Gever Tulley knows how to make learning fun.

Five years ago, he founded Tinkering School, a camp where kids are encouraged to build all types of wild contraptions. Think, make, tinker reads the motto. Now, along with fellow Tinkerer and wife Julie Spiegler, he’s assembled Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do), a collection of projects and activities for junior thrillseekers.

Conceived as a collection of “‘dangerous’ things that are interesting, eye-opening, enlightening or just plain fun,” the book was rejected by at least 16 publishers, likely due to potential lawsuits. Why all the worry? With chapter titles like “Lick a 9-volt Battery,” “Break Glass,” “Make a Bomb in a Bag,” and even “Play With Fire,” it’s bound to make a few parents nervous.

Each of the 50 activities include a “how-to” guide, appropriate warnings, and some scientific factoids. There’s also a “Field Notes” section, where kids can write down their observations, and ideas on how to improve the project.

Despite all the controversy about the book, what’s overlooked is that it provides a great opportunity for families to spend quality time exploring the world together. And to blow stuff up.

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.

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.

Are you one of those dads who laughs whenever you see a limited-edition $800 bamboo play fort, because you know an empty box would be a lot more fun? Then head over to ParentHacks.com, a site with “parenting tips from the real experts: actual parents.”

Started in 2005, Parent Hacks is packed with tips and tricks designed to save parents’ time, energy, and money. Divided into categories like attitude, fun, and sleep, even the most non-DIY dads will be inspired to try out these clever ideas. There’s “hacks” for getting your kids to eat better, use the potty, take medicine, and just about every other issue that’ll come your way.

Some of the very best hacks let you transform the stuff you’ve already got into fun and inventive games. Two wet to go outside? Turn your recycling into an indoor bowling alley! Have some old forgotten plants? They’d make perfect spooky Halloween decorations. Activities like this are a great way to spark your child’s imagination, while also introducing them to the idea of a re-using objects.

In fact, there’s enough veteran parenting solutions here that you might just want to keep Parent Hacks as your own little secret. Then, while your partner is staring at you in awe and disbelief as you save the day, just smile and chalk it up to your natural Dad instincts.

It’s never too early to get kids to appreciate good design, so why not start them off with their very first alphabet book. Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types is a wildly original take on the old “G is for Giraffe” stand-by. Illustrated and designed by Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss (of design firm Werner Design Works), the 56-page book is a charming collection of animals made entirely out of letters.

Chronicle Books’ website has more details:

“From an alligator made of aaa’s to a zebra made of zzz’s, the alphabeasties in this book are ingeniously built out of multiple typefaces. Adults and children will be engaged and delighted with the flaps, which lift to reveal “beasties” for each letter of the alphabet.”

The only problem is that it’s not always easy to spot the Alphabeasties out in the wild. Since its introduction a few months ago, the book quickly sold out of its first printing. More are coming soon, but serious book collectors might want to pick up two copies: one for your little reader, and another for the coffee table.

Two years ago, Po Bronson made a big splash with his article “How Not to Talk to Your Kids” in New York magazine. In one of those everything-you-know-is-wrong moments, Bronson argues (with the research to back it up) that parents’ never-ending praise — “Great job, Timmy!” — is actually hurtful for a number of reasons. For one, kids don’t learn to take pride in their own accomplishments, because Mommy and Daddy are always there to tell them what a terrific job they’re doing. Even worse, kids become less likely to try out new things since they’ve become afraid of even the slightest appearance of failure.

Now, Bronson has teamed with fellow author/parent Ashely Merryman to write Nurtureshock: New Thinking About Children,” and it’s filled with plenty more eye-opening revelations. Bronson and Merryman examine topics like why kids lie, sibling rivalry, the myth of racially diverse schools, and even the dramatic difference that an extra hour of sleep can make.

Nurtureshock uses a similar style as Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point, Blink), sharing stories alongside research to make its’ points, but always keeping the tone light and readable. Don’t worry though, you’ll learn a lot without ever feeling like you’re back in school. Even The Onion calls it “the least touchy-feely parenting book ever.”

And hey, since you’ll be a more informed parent, maybe your kids won’t ever write a tell-all book about you.