Grandkids Gift Guide – Find the perfect kids gifts for any occasion and all price ranges, including birthday presents or birthday gifts, holiday gifts, including christmas gifts and Hanukkah gifts, new baby gifts or baby shower gifts, graduation presents, reasonably priced kids gifts or kids gifts on a budget. » Movies & Music

Whistlefritz Adentro y Afuera Total Immersion Spanish DVD for Kids Ages 2-7

admin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:35:56 +0000

By now it’s well known that the best time to learn a second language (such as Spanish) is during early childhood, and that the best method of instruction is total immersion — with no English spoken and no translation used. Developed by a mom who wanted to teach her children Spanish effectively, Whistlefritz Adentro y Afuero (Inside and Out) is the latest in a series of total immersion beginning Spanish DVD’s for kids ages 2-7. Extremely well-produced and instantly engaging, these DVD’s could compete for airtime against any existing educational TV show for young children. Whistlefritz uses a proven Blues Clues-like style, placing an engaging live host against a backdrop of simple animation, with Fritzi, a mischievous mouse, as her sidekick, and live (adorable) children to interact with them. The actors speak slowly and clearly, and, when appropriate, representations of the word or phrase being taught are shown on the screen. Your grandchild will learn the words for many common foods, the numbers 1-10, etc., not to mention the phrases that make every day simple interactions possible. For instance, Donde Esta (Where is)?, Muy Bien (Very Good), and many more. A bonus — the real children throughout the DVD, in scenes shot at a playground and eating various common foods, are familiar for kids, helping them realize that even though their native languages are different, they all enjoy the same kinds of things. And, with superbly entertaining and educational instruction such as this Whistlefritz DVD, it’s entirely possible for them to communicate with one another! In addition to Adentro y Afuera, Whistlefritz offers two other beginner DVD’s — Los Animales (Animals), and Vamos a Jugar (Let’s Play).

The Money Mammals Financial Literacy DVD: We’ll Share & Save & Spend Smart Too!

admin — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:15:17 +0000

Young children may not understand exactly how currency works, or even be able to tell the difference between a quarter and a dime. But they should be able to grasp simple financial literacy concepts… as long as they’re presented in an engaging age-appropriate way. The Money Mammals is a DVD produced especially for younger children, to teach them some basic concepts about money. These concepts are reflected in the DVD’s title, “We’ll Share & Save & Spend Smart Too.” The story’s characters are cute new puppets, including Joe the Monkey, Piggs the Bank, Clara J. Camel and Marmoset the Monkey. The content is presented primarily using catchy original songs to get the main points across. In fact, don’t be surprised if you find yourself singing along with your grandchild! The animals first learn that they need a certain amount of money to buy a certain thing. Piggs the Bank and Joe the Monkey realize they can use 1 coin to buy the trading card they want — the corresponding song is “One Coin (for the Coconut Card).” They then learn their friend Clara wants a red straw hat and decide to buy it for her birthday — but they soon realize they need to save 4 coins in order to buy it. This means they must make a choice not to buy more trading cards in order to save up to buy the hat for Clara. These “sharing,” “saving,” and “spending smart” messages are backed up with songs such as, “Reasons to Save,” and “Let’s Make the Right Choice,” which are, again, likable tunes that drive the points home in a fun, non-preachy way. The Money Mammals DVD has clear learning objectives and we believe it achieves them. But we’re guessing your grandkids won’t even realize they’re supposed to be learning!

How’d They Build That? Kids DVD Series on Fire Trucks & Other Big Trucks

admin — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:06:49 +0000

We’ve been introduced to a new series of educational kids DVD’s called, “How’d They Build That?”. How’d They Build That – Fire Truck will appeal to aspiring young firefighters (and other children who are generally interested in how things are built) from ages 5 and up. With adult supervision, some even younger enthusiasts will certainly learn a thing or two as well. This particular DVD visits Seagrave Fire Apparatus, in Clintonville, Wisconsin — a company that’s been around since 1881 and makes many of today’s fire trucks. The simple narrated format tells how Seagrave started out as a ladder company, and then, with requests for custom-made ladders from fire departments, eventually began building the trucks to go along with the ladders! The DVD shows some of the components of the vehicles, including various types of ladders (which average 100 ft. long when fully extended!), hydraulic platforms, etc. Fun Facts are also dispersed throughout the 58 minute program. For example, one Fun Fact states that there are between 1,800 and 2,500 parts in an average fire truck. Another one explains that it takes between 1,500 and 3,500 hours to build a single truck. Also, did you know that some parts are held together by very strong tape? Or that fire trucks can actually be any color whatsoever, even though the standard is red? In addition to the Fire Truck DVD discussed here, the How’d They Build That series also includes: Big Truck, School Bus and Concrete Truck.

