educational

My kids are now at the age where the questions are getting harder than simply, "what's that?" The fun part is that when they ask about evolution or the number of stars or the life cycle of a butterfly, we get to explore the answers toget…

Last night, my five year-old asked about why Independence Day and July 4th were on the same day. Pretty good question, I thought. And when I started to explain the meaning of Independence Day, I found myself more or less paraphrasing one…

Believe it or not, summer brain drain is a real phenomenon. Bill Nye the Science Guy even said so recently on Kids Place Live (yes, the de facto radio station on in my car) and he mentioned that math and science are the first subjects to…

I am a serious Oz fanatic. As in, I read every one of the L. Frank Baum books as a child and now I'm introducing them to my girls. Not that there's anything wrong with MGM's technicolor version--should you be okay with the silver shoes b…

If you're loading up on apps to keep the kids entertained on car trips and rainy days, we've got a fun new one that's actually not new at all. In fact, I think it's a few centuries old. Besides, how could I not try the game that's huge i…

It's time for those lazy days of summer, when our kids just want to swim, eat ice cream, and make sand castles. . .and not spend one moment thinking about math facts. But, when there are a couple of apps that sneak math practice into a r…

Missing ear. Posthumously famous. Misunderstood misanthrope. Obviously I'm talking about Vincent van Gogh (and hopefully no one you actually know). If you want to bring the brilliant painter to life (you know, again) I've found a wonderf…

Recently a smart reader recommended the Unblock Me app when I was looking for something new to play around with, and boy was she right. What I didn't realize however is the educational value for kids. Unblock Me is a series of outrageous…

Fairy tales and fables with days-of-yore sentimentality are getting a modern reboot lately, and I'm so excited to discover the amazing iBook app from Brainy Fables, which is all about it, too. The Brainy Fables iBook app redux takes on a…

If you have one at home, you know it's real. A rabbit and mouse friend named Pip and Posy know it, too, which is probably why more than 200,000 copies of the Pip and Posy picture books have sold in twelve languages worldwide. Andnow ther…

My girls are too young to remember the Girlhood Journeys series of historical fiction that was published years ago. But, given how much they've gobbled up the American Girl books, I knew this newly reissued series might be right up their…

My kids, like many, fall into the "Quasimodo trance" as I call it when they are alone with my iPad and play mindless games. They sit, hunched over and when asked a question, simply respond with grunts and indiscernible noises. Not so whe…

If you're a traditionalist who doesn't like people messing with classics like "The Three Little Pigs" on their iPad apps, then you might as well not read this post. Jekolab, an Italian app developer has recently released a slightly less …

My three-year-old is a newly minted Peter Pan groupie. I assume she's not the only one, which is why this new Peter Pan app has her absolutely, well, hooked, and I have to admit, I'm pretty into this e-book/app hybrid too. The Peter Pan:…

If you want to know the best of Hollywood, you watch the Academy Awards. If you want to know the best of the Internet, you follow the Webby Awards . These accolades recognize the best websites, interactive ads, online film and videos, an…

Today on Earth Day many of us are taking this opportunity to talk to our kids about recycling and sustainability and turning off the lights. Or maybe they're talking to us--a group of six year olds informed me yesterday that it takes a j…

To help us celebrate this 42nd anniversary of Earth Day (wow!), we've picked out a song from one of our favorite bands for kids and adults: They Might Be Giants. Their most awesome CD/DVD combo, Here Comes Science , is a must-have for an…

Even though I managed to pull a strong B+ in my college Art Appreciation class, my art history is a little rusty all these years later. And Van Gogh? Beyond the usual "ear incident" and the iconic sunflowers and starry night, my wealth o…

With two kids under the age of six running around the house, the importance of keeping tops and tails fresh and relatively clean comes up a lot. A lot. Personal hygiene is still in work in progress for both of them, but I'm pretty confid…

I'm a big fan of technology that gives people an opportunity to learn things they wouldn't normally have access to. We've previously raved about the universally beloved Khan Academy , and now I'm thrilled that they've just released a mob…

The other night, I dragged my kids outside in their pajamas to show them Jupiter and Venus and felt so smart, considering that the only thing I can reliably find on my own in the cosmos is the moon. But thanks to one cool app, I already …

If you like the idea of your kids playing with iPhone or iPad apps in the back seat to keep them occupied, but feel better when the apps are educational instead of--oh, say, Angry Birds, we completely feel you. Whether you've got day tri…

Even with all their toys, my kids have always been fascinated by the no-frills blue-and-green globe they can spin around and look at countries with hard-to-say names like Azerbaijan. So you can imagine how neat they are finding a brand n…

Though my kids generally loathe being dragged along from store to store when I have errands to run, there is one store I have no problem getting them into: The Apple Store. In fact, I usually have to drag them out when I'm ready to leave…