When do you have the best bonding experiences with your kids? For many, it’s the quiet times just before bed or a lazy Sunday afternoon where you and your kids can get lost in a story together.

Now, what if you never got those moments? For parents who travel frequently or relatives who live far away, it can be tough to build that special bond. That problem led one dad to create Readeo, a new site that offers a shared reading experience called BookChat. The service lets friends and family read stories together no matter how far apart they are.

Once you become a Readeo member, you get access to their library of quality books (along with their video chat system) that lets you share storytime anywhere in the world. They’ve launched with about 30 titles in their library, with more being added every day.

But please, be responsible: use Readeo when you truly need to be away; reading bedtime stories from a bar isn’t a good look.

For years, kids have delighted at the work of Mo Willems. The prolific author/illustrator, best known for Knuffle Bunny, The Pigeon (Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!) and Elephant and Piggie (There is a Bird on Your Head), has a knack for diving into kids’ minds. He’s talked about how his books are filled with the same pure emotion that kids constantly feel: joy, anger, and jealousy.

His new series is Cat the Cat, and it’s a kinder, gentler Mo Willems. The two new books (Cat the Cat, Who is That? and Let’s Say Hi to Friends Who Fly!) are clearly aimed towards the younger set.

As always, the art is great to look at, and it makes a nice introduction to the Willems universe for 2-4 year olds. Enjoy it while it lasts. Before you know it, they’ll be ready for the really funny stuff.

What if kids could design their own stuffed animals? They’d probably look a lot like Aminals, a new line of soft toys that gets its design inspiration from kids’ drawings.

Of course, toys this cute need to come with cute names too. Choose from the “Liun,” “Wayul,” “Smal Bayr,” and even “Momey” and “Dady.”

Plus, you can feel good about letting your kids snuggle with their new best friend, since they’re made entirely from certified organic materials and vegetable dyes.

Two years ago in New York City, Lenore Skenazy handed her 9-year old son a subway pass, twenty bucks, and said good-bye, leaving him to take the subway back home. Is this the heartbreaking story of a child’s abduction? Nope. Her son was fine—in fact he loved it. But when Skenazy wrote about the experience, angry parents wanted to see her locked up for child abuse, and she was dubbed “America’s Worst Mom” by the media.

Cut to 2010, and Skenazy has become the “Generalissimo” of the Free-Range Kids movement, which she calls “a common sense approach to parenting in these overprotective times.” We recently spoke with the always funny and outspoken Skenazy.

The Dad List: You talk a lot about parents needing to give kids time and space to explore.

Lenore Skenazy: In our desire to help our kids, we’re outsourcing their childhood to ourselves. “Let me help you with this, let me fix that.” And who’s the one that’s just sitting there like a blob? It’s your kid. One mom wrote me a fantastic note that summed it up: “self-confidence is not parent-assisted confidence.”

TDL: So, when did this transition happen where parents started to find the danger in everything?

LS: I would say it’s been in the past 15 to 20 years. A big factor is that there’s more media, and when the media is competing, they have to get you to pay attention. The story that keeps people glued is an abduction. “Entertainment” shows have picked up on that too, so the same stories that you see on CNN, you’ll see with a ghastly twist on “CSI” or “Law & Order” or all the other ones. They find the most compelling story they can—kidnapping—and they bring it to us day after day.

TDL: What are some first steps for raising a free-range kid?

LS: You want to always look for ways to increase kids’ independence. When they show you that they’re capable of crossing the street safely, and know to never go off with a stranger, then I certainly think a 6 or 7-year old can walk down the block and knock on a friend’s door without it being an international incident.

For older kids, try unplugging for a day so they can’t call you and tell you exactly where they are. Once, I got a call from my son asking if he could have another piece of banana bread, and I thought, “you’re 10!” In another era, he’d be a silversmith apprentice, and here he is asking if he could have another slice of homemade, healthy banana bread because he’s hungry.

I thought (laughing), this is a terrible moment for both of us, because somehow I’ve trained him that he needs to ask, and somehow, he’s listened to me! So, one way to help your kids grow up is to just not take your cell phone with you, since they’ll never leave theirs at home!

Lenore Skenazy is the author of Free-Range Kids, and speaks regularly around the country.

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.

Created by New York gallery owner Jen Bekman, 20×200’s stated mission is to make art available for everyone. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, they announce a new “edition” on their site, featuring works by both well-known and up-and-coming artists.

For a mere $20, you can pick up one of their 8″ x 10″ prints. The catch is that there’s only 200 of each for sale (hence the site’s name), so once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. Too small for you? Bigger sizes are available—11″ x 14″ and 16″ x 20″—for bigger prices. Art featured at 20×200 covers a wide range of styles, from travel photography to quirky sketches.

