To say that Elvis Presley’s music is timeless is as big an understatement as saying Jimi Hendrix knew how to play guitar. The man was bigger than life and his music transcends time and generations. There’s a reason that Graceland is still a destination vacation decades after his death. My parents grew up on Elvis, they taught me about his music, and I in turn have been teaching my kids about his songs. Even youngsters, who don’t understand the real history of Elvis can’t stop shaking their hips when they hear “Jailhouse Rock.”
There’s a good reason Elvis is still popular with kids, and it’s because those handling his affairs make his music and legacy accessible to children too. Check out Elvis’ official website and you can find plenty of things to do with your kids pertaining to the King.
The first thing I found was a section called Print and Color that offers you Elvis facts to be colored in by the kids. There are five different pictures to print and then color.
This section also offers a memory match game called Find Elvis. My kids love this one ,and funny enough, Thomas the Tank Engine has a similar game on their site. After that we played Surf Elvis, where you direct Elvis on a surfboard and try to pick things up while avoiding sharks. It helps to blast “All Shook Up” while you play this one.
I also found a downloadable Graceland activity book that repeated the coloring pictures but it also had 40 facts about Elvis with upside down answers to keep you guessing and an Elvis Word Find where you circle names like Hound Dog.
Finally, no true fan should let their kid leave the Elvis site without checking out the kids’ apparel. They have t-shirts, fleeces and my favorite, Elvis socks.
So check out the official Elvis website and keep the King’s memory alive.
Can’t get enough baby Elvis? Listen to an exclusive full-length sneak peek of “Love Me Tender” (lullaby style) here. Learn more about our newest release, Lullaby Renditions of Elvis Presley.
Visit our Print & Play Activities page to download more Rockabye Baby! coloring pages, featuring the cutest artwork from Lullaby Renditions of Aerosmith, The Beatles, Queen and more! Plus don’t forget to check out the other fun stuff like Rockabye Baby! cupcake toppers and healthy baby food recipes.
The King has left the building… and arrived in the nursery! Lullaby Renditions of Elvis Presley will be available tomorrow, Tuesday, August 10th! Run to your nearest baby boutique to pick it up, check out song samples or buy online here, and listen to a full-length sneak peek of “Love Me Tender” here.
Looking to get a smile on your grumpy kid’s face? Or maybe you’re just in cuteness withdrawal? Well don’t worry; Cute Overload has you covered. Kids love these insane pictures that the site creators somehow find all over the web each day.
I mean, check out this video they found:
Seriously adorable. It’s insane how popular this site is, but I guess there are a lot of people who need a little boost during the day. Every child loves to laugh, and every parent loves when his or her kid isn’t crying.
The lists keep on coming. Screeching yells are such a fundamental part of classic rock music. They’re what differentiate the wannabes from the true performers, the guys who bare their souls on stage and have lived their lyrics. Rock music is as honest an art form as can be expressed, which is one reason why I’ve been playing it non-stop for my kids since they were born. In Part One of this series I described a “rock scream” game I play to help introduce them to the greats of rock. Be sure to catch Part Two as well. Here are three more lead singers who can scream with the best of them.
Dave Grohl – Foo Fighters
Although considered a part of the newer generation as opposed to classic rock, Grohl got his start hitting the drums for Nirvana before writing and releasing the self titled debut album in 1995. The best thing you can say about Grohl’s frontman status is that he’s a throwback and knows how to wail with the best of them. Check out the end of “Breakout,” the second track off of 1999’s There Is Nothing Left To Lose.
Brian Johnson – AC/DC
Johnson has a voice that sounds like at any second he will rupture a vocal chord, which translates into a perfect rock and roll voice. The amazing thing about Johnson is that he was a replacement for Bon Scott, the original singer of AC/DC. Check out the end of “Thunderstruck” around 4:30 to hear what I’m talking about. No other lead singer in rock sounds like him, though many have tried.
David Lee Roth – Van Halen
The guys in Van Halen just looked the part of Rock and Roll even before they plugged in or Diamond Dave opened his mouth. Of course once they did start to play their music was rock in its purest form with Dave leading the charge. His voice always seemed to sound like he was laying it all out there on the line for the sake of the music. Check out their Kinks cover of “You Really Got Me” to see what I mean.
