Kris’ Korner

One of the time-honored traditions of childhood is being read a bedtime story. No matter how much you love spending time with your kids, there are inevitably going to be nights where reading them a story is just not a possibility. With the new movie “Where the Wild Things Are” coming out this week, I decided to revisit one of my favorite children’s stories.

After typing the name into a search engine, I was surprised to find a version of the book on YouTube. The video clip showed all of the pictures from the book while being narrated with feeling and emotion. Online childrens books are a great way to introduce your kids to reading and make sure they always have a bedtime story.

It’s hard to believe that summer came and went so quickly. But sure enough, the air has taken on a crisp tinge and the trees are preparing to the hue of their foliage. In no time at all, front yards will be littered with leaf piles and frost will cling in unique patterns to every exterior window. To put it bluntly, fall is here and Halloween is nipping close at its heels.

For children, the thrill of the season is twofold. First, the holiday offers them a chance to go around the neighborhood demanding candy at every doorstep. Second, it gives them a chance to try out new kids Halloween costumes. Those outfits might reflect traditional Halloween themes such as ghosts, goblins, witches and mummies. On the other hand, they might be inspired by popular kids’ movies that have been released recently. Either way, it’s crucial that parents stock up on costumes well before the big day.

Along with the joy and anticipation of a baby’s arrival is the pleasure of  buying all the baby “goodies” - clothing, blankets and accessories.  Shopping for these items can be expensive so its c0mforting to have sources for discount baby clothing.

Babies grow so quickly so getting great baby clothing at discount prices is a real budget saver!  Parents will  have the pleasure of providing quality baby clothing and accessories at discount prices.  As parents this is something to feel good about.

Growing up, I was no different from most kids in that I despised trips to the dentist’s office. When the little reminder postcard arrived in the mail, I would try to hide it in a stack of bills, just praying that my parents wouldn’t notice. But to no avail – I always wound up being dragged to the familiar waiting room. My dread would subside, however, as soon as I remembered the stockpile of Highlights magazines for kids in the corner.

Unlike my mother’s fashion magazines and my dad’s golf journals, these mags contained stories that appealed to my age group. Looking back, I’ve come to realize how many lessons I learned just from reading Highlights. The publishers recognized that children have a hard time discerning irony, so they laid things out their moral lessons in black-and-white terms that were relatable to kids.

Making the time to help your children learn and develop their reading skills is one of the most important things you can do as parents and starting as early as infancy is not too early.  One of the best ways to start your infant or toddler on the right path to reading success is the See & Spell toy by Melissa and Doug.

This creative childrens toy will help your children to associate words with pictures by placing the colorful wooden letters in their proper places to spell three and four letter words.  This creative childrens toy is sure to spark your childrens  interest in reading and the See & Spell comes in a convenient wooden carrying case.

When a friend or family member is expecting a baby, they are usually showered with gifts for the new little one. Gifts like baby clothes and toys are common, but babies grow out of clothes very quickly and toys can only hold their interest for so long. Books, however, last much longer and provide educational entertainment for a child. They are integral to story time, which usually precedes naptime or bedtime and is a calming and peaceful time for parents and kids to bond.

Consider giving children’s books at the next baby shower you attend. Books for children vary by age group, so you might want to get a couple of books that will continue to entertain the child as he or she grows. Padded fabric books with fuzzy animals, shiny mirrors, and other touch and sight pleasing elements are great for younger babies. Cardboard books with easy-to-turn pages are great for toddlers, and books with more text and storyline are perfect for older kids who have already learned to read. Choose a few books for babies, as well as children’s classics, like Dr. Seuss and Goodnight Moon, to help the new parents build a library for their child.

Long before Halloween rolls around, kids often get exciting about dressing up and already know what they want to be that year. Choices that are already popular include classic, creepy creatures, like witches, ghosts, vampires and goblins. Little girls gravitate to Disney princess outfits and popular movie and TV characters, like Hannah Montana and the girls from High School Musical. Boys like to be pirates, Power Rangers, Transformers and more.

But older kids may tire of those predictable costumes, and they may not want to look like everyone else in their class on Halloween. If your child is dying for something different this year, you can find tons of unique kids costumes online. You may even want to browse a lot of different costumes to get ideas to make your own unique costume at home. No matter what costume your child ends up with, remember that the point of Halloween is to have fun – and eat candy!

Ever Since the launch of  Highlights Magazine for children over 60 years ago, the company has been committed to helping children discover their creativity, sensitivity to others and promoting that children are the most important people.  Highlights Magazine is dedicated to not only helping children but to parents and educators as well, so they can help nuture children.

With over two million readers monthly this wonderful childrens magazine has so many activities like problem solving, stories, wonder about the world and inspiring self-confidence and much more.  Highlights has developed childrens magazines for all age groups ranging from 3 to 12 years of age all with different activities and life skills.  Just think how excited your children will be to receive a copy of  Highlights Magazine in the mail just for them.

Children can benefit from being exposed to music as early as when they’re still in the womb. Many parents believe that the rhythm and melodies of music can improve children’s intelligence, brain function and general quality of life. Listening, dancing and singing along to music keeps kids occupied and is a great alternative to having them watch TV. It can also help younger kids learn words, and even different languages!

A unique gift for any child is personalized kids music. CDs are available that feature your child’s name being sung over and over again throughout several fun and entertaining songs. Imagine your child’s surprise when he or she realizes this CD was made especially for them! One company who produces personalized kids music has featured over 4,200 of the most popular names on CDs, and they only cost $14.95 – about the same price as a regular, non-personalized CD. One of the first words a child learns is his or her own name, and it will always be special to them – give your child a gift they’ll treasure for many years to come!
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Tracing the history of childrens literature to an exact moment in time is difficult due to the difficulty in defining childrens literature.  Many books written were not intended for children, but over time have become classic childrens books. 

Some of the earliest stories that became popular by children were written in the 15th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.  Books like the Tales of Robin Hood, Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretal just to mention a few.  Children became fascinated by these stories, so over the centuries these stories have been geared toward children.