February is Black History Month, a tradition that began in the early part of the 20th Century. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the son of former slaves, became a scholar and was disturbed that black Americans and their contributions were ignored in history books.  Dr. Woodson, earned his Ph.D. from Harvard, and later became known as the Father of Black Month.

Celebrate President's Day with a few good books and a great new video. Here are some good choices you will find in the bookstore or the local library.

What is it that fascinates children about dinosaurs? Is it their enormous size? Their monstrous looking teeth and claws? Is it their deliciously long complicated names that six and seven year olds take pride in mastering? Could it be that they represent a kind of safe scare kids can conquer by knowing what the prehistoric giants ate or when and where they lived?

So many parts of the day do not allow for creativity. Our children's busy lives are often shaped by daily routines that leave little time for daydreaming. Click here for suggestions that will spark your child's imagination.

In our eagerness to help beginning readers parents often think that books that are harder will give their kids an advantage. With the best intentions, beginners get bogged down with flashcards, workbooks and are urged to "sound-it-out!" Instead of books being a shared pleasure, too often they become a source of tension. If you want to build a love of reading begin with books that build your child's fluency and ease with reading. Children need a sense of success and can-do power that comes with feeling confident. This is more important than trying to rush them to the next level. Bring home easy to read books with few words, even books with no words that your child tells from the picture clues. 

Unlike a lot of novelty toys that often lose their luster, games are returned to again and again. They are not just entertaining; many have solid learning built into the fun. Here are some of the top choices we've tested and think you and your family will like playing. Click here to see our list!

As we were adding the newest tutus and ballet books to our award list, we realized how many wonderful gift choices there are to consider. Here are a handful of wonderful choices.

Finding toys for kids with special needs is not all that different from choosing toys for all kids. Good toys match children's developmental skills, their interests, and most of all are really appealing. Too often gift givers think they need to find something that is "good for" kids. 

One of our favorite doll collections of the year is Joobles from Fair Indigo. We had a conversation with Fair Indigo founder Rob Behnke.  Having worked at such retail giants as Lands' End and Macy's we wanted to know about his journey that led him to start his own company that has such a strong commitment to fair trade. Read my interview. (I love this photo of Rob as a child with Santa!  It looks straight out of a picturebook.)

The holidays are certainly time for some novelty--and most kids have a "must have" toy that you know will probably be old news long before the holidays are over.  If your budget allows, there's no problem with bringing some of that home.  That said, there is also the statistic that on average parents spend 60% of their total toy budget for the year during the holidays, so it is important to bring home a rich mix of toys that will be enjoyed for more than that "just out of the box" moment.  Here are some of our favorites of the season.   Watch the segment.