If you're a parent like me, you've probably got a list of games to buy your kid this holiday season. And if said kid is under the age of 11, you've probably spent some time online or in Best Buy trying to determine which Lego or Mario or Potter or whatever game on his list might actually be age appropriate and entertaining. You read reviews. Talk to other parents. Check the the ESRB ratings. All good, but -- even with an "E" rating, it's still a video game, right? Pangs of parental guilt.

I think this Instructable for making a custom clock with photo hands from member edmonds librarian has got to be the best idea ever for getting kids interested in telling time. What kid wouldn't crack up watching themselves circle the face of a clock? Heck, I crack up every time I see this Instructable. And judging from what motivates my own kids to learn new skills, if your laughing and having fun while learning something tricky you're going to really learn it and learn it fast.

I really do love children's holiday books. We fill our humble living space with decorations and a full basket of themed books we've collected over the years. At this point we have such a nice collection of books for each holiday that we are, perhaps, even slightly more excited about the books than the decorations.

My kids are crawling the walls counting down the day until sundown Friday in anticipation of the beginning of Chanukah. The best I can do to keep them focused on the week ahead yet not damper their spirits is craft, craft, craft with them.

Every Friday my children light the Shabbat candles. My 10 year old handles the matches skillfully, while my 3 year old daughter gets help from my husband (much to her disliking).

And because she wants to be just like her older brother, doing everything he does without help from mommy and daddy, it's going to be a real challenge come Chanukah this year. My husband and I will wrestle to hold her hand so she doesn't burn the house down or worse, herself.

With two popular cookbooks (Secret Life of Food and Hey There, Cupcake!)

Chanukah begins at sundown December 11th...Yikes! That leaves practically no time for holiday crafting with my kids, something that brings me huge amounts of pleasure. Decorating our home together with symbols and colors associated with the Festival of Lights using recycled materials simply warms my heart.

Hanukkah 2009 is almost here (starts Friday, December 11); time to dust off the menorah, toss the dreidel and eat lots and lots of fried foods. For us, it's also time to crank the holiday music and let loose. For the past few years, The LeeVees have been in heavy rotation as we've lit the candles and recited the blessings. But this year, we've got another new favorite, "Chanukah Fever," and it's got a seriously contagious energy.

There are two things that frustrate my 3 year old daughter beyond measure right now...catching a ball and wearing gloves. And while she's been obsessed with accurate ball handling ever since her older brother's Spring baseball league (tear driven when she's unable to play a solid game of catch) gloves have become her newest love/hate object. Just the simply of putting and keeping on gloves drives her insane. Yet, being the mindful mother that I am (ha) I go on chilly day after chilly day forcing my child to keep those teeny digits covered anytime it hits below 60 outside.

When trying to teach toddlers a few pre-kinder skills it's best to have a few tricks in your bag. Young kids tend to learn best and are more motivated to try new things when concepts are presented to them in a fun way. One of the most important goals for us parents is raising our kids to be life-long learners and how better to achieve this than by showing our kids that learning is in fact fun.

Whitney from Rookie Moms shares a quick and clever trick for keeping those big brothers and sisters close by when mama (or daddy) is out and about with two kids, one walker and one stroller bound, both under the age of four. Check out her tutorial for making a big kid stroller handle. Crafted from items you probably already have around the house it's inexpensive and simple to put together. Attach it to the side of the stroller and get rolling.

I recently received a copy of Rebecca Frezza & Big Truck's latest album Rockin', Rollin' and Ridin'. I'd never heard any of this band's music, and quite frankly, I misjudged them when I first saw the cover of their newest CD: a cartoony cover with Rebecca photoshopped behind the wheel of a yellow smiley-faced car.

Moving to Northern California means enjoying a fall season. Something we've never really experienced being native Southern Californians. Our kids are obsessed with all the vibrant autumn colors emerging all around us. Evening walks collecting leaves to press have become a favorite activity for our family.

I love, love, love this tutorial for making a car cozy from Sharla of My Little Gems. She's twisted the basic idea of the crayon roll up pouch into an awesome way for kids to take along their favorite sets of wheels wherever they go.

Dia De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead is a notable holiday falling after Halloween and is celebrated by many Mexican and Latin American families. The holiday is a vivacious and spirited celebration of the deceased honoring their lives and life itself. According to Wikipedia, "The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died.