This kid hauler is stuffed with the following parent-friendly options;

• Twin folding scooters, mounted to the inside of the rear cargo doors
• Integrated sunscreen and hand sanitizer dispensers
• Whiteboard rear side-door interior surfaces for erasable water-marker creativity
• Rechargeable family radio walkie-talkies
• Backpack attachments and handy, integrated toy storage
• Subfloor onboard storage for folding stroller
• Protracting, roof-mounted awning offers shade over rear opening
• Lava-lamp effect rear headliner graphics

Not enough for you and the kids? There’s an entertainment kit that will make head spin; backseat passengers in the Transit Connect concept look up to see a transparent sunshade mounted on the bulkhead behind the driver’s area. The sunshade transforms to become a digital infotainment center featuring a pair of projected floating screens with high-resolution imaging and exceptional color contrast. The screens can display digital media entertainment, three-dimensional gaming, interactive educational opportunities and wireless Web connectivity.

Beyond the pop and fizz of all the feature list, what parents are left with is a minivan v2.0 with decent gas mileage (2.0-liter four-cylinder, fuel economy beat Ford’s initial estimates, coming in at 22 mpg city/25 highway in EPA testing) for an American made car. They should begin arriving this summer.

A battery-electric version is scheduled to follow sometime in 2010. My understanding of current hybrid battery technology is ‘pedestrian’ at best, but it is clear to me with all these electronic add-ons, and their track record so far (Ford Fusion Hybrid EPA gets 38.5 mpg combined), still doesn’t come close to Toyota’s Prius and the likes of. We may have to wait ’til version 3.0 comes out.

Sited & Related Articles:
The Auto Blog | Slideshow of Ford Transit Connect
Car & Driver | Ford Transit Connect Family One Concept – Auto Shows
Yahoo Finance | Ford Motor Company
CNN | Ford CEO on bailout opposition

By now, our collection of quality music for the kids has grown to a sizable playlist on our iPod. Yes, we have a number of “children’s music” compilations (I feel as if I am giving into music industry marketers when I do). But lately, we have grown tired of our selection, and have been searching for fresh alternatives for the long trips or even those long afternoons stuck in classic LA gridlock.

We have discovered some wonderful story time podcasts on iTunes and online at various websites. Whether it is some classic reads, the latest published storybook, or a quirky title we’re drawn too, this has become a wonderful “trick” for getting our preschooler to take a nap (mid-afternoon) when we know he is absolutely exhausted.

Some of our latest downloads include; Cinderella, Snow White, The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, Peach Boy, A Chinese Fairytale, etc. (the list is long) When navigating iTunes click on the following links to find some free ‘gems’, [*click*] iTunes Store, then Podcasts, Audio Podcasts, and then Kids & Family – enjoy!

Sited & Related Links;
Pinky Dinky Doo
Free Classic Children’s Stories
Candlelight Stories | Audio for Kids
Storynory | Free Audio Stories for Kids

Two halves unscrew for easy cleaning and the lid snaps in place to keep snacks inside. BpA-free, Phthalate-free and PVC-free.

9+ months

$6.50 [+shipping] at Belly Dance Baby

We were greeted at the Rose Bowl parking lot by a small army of Rose Parade workers (known simply as “White Suitors” because of their pristine white suits and white straw hats which are a throwback to the Parade’s 100 history), that directed us with mechanical precision to an open field that quickly swelled into a tightly packed lot full of SUV’s and Minivans.

We arrived kinda early, so they lines moved faster than we could scoot our kids along and we were on our way to one of the many chartered school buses taking us across town to the floats. Knowing that three Park N’Ride locations were feeding bus-loads of us to the same neighborhood, things got pretty congested. The three parking locations are the Rose Bowl, Pasadena City College, and the Community Education Center in Pasadena.

