If you have little ones in your house, check out Baby Rodenburg. This DVD teaches you child sign language, A-B-C’s, numbers, colors, and animals.  The DVD was a huge hit here.  Madison (my 4 year old) is learning sign language in preschool, so she loved the reinforcement.  My son who is 15 months loved it due to the music and seeing other babies.  I am not sure if he really “understood” any of the sign language.  Mom like it, because I got to actually learn some sign language (like how to sign eat) that is actually quite useful at my house.

My only complaint about the DVD is that it seems a bit disorganized at times.  I wish they correlated the signing to whichever letter they were on.  Meaning, when they did the sign for eat, I think they should have been talking about the letter E.  That being said, they really reinforced each sign and what it means using several different ways.  As each thing was signed, Madison often repeated the sign several times and repeated the word that went with the sign.  Will danced with the music and pointed to the screen and said “seeeeeee” every time an animal, baby, or toddler was on.

This DVD was created by a set of parents who couldn’t find any DVDs out there that fit their needs for their child.  Instead of complaining, they made their own DVD to use with their own child and to share with the rest of us!

The CareBears Dance ‘n Play Piano has been a huge hit in my house with both my kids. Madison (my four year old) doesn’t play with it too much anymore, but my 15 month old still enjoys it. The piano plays three different songs, and has different settings. It also lights up when you press the keys, and the Care Bears dance which makes my son laugh. It is a tad on the loud side, so you may want to check your health insurance and have your hearing checked if you think its quiet. :)  If you want a great introduction to music for your little one, this is a great toy for that.

School is upon us again.  Madison was in preschool last year and is in it again this year.  She had two backpacks that she used last year, so neither of them are very worn out at all.  I decided that since it was only preschool and they would work perfectly fine, I was not going to buy her a new backpack.  To the left here is the backback that she is using this year.  I feel slightly guilty, since it seems that the rest of the kids have new backpacks.  However, when I came across PakNak Charms, I knew I had my answer.  This was a way to alter her backpack and make her happy without me having to by her a new one.

Now, I got a snail and a butterfly to add to her backpack since it goes with the Tinkerbell theme pretty well.  She noticed right away that I added them!  The PakNak charms are made of a soft material that is both flexible and weatherproof!  It took me less than 5 minutes to attach, and I can easily switch the places of the charms.  Now, Madison’s backpack is pretty busy.  Can you imagine the difference these would make on a single colored cooler or backpack?  All I know is that the PakMak charms made my 4 year old a very happy little girl!

Teddy Bear’s Fun to Learn First 1000 Words is book that is great for all little ones. My 4 year old enjoys it just as much as my 1 year old. Granted, you won’t find las vegas hotels in here. However, there is pretty much everything else. Each page in the book has a theme (like the beach). It lists the theme and a ton of items to go with it (for example, the beach pages show things like sunscreen, water wings, sailboat, beachball, etc). There is also a picture in the center of the page with all the miscellaneous items.  There is also a short poem asking you questions about the theme.  Will (my one year old) just likes to look at everything and go “ohhhh”.  Madison (my 4 year old) enjoys looking at the pictures and telling us what each thing is.  She likes to answer the questions for us too.  My only complaint is that the pages are paper which are a little to easy for Will to rip.

This book is great because your little ones can use it as they grow older.  I would definitely purchase it a birthday, baby shower, and/or Christmas gift.  The little ones who you are getting for will get a lot of use out of it!

Do you recognize the two people to the left?  Look very close.  That is what Stephanie and Sportacus from LazyTown really look like!  Hard to believe, I know!  Lazytown is a show on Noggin and Nick Jr. that encourages your kids to get off their butts and be more active!  When asked about the inspiration for the show, Magnus (the shows creator and Sportacus) answered:

Really, when you get down to it, LazyTown is a state of mind. We’ve all been to LazyTown. When we decide to go “veg-out” on the couch, you could say you’re “in LazyTown.” Even me. It’s a place we all go.

In a funny way, LazyTown reflects characteristics that you see in yourself or in people around you. These characteristics are universal: It’s that dynamic of opposites.

For instance, in the show, Sportacus is a driving force. He’s fit, agile, and an amazing athlete who’s patient, kind, and understanding. He encourages kids through example. He doesn’t take the low road. Conversely, his adversary, Robbie Rotten, is all about easy solutions and pulling the group down to his level. Then there’s Stephanie, the lead kid character, a wide-eyed optimist who believes she can make a real difference; while Pixel, a boy character, can conquer every video game, but when the situations are real, he has a harder time.

Just like in real life, nobody’s perfect and LazyTowners are constantly trying to find ways to understand and improve themselves. I guess that you could say that LazyTown explores the opposing forces that we encounter in our own daily lives.

How is that for teaching your children? Most moms and kids that I have talked to like this show. Magnus knows what he is talking about too — he was the Icelandic Men’s Individual Champion in Aerobic Gymnastics in 1992. In 1993, he became the Scandinavian champion, and was the European champion twice in 1994 and 1995. He was voted Athlete of the Year by Iceland in 1994. Adding superhero to that resume just makes it twice as nice (and you know is his shape he doesn’t have to worry about getting term life insurance quotes).

Now, why should you and your children watch this?  It does get them off their butts.  I find Madison and Will dancing and singing with the show when its on.  It has taught my children that there is nothing wrong with going outside and playing.  On top of the activity lessons, there are moral lessons too.  Check your local schedule and see when you can watch it at your place.  You won’t be disappointed!

From Head to Toe is a book I absolutely adore.  It is one of the few books out there that get your kids off their butt, so you don’t have to worry about getting them blood pressure monitors in the future.  How do you ask?  Each page of the book asks your child if they can do things such as

I am a camel and I bend my knees.  Can you do it?

Each page is illustrated with the animal doing the activity they want you to try out. It also has a child doing the same activity saying, “I Can Do It!”. Every time we read this book, Madison (my 4 year old) has to try out each activity.

If you are trying to your kids more active, this book is for you.  If you just want a fun book, this book is for you also!

One of the puzzles that we have in our house that the kids have the most fun with is the ImagiPlay RainForest Puzzle. It is for ages 3 and up. However, my 4 year old and 1 year old both love it. Mommy loves it too.  This puzzle is made from rubberwood which is an earth friendly hardwood.  The part I love the most is that it is painted with lead free paint.  It is clearly labeled that way, and I don’t have to worry about Will (the one year old) sticking it in his mouth (love it, love it, love it!).  It is 18 pieces, so they can easily play with it together and not get into any fight.  We also were able to create many different scenes with the puzzle on my living room floor.  I love the fact that we can do that and also still make it into a puzzle.  It is very versatile and is great for your child’s imagination.  As you can see from the pictures below, I highly recommend this puzzle to any one with little ones.  They really will play with it for hours and hours.