Personalized Music CD’s – Great Birthday Gifts for Kids

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:42:26 +0000

Personalized music CD’s are always a good gift idea for kids, especially for toddlers and preschoolers. Young kids love to hear their names mentioned in songs, and if the tunes are catchy and they can sing along with them, even better! My daughter is enjoying her “You are my Friend” CD, which includes 8 personalized songs, from “Let’s Spend the Day Together” and “Let’s Pretend,” to “I Spy” and “You’re Special.” This particular collection of songs emphasizes positive self-esteem and simply having fun. As an adult, you may find yourself humming or even singing along! This CD makes a nice birthday gift, and you can also order “Hip Hip Hooray It’s Your Birthday,” specifically intended for birthdays. Also choose from sports themes, holiday gift cd’s (for Christmas & Hanukkah), nursery rhymes, and more. You can have a personal message printed directly on the CD, which makes the gift more special for you and your grandkids. And, especially nice is the under $20 price. Here’s to finding a high impact, sure-to-please personalized kids gift that’s easy on the pocketbook!

Mia Mouse’s New Hit Reading Adventure DVD-ROM

admin — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:39:44 +0000

The latest and 6th installment of the Mia Adventures is chock-full of learning objectives, cleverly layered within 12 engaging activities and one giant adventure that allows you (or your grandchild) to jump right into a movie of sorts, manipulate its main character (Mia), and play a decisive role in the ins-and-outs and outcome of her adventure. And, oh, by the way — you’re grandchild will learn plenty in the process. You can’t really compare this DVD-ROM to other reading software for this age group (grades K – 3) because the graphics alone make it stand out. It is movie-quality with unique characters, sets, props and game ideas that will make you chuckle and scratch your head, thinking, “How on earth did they come up with that idea?” Suffice it to say that the experience is refreshing. The DVD-ROM is split into 2 parts: Activities and Mia’s Adventure. The activities require less of a commitment, and your grandchild can hop from one game to the next fairly easily, choosing levels of play from 1-4. Each game or activity has stated learning objectives, such as reading comprehension, upper and lower case, singular and plural, rhyming, verb tense, word recognition, etc. We’ve found that some will be easier for the younger-aged audience (Kindergarten and Grade 1) to play than others. For instance, the activities focusing on rhyming, word-letter associations or letter sounds might be less intimidating for this set. Furthermore, they will most likely need your assistance with the Activities — even though each activity does begin with instructions and demos by amusing characters — and most certainly with the Adventure portion of the DVD-ROM. At first, the Adventure will seem like you and your grandchild are watching a movie, as it is story-based. Mia is a mouse who lives in an old Victorian house where many generations of her family have lived. The new twist in this game is a collection of amusing pests (the Bugaboo Bugs) that have also moved in. The objective is to help Mia send the bugs on their way. Each adventure that your grandchild starts can be saved and re-selected. It will likely take a little while (and viewing the demo and instructions) to get used to the nuances of the game, including how to use the mouse to manipulate Mia. Again, the younger children will need your assistance. But once the basics are mastered, it truly is an adventure! For very good reasons this collection of Mia DVD-ROMs continues to grow in size and popularity. Enjoy!

Get the Giggles with Baby & Toddler Computer Funtime Software

admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:18:29 +0000

We tested this Giggles Computer Funtime software with babies (its intended market), as well as toddlers and preschoolers, to see how they like it. It was a big hit with all three groups! This is due to the expertly designed, entertaining graphics that are set to a variety of kid-friendly music that you can select for baby, or that a toddler can select for herself. There are three packages to choose from (ABC’s & 123’s, Shapes, and My Animal Friends), each featuring 14 activities and more than 50 songs. When your grandchild hits any key or moves the mouse, something fun instantly happens. For instance, in ABC’s & 123’s, when you hit a key, a number or a letter immediately pops out, floats up, or somehow appears. Cause-and-effect relationships are introduced in all of the activities through these instantaneous visuals, as well as zany little sounds that indicate that a key has been pressed and that something fun has “happened.” In an ABC’s & 123’s Activity called “123 – What Do You See,” babies and toddlers are even passively (and age-appropriately) exposed to some basic counting principles, whereby the number 3 may appear on the screen with three adorable little bugs. As a grandparent or parent of a baby (6-24 month old), you’ll certainly appreciate how engaged your grandchild is, sitting on your lap at the computer, having fun and simulating something he or she sees mom & dad (and you) doing all of the time. You’ll also appreciate the fact that your important computer files are protected and safe while the Giggles software is running. Babies can press several keys at once and nothing but more onscreen fun happens! And the music choices are also appealing to both children and grown-ups, from very recognizable kid favorites (toddlers and preschoolers will boast that they “know that song!”), to classical, jazz, and even cowboy music. This software has won too many awards to mention — you can’t go wrong with this gift purchase, whether it’s for your own computer time with your grandchild, or for time at home with parents. Go ahead and “Get the Giggles!”

