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.

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.

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.

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.

Take a stroll through the “Parenting” section of any bookstore, and you’ll find countless books all promising to cure your little picky eater. Some offer monthly menu planning, while others show you ways to sneak veggies into your kid’s diet. Well, it turns out that the solution may be easier: just like James Brown said, you’ve got to make it funky.

Funky Lunch showcases the creations of Mark Northeast, a dad in the UK, who started making his wild sandwiches as a way to inspire his kids to eat new foods. Along the way, the meals grew into mini-masterpieces. “Funky Lunch was born out of the desire to turn an ordinary lunchtime sandwich into something a bit different to encourage children to eat a varied and healthy lunch,” Northeast writes on the site.

With a gallery full of edible creations, Funky Lunch features sandwiches designed to look like cartoon characters (Spongebob, Winnie the Pooh, Hello Kitty), animals (a giraffe, an alligator, a pig) and even otherwordly creatures (a dragon, the Loch Ness Monster).

Sure, most of us won’t ever make any of these sandwiches, but the real lesson is that when your normal Dad tricks aren’t working, try getting a little funky.

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.

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.