammin Sursok (The Young and the Restless) is Courtney, head of show choir, whose perkiness and hyper articulate soliloquies are reminiscent of Emma Roberts’ Nancy Drew. The clash of cultures sets sparks flying, kicking the dancing and singing into high gear.
When: February 16th at 8pm.
Olivia
With all her sass and a best-selling series, it was only a matter of time before she got a shot on the small screen. Now this divine little swine is starring in her own animated show. Oozing self-confidence, Olivia flits between the ordinary (friends, family and school) and the extraordinary with her vivid imagination, a good sense of humor and some well-coordinated accessories. The fashion-forward piglet has definitely got an attitude, but it’s one that’s so refreshing she manages to endear herself to adults as well as sandbox sophisticates.
When: Debuting on January 26th at 11:30am ET/PT, Olivia will hold court on Nickelodeon five days a week.
The Penguins of Madagascar
Kids can chill out with this new series spun off from DreamWorks’ Madagascar films. The little band of black-and-whites — Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private — believe they run an elite strike force team from their Central Park Zoo headquarters. The penguins waddle onto subways and through sewer systems as they take up their secret missions. Wonder if they can do any good on Wall Street.
When: Premieres on Nickelodeon at the end of March, then airs regularly on Saturdays at 10AM ET/PT beginning April 4th.
With school vacas coming soon, you may be gearing up for some family day trips in your city. The first museum visit with a toddler or preschooler can leave you both tired, cranky and determined never to look at art again. But with some planning, the experience can be great. Below are some tips from the brains behind the children’s programs at MoMA, The Met, The American Museum of Natural History and The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum on tackling a museum outing with kids in tow:
Timing: Call to find out when the museum is at its quietest and least crowded. Gangs of school kids can be distracting and frightening to a young child.
Prep Talk: Discuss ahead of time what a museum is and what kind of things your child will see. Perhaps check out a book or website with a painting or a rocket you will be able to show him in real life. Recognizing something he has seen before gives a child a sense of familiarity and confidence. Finally, explain the rules of museum behavior (indoor voices, no running, do not touch the artwork or wander off) before you leave.
Location: Get a map and figure out — before you venture into the wilds of an exhibit — where the bathrooms are and where you can refuel over lunch or a snack.
Guiding Light: Ask at the front desk if there are special guides or audiotapes designed for children and families. A little advice as to what may appeal to young ones takes the pressure off you to explain cubism, gravity or the bloodthirstiness of the animal food chain in ten words or less.
Pick a Color: Upon entering a gallery, make up games like finding a certain animal in a picture, or looking for any artwork with the color red. Ask what your child thinks the story is behind his favorite painting, or what a subject might be feeling and why.
Changing Gear: Slough off coats and anything else you can live without at the coat check, and ask if the museum either rents or lends out umbrella strollers or backpacks.
Big is Beautiful: You may be looking forward to studying the minute detail of a particular painting, but your child is likely to be more interested in the big stuff. Allow time for her to take in the sheer grandeur and size of the entrance hall. If the atmosphere of the museum space itself or the sheer scale of, say, a mammoth blue whale or an Egyptian temple is what impresses her the first time, chances are she’ll want to come back.
Life Imitates Art: If your kid is interested in drawing, bring along a sketchpad and pencil (most museums have strict rules about pens and paint). Sit on a bench in front of a painting she likes and let her draw it. Make a big deal of the finished piece by hanging it up at home.
Happy Endings: Know when to call it a day. Even with frequent rests and visits to the cafeteria, most children can only take 45 to 90 minutes in a museum, depending on their age. What they will remember is how they felt when they left — and hopefully will look forward to the next visit.
Maybe it is hip to be square — and being a geek could be just the formula for happiness and success.
Marybeth Hicks, author of Bringing up Geeks: How to Protect Your Kid’s Childhood in a Grow-Up-Too-Fast World, says today’s geek isn’t a social misfit. She’s just a good, wholesome kid who’s not so caught up in pop culture that she lets it define who she is. Hicks, a mother of four, advises parents on how to raise a genuine, enthusiastic, empowered kid (GEEK):
Who’s the boss?: Strive for obedience that says, “I’m the parent and what I say goes,” and teaches respect for authority. So as you move through the years from “don’t throw dirt” to “have the car home by 11pm,” you’ll get compliance.
Brainiacs: Feed your child’s curiosity. Show excitement about the things in which she’s interested — dinosaurs, space, ancient Egyptian mummies. For parenting purposes, being a brainiac is about an enthusiasm for learning and not IQ or performance (although they’re all likely to converge at some point).
Media filter: Make sure that the media coming into your home reflects what you value. You can’t control everything they’re exposed to in the outside world, but your home is your castle.
Friends: Friendships are fluid and will change throughout your child’s life. Your child’s first BFF can easily morph from a sweet, affable angel to a midriff-baring A-list wannabe oozing attitude. The key is not to judge but simply acknowledge that you do things differently in your house.
B&W: Using the words good/bad and right/wrong is OK. Some activities — spitting in another child’s face or slapping a sibling — are bad behavior no matter what the context. Authentic self-esteem comes from knowing you are truly good and exhibit proper behavior.
Visit bringingupgeeks.com.
– L.B.
You dread the sugary snacks that September brings. But just because your kid is lunching at school doesn’t mean he can’t be safe. Below are some tips from Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home on how to pack a “green” lunch.
1. Most lunch boxes are made of vinyl and many contain lead. Look for a “lead free” label or use a reusable cloth sack, or a metal or recycled-metal lunchbox.
2. Pack sandwiches and snacks in recyclable wax paper bags. If you need a more rigid container, look for one made of PET (number one in the “chasing arrow” symbol on the bottom of the container), HDPE (number two), LDPE (number four) or PP (number five), which are all safer plastics — but never microwave them.
3. Plastic water bottles are made from PET degrade and leach potentially harmful chemicals into your child’s water when left in the hot sun. Try a reusable aluminum or stainless steel bottle instead.
4. Unless your school is incredibly progressive, the lunchtime milk they’re serving isn’t organic and contains rBGH, a hormone that boosts the cow’s milk production but has also been linked to breast and prostate cancer. Try packing an organic milk box instead; it’s pasteurized, so it won’t spoil.
5. Pack organic food and snacks. Pound per pound, kids consume four to five times more fruits, vegetables and milk than adults — one-half of a child’s exposure to pesticide occurs in his or her first 5 years.
