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…

As a mom and an educational consultant, I believe in the power of play. A few carefully chosen toys can boost creativity and problem solving–here are a few of our top picks this year. With the best educational toys, your children will not even realize how much they are learning!

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…

Learning to spell can be as easy as ABC.

Lionsgate sent us the LeapFrog Talking Words Factory and this DVD is now my 2.5 year old daughter’s top pick for her daily video…

Puzzles are great way for young children to learn everything from shapes to numbers to species of animals…and now geography!

GeoPuzzles makes jigsaw style puzzles with the pieces in the shapes of the countries or regions, enhancing the learning. With this innovation, your child can hold an Italy-shaped piece in his hand…

Calendars and schedules are such an integral part of adult life, but understanding concepts like days of the week, months of the year and the seasons can be difficult for young children. Without a strong understanding of how the calendar works, it can be tough for a preschooler to understand concepts like exactly how long daddy will be away on a business trip or when his class is visiting the zoo.

Your kids will learn calendar skills at preschool or kindergarten, but you can give them a headstart with the “My Week” calendar from 2fishkids.

Elmer the Elephant marches to the beat of a different drummer, in syncopated rhythm.

If your child is a fan of Elmer’s lively and vivid books, she will immediately recognize this special Elephant friend in his new, high-quality plush form.

I want my daughter to enjoy the benefits of learning a foreign language. After reading The Bilingual Edge, I decided to introduce Spanish, since I’m proficient, and Russian, since I know a little and it is a heritage language for us.
We read books in these languages, listen to Baby’s First Steps in Spanish, and we play with Anya: the Bilingual Russian Doll by Language Littles.
Anya tells us, in both Russian and English, about her love of dancing. Although I wish she wasn’t wearing theatrical make-up and a pink …

Between supper and sleep time, we find time to relax. Baby Diva is a perpetual motion machine so it is important to try to wind her down a little before bed.
Siente is a beautiful soundtrack for some quiet pre-bedtime cuddling and has become part of our nightly ritual. Keep reading for a chance to win this beautiful collection of lullabies for future linguists.
The simple melodies, slow rhythms, and Patrice O’Neill’s lovely voice lull you to a more tranquil place. Even looking at the cover art makes me …