This year Lollapalooza will invade Grant Park in Chicago on Friday August 6th and last until Sunday night. The thing that makes Lollapalooza different from every other music festival happening this summer is Kidzapalooza. There are many stages offering varying acts during Lollapalooza (including Lady Gaga and Green Day this year) but one stage and area is devoted solely to kids. The acts on the Kidzapalooza stage this year include Ed Kowalczyk (you probably remember him from heading up the band Live), The Verve Pipe (remember that song “The Freshmen”?), The Candy Band, Recess Monkey and of course the festival founder himself, Perry Farrell. Aside from a great three day line-up for kids, Kidzapalooza also offers various activities including Rock Star Video Karaoke, Drum Zone, Hairdooz, Tattooz, and Breakdancing, plus Hip Hop and Skateboarding workshops.
There is a ton happening at Kidzapalooza, and that’s just a small part of the Lollapalooza festival. So get your tickets for Lollapalooza to see some great bands (Soundgarden is getting back together on the third night) and at the same time take your kids to Kidzapalooza for a full rock experience.
Heads up: the website also claims to be launching a Kidzapalooza in Los Angeles although no information is available on where or when yet.
Last time in Part One of this series when I listed the top rock screams that I play for my for kids, I stuck to the classics: The Beatles, Springsteen, and The Who. While Roger Daltrey’s yell on “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is and always will be the greatest vocal-shredding rock scream ever recorded in a studio, it’s time to take a look at some other top-notch screamers. Here are three more guys who can belt it out with the best of them.
Robert Plant – Led Zeppelin
Arguably the greatest rock and roll lead singer ever. While Daltrey might hold the honor for greatest single rock scream on an album, Plant is the guy who consistently delivered the shrieks over and over again. It’s like his voice was made for rock and roll. Check out Led Zeppelin’s debut album and you won’t be disappointed in Plant’s screams, which are so good they simply sound like he’s singing (see “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”). Try “Communication Breakdown” at the 1:55 mark into this clip. You should probably just sit your kids down and say “Listen up, this is rock and roll,” and then hit play.
Steven Tyler – Aerosmith
There’s been a lot said and written about Aerosmith lately. Some say the band is too old and should quit rockin’ and many have speculated on the relationships within the band. But when these guys from Boston get up to play their 1973 classic “Dream On,” you can expect Tyler’s wail to show up. He just gives it his all at the end of the song and you have to wonder how many times over the course of his career his doctor has told him he needs to stop doing that to his vocal chords.
Axl Rose – Guns N’ Roses
Yes, Guns N’ Roses is really just Axl Rose’s backing band by now, but check these guys out back in the nineties. They brought rock back to its glory days and they did it with a great band and front man whose voice sounded like he was a human chainsaw. Check out this Axl scream compilation (particularly his performance on “Live and Let Die”).
Thursday, July 22nd kicks off the greatest weekend for geeks. It’s called Comic-Con and it happens once a year in San Diego. Over 100,000 people descend on the convention to discuss, attend panels, and dress up as their favorite characters. The convention has expanded to be about so much more than just comics and now includes TV, film and just about everything having to do with science fiction, cartoons, and more.
So why would this be interesting for kids? This year they are devoting one day (Sunday, July 25) to mostly children’s interests. Check out the website and look for events marked with a big K (for kids) on the Sunday schedule. The line-up includes Nickelodeon Presents: SpongeBob, Fairly OddParents, Fanboy, and The Troop (where you can catch screenings of new episodes), Children’s Film Festival, BOOM Kids! Muppets Spotlight (creating the Muppet Show comic book), How to Draw Star Wars for Kids, LEGO Universe Building Creativity Show & Tell, Nickelodeon’s The Troop: A Monster a Day Is All We Ask (an inside look), How to Draw Monsters, Sneak Peek into the LEGO Group’s New Constraction Property: Hero Factory!, Yo Gabba Gabba!— First Look and Live Show Ticket Giveaway, and Scooby-Doo Screening and Q&A.
If you’re into science fiction or just like dressing up as Chewbacca it’s worth checking out the convention in San Diego. You can also watch G4 over the weekend as they’ll be airing updates from the convention floor.
Our newest little devil, Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath, is out tomorrow. In honor of that auspicious nativity in black, check out our new coloring page.
