To kick off our Rockabye Baby Crafts Series, we’ve drawn up a pair of Rockabye Bear finger puppets for an at home jam session for you and your little one. When you’re ready to rock out, follow our quick instructions for an easy and swift stage set up. Load-in has never been this simple!
If you’ve had your fair share of The Great Pumpkin and would rather not sit through yet another Harry Potter flick, it’s time to return to some oldies, but goodies in the Halloween genre. So, pop some popcorn, grab a comfy seat and get ready for some “spooktacular” viewing. Here are our top 5 picks, again. See our first article of Top Classic Kid-Friendly Halloween DVDs.
5. Ghostbusters
Your kids should know why the catchphrase ‘Who ya gonna call?’ still lives on. This movie gets bonus points for coining “I’ve been slimed!”…long before the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards made it fashionable.
4. Edward Scissorhands
A landmark film that put Johnny Depp in a class by himself. We don’t know what we like best: the candy-colored American suburban setting or Scissorhands’ incredible er….handiwork on the neighbors’ shrubbery.
3. Beetlejuice
When a couple of ghosts set out to scare new home owners, mischief and hilarious antics undoubtedly ensue. We still get a chuckle every time Michael Keaton utters this movie’s title.
2. The Nightmare Before Christmas
The title may be deceiving because this memorable stop-action flick pays homage to spooks and spirits—not Santa Claus. Tim Burton and friends deliver a unique story that reveals what happens when the King of Halloweentown experiences Christmas.
1. Monsters, Inc
Little ones will delight in the reversal of power in this Disney flick that has the scary guys afraid of a small child. This is one place that knows how to “scare up” business.
Children’s show Yo Gabba Gabba, a group that often brings indie rockers or other musicians on their show to perform and participate in various fun activities for kids, has hit the road recently. While the core group of odd animals, plants, and whatever else those characters happen to be are along for the ride, depending on the city and who’s around they’ve had some bands stop by their shows as well.
Mostly recently, Broken Social Scene stopped by to show the crowd how to do some crazy dance moves:
Check out when Snoop showed up at the LA show to show the kids how to do the same dance:
In Dallas, Erykah Badu showed up:
And so did Biz Markie:
In NYC Dinosaur Jr showed up:
In Toronto, the Aquabats showed up:
Yo Gabba Gabba is currently on a massive tour, get your tickets now:
10/02 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
10/03 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
10/05 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Theater
10/06 – Cleveland, OH @ State Theatre at PlayhouseSquare
10/08 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
10/09 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
10/10 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
10/11 – Louisville, KY @ The Palace Theatre
10/13 – Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre
10/15 – Richmond, VA @ Landmark Theater
10/16 – Greensboro, NC @ War Memorial Auditorium
10/17 – Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
10/19 – Chattanooga, TN @ Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium
10/20 – Huntsville, AL @ Von Braun Center
10/21 – Nashville, TN @ Jackson Hall – Tennessee PAC
10/23 – Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
10/24 – Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
10/27 – Jacksonville, FL @ Moran Theatre at Times Union Center
10/29 – Kissimmee, FL @ Silver Spurs Arena
10/30 – Tampa, FL St. @ Pete Times Forum
10/31 – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
11/02 – Columbia, SC @ Township Auditorium
11/03 – Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Theatre
11/05 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
11/06 – Kansas City, MO @ The Midland
11/07 – Denver, CO @ 1st Bank Center
11/09 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The E Center
11/12 – Spokane, WA @ INB Performing Arts Center
11/13 – Seattle, WA @ Tacoma Dome
11/14 – Portland, OR @ Memorial Coliseum
11/15 – Eugene, OR @ Hult Center
11/18 – Sacramento, CA @ Memorial Auditorium
11/20 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
11/21 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
11/26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theater
11/27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theater
11/28 – San Diego, CA @ San Diego Sports Arena
12/04 – Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theater
12/05 – Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theater
12/07 – El Paso, TX @ Abraham Chavez Theater
12/09 – San Antonio, TX @ Freeman Coliseum
12/10 – Houston, TX @ Hobby Center
12/11 – Austin, TX @ Cedar Park Center
12/12 – Dallas, TX @ Dr Pepper Arena
The kids’ stage at the Austin City Limits Festival, dubbed the Austin Kiddie Limits stage, has finally announced their schedule for the shows, starting the weekend of October 8th – October 10th. The kids stage provides kids with a lot of great activities and food while they get to experience the latest and greatest in children’s music.
