By Tracy McGinnis

Children’s music continues to grow in popularity as parents seek out songs that do everything from inspire their kids to learn about new cultures, encourage speech development, learn foreign languages, dance to the beat of a new genre, and yes, eventually find that sweet lullaby that will send them off to sleep. Here’s a sampling of CD’s that inspire kids to get in the right groove.

From Madonna to Mozart – What these babies listen to on the go

Leslie Williams first discovered the Babies Go collection when she was pregnant with her first son, Charlie, in Argentina in 2005. Williams was turned on to them because the CD’s covered so many bands that she loved. “It’s different from other music out there because the CD’s are musical renditions in lullaby from some of the world’s most popular music.” The CD’s are all instrumental versions of popular songs from artists like: U2, Sting, Bob Marley, Rolling Stones, Coldplay and more. “The instrumentals are soothing to babies while familiar and nostalgic to adults.”

Take an African dreamland adventure with Putumayo Kids

Putumayo Kids has added another CD to their Dreamland collection with the May 2008 release of African Dreamland. Artists on the album include Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Toumani Diabate and Samite and include music from countries including: Congo, Zimbabwe and others. Putumayo Kids has established itself as one of the leading children’s record labels since it was established in 1993. The Dreamland series from Putumayo includes Dreamland, Asian Dreamland and Celtic Dreamland and can be found at Putumayo.com.

From delivery to diaper changes –Stork Tunes help soothe mom and baby

Stork Tunes has created a new benefit CD that includes soothing music from artists including: Dixie Chicks, Celine Dion, Norah Jones, Billy Joel and Raffi, among others. Originally created to help women relax as they prepare to deliver their babies, the CD can be enjoyed after baby arrives as well. New proceeds from the sale of “Stork Tunes: Songs for a Happy Birth Day” benefit the March of Dimes.

Sprinkling of Stardust helps sing kids to sleep

This 2-disc CD features over 2 ½ hours and 42 tracks of soothing music including both traditional and original lullabies from sibling singers/songwriters Cher and Gene Klosner. The duo’s music has been performed by symphonies and the Cincinnati Pops, among others and is receiving rave reviews. The music on Stardust was composed with as many real instruments as possible including the oboe, cello, grand piano, acoustic guitar, flute and violin.

Dancin’ Dinos – What babies love about children’s hip hop CD

The Baby Loves Music Brand has released its newest CD introducing a new genre of music to parents and kids alike. Baby Loves Hip Hop Presents The Dino 5, was produced by accomplished hip-hop producer Prince Paul, who teamed up with top hip hop artists to create 20 tracks that sing songs and tell life learning lessons about hip hop dinosaurs. Created in 2005 to help parents introduce various genres of music to kids, Baby Loves Music has won awards for their previous CD, Baby Loves Jazz.

Read More:

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• A harmonious birth
• How to calm your crying baby

Michele Thompson, MS

Bonding over breakfast is a great way to start the day with your children. Here, some recipes your own “Chef Kid” will love…

Cantaloupe Canoes with Cottage Cheese
Serves 4

While you are cutting the cantaloupe, explain division to your kids. Then let them practice it by dividing the cottage cheese and granola or nuts among the canoes. This recipe can also teach them cooking measurements – 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup, and more.

Ingredients:
1 medium-sized cantaloupe
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup granola or finely chopped nuts
Ground cinnamon

Directions:
Scrub outside of cantaloupe under running water to remove any grit. Pat dry and slice cantaloupe in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and cut each half lengthwise to make a total of four wedges. Using a small ice cream scoop or a spoon, scoop out the center of each wedge of cantaloupe to make a “canoe.” Spoon 1/4 cup cottage cheese into each canoe and sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of granola or nuts. Dust with ground cinnamon.

Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits
Serves 2

Parfaits are a perfect way to teach your kids the importance – and fun – of eating a variety of foods. Use a different combination of fruit, flavored yogurts and cereals every time you make this breakfast “dessert.”

Ingredients:
1 cup mixed berries or other favorite fruit
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup crunchy cereal

Directions:
Fill the bottom of two tall glasses with 1/4 cup fruit. Top each with 1/4 cup yogurt and 2 tablespoons cereal. Repeat with fruit, yogurt and cereal.

French Toast Art
Serves 4

Let your kids practice their egg-breaking and whisking skills. They will love using their fingers to dip their slices of bread. Depending on their skill level, teach them how to use a spatula, allowing them flip the toast. Encourage their creativity and comfort with food by letting them decorate their toast with dried and fresh fruit, nuts, yogurt, jams or syrups.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 slices of whole grain bread
Dried and fresh fruit, sliced or diced
Assortment of whole and chopped nuts
Yogurt
Different jams and jellies
Maple or berry flavored syrups

Directions:
Preheat nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Pour egg mixture into a shallow square baking dish. Spray griddle or skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Dip bread in baking dish, generously coating both sides of each slice. Cook on griddle or skillet for 3 minutes or until bottom of bread is golden and egg mixture is cooked. Use a wide spatula to flip and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Serve and decorate with toppings.

