Finally, a bouncy seat that matches all my cool Ikea furniture. I love Swedish design!

The stylish BabyBjörn Babysitter Balance is really more like a designer accessory than a piece of baby gear. The reversible fabric gives you four color schemes in one, and the solidly constructed frame has three positions for baby–play, rest and sleep. There’s also the ability to fold the entire seat flat so you can store it under the bed, the couch, or in the trunk of the car…

Learning another language is a big brain boost–plus it is tons of fun, too.

We’ve written before about the benefits of bilingualism. Watching a language video, like the ones from Little Pim, with your older toddler, preschooler, kindergartner, or grade-school age child can help boost proficiency–especially if you discuss the video with your child. And if you are not a native speaker, DVDs and CDs in foreign languages are absolutely essential as part of your language program…

Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?

Why, yes, yes I can. In fact, if you are able to get to Madison Square Garden, Mamanista can take you there!

Sesame Street was a favorite of mine as a kid–a magical place of learning, sharing, and caring. So, it is very exciting that we get to share tickets not only with a reader’s family, but also with some children who could use a special day!

Looking for a last-minute Hanukkah present or last-minute Christmas present? Visit your local toy store! There are so many benefits to shopping locally. One of the big benefits: education. Local stores provide personalized service. I have a great relationship with my local store owner, and I have appreciated some of their tips and product recommendations. My neighborhood toy store carries unique educational toys. But I bet you didn’t know that you are actually supporting your local schools when you shop locally.

The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe is, hands down, the most popular toy at our play dates.

We’ve been able to teach the toddlers and preschoolers to line up, inspired by their desire for a turn at the Cozy Coupe…

If your little ones are crazy for cars, make their holiday dreams come true with this line of exclusive cars from RosieHippo.com.

RosieHippo.com is a top source for organic toys, wooden toys and handcrafted quality toys. All of the toys have been carefully selected by owner Kim Bloom. Kim is a mom, and the line of exclusive cars and trucks came from her son Ethan’s requests.

When my first child was born, I went on a quest for the lightest playard/Travel Crib available. Since then, some new lightweight cribs have come on the market but assembly was a challenge. Now, BabyBjorn has a new entry into the lightweight travel crib category. BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light has a simple “one movement” assembly, making it an innovative new baby gear offering…

Kids love tracing. My daughter will set there filling page after page, tracing numbers and letters. In an attempt to save a few trees, I got her a dry-erase book for copying her letters and numbers. Which works pretty well until she forgets to clean it or the pen dries out or her baby brother gets ahold of the marker and tries to eat it.

Even better? The LeapFrog Scribble & Write…

We’re fans of the Plan Toys philosophy of making quality play things that are healthy for kids, contribute to our communities, and are good for the planet.

Plan Toys has a knack for creating fresh twists on classic toys that promote children’s physical, emotional, and intellectual development. We love their simply delightful, clever, and stylish takes on wooden push and pull toys, like the new Plan Toys Push-a-Long Duck.