Each set of four finger puppets comes in a box that easily converts to a puppet theatre, and includes a playbill with biographical information about each character, and suggestions for how to get the most from your finger puppet set.

$22 bucks via New York Public Library Gift Shop

$30 bucks [+ shipping] via Charlie & Marie

Premiering on October 16th, is a Spike Jonze adaptation of Sendack’s famed story, starring Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener and Max Records. Jonze, director of Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and many memorable Beastie Boys music videos, this film should be an interesting ride.

Evidently there are a lot of lessons to be learned from this classic. Whether you are willing to admit it or not, as a parent you are your kid’s first teacher, so pull up a chair and create a custom ‘Wild Thing’ word puzzle and show him or her how it’s done.

Lesson Plan’s Page – Math & Social Studies Lesson for Kindergarten

Easy Fun School – Literature Unit for Pre-k

The Teacher’s Corner – Where the Wild Things Are custom crossword puzzles

A Guide for Using Where the Wild Things Are in the Classroom

Other Related Links and Articles:
Where the Wild Things Are [Amazon]
Where the Wild Things Are [Google Books]
Where the Wild Things Are [movie]

This game has been around since ’05 but with over 1.5 million plays it still has plenty of sticking power. This clever, cheeky romp will test you and your kid’s puzzle solving abilities as you try and keep up with the attacking Monster Vikings as they try to take over the streets and rooftops of London.

Give it a try.

Via T-Viral.Com

Perhaps it’s a rainy day or a snowy one, or maybe the kids have finished all their homework and they’ve built every puzzle in the house or they’re just driving you a little crazy and the usual tricks aren’t working. Enter Kongregate, a website with over eleven thousand free games to play.

I understand there’s a time and place for mindless drivel and let it be said, I am a huge proponent of limited screen time for kids and parents alike, be it television, game console or computer screen time. Whenever I try to talk about the redeeming qualities of video games and the likes of, it’s as if I am trying to argue the nutritional value of Twinkies.

Depending on the genre and the game, there is some value in some of them. Personally, I am drawn to builders, multi-players, strategy games and puzzle solvers. One could argue that these have a fair number of redeeming values assuming they are well designed and executed, sure some may think I am stretching here but I concur, it beats watching re-runs.

Many feel like “sketches” of games with placeholder art, stick figures and all, while others have a very impressive professional ‘gloss to them. But when you get down to game play many of them are quite fun, dare I say (a tad) addictive. With titles like Shopping Cart Hero, Fantastic Contraption, and Monsters’ Den there is plenty to explore. Set the egg timer (otherwise, you’ll lose track of time) and have a blast.

For food, we tapped a couple of our favorite local haunts hear in West LA, Dos Hermanos catering and Paddy Mac. Dos Hermanos has been around for 20+ years and like the name suggests, is a couple brothers originally from the Jalisco region of Mexico who have been serving up distinctly regional fare out of their small yet immaculate kitchen. There menu is short but these incredibly fresh dishes are memorable with favorites like savory chicken or cheese enchiladas, hearty Birria de la Jalisco and an almost cassoulette-style fajita. You cannot beat their price at $4.50 a person, you get an entree with rice and beans, salad (with dressing), and chips & salsa.

One of the few things our son can eat seemingly endless amounts of is macaroni & cheese. Always kid-friendly and parent-approved, we decided to order some of the famed Mac and Cheese from Paddy Mac. They have a diverse menu (all Mac & Cheese) including the standard, The Ship, with five kinds of cheese (pictured above) – you know the kids won’t go hungry. Our personal favorite is the Super Mac which slips in puree of cauliflower and carrot for a super vitamin boost, which goes virtually undetected amidst all that cheesey goodness. Other items on their menu seem to cater to a more mature palette like their Gourmet Mac (braised leeks, mushrooms and a touch of Gruyere) and the Old MACdonald’s Farm (bacon, broccoli and pockets of goat cheese & feta), regardless all recipes are perfectly balanced, thus always reminding you that what you have on you plate is some fresh and fancy Mac and Cheese.

My wife was in charge of fun and games, and considering we were hosting a party full of 2-4 year olds, she kept all the games non-competitive. Here is the break-down of the activities;

• She had the kids make a big circle and grab the ends of the Play Parachute while singing “Ring Around the Rosey” and other songs.
• When that started to get a bit tired, I (tried) to up the ante, by coming out with dozens of balloons that I had previously blown up and tossed them on top of the outstretched parachute. Unfortunately, we all quickly discovered one half of the kids wanted to pop the balloons while the other half was scared crazy of the popping noise. Note to self; strike the balloon surprise from next toddler bash.
• Musical Chairs with an equal number of chairs (nobody gets bumped out of the game), to reduce mid-party melt-downs.
• Simon Says – you really can’t go wrong with this one.
• Duck, Duck, Goose – fun for days.
• We have learned that setting up a “Chill-out” Zone for the kids is great to have. We set up our little beach tent in the corner of the backyard, so kids could slip in there, lie down and catch their breath.
• We set-up a kids table filled with Play-Dough and cutters, rollers and stamps for those who wanted to relax with one of their favorite quiet activities.

