My husband and I read to our two daughters on a daily basis. We love sitting down with a big pile of books and sharing the stories. But in our increasingly busy lives the art of actual storytelling seems to be slipping away.

PlainTails recently launched several CD collections that focus on classic storytelling. PlainTails First Tales is geared towards toddlers and preschoolers. “The Gingerbread Boy and Other First Tales” had my daughters’ attention from the minute I put it in our car CD player. Read the rest »

Why Mommy? If you’ve ever answered the questions of a persistent pre-schooler you know how hard it is to explain the details of every day events they come into contact with. A new DVD series can help us out.

How’d They Build That? launched in November and their first two titles can help satisfy that curious little monkey that lives at your house. My kids love to drive by the fire station in our community. They love seeing the trucks lined up in a row as the firefighters wash them and prepare them for their next mission. But how exactly is a firetruck made? Read the rest »

September brings a brand-new full-length feature DVD starring Thomas and his Friends. “The Great Discovery” features all your child’s favorite characters and introduces them to a new engine named Stanley. The movie’s action centers around the celebration of Sodor Day on the Island of Sodor. It includes 5 new songs that appear in the movie as a sing-a-long with the words posted at the bottom of the screen. My daughters hopped off the couch and danced around each time a song came on.

The movie is narrated by a voice most parents will recognize, Pierce Brosnan. He adds a new element to the movies we’ve all had to watch over and over. You can also see Brosnan in a behind-the-scenes featurette that is included on the DVD. The other special features include a music video called “Thomas You’re the Leader.”

This hour long DVD is a must-have for all Thomas fans. The new story keeps with the tradition of the movies that have come before and doesn’t disappoint. It was a great DVD to watch as a family and the adventures of Thomas and his friends kept us all wondering what would happen next. I liked that it was a full-length story, rather than a collection of shorter stories. Thomas discovers an old abandoned city and Sir Topham Hat decides the city will be restored in honor of Sodor Day. The journey to get Great Waterton ready in time drives the plot and teaches valuable lessons along the way.

All aboard for this new Thomas DVD!!

Hard to believe we are already seeing candy corn and costumes popping up in our favorite stores. Like it or not, Halloween is just around the corner and there’s a new DVD to get your little ghosts and goblins ready for the big night.

The Halloween Spooktacular is another compilation DVD from HIT Entertainment. It includes five episodes from characters like Barney, Thomas the Tank, and Angelina Ballerina. Each one of the animated shorts has a Halloween theme and some, like Fireman Sam, teach valuable lessons your child needs to know. Read the rest »

I’ve heard my fair share of kids’ CDs since my daughters were born. Some are awesome and some make me want to toss them out the window of our minivan as we drive down the highway.

I recently came across some CDs that parents and kids can enjoy together. Universal Music just released a “Family Collection” of six discs. We have been rocking out to Motown for Kids as well as Songs for the Car. Read the rest »

It’s funny to me how something that was so popular twenty something years ago can get my daughter excited in 2008. I guess what goes around really does come back around. On August 12, Strawberry Shortcake is dancing and singing her way on stage in a new release called “Rockaberry Roll.” Read the rest »

Now you have no excuse for not taking your family to the Knoxville Museum of Art. From now until the end of 2008 the museum will not charge any admission fees. There are multiple exhibits that can help you bring art to your kids.

Currently there is an exhibit about the quilts of Gee’s Bend. They are beautiful tributes to the women who created these masterpeices with a needle and thread. To learn more about upcoming exhibits you can check out the museum’s website.

Just make sure you take advantage of the no admission fee offer. In a time when most of our budgets are feeling crunched this is a great activity to take part in. Combine it with a trip to the Fort Kid playground across from the museum and your family can make a day of it!