If I had to pick a CD to take with my family onto a desert island this summer, it'd be the Sugar Free Allstars' latest release. The ten tracks pack a whole lot of funky deliciousness into 36 minutes, with lyrics that always perk us up an…
My oldest daughter is about to enter sixth grade and if statistics are correct, her current love of science will likely wane as society subtly spreads the message that science and engineering studies are "not for girls." But, I'm going t…
Once kids are past the age of banging on an overturned pot and wooden spoon,they can now move onto something more melodious than a simple percussion instrument. And while their fingers may not yet be big enough to tickle the ivories, the…
Once my kids had outgrown toddler-pop songs and quiet lullabies, they were ready for music that was a bit more grown up, though not of the he did me wrong/I partied all night long genre. Fortunately, elementary-school kids like mine have…
We had the best time writing this post on behalf of our sponsor, Bing . Read on and you'll know why. Also, you may get Celine Dion stuck in your head after this and for that we apologize. I hardly know a parent in my circle who doesn't c…
Geek gifts may be some of our favorite Father's Day gifts to shop for. (We love our cool geeky dads!) Here, some super fun gift ideas if the dad on your list isn't quite the yachting in Greenwich while wearing an ascot type. Spell out Ha…
Dan Zanes is happiness squared. His music puts me in a great mood each and every time I give it a spin--even without the kids, when I'm alone in the minivan. So I'm excited to see his new project that didn't come out of a sound studio, b…
When I wrote about the first Okee Dokee Brothers CD back in '08, I called them "equal parts hillbilly, seven-year-old boy and your favorite teacher"...heavy on the 7 year old boy. Now on their third release, it's as if the two jokers wit…
We are not generally fans of albums of popular music covered by band that dumb down the music for kids--or worse, have kids sing the music. I'll take my Beatles sung by the Beatles, thanks very much. That said, I was nervous when I heard…
Since returning home from this year's Kindiefest, I've been listening to loads of great kids' music I can't wait to share, like this brand-new release from one of our kindie favorites, Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band. Their latest col…
When Caspar Babypants burst onto the kindie music scene, I remember thinking it was cool that this Presidents of the United States of America lead singer had dipped his toe into the kindie pool with this little side project. Now, four ye…
Live your life. Live your life. Live your life. That quote is from Maurice Sendak's last interview on NPR. We're so sad that the great curmudgeon, writer, and artist has passed away, but his books will live on in our hearts--and bookshel…
Yesterday, Beastie Boys lovers everywhere collectively gasped with the passing of Adam Yauch. For so many of us, MCA will live on in our MP3 players and iPods--and for some of us, in our mix tapes that are still packed away in boxes some…
Okay so who isn't at least somewhat fascinated by celebrity baby names--especially those from the rock stars we know and love. Sometimes I wonder if they have any regrets. (True Story: a friend of mine named her baby a name she wasn't co…
For the past few years, I've traveled to Brooklyn, grabbed my editor Liz, and headed to the most fun conference filled with some of the best and smartest people making and promoting kids' music. We do it for love of the genre. And to fin…
The first time I saw the Brooklyn duo The Pop Ups perform live, I fell for their sound as well as their bouncy-kid goofiness and ad-libbing fun, which had the entire audience grinning from ear to ear. With their latest release, they do a…
The minds behind Yo Gabba Gabba! are not content to settle with one successful kids show. In fact, they have just hooked themselves a certain daughter I know with a brand-new show--and some truly awesome rock music. And I'm betting a lot…
We have always loved the versatility of Dan Zanes' music and the multicultural sound of so many of his songs, whether they're in his collaborations with the children of South Africa's Agape Orphanage in singing Zulu folk songs , or in a …
Once upon a time there was bare space on the wall Now I'm really digging this art. Let's go hang it up, this Total ellipse of the heart! Math geeks and fans of Bonnie Tyler will dig this Total Ellipse of the Heart print by Michael Paukne…
I love reading books out loud . They really make the stories come alive in a fun and vibrant way. But I'll admit I'm no Meryl Streep. Know who is a Meryl Streep? Meryl Streep. And now she's narrating one of my favorite children's stories…
Picking our favorite of all the coolest kids' music of 2011 is a little like picking among our children--so many incredible artists creating so many great albums, that even parents like them too. Here, Christina's top ten kids' albums of…
Last year, kindie music favorites The Jimmies came out with a five-song downloadable EP right before the holidays with the best holiday title ever: Mama Said Nog You Out. Well, like our favorite eggy concoction, The Jimmies are back for …
We headed off to see The Muppets this past weekend, both for the nostalgia and to introduce my kids to the beloved characters of my younger years. And while I believe that much of this movie would be lost on kids younger than grade schoo…
As much as I love listening to the awesome music that comes my way as part of being CMP's primary kids' music reviewer, I find picking my favorites to be one of the harder tasks I have to do. It's like deciding if I like salted caramel b…