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?

When I was little, I wanted a play kitchen so badly but I never got one. I’m not complaining, I wasn’t emotionally scarred or anything, but maybe it's not too late to fulfill my dream of flippin' toy pancakes over a fake stovetop. There are some instructions over on marthastewart.com that show you how to make a beautiful toy oven out of a cardboard box. Since I'm not crafty at all, I am sure my oven would look nothing like this. But is anyone out there up to the challenge? Send us a picture of the finished product -- we might feature it on the site!

Plus:
5 Creative Crafts for Kids
5 Adorable Food Toys
6 Super Science Toys

Parenting's Christina Vercelletto appeared on the Today Show this morning to dish about our favorite mom-tested gear that adjusts to fit different stages of your kid's life, therefore giving you a ton of bang for your buck. Check out the clip below, then click through to our slideshow to see them all!

Our friends at the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) are holding a micro-essay contest on Facebook to raise awareness of their new rating summaries. Answer the question "If my family was a video game, our ESRB rating summary would be…" and you could win an amazing video game prize package! For example:

This is a daughter care simulation game in which players assume the role of the father of three young girls (i.e., the “Daughters of Triton”) in the midst of their mother’s 3-week-long Caribbean vacation business trip. Presented from a seagull’s-eye perspective, the game allows players to interview prospective play dates, navigate through daycare centers/babysitters, and pack the perfect mid-morning snack (e.g., Omega 3 fatty acid enriched fruit roll-ups). During the course of the game, players can accept quests to visit the liquor store, the local pub, and the “anywhere-but-here,” but are admonished not to by the game’s virtual “Mother-in-Law.”

My wanna-be crafty self made a sock monkey for a friend’s new baby recently. And I thought I was very clever, using a cute green striped sock instead of the traditional brown and red sock-monkey sock. (Btw, I found the pattern here.)

I had a really good time making it, but I’ll be honest: Since I’m no genius with a needle and thread (though I proudly own a sewing machine in my little NYC apartment), it took me, oh, an entire three-day weekend to gather the materials and make the thing. That’s why I love these Monkeez from Colonial Candle (someone else made them!):

I mean, could they be cuter? Granted, they don’t have the lopsided-head effect of my homemade monkey, but adding the hat would have put me over the edge.