Kids need to move, and never is that more evident than when our craft and book loving kiddo reaches the end of the day without enough climb time (envision Laurel leaping off of furniture). And if you’re looking for a way to combine literacy and exercise (particularly on a raw day like today), check out the Literacise exhibit at the Boston Public Library. This exhibit is based on local author Irene Smalls's book Jonathan and His Mommy and allows kids to benefit both mind and body by moving and grooving their way through a kid-sized interactive book. Literacise opened in early October and runs until March 2010.

One of the busiest acts on the Boston family music scene is Ben Rudnick & Friends, a five-piece ensemble whose acoustic tunes suit the whole family and cross folk, bluegrass, calypso, and rock genres. Today, Ben Rudnick & Friends contribute to our online birthday party by offering 5 winners a copy of their acclaimed Grace’s Bell CD. Simply check out the rules after the jump and leave a comment on this giveaway to enter to win.

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winners Sandra, Shimona, Staci, Sarah, & Heidi!
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Rules:

Include your name and email in the appropriate fields so we can contact you if you win (your name but NOT your email will be published with your comment. Including just first name or first name + last initial is OK.)

One comment permitted per person; US & Canada entrants welcome.

Anonymous or SPAM-like comments will be discarded.

Entry period closes tonight at midnight EST, Wednesday, July 23, 2008.

Life is meant to be lived joyfully every day, and for parents looking for ways to translate this basic – but sometimes lost – principle to their children, there’s Focus Friends, an independent collection of books and artwork designed to translate messages of beauty, joy, appreciation, wisdom, and inspiration. Today, Focus Friends contributes to our online birthday party with their Joy Is The Greatest Gift storybook + 11” x 18” framed Seeing Beauty print. Simply check out the rules after the jump and leave a comment on this product line to enter to win.

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Kimberly V.!
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Rules:

Include your name and email in the appropriate fields so we can contact you if you win (your name but NOT your email will be published with your comment. Including just first name or first name + last initial is OK.)

One comment permitted per person; US & Canada entrants welcome.

Anonymous or SPAM-like comments will be discarded.

Entry period closes tonight at midnight EST, Monday, July 21, 2008.

*One winner will receive the Joy Is The Greatest Gift book + 11” x 18” framed Seeing Beauty print (value: $102).

We are huge fans of Barefoot Books, what with its mom roots and sprouts (the business was founded by moms and supports mom resellers), and its amazing line of beautifully illustrated, culturally aware products. Today, South Shore based Barefoot reseller Alpha Sanford contributes to our online birthday party with a gift set of books, including Swing High, Swing Low, Never Say Boo To A Goose! and There's a Billy Goat In The Garden. Simply check out the rules after the jump and leave a comment on this book collection to enter to win.

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Jenn S.!
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Rules:

Include your name and email in the appropriate fields so we can contact you if you win (your name but NOT your email will be published with your comment. Including just first name or first name + last initial is OK.)

One comment permitted per person; US entrants welcome.

Anonymous or SPAM-like comments will be discarded.

Entry period closes tonight at midnight EST, Thursday, July 10, 2008.

And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:

You could win: a $100 Cabana Life shopping spree at MomFinds, a Little Scholastics summer goodie bag at Classy Mommy, and a personalized Lisa Leonard charm necklace at The Nest Baby. One Chic Mama has raves for Clarks for Kids. Modern Mom encourages moms to join one of their groups across the country. And Rachael Ray recommends favorite beach items at Clever Parents.

Today, Tracy shares a way for kids to get their knightly fill in an educational, non-violent manner:

"Both of my boys have become obsessed with all things 'knight' at about the age of 4. They request everything from costumes, to videos, to books on these heroic and chivalrous men. When Gabriel was this age, it was difficult to find fictional stories that didn’t contain too much violence, or focus on battles and slaying enemies.
Then, I found Sir Cumference. A series of math adventure books by Cindy Neuschwander and Wayne Geehan, these tales captured the minds and imaginations of my two boys for as long as their obsessions have lasted. Sir Cumference and his family (Lady Di of Ameter, and son Radius) face challenges that involve mathematical problems for them to solve. In the first book we read (Sir Cumference and the First Round Table), Sir Cumference was called upon by King Arthur to help find a solution for a table that would prevent shouting, talking amongst themselves, and cramped corners for the band of 12 knights who served him. He consults his intelligent wife, and ta-da! The first Round Table was born! Math concepts in this book include the basic measurements of a circle: circumference (named after you know who), diameter, and radius, in addition to an introduction to shapes in general.

