Let your kids time-travel back to a mystical land where things like Star Wars video games, “Battle of Endor” Lego sets, remastered DVDs, and constant SpikeTV marathons didn’t exist. Can you imagine the horror? Ah yes, the late 1970s, back when the only way to bring Star Wars home was through action figures and the “The Story of Star Wars” album (on vinyl and 8-track!)

Thanks to some vinyl historians, now the next generation of fans can hear “The Story of Star Wars” in all its glory. Clocking in around 50 minutes, the album features dialogue, music, and sound effects from the movie, as well as narration by the gravel-voiced actor Roscoe Lee Browne. It’s a vivid description of the Star Wars universe, so it’ll thrill devoted little Jedis, while still being a fun introduction for those kids just starting out on their journey.

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.

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.

Does this sound familiar? You’re trying to save money, but suddenly it’s 6pm, the kids are getting hungry, and no one’s even thought about what’s for dinner. So, the options are either braving Day Three of those reheated pasta leftovers, or trying to find a good, quick place to eat where they won’t roll their eyes at your, um, enthusiastic brood.

Luckily, Kids Eat For has come to the rescue. It’s a new site and mobile app (iPhone/Android) that finds all the restaurants near you that offer “kids eat free” deals. Plus, Kids Eat For includes reviews from Yelp for each restaurant, so you’ll know exactly what you’re in for. All major metropolitan areas are covered, and they even have exclusive deals – yes, that means you get to whisper secret passwords to get the deal.

But wait, you need more than just cheap food. Don’t forget about that seemingly super slo-mo time spent keeping the kids entertained until the food actually arrives. When crayons just won’t cut it, try Family Matters, an iPhone/Touch app that’s designed to spark imagination and conversation. Using a mix of games, challenges, and open-ended questions (“What would be another good name for this restaurant?”), Family Matters makes the time fly by. Need anymore incentive? For December, 50% of the proceeds go to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

There you have it: a recipe for a fun, cheap, and delicious dinner. And you won’t even have to do the dishes.

As an author, teacher, toy designer, and Emmy-winning science TV-show host, Steve Spangler was already well accomplished. Then one day, he dared to mix Mentos with Diet Coke, and created a phenomenon.

It turns out that there’s more to Steve than just making giant, fizzy geysers. On his site, he has directions for hundreds of fun science experiments, including creating dry ice, making glowing powder, and of course, the famous liquid geyser. Feeling adventurous? Whip up a bowl of “gak” – you probably know it as slime – and watch your kids squeal with delight.

You might ask yourself: hmm, all these free experiments, what’s in it for Steve? Well, he’s not just giving away all this stuff out of the kindness of his heart. Conveniently, there’s test tubes, science kits, bubble makers, and lots more for sale to keep your little science prodigy busy. Don’t worry though, when your kid becomes a famous scientist, they’ll take care of you. After all, a child always remembers who gave them their first beaker.

If you’re like most Dads, it’s been a while since you’ve been out to see live music. Sure, in your past kid-free life, you saw a million bands. But these days? It all seems so much harder. Tickets cost too much, you’ve got to pay the babysitter, and sitting through opening acts is a chore. Plus, by 11:00, it gets hard to fight off the yawns.

Now, thanks to NPR’s Live Concert archive, you can see what you’ve been missing. Their “All Songs Considered” podcast features great live performances by both upcoming artists as well as established veterans. Dig through their archives to find live sets from the likes of Sonic Youth, Bjork, Animal Collective, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Wilco, The White Stripes, Tom Waits, Radiohead, and tons more.

Sure, it’s not quite as fun as being there, but if you turn your speakers up loud enough, dim the lights, and spill a beer on yourself, it might just seem like the real thing.

Based on a very simple premise, Stomp Rockets are among the very few toys that are a hit with just about everyone. Any 3-year old can figure it out: put your rocket (actually a soft foam tube) on the air hose, stomp on the pad, and watch it blast off into the sky. Then, do it again for the next three hours. On those Saturday mornings when your kids need to burn off some energy, Stomp Rockets come in very handy.

The creators of Stomp Rockets, D&L Company, claim that they’ll go as high as 100 feet, but it takes far less to inspire total delight in your kids. Sure, you could even use the rockets to inspire a conversation about gravity and physics, but it’s more likely that you’ll find yourself seeing how high you can launch the rockets while screaming “awesome!”

A small warning though: if you take Stomp Rockets to the park, your child is going to have to be OK with taking turns (or else they’ll need to learn very quickly). Once you start using them in a public place, you’ll soon have a small swarm of kids around you, anxious to get stomping.