Similarly, Thumbtack Press has affordable prints by dozens of artists and illustrators, who tend to lean towards the comical and whimsical side of things. If the idea of picking out art is overwhelming, Thumbtack conveniently offers a few curated collections (“Kids’ Prints,” “Tony’s Favorites”) to get you started.

So come on, give your kids something new to look at. And no, your old concert posters don’t count.

“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.

The next day though, you’re at the store and you spot a tiny miracle: Batter Blaster. What’s this? A pancake and waffle mix in a can. Hilarious! Just like Cheez Whiz, right? But then you look a little closer and see that Batter Blaster uses organic ingredients, cage-free eggs, and the entire package is recyclable. Suddenly, these are sounding better than your Aunt What’s-Her-Name mix.

Of course, the big question is how are they? With a light and fluffy feel, they’re pleasantly good. Granted they’re not the best pancakes in the world, but making them is undeniably fun for everyone—kids love to get in on the action and help out. They can use the spray nozzle to make the most artistic pancakes around; crazy shapes and letters are no problem. And afterwards? Even easier. There’s no powdery mix to wipe up, and no measuring cups and mixing bowls to clean and put away.

Sorry, looks like you’re out of excuses. Every day is pancake day now.

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.

Created by the design firm The Chopping Block, Chop Shop has become known for their “Collection” designs such as weScare, which features 58 different creatures in silhouette form. Look closely and you’ll find such famous beasts as The Grinch, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Edward Scissorhands, The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, and a few Gremlins. Other “Collection” shirts include weBite (vampires), undeadWe (zombies, ghosts, and spirits), weRobot (androids), weGo (cars), and videoRock (80s musical icons—the scariest of all!)

While you’re looking at all the goods, don’t forget that nearly all the designs are also available in kids sizes. In fact, if you like the idea of you and your little one wearing matching shirts, Chop Shop offers a father-son combo shirt package: the Robot Tin. Then again, if the Mini-Me look isn’t for you, use it as an opportunity to teach the days of the week: “Today is Friday, so it’s Daddy’s day to wear the robot shirt.” See? They’re stylish and educational.

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 who’ve archived a vast amount of out-of-print records from the 1950s, 60s and 70s and made them available as free mp3s.

With hundreds of titles to choose from, there’s stories for all types: classics like “Snow White,” “The Wizard of Oz,” and “Alice in Wonderland” are covered, alongside Disney faves like “The Jungle Book” and “Bambi.” If your little ones want something a little more modern, there’s plenty of Star Wars and Superman stories too. With most stories clocking in around 15 minutes, even young ones will be able to make it to the end.

In case you’re worried that listening to stories is just a lazy form of reading, it turns out that audio books actually have a lot of benefits. They’ve been proven to help children develop their imagination, improve their concentration, and increase their vocabulary. Plus, the narrators are professional actors. They do a great job every time; you won’t hear them get tired of reading a book for the 100th time.

And sure, it can be tough to invite someone new into your routine, but your kids will still want you to read to them… just not all the time.

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 thoroughly screened and psychologically profiled.

Oh, but it didn’t used to be this way.

No, back in the 1970s and 80s, any drifter walking in off the street was allowed to wear the red suit. It was often a job for down-on-their-luck guys looking to pick up a few extra bucks around the holidays. And if you didn’t really look like Jolly St. Nick, they would just give you a mask. Seriously.

Luckily, these Santas of a bygone era have been lovingly documented at Sketchy Santas, where you can view a hilarious collection of drifters, vagabonds, and drunken parolees all doing their time as Kris Kringle. Never before have you seen such a unique blend of miserable men and terrified children. As you scroll through the gallery, invent a new game: Who’s the drunkest Santa? Find the most threatening one! Which one forgot he’s wearing a Santa costume?

This year, when you find yourself stuck in a long line waiting for Santa, be thankful that you’re getting a better photo than our parents ever got.

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 background of various skits. Granted, they lack the glamour of the celeb-Muppets; Whatnots are truly the working man’s Muppets.

While Animal and Gonzo were up to who-knows-what in their fancy trailers, Whatnots were getting chased by Muppet chickens and pelted by Muppet eggs, just to earn a few seconds of screen time. They weren’t in it for the fame, they only wanted to make you laugh. Now is your chance to pay them back, by bringing one home.

The Muppet Whatnot Workshop site lets you create your own custom Whatnot, with a wide selection of body types, eyes, noses, hair styles, and clothing options to choose from. Of course, you can preview your creation, and keep changing it until you get it just right. Then, just a few days later, you’ll have your very own Whatnot. But please, treat them with the respect and dignity that these entertainment veterans deserve.