While all of this was going on, I was able to clear the food and set up the cake and coffee. The light was quickly fading, which works out well with the theme of the party. As our sleepy guests filtered out my wife gave each of them a clear gift bag of her homemade butter cookies (*pictured above) in the shape of Zzzz’s and wished them all “sweet dreams.”

PARTY TOOLBOX:
Paddy Mac
Dos Hermanos, 4510 Inglewood Blvd Culver City, CA 90230 (310) 391.1303
La Pinata Party Rentals, 1711 Lincoln Blvd (@ Superba), Venice, CA 90291 (310) 306.3348 [*they have kid's height tables and chairs]

I did not know a thing about this site stumbling in, and all I know about it (stumbling out) is that I look forward to exploring it again and again and again. This is a quiet reminder that games (of the casual kind, at least) have the potential of being whimsical, artful and thoroughly enjoyable for all ages.

On the surface, there is a wonderful cause and effect aspect to most of them but there is also some very clever ones as well. Bookmark it for a rainy day and take the kids along!

Orisinal: Morning Sunshine

Framed Personal Photos – Take a minute to burn a CD with some favorite family photos, either jump in the car and take them to be printed, print them yourself or upload them to Shutterfly (or the likes of), next buy a single frame or a set of frames at your favorite store and viola, you have a thoughtful gift of memories that the wife, grandparents or the in-laws will adore.

Classic Toys Under $10 – There’s a number of classic toys (*that aren’t choked with phthalates or dipped in lead-heavy paints) that I would recommend for either stocking stuffers or as solid little holiday gifts for your favorite niece or nephew when visiting for the holidays. There is a solid list of classic inducted into the Strong National Museum of Play (here are a few);

• Slinky
• Travel-sized Checkers Set
• Wooden Alphabet Blocks
• Small Lego Set
• Silly Putty

Gardening Starter Set – Get a good sized planters pot and fill it with the following; a few bag of seeds (flowers, herbs are very hearty and forgiving), a hand shovel and rake, gloves, and if you want to make the kit complete buy yourself a small bag of soil and put it into a zip-lock freezer bag.

Or, if you’re like me and running out of time or don’t want the DIY approach, check out the cute Kids Gardening Kits that are available online (starting at $20 [+ shipping]).

Emergency Play & Craft Kit – I have recently written a post about this ingenuous piece of packaging. The Momergency Kit is a bag filled with stuff. Stuff your kids can use to do various activities and craft to pass the time when your stuck at the airport, waiting in holiday traffic or just killing time. Granted the DIY Dad in me is tempted to run to an office supply store and make one myself, the most redeeming aspect of this little gem is that a portion of the proceeds go to the Heifer International to fight poverty and hunger.

When I talk to people about buying kids gifts for the holidays the conversation seems to swing one of two ways, toward whatever toy is getting the biggest buzz (heaven forbid Oprah mentions a toy on her show!) or commercial air-time or the discussion becomes a friendly debate about the most beneficial toys or “smartest” toys based on current studies or some recent research or article.

Lately though, I find myself rediscovering the magic of some of the time worn classics. You know the toys, you grew up with, you know – the good ones. Little green plastic army men, matchbox cars, alphabet blocks, Legos (don’t get me started!), Play-Doh, the list goes on.

Recently the Strong National Museum of Play had three more inductees into their hall of fame; the baby doll, skateboard and my personal favorite, the stick. Can you imagine your kid’s face when they open their gift on Christmas morning and it’s a stick from the backyard! Priceless.

A lot of strong ideas conjure up when you stare at their list of 41 inductees. If this list doesn’t do it for you, I highly recommend you popping over to the Holiday Gift Guide put out every year by the Parents’ Choice. Here’s something to jog your memory while you’re trying to figure out what to get you grandson, niece or daughter; [* in alphabetical order]

• alphabet blocks
• Atari 2600 game console
• Baby Doll
• bicycle
• Barbie
• cardboard box
• Candyland
• checkers
• Crayola Crayons
• Duncan Yo-yo
• Easy Bake Oven
• Erector Set
• Etch-a-Sketch
• Frisbee
• G.I. Joe
• Hula Hoop
• jack-in-the-Box
• jacks
• jigsaw puzzle
• jump rope
• kite
• LEGO
• Lincoln Logs
• Lionel Trains
• marbles
• Monopoly
• Play-Doh
• Mr. Potato Head
• Radio Flyer Wagon
• Raggedy Ann and Andy
• rocking horse
• roller skates
• Scrabble
• Silly putty
• skateboard
• slinky
• stick
• teddy bear
• Tinker Toys
• Tonka Trucks
• View Master

Sited and Related Links:
Strong National Museum of Play
International Herald Tribune | Honored toys: Baby Doll, skateboard and the stick
Parents’ Choice Holiday Gift Guide

Our feelings about video games and children are the same as children and any form of media (books, TV shows, movies, et al), we only choose age appropriate material, and we’re with them when the choice is made and we discuss the pro’s and con’s of each along the way. That said, once you spark up the console and slip the game in, playing a game with your kids can be a great way to bond with the kids and fun way to blow off a rainy afternoon.

