The Siblings’ Busy Book: 200 Fun Activities for Kids of Different Ages, by Lisa Hanson and Heather Kempskie; Meadowbrook Press, 2008; $9.95; www.meadowbrookpress.com.

Ever wonder how to simultaneously engage two, three, or more children of different ages without cloning yourself? This book offers a slew of imaginative activities that really work: each starts with a useful chart specifying what you’ll need for each child by age, from infant through school age, and then provides variations for doing the activities with different ability levels.

“The information, crafts and ideas are geared right to my kids’ ages. I love being able to have resource books when I need fun and creative things to do with my kids.”
– Mom Tester

“I like the small size of the book. It’s easy to pack in the car for trips.”
– Mom Tester
 

For more fun activities for kids, check out 2008 Honors winner Gadgetology! 

Multiplication Mountain, Hap Palmer, Hap-Pal Music, 2009; $13.95; www.happalmer.com; ages 7 to 12.

Palmer just makes learning fun! Even for learning multiplication tables, Palmer writes bouncy, intelligent tunes that help lock the concepts and tables in the memory banks for easy recall. Any tool that gives kids a leg up on the times tables has got my vote. Palmer’s engaging voice and clever songs will soon have you standing victoriously atop Multiplication Mountain!
 

Family Album – New Music with Guitar, Vol. 7, David Starobin, Bridge Records, 2007; $17.98; www.bridgerecords.com; for ages 9 and up. A stunning intro to classical guitar for children, this CD provides introspective, meditative music for the soul and for times of reflection. Starobin, a virtuoso guitarist and composer, performs pieces by four composer friends and some originals. Some pieces are suitable for a nap or study session, while more complex pieces will make you sit up and listen. Helpful liner notes introduce the composers and the various styles they work in. This album provides a great jumping-off point for exploring modern classical music and opera with kids who get hooked on listening to it.

 

We Kids Rock, 2008; $9.99; www.wekidsrock.com; for all ages. This CD is a pleasant, genre-hopping collection of originals and road-tested classics. Most of the pieces are easy-rock, with a few island rhythms thrown in. “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” sung by Alison Paige, is a danceable, funky surprise. Currier’s soulful voice throughout adds the sock!

Chickyboom, Blue Orange Games, $24.99; www.blueorangegames.com; ages 4 and up.

 

Balance is key to this game, which is as fun to set up as it is to play – whether you play by the rules or not. Wonderful quality craftsmanship, silly characters and a goofy scenario add to the fun of balancing purple wooden chickens, wagon wheels and funny round bales of hay on a teetering perch. Players test their eye-hand coordination as they (carefully!) remove and collect the game pieces without letting them fall and go “Chickyboom!” 

Tell Me A Story 3: Women of Wonder, written by Amy Friedman, read by various artists; Friedman & Danziger, 2009; $14.95; www.mythsandtales.com.

 

This can’t-miss audio anthology is the third in the award-winning Tell Me A Story series. Women of Wonder features six stories from a wide range of settings and cultures, represented by Turkey, Ethiopia, England, Cambodia, Siberia, Turkey and the United States. Among the famous and newbie storytellers who add their special touch to each story, be sure to catch Paula Poundstone telling a lively American tall tale. The story selections spotlight strong, witty, wise, smart and sassy heroines and goddesses, set against a backdrop of subtle, unmistakable lessons in honesty, kindness, generosity and other important character traits. Great listening for both girls and boys. 

Refuse to Say Cheese: Capture the Story and Beyond the Green Box: Understanding Your Digital Camera 2-DVD Set, Me Ra Koh Photography, Inc., 2007; $29.99 individually or $49.99 set; www.refusetosaycheese.com.

Prominent photographer Me Ra Koh offers great visuals and easy-to-follow exercises in her DVD series for parents, Documenting a Child’s Life. The first DVD, Refuse to Say Cheese: Capture the Story, explains how to use photography to say more than fake smiles and stiff poses ever could. One of our testers loved the idea of taking a number of photos using Koh’s insights about conflict, storytelling, details and setting, and then taking one where you just point the camera at your child and tell him or her to say cheese. When you look at the results, you’ll see why Koh calls her DVD Refuse to Say Cheese.

The second DVD, Beyond the Green Box: Understanding Your Digital Camera, shows users of digital, single lens reflex cameras how to turn off the “auto” button and use manual settings to create mood, depict action and more.

“I love the way Koh has made me think about capturing stories with my kids and setting pictures with things my kids love. She gives great ideas and ways to practice taking and capturing wonderful pictures. I will forever think differently.”
– Tester Mom

“These DVDs are awesome! The concepts are explained in an easy-to-understand way and there is always an example. It has been priceless for me to learn to reflect on parenting and on everyday life, and use that perspective to document the parts of life that are most important.”
– Tester Mom
 

Judge's Top Pick! 

Desperation Records/Nettwerk, 2008; $13.99; www.barenakedladies.com; for all ages. This CD may well be “best of show” this year. The band’s gentle, radio-friendly pop translates perfectly to kids’ music: always clever, never cloying, and endlessly witty. The “Crazy ABC’s” song killed me ... and if you don’t look out, “The Ninjas” will kill you!

MGM Home Entertainment, 2008; 101 min.; $22.98; www.mgm.com/dvd.php; for ages 8 to 12. High school soccer prodigy Sara Davis struggles with an overzealous sports dad, a free-spirited boyfriend and a hectic high school life. Amid these challenges, she becomes the youngest player ever selected to the U.S. National Team.