There will also be a Rock Star Video Karaoke tent, a School of Rock tent where instructors and rock stars will interact with kids, as well as a bunch of workshops that works with kids in nourishing their creative side. These workshops include a lyrics workshop, an air band competition, and a live band karaoke as well. There’s even a hip-hop workshop that teaches kids how to scratch and beatbox. That’s amazing; I want to go so bad now!
The list of activities goes on and on and on, so head over to www.aclfestival.com for full details.
The schedule for the kids stage:
Friday, October 8
11:30-11:55 – School of Rock All Stars
12:30-12:55 – The Jellydots
1:30-1:55 – The Verve Pipe
2:30-2:55 – The Okee Dokee Brothers
3-ish: Special Guest TBA
3:30-4:00 – Tom Freund
Saturday, October 9
11:30-11:55 – The Jellydots
12:30-12:55 – Elizabeth Mitchell
1:30-1:55 – Tom Freund
2:30-2:55 – Frances England
3-ish: Special Guest TBA
3:30-4:00 – Sonicbids winner (Sugar Free Allstars)
Sunday, October 10
11:30-11:55 – Sonicbids winner (Sugar Free Allstars)
12:30-12:55 – Elizabeth Mitchell
1:30-1:55 – The Okee Dokee Brothers
2:30-2:55 – Q Brothers
3:00-3:25 – Frances England
3:30-ish: Special Guest TBA
4:00-4:25 – The Verve Pipe
If there’s a preschooler in your household, the name Laurie Berkner might just as popular as Mom and Dad…well, almost. The rockin’ mom with the unmistakable mop of curls and the kid-friendly vocals puts a face with the name, so to speak, in her compilation of music videos previously seen on Nick Jr. Every favorite Berkner tune, from the tongue-twister “Victor Vito” to the clap-a-long “I’m a Mess,” is on this release narrated by everyone’s favorite preschool TV hosts Moose and Zee.( In fact, these guys make their own musical appearances with Nick Jr. theme songs “Everywhere I Go” and “Music Makes Me.”)
Whether Laurie is counting down on a rocketship run or cloud-watching, her songs offer catchy lyrics that both kids and grown-ups quickly grasp. She knows her audience well and can relate to kids on their own level (check out “Pig on Her Head” to see what we mean). And as we begin gearing up for the Halloween season, see if “The Cat Came Back” doesn’t put you and your kids in the mood. Let’s hear it for The Laurie Berkner Band! will be available on September 28 from Nickelodeon Home Entertainment/Paramount Home Entertainment.
Have a burning question you’re dying to ask Elmo? Now is the time to do it. Sesame Workshop is hosting an Ask Elmo forum on YouTube where parents and kids can write in their best query for everyone’s favorite furry friend. Visit Elmo’s YouTube channel and click on Moderator where you can send in a question or vote for someone else’s question. Elmo will be asking the top questions in a few weeks, so put your thinking caps on and get started!
If your kid doesn’t know his Charlie Parker from his John Coltrane, then get thee to Oran Etkin’s Wake Up, Clarinet! tour. The Brooklyn, NY-based jazz musician, known for his uniquely named Timbalooloo method of teaching kids the fundamentals of music through games, stories and songs, will be in the New York area next weekend to help promote his new CD.
Check him out at one of these venues:
Highline Ballroom
Saturday, September 25, 2010, 12 noon (doors open 11:30 am)
431 W. 16th St. NYC 10011 Tickets: $10 Advance / $12 day of show/ Family 4 pack for $30 Information: http://www.highlineballroom.com, or call the box office at 212-414-5994
Saratoga Springs Public Library Dutcher Community Room
Sunday, September 26, 2010, 2:00 p.m. (doors open 1:30 pm)
49 Henry Street Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Free admission! Information: call (518) 584-7860 or visit http://www.sspl.org
Oran Etkin also brings his Timbalooloo music to NYC Borders stores on September 19th. Visit www.timbalooloo.com for updates.
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.
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 
Finally, no true fan should let their kid leave the Elvis site without checking out the 
