I don’t think this is what Obama had in mind when he talked about teachable moments with kids, but what the heck…

There’s a hidden benefit in playing video games: learning about classical music. This, I found out last night at Video Games Live!, a totally unique musical experience dreamt up by video game music composers Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall. Three giant screens showed spliced video game footage, while a live orchestra and choir performed (mostly) classical music from the games.

 

And the kids -- and, yes, adults in anime-like costumes -- went wild. The highlights included an awesome take on the The Legend of Zelda and sweet remixes of cult classics, like Castlevania and Donkey Kong. Kids will more likely go crazy for the music from newer, more visually dramatic, games like Halo, Final Fantasy, and the World of Warcraft, though.

Tallarico was an entertaining host -- and personable and charming enough to convince a mom that a kid can be a gamer and a social rock star: “Some people think that video game music is nothing but simplistic bleeps and bloops,” he opened up, successfully pulling a boo out of the crowd. “This is an art form! There’s a reason why video games are the entertainment of choice for the 21st Century!”

So fess up: have you ever paid attention to the soundtrack to your kids' video games before?

 

It's official: Baby Einstein DVDs are not magic brain expanders, as many parents were led to believe.

Read No Einstein in Your Crib? Get a Refund (New York Times)  

From the article:

"Last year, lawyers threatened a class-action lawsuit for unfair and deceptive practices unless Disney agreed to refund the full purchase price to all who bought the videos since 2004. “The Walt Disney Company’s entire Baby Einstein marketing regime is based on express and implied claims that their videos are educational and beneficial for early childhood development,” a letter from the lawyers said, calling those claims “false because research shows that television viewing is potentially harmful for very young children.”

The letter cited estimates from The Washington Post and Business Week that Baby Einstein controlled 90 percent of the baby media market, and sold $200 million worth of products annually.

The letter also described studies showing that television exposure at ages 1 through 3 is associated with attention problems at age 7."

Disney, who owns the Baby Einstein brand, announced that they would allow an exchange or a refund of their products. (Visit Baby Einstein.com for the detailed instructions.)

So -- who has Baby Einstein DVDs at home? Did you watch them often, and did you think they were educational? What do you think of the charges of "unfair and deceptive practices" against Disney?

 

 

 

Kids love potty humor, and if you're like us, you regained your appreciation for a good poop joke when you became a Mom. So you and your child won't be able to get enough of whopooped.org, an interactive, educational site that quizzes kids about African animals and their poop. It's fun to use the mouse to feed the animals and help them lift their tails to relieve themselves -- and you'll be surprised how much there is to know about zebra dung.

Plus:
Baby Poop Slideshow
Poop: What's Normal, What's Not
The Ultimate Guide to Poop

Lots of us think about it, since being a mom involves A) a lot of reading them and B) a lot of story-telling, from “Let me tell you what will happen if you put that fork in that outlet” to the more enjoyable, “Once there was a little girl named Alice …”

But if you’ve gone from “I think I could write a children’s book” to “No, I really think I could write a children’s book,” and are looking for help, the folks at Little Airplane Productions want to be there for you.

Founded by an Emmy award-winning writer for Sesame Street, they’ve created shows like Wonder Pets!, and Oobi! (a 2001 Gold Parents’ Choice Award winner), and their weekend workshop for aspiring tot-tv producers has resulted in at least one deal.

This May, they’re branching out in a new direction: Picture books. They’re hosting a 3-day workshop where aspiring authors can mingle with book agents, authors, and published pros. It’s an investment, requiring a trip to New York, a kid-free weekend, and some hefty tuition. But you’ll get face time with people like Jon Scieszka (author of The Stinky Cheese Man), Greg Foley (Thank You, Bear), and publisher Anne Schwartz, who was behind Ian Falconer’s Olivia. And Susan Boyle isn’t the only one who’s dreamed a dream, right?

Just how do you get to Sesame Street? The iconic set is located in Queens, New York, but its look was based on a block in Harlem that charmed set designer Charles Rosen. That's just one of the tidbits of insider info in Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street by Michael Davis. The landmark show -- on the air for almost 40 years now -- has tackled tough topics like adoption, Down Syndrome, and death (remember when Mr. Hooper died? We're verklempt just thinking about it) with a staggering array of cameos -- everyone from Lauren Bacall to Ice-T.

More behind-the-scenes scoop:

• The original name was 123 Avenue B, but it was deemed too insidery New York. No one really liked the name Sesame Street, but no one came up with anything better, so it stuck.

• NBC and CBS both passed on the show. When you consider the gazillion dollars generated from licensing and merchandising, that was a colossal mistake.

• Oscar the Grouch was originally orange, and was inspired by a gruff cab driver puppeteer Carroll Spinney encountered.

• The first episode on November 10, 1969 was sponsored by the letters W, S and E, and the numbers 2 and 3.

To discover more behind-the-scenes secrets about show that taught your kid the alphabet (and helped you get a shower), read the book.