• January 27th, 2010

    Life In Living Color

    Two great websites let anyone become an expert art collector

    It used to be that the art world was just for those with private jets and Swiss bank accounts. Luckily, thanks to the magical powers of the internet, it’s easy to get a crash course in art collecting.

    But wait, why art? Well, besides being nicer to look at than peeling wallpaper, it produces all sorts of benefits: art boosts kids’ imagination, improves their sense of craftsmanship, and even helps with problem-solving. And one of the easiest ways to inspire an early love of art in your kids is by surrounding them with colorful and vivid imagery.

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  • January 21st, 2010

    See The Dark Side of Curious George

    Noted German director explores the depth of the human soul

    For the past 70 years, millions of kids have adored H.A. & Margaret Rey’s Curious George books. In these stories, we’ve come to know George as a clever little monkey who has the best of intentions, yet somehow manages to always create a mini-disaster. Read more

  • January 19th, 2010

    Snack-in-the-Box

    Eco-friendly company changes the face of lunchtime

    It took a while, but someone finally reinvented the lunchbox.

    Yes, while we’ve been mindlessly putting every meal into a series of little plastic bags, a few smart folks in Seattle were busy figuring out how to Read more

  • January 14th, 2010

    The Breakfast Club Blasts Off!

    Fun food idea makes it easy to have pancakes anytime

    “Dad! Make us pancakes!!!!”

    If your morning has ever started with a tiny person demanding pancakes, then you’ve probably gone through this debate in your head: Hmm, pancakes would be good, but aren’t the eggs a little old? Plus, the kids’ll just gobble them all up in five minutes while I spend the next 20 minutes doing dishes. “Nope, sorry, not today. Let’s have cereal!” you say to your disappointed audience.

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  • January 11th, 2010

    Monsters For Your Closet

    Indie shirtmaker creates collections of heroes and villains for kids big and small

    If you’re in the mood for cute, happy t-shirts, the folks at Threadless have plenty to keep you satisfied. Want something a little darker? Get yourself to Chop Shop. Read more

  • January 5th, 2010

    The Return of Saturday Morning Fever

    Recreate those cartoon-filled weekend mornings anytime

    A long time ago, in a land before TiVo, cable and educational programming, there was a glorious thing known as Saturday morning cartoons. In the span of a few hours, legions of kids were treated to favorites like Fat Albert, Road Runner, and Scooby-Doo. They were all quality cartoons, but for many young boys, the highlight was undoubtedly Super Friends. Read more

  • December 24th, 2009

    Let Someone Else Read to Your Kids

    Vintage recordings encourage imagination, while you save your voice

    Do you have fond memories of sitting next to your orange Fisher-Price record player, listening to story albums like “The Rescuers” or “The Story of Star Wars” over and over? Now kids can relive the experience, thanks to a few children’s storybook collectors Read more

  • December 15th, 2009

    Attack of the Japanese Paper Robots

    These crafty creatures will delight both kids and parents

    How many times have you bought something for one of your kids because, secretly, it was you that really wanted it? Well, get ready to do it again.

    While vinyl collectible toys (from the likes of Kid Robot) have been popular for a while, PIPEROIDs are the only Japanese robots made Read more

  • December 10th, 2009

    Why is Santa’s Nose So Red?

    Awesomely strange photos show shopping mall Santas of another era

    Nowadays, when taking the kids to see Santa, there’s a level of quality you’ve come to expect. The Santas all have real white beards, sport fresh-pressed red velvet outfits, and sit in front of perfectly decorated trees that put Martha Stewart to shame. Sit the kids on the jolly man’s lap? Of course! Santa has surely been Read more

  • December 8th, 2009

    Make Your Own Muppet

    Whatnot Workshop lets you channel your inner Jim Henson

    Sure, everybody knows about Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, and the rest of The Muppet Show’s big-name stars, but let’s salute the unsung heroes of the show: the Whatnots. These hard-working Muppets were the wacky-looking extras that appeared in the Read more