Yummy reading
Amazon.com has hundreds of cookbooks for kids. These are a few of my favorite.

Betty Crocker’s Kids Cook!
By Betty Crocker Editors (Betty Crocker, 2007)

The Six O’Clock in the Morning… Kid’s Breakfast Cookbook
By Peter Engel (Silverback Books, 2007)

Chicken Soup for the Soul Kids in the Kitchen: Tasty Recipes and Fun Activities for Budding Chefs
By Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Chef Antonio Frontera (HCI, 2007)

Read more:

• Breakfast with your kids
  
• More recipes for kids
• Dragon Tales: Fun food ideas

Michele Thompson, MS

Do you remember helping mom or dad in the kitchen – measuring chocolate chips for cookies, stirring the batter for brownies, or frosting a freshly baked cake? Childhood cooking memories are often punctuated with the making of desserts. But what about breakfast – shouldn’t the most important meal of the day be the most important meal to cook with your kids?

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Busy schedules, ubiquitous drive-throughs and corner convenience stores have quashed the custom of breakfast. Children today are often fed in the car en route to school or opt to nonchalantly skip the morning meal. These kids are going to grow up without an appreciation for homemade dishes and will likely continue their drive-through or meal-skipping habits into adulthood.

Breakfast bonding
Cooking breakfast with your children not only instills a healthy habit, it gives you the opportunity to spend quality time teaching them a skill that will keep them well-fed for decades to come. Cooking breakfast together nurtures their cooking curiosities and, most important, it can nourish a loving parent-child relationship.

In addition, there are other benefits associated with the most important meal of the day. Research has shown that children who eat breakfast are more inclined to do better at school – they are not preoccupied with a growling tummy or the effects of low blood sugar. Children who start the day with a healthy meal are more likely to have better social interactions because they are less likely to be irritable and moody. As important, especially in the increasing midst of overweight kids, eating breakfast can prevent overeating and decrease the consumption of junk food.

Another benefit – this one more for you – is that once your children have mastered a few recipes, they may likely want to show off their cooking prowess. This means you will get the luxury of breakfast in bed (ideally with another adult supervising) or at the very least a sit-down morning meal made especially for – not by – you.

Tips for yummy breakfast success
1. Be patient and take your time. Patience is truly a virtue, especially when eggs get crushed on the counter, cereal generously dumps on the floor, and the smoke detector goes off because the toaster was turned up too high. Be accepting of the inevitable messes – taking them in stride will set a positive tone to your children’s learning experiences in the kitchen. It might be challenging for you to restrain from doing all of the cooking yourself but opt to go slow with your teaching and allow your children to actually learn.

2. Make it educational from the beginning. Decide on a recipe or a menu and have all the ingredients, measuring tools, appliances and cookware set out. Before you commence in food prep, teach your children about all the things they will be using. Let them practice their reading and vocabulary skills by reading recipes aloud. Let them guess the names and uses of the utensils, cookware, and appliances. As you prepare the recipes, reinforce their math skills – have them figure out the amounts of adding up ingredients, dividing ingredients in half, or the number of tablespoons in a cup. As important, teach your children about the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast.

3. Assign cooking tasks. Children often gravitate toward particular tasks they have seen done by adults. Ask them what they want to do and then tell them it is their “job.” “The key for parents is to let their children learn what they like doing,” recommends cookbook author Chef Jernard Wells, father of eight, from Ringo, Georgia. “If your child likes to stir, let him stir, then introduce other utensils and their uses when he has mastered the task he likes.” Every week or two, he will have mastered a new skill.

4. Make it fun. Add levity to your time in the kitchen. Rename breakfast foods with amusing monikers – banana smoothies can be Ape Shakes, waffles can become Butter and Syrup Rafts. Rally their breakfast spirit by celebrating Breakfast Holidays. Give them cookbooks written specifically for kids – these are usually more entertaining than standard cookbooks. When your children associate fun with cooking, they will likely develop a desire to cook for themselves, now and into adulthood.

5. Designate specific cooking times. Kids get excited about cooking and may always want to be in the kitchen. “I have to hide our cookbooks from my daughter because she begs to cook with me, even if its not meal time,” says Lori Clyde, mother of three and owner of Little Loved Ones Daycare in Bozeman, Montana. The key is to designate set “cook times.” For example, make Wednesday and Saturday mornings “cook times” – your children will know they get to help in the kitchen and that on other days, mom or dad are the chefs.

Though these tips can be applied to any meal you cook with your children, you might find that your children are in better spirits and more inclined to learn in the mornings. Later in the day, being tired can sap the fun out of any activity.

Read more:

• Breakfast recipes kids’ll love
• Cooking with kids
• Kids in the kitchen