The Earlier the Better: Boca Beth Bilingual Music CD Teaches Spanish to Young Kids

admin — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:12:43 +0000

This Boca Beth bilingual CD is great for the car, where young children are a captive audience and tend to sing along to music. Our kids have been picking up some key Spanish words and phrases pretty quickly, such as “Hola Amigo” (Hello Friend), “Por Favor” (Please), “Gracias” (Thank You), and “De Nada” (You’re Welcome). They’ve also learned to count in Spanish, and know many of the Spanish words for colors. One reason it’s easy for young kids to learn the Boca Beth songs and their intended lessons is because they’re set to classic melodies that your grandchildren already know and enjoy, such as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” Skip to My Lou,” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” They can focus on the words and their meanings without having to worry about the tune. Boca Beth has plenty of other bilingual education media products for young children, including more CD’s, DVD’s and videos, as well as Boca the Puppet and mini-maracas. Boca Beth products are educator-created, and have won numerous awards, including the iParenting Media Award and the 2007 Teacher’s Choice Award.

Apple’s Magic iPod “Touch” 8 GB Second Generation

admin — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 02:52:57 +0000

By now you probably know about the iPod revolution. Your grandkids (12 and older) long for this new iPod that incorporates Apple’s “touch” technology introduced earlier this year in their beloved iPhone. Of course, the iPod Touch plays and stores music and photos, as Apple’s other iPod models do, and also plays video (tv and movies), as is featured in the latest iPod Nano (see our review). But the iPod Touch also allows you to browse the internet comfortably and in style! The iPod Touch’s “multi-touch interface” allows you to control everything using your fingers on the touch-sensitive screen (there’s no physical keypad). And it is so intuitive that, for example, if you turn the device horizontally, the display will automatically switch to “wide-screen” mode. We could describe its features in much greater detail (Amazon’s product description and the Apple website can fill in the blanks). Just know that any grandchild who receives this gift will be one very thrilled person, because the Touch is truly magical and highly prized! We’re featuring the iPod Touch 8 GB second generation model.

Award Winning Musical Toy Spans Through Various Developmental Stages

admin — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:43:36 +0000

It features 3 learning modes, including Alphabet, Dance Along, and Music Play. The Alphabet Mode introduces babies to letters in both English and Spanish. And Music Play mode lets the child freely explore music and movement. In the Dance Mode, children, of course, dance. But babies and toddlers also roll it around… and chase after it — it truly does engage children through various developmental stages. The Alphabet Drum is built to withstand typical toddler handlAnother great toy by Leapfrog! Your grandchildren (ages 6 to 36 months) will quickly learn cause and effect, as each tap of this drum rewards them with lights, letters and music. ing, and mom and dad will appreciate its volume control feature. To prolong battery life, the drum shuts off if it hasn’t been used for a while. Plus, at approximately 8 inches tall, it helps babies learn to sit up on their own! This toy was a winner of the 2006 iParenting Media Greatest Products Award.

Adorably Infamous Little Star Wars Droid – Voice Activated R2-D2 Robot Toy!

admin — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:20:18 +0000

This is certainly a crowd pleasing toy — for the grandchildren who’ve recently discovered the magnetism of the Star Wars films, to their parents (and grandparents!) who first fell in love with R2-D2, the little droid, and his hero pals back in ‘77. Similar to a real robot, this sophisticated 15″ voice activated mini R2-D2 droid robot toy will be like a companion to your grandchild. R2 responds to 40 voice commands such as “turn around,” and navigates rooms and hallways well. Ask him if he remembers Darth Vader and he’ll cower in fear. His sensor helps him follow behind you, or it can be set to detect motion. His lights, swiveling dome and happy and sad noises look and sound exactly like the real R2-D2. If he slips into his occasional “bad mood,” your grandchild will say a simple command of “R2, behave yourself,” and he will snap right out of it. And the little droid toy can replay sounds and dialogue from the Star Wars movies, answer yes or no questions, and dance as he did in the films. He does require some assembly, but comes with detailed instructions and a bonus poster.