Reviews for Movies & Music
Calypso Steel Drum$90.00 at Amazon.com |
What a nice surprise to find this smaller inexpensive version of a pan steel drum! We love the sweet clangy sound of this drum and we think your grandchildren will love learning how to play it. Made in Trinidad, the 9-note diatonic drum is tuned to A=440 and its range is from middle C to high C (plus high D). Its size is 10″ in diameter with a 3″ skirt curled at the edge for safety). The drum comes packaged with a stand, mallets and songbook. Having your grandkids play this steel drum is just like a trip to the islands!
Schoolhouse Rock! 30th Anniversary Edition DVD$14.99 at Amazon.com |
If you were raising school-age kids in the 70’s or 80’s, then you probably remember Schoolhouse Rock! on Saturday morning. You may have even caught yourself watching, humming along, and yes, even learning something, right along with the kids. This educational music “shorts” series was so incredibly successful for ABC, that they kept it running from 1973 to 1984. We grew up learning bits of American history, grammar, science and math from these catchy tunes — I can still easily sing the Preamble on the spot, due to Schoolhouse Rock! And now, 30-plus years later, I melt at the sounds of my 5-year-old son singing, “Conjunction junction, what’s your function…,” or “I’m just a bill…and I’m sitting here on Capital Hill…” Yes, he loves the songs as much as I did, and he’s also learning basic concepts in a fun way. This 30th Anniversary Edition Schoolhouse Rock DVD is wonderful because it includes every 3-minute short ever made (46 total), as well as other special features. Schoolhouse Rock! is a great kids gift for this new generation, and a classic that their parents (and possibly you) will remember fondly and enjoy watching with your grandchildren.
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Levels of Discovery Musical Rocker$129.95 at Amazon.com |
We’ve fallen in love with this music-theme kids rocking chair and with all of the kids furniture made by Levels of Discovery. These pieces are excellent quality and are crafted to be given as special gifts. This 29″ x 12 1/2″ rocking chair has a mini five-note xylophone with wooden mallet attached to its arm. A keyboard and sheet music are painted on the backrest, and the tiles, also on the seat back, flip back and forth from “Do, Re, Mi” to musical notes. Each chair includes a special stamp beneath the seat to be personalized with your grandchild’s name, your name, and the special occasion for which the chair was given. And if that’s not enough, each chair includes a photo greeting card so that your grandchild can say “thank you” in a memorable way. Purchase this chair or browse other Levels of Discovery pieces, such as the school house, alphabet soup, all-star sports, and artist rockers, his/her majesty’s throne potty chairs, tables and chairs, entertainment center, bookcase and toy box bench, by clicking on “Click Here,” and searching under “Levels of Discovery Furniture.”
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Hasbro and Tiger Electronics (with help from Gibson Guitars) have certainly done their homework in designing the Power Tour Electric Guitar, an inexpensive, great looking, and great sounding way to learn electric guitar. Designed for 10-15 year-old girls and boys, the uniqueness of this guitar lies in the fact that there are no strings! Instead, the guitar fret is color coded, and the flashing lights prompt beginning players where to place their fingers. When in the guitar’s “learn mode,” players are introduced to one segment at a time, moving at their own pace as the guitar’s flashing lights slow down or speed up depending on the player’s ability. Once each segment is mastered, they move on to the next one. Kids can plug in their MP3 player or other music source, and play along with songs, or make up their own. The guitar is designed to look and sound like a real Gibson guitar, and kids can change the sound “type” to “metal,” “punk,” “digital,” or “indie.” The guitar comes with a built-in speaker, strap, cable, and DVD instructions. The built-in speaker that comes with the guitar works just fine, but a Power Amp is also available on Amazon.com for an additional $39.99 (click on “Click Here,” and search for “power tour amp”). We’ve featured the Power Tour Guitar in white — it also comes in black. You may be scratching your head thinking, “all that noise,” but trust us, this gift will “rock!”
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This company (BeBoP) specially designs acoustic kids guitars with small necks and soft nylon strings for easy playing. You can order them in 1/4 size, 1/2 size (shown here), and 3/4 size, depending on your grandchild’s age. Unlike many other beginner guitars (or toy guitars), they’re built with high quality materials and come with a one-year limited warranty against defects. What’s also great about these guitars is that in addition to their size, some are decoratively designed solely with kids in mind — this one has a nice dancing animals pattern around the soundhole. Be-Bop guitars are not toys. They have a linden laminate top with basswood back and sides, black body binding, gold 14:1 geared tuners with perloid buttons, and a mahogany neck with ebonite fingerboard. And the guitar’s tone is sweet and clear. This gift package includes a padded “gig bag,” guitar strap, 2 picks, an electronic tuner, and special edition songs CD. This is a great value starter set. And for granddaughters who are a bit more serious about learning guitar, check out Daisy Rock guitars (click “Click Here,” then search on Amazon.com under “Daisy Rock”). Daisy Rock guitars are not inexpensive, but they are beautifully crafted by a female guitarist especially for girls! Any of these guitars will be music to your ears.
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We know lots of kids who want to learn to play guitar, but until now, have not had access to an age-appropiate instrument. The “I Can Play Guitar” is a wonderful new product that’s Read more ª
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Waterproof Case for 2nd Generation iPod Nano$8.50 at Amazon.com |
Remember making sure your kids and grandkids were dressed appropriately for all kinds of weather? Now you can still offer that same protection — for their iPods. Chances are their iPod is their prized possession, and many of you may have purchased it for them. We bet you’ve already vowed not to buy another if it gets damaged… so why not protect it with this waterproof iPod case. In addition to protection from water damage, it also protects the delicate equipment from falls, dust, dirt and sand. The belt clip helps manage headphone wires.
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Pyramat Sound Seat for Video Games$129.99 at Amazon.com |
This Pyramat Sound Seat video gaming rocker has dual 8W speakers and an exclusive ARX subwoofer (this should all mean something to your grandson) that will “rumble through” his body (yikes!). It’s the perfect seat for video gaming and is compatible with PS2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS and PSP. He can also plug in his iPod or MP3 player, TV, VCR or DVD player. For movies, it delivers multiplex vibes in unbelievable comfort. There’s a headphone jack, too, if noise bothers anyone. And it comes with all needed connectors. Ok, sounds awful to you, but this gift will immediately get your grandson to shout, “you rock!” — also known as an extremely enthusiastic, “thank you!”
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Putamayo Presents: Animal Playground$13.99 at Amazon.com |
Some of you may already be familiar with the Putamayo World Music’s collection of cd’s (for adults as well as kids). Putamayo Presents: Animal Playground music is one of their newest cd’s for kids (but grownups will enjoy it as well!), and it is a wildly playful treat. Song titles from around the world such as, Wee Hairy Beasties, Animal Crackers, Don’t Ever Step on a Snake, and If a Dinosaur Was My Friend, speak… or roar… or hiss… for themselves.
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Carnival of the Animals Book & CD$13.57 at Amazon.com |
Preschool and primary education teachers have discovered that this beautiful Carnival of the Animals kids book & CD is a wonderful way to introduce children to classical music. Camille Saint-Saens composed this piece nearly 150 years ago as an exercise for his students, and it has since become one of his most famous works. The accompanying commentary and whimsical illustrations help children follow each section of the animals’ carnival, while they listen to the CD. We think you’ll enjoy reading and listening alongside your grandchild — a gift for all.
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