Education
Know it All
Learning has no limits with study.com ($49.99/month, www.study.com, for the entire family), an online education program with a vast library of videos from elementary math and language courses to college and professional development courses. Videos are engaging and effective with...
Fun and Educational
My daughter loves to play ABC Mouse all the time! The Pre-School and Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Center is both educational and fun. I love how it is easy to navigate so I don’t have to sit right next to her the whole...
From Checkup to Kindergarten
Let’s face it: visiting the doctor’s office can often times be nerve-wracking, even for adults! With Dr. Chrystal de Freitas’ book, “Jake’s Kindergarten Checkup”, readers get an idea of what to expect at their upcoming checkup and see that checkups...
From Checkup to Kindergarten
Let’s face it: visiting the doctor’s office can often times be nerve-wracking, even for adults! With Dr. Chrystal de Freitas’ book, “Jake’s Kindergarten Checkup”, readers get an idea of what to expect at their upcoming checkup and see that checkups...
Chalk It Up
Don’t you love the clean, bright look of restaurant menus penned in colored chalk on white boards or blackboards? Now you can get that same look with Chalk Ink Markers (Prices vary, www.chalkink.com, for the entire family), a must-have craft...
Safe Watch
Kidoodle.TV (www.kidoodle.tv, $4.99/month) is a subscription-based, on-demand video streaming site that provides a safe viewing environment for children while featuring all their favorites. Parents have full control over content and viewing time for up to five household users. Visit www.kidoodle.tv/NAPPA...
Practice Makes Perfect
Practicing won’t be a chore with Piano Maestro (www.joytunes.com, Free to $59.99 for premium access, all ages and levels), an app for a Smartphone or tablet controlled by a piano or keyboard – sans wires. As piano students play through...
Magnetic Attraction
You don’t have to be a science geek to embrace the magic of magnets. Electricity & Magnetism by Thames & Kosmos (www.thamesandkosmos.com, $59.95, Ages 8+) breaks down and explains the magic in eye-opening 60 experiments. Kids can build circuits; contraptions and switches...
Star in a Story
StoryBots’ new Starring You Book app (free single download, $4.99/month all-access pass) features “The Great Engineer” as one of its 39 animated iPad storybooks that encourage imaginative play. www.storybots.com
When Life Gives You Lemons
The Lemonade Stand Start Up Kit from Bizainy (www.bizainy.com, $29.99, Ages 5 and up, supervision required) will get kids off their screens and outside to enjoy the fruits of running their own business. Created by mother of two and former...
Hooray for Science!
Cultivate an excitement for science at an early age with Appleseed Lane (as low as $19.95 per month, Ages 4 to 8), a subscription box company that delivers four easy to follow STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) themed projects to your doorstep...
Magnetic Attraction
You don't have to be a science geek to embrace the magic of magnets. Electricity & Magnetism by Thames & Kosmos ($59.95, Ages 8+) breaks down and explains the magic in eye-opening 60 experiments. Kids can build circuits, contraptions and switches to...
Mix it Up!
Science buffs will get a "charge" out of CHEM C1000 ($64.95, Ages 10+), a professional grade beginning chemistry set by Thames & Kosmos. A detailed experiment manual provides an introduction to chemistry, safety instructions and walks you through all 125 experiments. Precautions...
Game On!
Determine your child's next grade readiness with Are You Ready? Game Show by Lakeshore Learning Materials ($29.99, Ages Preschool through 5th grade). Emulating an exciting game show, your student is the contestant and answers math and language questions in six fun...
Crafty Dad
Made By Dad: 67 Blueprints for Making Cool Stuff by Workman Publishing Co.(For the entire family, $18.95) combines the rough-edged, handmade ethos of a Boy Scout manual, a sly sense of humor, and a bottomless pit of imagination to deliver a unique...
Lessons Learned
All About Bullies ... Big and Small by Various Artists ($15, Ages 6 to 8) is a terrific and timely collection of songs and short spoken-word pieces dealing with bullying as well as related topics like acceptance of difference, individuality, and...
Heaven Sent
For her first children’s album, Chapman (who is a star Nashville singer/songwriter) turned her musical attentions to the sky to create this heavenly album, The Mighty Sky ($14.98, For all ages) that is all about astronomy. She makes the science come alive...
Musical Numbers
Hap Palmer's Count, Add, Subtract! Fun with Math, Music and Movement ($14.95, Preschool to Early Elementary) adds up to one of the best albums made about math. The veteran children’s musician performs the masterfully task of taking basic concepts and turning...
Use Your Noggin
More than a rattle, NogginStik Developmental Rattle ($21.99, Ages birth to 18-months) is a developmental milestone-maker that taps into the abilities of babies from birth by introducing eye tracking through an innovative 3-color changing light. Tap the rattle and NogginStik’s friendly...
Bead It
Busy Beads Maze - Mermaid Adventure ($82.95, Ages 10 months+) is made on a beautifully-designed curved bentwood table, the bright bead mazes and playful sea creatures (or planes and automobiles) encourage tots to dive into development. Looping tracks go up and...
Go Girl!
Developed by a female mechanical engineer from Stanford, GoldieBlox ($29.99, 6+ years) was created to help girls develop spatial and problem solving skills and self-esteem, while boosting an interest in engineering, a field dominated by men. Using wheels, axels, washers and blocks,...
Putting the “Fun” in Fungi
The Young Scientist Series ($24.99, Ages 9 - 12)offers a variety of projects for older scientists. Each “set” contains three complete kits to be completed sequentially or individually. In Set 4, children actually grow bacteria and fungi and learn how...
Map Quest
Geography is a blast with the Kids Dry Erase Map ($20.99) by WallPops. Available in U.S. and World versions, this reusable and removable decal is easy to apply to walls. Write on the map as you explore, then wipe clean. Dry-erase marker is...
Learn Something New
Kids can play their way to Spanish, French, German, or Portuguese language skills with Quick Tap ($1.99, Ages 5 to 11), a high-speed app where players race to match foreign words to their English counterparts. Teaches more than 100 words for numbers,...
Custom Fun
“The Little Boy Who Lost His Name/The Little Girl Who Lost Her Name” ($28, For ages 2-7), is a charming and delightful story written by BBC comedy writer David Cadji-Newby and illustrated by Portuguese graphic designer Pedro Serapicos. The book takes the...
Geek Out
From the editor of Wired.com’s popular GeekDad blog, which receives over one million page views per month, comes the follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Geek Dad The Geek Dad’s Guide to Weekend Fun: Cool Hacks, Cutting-Edge Games, and More...
Learn Something New
Kids can play their way to Spanish, French, German, or Portuguese language skills with Quick Tap ($1.99, Ages 5 to 11), a high-speed app where players race to match foreign words to their English counterparts. Teaches more than 100 words...
Grow Your Own
Square Foot Gardening With Kids ($24.99) teaches the importance of sustainable living while helping kids build and grow their own gardens. Clever and fun, it offers a green pastime adults and kids can enjoy together.
A Bird’s-Eye View
Enjoy a unique peek into the life of birds with My Spy Birdhouse ($14.99), which attaches to your window so you can observe from indoors. The one-way mirror lets you see the birds, but hides you from view!