Click here to download, then print and color. (Coloring outside the lines encouraged.)
Want more free Rockabye Baby coloring pages and print & play activities? Click here. We’ve got healthy baby food recipes too!
Can’t wait to hear it? Listen to an exclusive sneak peek of “Iron Man” here.
Our kids are going to grow up listening to music on their computer, iPod, iPhone or whatever new contraption makes it easy to carry tunes around. But years ago we used to have these things called LPs, as in long playing records, and while music wasn’t as portable as it is today, the size of the album cover artwork more than made up for it. The album art was as much a part of the experience as the music was.
Good design lets you in on what the artist is thinking about and what they are trying to convey with their music. Certain CD covers are so great, they overcome the size limitation, but I wonder if the album cover is becoming a lost art in this age of digital music delivery. I hope not.
So I thought I would make a list of the top 5 rock album covers that you should share with your kids to get them talking about music, art, or anything the pictures suggest to them. Be sure to add your favorite album covers in the comments!
5) Jay Z – Blueprint 3
Yes, the album just came out in 2009 but the cover is both striking in its simplicity and grand in its message. Combining all the instruments into one big bland white structure, Jay may be asking “Whatever happened to all the great music?” Kids will get a kick out of the structure and trying to identify all the instruments.
4) Supertramp – Breakfast in America
Their 1979 album takes a cheeky look at New York City from an airplane window. Instead of the Statue of Liberty, we see a woman holding a glass of orange juice. I think kids will like the funny perspective, and it seems like the recording industry did too because the album won the 1980 Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.
3) Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon
Simple yet colorful, Pink Floyd’s eighth studio album remained on the charts for over 741 weeks, longer than any other album in history. The prism that shines the colorful spectrum was exactly what the band wanted, something smart, neat and classy. Kids will dig the rainbow and it is definitely a good catalyst to spark a conversation on colors.
2) Nirvana – Nevermind
According to Kurt Cobain he conceived the idea for Nevermind’s album cover while watching a television program on water births. Nirvana’s second album showed infant Spencer Elden chasing a dollar bill on a hook in a pool. Kids will probably find the image funny and engaging.
1) Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Like most lists about rock music, this one ends with the Beatles. There were many trippy images on album covers in the sixties (see Jimi Hendrix) but the Beatles dressing up as a psychedelic marching band surrounded by cardboard models ruled them all. The cover was art directed by Robert Fraser who was a London art dealer and a friend of McCartney’s. The collage included over 70 people such as Marilyn Monroe and Bob Dylan. So if nothing else it could be a good history lesson for the kids. See who else you can spot!
Every year on Labor Day weekend, Gulfport, FL hosts a huge parade and street festival with tons of local music and activities for kids. Hailed as one of the best festivals of the summer by many top publications, the Gecko Fest has been a family favorite for years. People describe it as a “family-oriented Mardi Gras, Renaissance Faire, and British Loony Party gone Gecko in Gulfport, Florida.”
Attendees wear Gecko hats, fish hats, colorful hats, and costumes to celebrate the many colors of Geckos. Visitors are invited to bring along drums, rattles, noise makers, kazoos, musical instruments, balloons, even decorated umbrellas. You can actually join in the parade or be a spectator.
Located on Beach Blvd in Gulfport, FL, the festivities start on September 4th. Performers will include belly dancers, pirates, fire show, drum circle, clowns, mimes, magicians, local music and more. Admission and parking is free, so no excuses if you’re a stone’s throw from Gulfport.
For further information, call 727-322-5217 or visit the official site. More details will be announced as the weekend gets closer.
To say that Elvis Presley’s music is timeless is as big an understatement as saying Jimi Hendrix knew how to play guitar. The man was bigger than life and his music transcends time and generations. There’s a reason that Graceland is still a destination vacation decades after his death. My parents grew up on Elvis, they taught me about his music, and I in turn have been teaching my kids about his songs. Even youngsters, who don’t understand the real history of Elvis can’t stop shaking their hips when they hear “Jailhouse Rock.”
The first thing I found was a section called Print and Color that offers you Elvis facts to be colored in by the kids. There are five different pictures to print and then color.
Finally, no true fan should let their kid leave the Elvis site without checking out the kids’ apparel. They have t-shirts, fleeces and my favorite, Elvis socks.