If you are planning on going here are some parent tips to make the trip a little easier;

• Go Early! - The streets fill up late morning, if you can afford to get there when they open to the general public (9am), you will have a much easier experience. We got there around 10-10:30am and it was filling up quickly! When we were leaving (early afternoon), the ticket line was twice the length as it was for us!
• Bring your most nimble and lightest stroller – We have three kids and opted not for the double stroller and that was a wise decision.
• Pack drinks and snacks - They do have delicious kettle corn, funnel cake and other county fair favorites at a price. For families visiting on a budget, pack a bag of sandwiches and drinks (non-alcoholic).
• Wear comfortable shoes - It will be crowded and you will be moving at a leisurely pace. Skateboards, roller skates, bicycles, tricycles, Segways and wagons are not permitted.
• Bring cash - $7 for anyone over the age of 5 yrs. and $3 bucks for parking, but the ticket booth takes plastic, not to worry. Be warned though, if you’re yearning for some of that tasty funnel cake you best be packing some cash in your wallet. There are only two ATMs at the venue, sponsored by the Pasadena Federal Credit Union. ATMs are located near the West (Red) Gate and at the corner of Washington and Sierra Madre Boulevards.
• Download the free Audio Tour - The Tournament of Roses is currently offering a free audio tour of the floats featured in the 120th Rose Parade.  The audio tour can be downloaded from the “podcast” area on iTunes. We did. Since we have small children, we listened to most of it on the car ride there, so it was a good primer for what we were about to see.

If you want to sit down and take a break, check out the 15 minute documentary about the making of a float for the Rose Parade at the 1600 theater at Pasadena High School. It puts some perspective on the massive effort put forth every year. I guarantee you won’t watch the parade the same way.

Some of the highlights of the showcase for me was being able to look into the underbelly of these homemade monstrosities. Many of the ones with heavy animatronics rigs looked like they had full server racks next to the driver’s seats! Sure that is probably on of the geeker fun facts, but it really is interesting to get up close to these works of art after seeing them on TV.

Float Detail | 2009 Rose Parade Float Showcase

Exterior features telescopic wheel handle, foamed top handle, inline skate wheels and lockable zipper pulls. Interior features printed address tag and elastic cross straps keeping clothes in place. Polyester. 4lbs.

$75 bucks (plus shipping) at Flight001.Com

PowerPockets use the latest in “Thin-Film” solar energy technology to quickly and efficiently turn sunshine into electricity. Great for charging mobile phones, games, PDA’s and any other 12 Volt electronic device – and when you’re done, hide it away easily!

Keep a PowerPocket in your boat’s ditch bag for emergencies, or use it to trickle charge your motorbike or snowmobile battery. Take it on those long hikes or bike rides in case of emergency, or keep one in your home in case of a power outage due to natural disaster, put it on your vehicle dashboard, plug it into your dash and keep your electrical system fresh while your car or truck is parked for long periods.

You get the idea, it’s a solid “Plan B” when you need some juice and an electrical outlet is miles away.

Between $150 (6.5W kit) and $275 (12W kit) plus shipping at Reware.Com

Whenever family comes to town for a visit, my wife tries to plan some type of tourist trip for them. Since we have young kids, as the saying goes, “we don’t get out much,” so it is generally something we genuinely look forward to as well. This past weekend, we ventured up to check out the Griffith Observatory overlooking metro Los Angeles. It was closed in 2002, for a four year renovation and expansion project after decades of heavy use.

The visit is free (including parking), and includes all of the exhibits in the main halls, “The Once and Future Griffith Observatory” video (24 minutes) in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater, as well as the Zeiss Telescope on the roof (7-10pm on those rare clear nights, of course).

There is currently a show entitled, “Centered in the Universe” (33 minutes), playing in the planetarium but since we had the toddlers in tow we did not venture. For those of you interested, please know that they do admit children 4 years and under but only to the first show of the day.

The main exhibits are stuffed with interactive kiosks describing everything from the relationship between the ocean’s tides and the moon, what happens during an eclipse, what the surface of Saturn is like and why Pluto is not considered a planet anymore. There is a lot to take in and fortunately the experience was very tactile (good to keep the kids entertained).

