We have a 12 hour car trip to the beach coming up soon and my husband and I are always looking out for some new DVDs to add to our rotation.

“Summertime Fun” consists of five episodes of your child’s favorite characters. The episodes of Barney and Thomas the Tank are new to DVD and there also appearances by Angelina Ballerina, Fireman Sam , and Bob the Builder. Each featurette is less than 20 minutes and that really kept my kids’ attention. The shorter length helped stave off boredom. Read the rest »

It’s easy to pop in a DVD when you need to get dinner made or fold another load of clothes without “help” from your toddler. And if you’re like me, you’ve noticed it’s rare that you will find a DVD that doesn’t just require your child to sit on the couch.

Tot-a-doodle-do has created entire kits that include education DVDs and a fun hands-on activity for your kids. We got the Animal set which included the 30 minute DVD and a craft kit with everything we needed to make animal masks. Read the rest »

The arrival of a newborn, especially if it’s the first born, brings a flurry of child proofing. The problem is that the initial bout of safety consciousness can give way as your child or children grow up. And that of course is a problem since safety hazards tend to increase with a child’s age. The other issue is that nobody likes a lecture that is nothing more than a list of “no, don’t, you can’t, and never.” Stressing the importance of safety is like talking about saving for retirement. It’s necessary, but not very much fun. Not nearly as much fun as skateboarding down a flight of stairs without a helmet or spending money today. Read the rest »

My four-year-old daughter is a ballet school dropout. After just one eight week course at our local community center she decided the life of a ballerina was not for her. Despite not wanting to pursue ballet as a hobby she continues to be fascinated by the art form.

There aren’t many DVDs out there about ballet that are made for young children. I recently came across Prima Princessa. It’s a 40 minute DVD that combines a performance of Swan Lake by the Paris Opera Ballet with ballet instruction from students at the School of American Ballet. Read the rest »

Thomas and his friends have been around the tracks a few times, but their new DVD doesn’t disappoint! Engines and Escapades is the latest adventures of the loveable Thomas and his pals as they travel around the Island of Sodor.

The DVD also introduces us to the little truck Madge. My girls were laughing at her antics as she tried to help the trains get clean for the country fair, only to end up covered in mud herself. She appears in several of the episodes on this new DVD. Read the rest »

When it comes to entertaining and educational DVDs for your kids there are thousands of choices. Braincandy, pardon the pun, is the brainchild of two Seattle parents. They’ve created a series of five DVDs that help your child explore their senses. With the help of “Bruce the Brain” your child gets to hear, smell, see, taste, and touch their world.

The brightly colored (and eco-friendly) packages had my kids attention from the minute they landed on the kitchen table. My two year old was hopping up and down saying “Movie!, Movie!” I swear she doesn’t see as much TV as her reaction may imply. Read the rest »

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with West Music Company, today announced a voluntary recall of about 5,500 Transparent Toy Egg Shakers. Small beads within the egg shakers can spill out of the end cap, posing choking and aspiration risks to young children. To date, one report of the end cap of the shaker detaching has been reported. Read the rest »