Other titles to enjoy are: Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone , Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland, Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi, and Sir Cumference and the Isle of Immeter. Each story contains a math concept learned through a knightly challenge. Parents will enjoy reading these stories since they are more likely to pick up on the puns and wordplay inherent in every tale. My favorites? King Arthur’s heir (who finds the sword in the cone) becomes King Vertex the Line-Hearted, and the sword he finds is called Edgecalibur. I still chuckle at the clever, yet subtle changes to make things consistent with math lingo.

Do the boys, at age 4-7, actually acquire the math lessons? I’m not sure. Some of the concepts are certainly above their heads at this point. The books do, however, show all the signs of favorites, such as repeated requests for readings, bringing the same book to show and tell 5 times in a row, flopping open automatically to the most favored page, and tape on the spots where pages are turned again and again. And, it’s pretty neat to see your child dress up as his favorite knight and go searching the house for clues hidden in 'triangular prisms.'"

Although the school year is just starting to wind down for many families, for others, the summer months represent a major change: the final phase before kindergarten. Today, Heather shares ideas for easing the transition to kindergarten, useful for extroverts and “shy bunnies” alike. Please leave a comment if you have other great tips to share!
From Heather:

“My first born, my sweet little girl will start Kindergarten this fall.

Emma is a shy bunny by nature and generally transitions very slowly to new situations. In fact, at the first mention of Kindergarten, her only comment was, 'No! I am not going!' Obviously, starting school will be a big transition for her so we have already started to prepare for this major life event. After soliciting advice from friends who have already made the leap to Kindergarten, the following are some things that we are doing, or plan on doing this summer, to ease this transition for Emma.

Visit the school before school starts. Take advantage of the required MA pre-screening as an opportunity to take a quick tour and check out the classroom, gym, library, and cafeteria. Even give the bathrooms a try. Bring a camera so your child can take pictures. Frequent the school playground on weekends.

Read and discuss books. I am a huge advocate of using books to stimulate conversation. We have taken a few Kindergarten books out of the library and recommend Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner by Amy Schwartz and Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate.

Plan play dates. Many schools will provide a class list upon request so that parents can schedule play dates. This is a terrific way for your child to get to know new classmates prior to school starting. Some schools like ours also host a summer event for incoming students and their parents.

Shop for school clothes and supplies. Let your child select a special item or two for school use like a backpack or lunch sack. Be sure to test these items yourself so you can be sure that they are easy to open and close.

Talk about what to expect. Emma does better in new situations when she knows what to expect. We talk about all the fun things she will learn and experience in Kindergarten as well as the class routine. Emma is comforted to know that that some routines, such as recess and story time, will be similar to what she experiences in preschool today.

Begin the morning routine a few weeks before school actually starts. We hope that practicing the morning routine will help to make the first days of school easier. Together we will make a list of what she will need to do in order to get to school on time: brush teeth, wash face, get dressed, eat breakfast, put on shoes, catch the bus, etc. Even consider making a dry run of the school bus route.

Practice goodbyes. Emma loves to role-play so I hope this actually works. We will plan what the two of us will say and do when it's time say goodbye. This worked well for preschool. At drop off just as I am about to leave, we dramatically run to each other for one more kiss and say at the same time, ‘One more kiss because we just can’t help it!’ I have also heard that if you give your child the job of (affectionately!) pushing you out of the room - or down the street if they take the bus – it literally puts control of the parting in their hands and makes the transition easier. Also, short and sweet goodbyes are typically best for everyone.”

It's probably safe to say that most people love adorable little mice in all forms other than as real, breathing critters. These days one of our favorite books is Ellen Stoll Walsh’s Mouse Paint ($5.95 at Amazon). This beautifully illustrated board book tracks the adventures of three white mice who, when not hiding from the cat, have a grand time showing you what they’ve learned about color mixing. There’s even a bit of dry humor included for parents.

Fast and furious developmental changes are par for the course with preschoolers, but Laurel really blew my doors off the other day when she started coloring within the lines.

I was fulfilling requests to draw ice cream cones on the Aquadoodle; after I drew a cone with sprinkles, Laurel grabbed the water pen and slowly started filling in all the blank spaces around the sprinkles, staying within the borders, until the entire scoop was colored in. I was both amazed and mildly concerned, given the bad rap that coloring within the lines can get. The psychologist in me couldn't help but wonder whether anyone has probed relations between coloring rigidity and personality traits.
The topic doesn’t appear to be keeping academics up at night, and the age at which kids learn to color within the lines seems to vary greatly. I myself don’t particularly believe that the specific ability to color within the lines is all that important given that fine motor control can be achieved by many types of play. But something that may be of interest to parents who are frustrated by the confines of coloring books is Susan Striker’s collection of creativity books (for ages 6 to 60!). In particular, her anti-coloring book series (click here for the first book in the series) has a long and devoted following.