After soaking up the exhibits, be sure to walk along the southern edge of the observatory (outside the planetarium), you will experience an breathtaking views of Los Angeles. The lawn by the Astronomer Monument was a perfect place for the boys to work off some of that pent-up energy and have a snack in the shade.

If you do decide to go on the weekend, go early. The parking lot fills up quickly.

Related Sites:
Griffith Observatory

Tucked in the expansive Exposition Park (between USC and the Los Angeles Coliseum), the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is a crown jewel of Los Angeles’ museums. Touted as the national leader in exhibitions, education and research, the Museum was L.A.’s first cultural institution to open its doors to the public in 1913. It is the largest natural and historical museum in the Western United States, with a collection of more than 35 million different specimens and artifacts, so it is fair to say the Museum is worth a few visits if you want to give it it’s due diligence.

Last week, I took the kids to see as much of the three floors of permanent exhibits as we could cover. We were greeted by the towering “Dueling Dinosaurs,” complete skeletons of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops in battle in the majestic Grand Foyer. At that point it was clear to me that this museum was going to be in pure Hollywood style – all about the lighting. Pools of light pulled us into each of the grand halls and past each of the exquisite dioramas.

In addition to special exhibitions (currently you can look through the glass and over the shoulders of the Museum’s paleontology team as they prepare the fossil of the Tyrannosaurus rex nicknamed “Thomas” in a specially designed exhibit room and lab) , the Museum boasts magnificent permanent halls that feature grand dioramas of African and American mammals, rare dinosaurs and fossils, marine animals, Pre-Columbian culture, and historical artifacts from California and Southwest history, as well as early Hollywood memorabilia. The exquisite Gem & Mineral Hall features the largest collection of gold in the United States.

At lunch we walked passed the Butterfly Pavilion (I think it is currently being transformed into the Spider Pavilion for the Fall Season), and grabbed a picnic table within view of the Rose Garden and enjoyed our spread.

The kid-friendly Ralph M. Parsons Discovery Center and Insect Zoo, located on the ground floor (more like the basement since you enter from above), provides interactive family learning with “handle-able” specimens such as shells and fossils; terrariums filled with insects, reptiles and amphibians; and Gallery Interpreters who answer questions and offer daily animal presentations.

In the Paleo Dig Pit [*photo above] which is also on the ground floor, kids learn can about excavation by digging for dinosaur bones and they get to spin off some energy. There is jars of molted snake skin for the kids to feel as well as leathered snake hide to handle.

Sited Links:
LA Museum of Natural History

If you are planning to hit the road this summer, jump on a plane or just lounge around the inflatable pool with the kids, this timeless memory card game may be a good way to pass the time. The cards come in their own tin which makes it easy to throw in your carry-on.

The Haba Mini-Memo Game is a compact version of the classic memory game, in which 2 – 6 players find matched pairs of cards. Recommended for ages 4-12, though some 3-year-olds may enjoy it as well.

(Via Moolka.Com)

Come celebrate opening day of Governors Island at the FREE 4th Annual Family Festival on Saturday May 31st, from 12:00-4:00! This is a wonderful opportunity for your kids to see a real polo match, enjoy the sights and check out the beautiful skyline of Manhattan.

• It’s the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic and is first time a polo match will be played in NYC for over 70 years. Ralph Lauren’s Polo team, Blackwatch (including Nacho Figueras), is playing against Asprey team.
• Picnics are allowed around the field – match starts at 3pm
• Event is open to the public (free ferries run from Manhattan to Gov Island every 30 mins)
• As well as the polo from 3pm, visitors can bike, picnic, and take tours of the National Historic District. There are also two exhibits opening on the Island.

Brought to you by the Governors Island Alliance and partners, the festival will feature a full range of children’s activities including musical and dance performances, historic ship tours, bike parades, arts and crafts, face painting and more! Pack a picnic basket, bring some extra napkins and a set of plastic champagne flutes and jump on the ferry!