A Little Light Reading (Very Light, In Fact...)

August 03, 2009

Forget the "-damental" part: reading is just fun! When did we make this distinction where reading is schoolwork, stories are for bedtime, and books are best for those who can be quiet and still? Sure, it's hard to befriend a character when you can't hear his story over the din, but reading isn't just for quiet, calming, cuddly times. A good

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Serious Silliness: The Poetry of Shel Silverstein

August 04, 2009

As we busy ourselves being responsible parents day in and day out, attending to all of our children's manifold requirements, we may sometimes forget one of their very most basic, irrepressible needs: the need for silliness. And after a day spent keeping them fed, clothed, bathed, schooled, socialized and exercised, many of us are just too tired

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Silly Poems to Love

August 05, 2009

Kids can’t do without silliness. They need it and crave it and will find it wherever they can: in crazy jokes, hokey dancing, strange pictures, and wild behavior of every kind. So let’s be sure they find it on their bookshelves as well! Silly poems can show preschoolers the delight of manipulating language with rhyme and rhythm, not to

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Read Our Sillies Out! Our Favorite Funny Books

August 06, 2009

Isn't hearing your children laugh the most exquisite sound? There is no polite hand covering mouth to hide the face that is contorted by laughter. It is so genuine and pure. I love it. Now that my kids are getting older, it is amazing to see them understand humor that is more cerebral. Even though a good tickle can still get them to go to pieces,

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The Best Cartoons, According to Moms and Kids

August 07, 2009

Today I have a house full of kids. There are two four-year-old girls downstairs on a break from the big girls, who are upstairs. I've let the little girls downstairs turn on Zoboomafoo , their pick over Phineas and Ferb , SpongeBob and Toot & Puddle . As a mom, I prefer Sprout and Noggin because I feel they have better quality programming and

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