I understand that there are a lot of “Best Gifts” lists out right now, this list is looking at the following aspects of each game; superior and original game concept, fantastic and unique visual direction, and “play” factor (meaning does it ‘hook’ you in for the full ride).

OKAMI [PS2/Wii]

This artful CapCom title originally developed by the famed Clover Studio for PS2 (2006), has recently been released for Wii [ESRB: TEEN]. In the timeless battle against stagnant and redundant gaming concepts (when was the last time you were really blown away by the sheer creativity and ingenuity of a video game?), Okami blasted onto the scene during the waning hours of PS2′s heyday (if you can call it that) and gave us this unique gaming experience, and now developer, Ready at Dawn, has transposed this little beauty with great affect to the Wii console;

There’s a blissful moment in the first hour of Okami, one that is repeated several times throughout the game’s epic tale: Tasked with restoring an afflicted sapling to its former beauty, you bring it to life with a swirl of your virtual paintbrush. The sapling bursts with light, a melody of soft pink flowers blooms on its young branches, and lush green meadows breathlessly sweep away the cursed countryside, returning vitality to the diseased landscape. It’s a moment that stays with you, and it represents the sheer joy of playing Okami.” ~ Okami GameSpot Review (Wii)

See for Yourself What the Critics Say:
GameSpot
MetaCritic
GameRankings

WORLD OF GOO [PC/Mac/Wii]

This innovative, dreamy physics-based puzzler is totally addictive. I can only hope they are developing it for the iPhone as well as the PSP, since the game controller potential is already there. Let me point out – you will not find this on the shelves or at Amazon for the Wii, but you can get it as a download via WiiWare.

Since this game has been filed under “casual” as in Casual Games [ESRB: Everyone], I walked into it blind, knowing very little about it. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the visual beauty and stunning simplicity levied against the easy-to-play, hard-to-master puzzle aspect of it. Give it a go!

See for Yourself What the Critics Say:
GameSpot
MetaCritic
GameRankings

DE BLOB [Wii/PC/IP/DS]

In short, it is a thoroughly enjoyable romp for the whole family [ESRB: Everyone]. This title is fresh and clever for the kids and also smart and very playful for the parents. The evil INKT Corporation, led by the dictatorial Comrade Black, has drained all the color from Chroma City, turning it into a drab, monochromatic metropolis. It has also turned its once diverse and colorful citizens, the Raydians, into sullen, homogeneous Graydians. Blob joins forces with a resistance movement called the Color Underground to bring color back to Chroma City and liberate its people. Obviously, the game dwells (albeit light heartedly) on the theme of political oppression, yet it can be viewed as one big visual metaphor about the role of art in a free society – how many games out there do that!

See for Yourself What the Critics Say:
GameSpot
MetaCritic
GameRankings

GUITAR HERO | WORLD TOUR [Xbox 360/PS3/PS2/Wii]

Now capable of the full band experience, you can rock out with the entire family and show your kids how bad your voice really is! Priceless!

If you have any of the previous Guitar Hero title you can forgo the whole bundle and play solo or for a pretty penny you can buy the whole thing ($79.99-199.99 currently). It is rated T for TEEN no doubt because of some of the themes and lyrics contained in the initial 80 song set (additional down-loadable tunes available).

See for Yourself What the Critics Say:
GameSpot
MetaCritic
GameRankings

LEGO INDIANA JONES [Xbox 360/PS3/PS2/PC/Wii/PSP/DS]

You had me at “Lego.” I must admit, this one was a no-brainer being a huge fan of the original Indian Jones movies (definitely not the recent one) and Legos, in general. I flew to this title like a mosquito to a flame, fortunately it is a fun ride [ESRB: Everyone 10+].

This title spans all three movies in clunky charming Lego-style, it is primarily a puzzle-solver that is much less cumbersome as the Lego Star Wars title. Not to fret if you haven’t experienced any of the films referenced, I trust it will still be a fun ride.

The most amusing and innovative (for me anyway) puzzles involve the severe phobias with which certain characters are cursed. Indiana has no fears swinging across pools of molten lava or leaping over spikes, but if you put a snake in front of him, he’ll freak out. The game is as entertaining as they get regardless of which console you play it on.

See for Yourself What the Critics Say:
GameSpot
MetaCritic
GameRankings