Nintendo Mario Kart For Wii - Great Wii Game For Kids

How much fun can kids have with a single Wii video game?  If you're looking to buy the Nintendo Mario Kart for Wii game, you're about to find out!

Released not too long before the holidays 2008, this game was the hottest-seller of all the Wii Games for Kids.  And - not too much of a surprise, it's loaded with fun, and is receiving reports that it's one of the most "kid friendly" Wii games available.

The game in itself is fun with the Wii controller - as well as on other gaming systems.  But if players use the Wii Wheel while driving in the game the control can be quite a bit higher, and it's more realistic game play as well.  Due to the ability to play the games (racing) with the Wii Wheel, the game is quite a bit simpler, and easier for little hands to deal with.

With the online gaming feature, up to twelve players can race at the same time, adding a whole new dimension to the game.  (Offline there can be up to four players racing at the same time.)

About the players - Gamers can play as one of the characters provided by the game (Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, etc.) - but they can also use their own personalized Mii character adding even more variety to play.

There are so many variations and fun twists to the Super Mario Kart for Wii game, that it's a bit tough to keep track of them all.  But one thing is for sure - If you're looking for a great game for kids 5 years or older - or adults, this is a great pick!

The 4 Best Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids Who Love Music

The holidays are here and it's time to make your list for Christmas with gift ideas for kids. They aren't that hard to buy for but it is getting more complicated due to the sheer amount of items one can purchase for the kids. Of course, the more gifts, the better the kids like them.

The first step is to find out what they want this year. They always want something but they do have something very special they want this year. Christmas gift ideas for kids can be anything from a small Lego kit to a full blown double seater electrical car.

Here the top 4 Christmas gift ideas for kids that have the music gene.

For the budding musicians, a Guitar Hero is the perfect gift. These are more than a fashion accessory; the kids can learn to play their favorite songs. They work with the Wii and PS2, plus they can do all the recording they want of their own songs.

Along with the Guitar Hero is the Roll Up Drum Kit for the drummer in the family. It comes with six sensor pads that easily plug into any computer via the USB ports. The software includes 48 different rhythms, and 8 special drum effects for the kids to make their own songs or add to existing songs. The Roll Up Drums can be taken anywhere they want to go, as long as there is electricity. Of course, they can take them on a camping trip to practice but unless they have a lot of batteries they won't be able to hook up to a computer.

Another great Christmas gift idea for kids with a musical bent is the Musical Hands Mat. It can easily be roll up to take with them wherever they want to go. It has hand prints for the piano keys and features the sounds of a piano, bell, cat, and baby chicken. It also has 8 melodies they can play along with while they learn how to play the piano. Although, it's designed for the little kids, bigger kids have been known to hog it.

Portable Roll Up Piano Keyboard is an actual piano keyboard for the older kids. They won't have to hog the Musical Hands Mat, they can play the piano whenever they want. They can learn to play or practice on this unique gift for kids with musical genes. It fits into any backpack and runs on batteries so they can play it in the car, while camping or in the backyard with the band from the neighborhood.

Of course, there are many other great Christmas gift ideas for kids who love music. Finding the right one for your child is a challenge you'll have to face.

Get the Best Christmas Gifts for Kids

Christmas is the one holiday in the world that kids will mostly adore. They are just very happy when Christmas is near for they will get to receive a lot of presents and eat a lot of sweets. Christians celebrate the day Jesus Christ was born on this day and it is one of the greatest holidays of the year, nonetheless. The tradition is that on Christmas everyone will give and receive gifts, which is a wonderful thing.

When it comes to Christmas Gifts for kids, they will most certainly want the latest and coolest toys on the market, rather than some clothes or anything related to that. If you have a boy then he will certainly like to receive either a cool toy car or a very nice video game, as we all know that these days kids are more and more enveloped into computer related activities. If you have a girl, then offering her a Barbie doll will definitely make her day. Yes, there are also computer games out there for girls, so buying a Barbie related computer game for her, she will utterly love it.

There are a lot of cars out there if you want to plan on buying one for your child. Some of them are very big and they worked on electricity. Even though they are kind of expensive, anyone would love to put a smile on their child's face, no matter how high the costs are. If you just cannot afford getting him such a big car, then don't worry.

There are plenty of other toys out there to consider. For example, you know too well that the most popular Christmas gifts are Spiderman, Superman or Dragon Ball Z characters which will certainly appeal to your young man. As children, we all loved these cartoons and wanted to have the figurines, but unfortunately in our time and age, that was not possible. You will see him acting thrilled right away, as anyone as a child likes to pretend he is Superman or Frieza from Dragon Ball Z.

Christmas is just a wonderful time of the year when everyone exchanges gifts and all in all, it is a wonderful atmosphere. Being together with your friends and families, sharing the same dinner table and telling stories, is truly an unforgettable experience.

In this time of the year, we all remember how wonderful were those days of childhood when we also received that beautiful Christmas Gift for kids from our parents and how happy we were back then. Truly remarkable memories.

Scrapbooking Ideas - 7 Scrapbooking Projects For Kids

When you think of scrapbooking you usually think of making scrapbook albums.  Have you tried using your scrapbooking materials for other projects?  These project ideas are great for scrapbooking with kids.

1. Decorate jars and use them as small storage items in your children's bedrooms, like marble collections or collectible game cards.  Look in your scrapbooking supplies for stickers and rub-ons to embellish any size jar. Baby food jars and Mason jars work well for this project.

2. Make greeting cards when scrapbooking with your children.  Nearly any type of scrapbooking material can be used for making cards.  Children will love creating their own Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day or birthday cards.

3. Holiday decorations are easy to make with scrapbooking materials.  For example, Thanksgiving embellishments and cardstock can make name plates for the holiday table.  Use your creativity and help your children make a centerpiece for the table out of paper and scrapbooking supplies.

4. Help your child keep a vacation journal.  Before you go on vacation, create a scrapbook album to take along and have your child complete the album while traveling.  Select a small album so it will be easy to pack in a child's carry-on bag.  Have pages pre-designed for some of the places you are planning to visit.  You could even include some journaling prompts throughout the album.  Some examples are "My Favorite Ride at Disneyland" or "The Best Thing about Staying in a Hotel."  Then attach a small plastic bag filled with colored pencils or markers, lots of vacation-themed stickers and some adhesive to attach memorabilia and photos from the trip.  Let your child do the rest!

5. Scrapbooking for children is an opportunity to make gifts for your family.  Flip through any scrapbooking magazine, and you are sure to see a gift project.  Your child can use scrapbooking supplies to make picture frames, pencil holders, photo cubes, or note cards.  Children also can design pre-made gift scrapbooks, like a recipe album for grandma or an ABC album for a new baby cousin. 

6.  Christmas ornaments make great scrapbooking projects for gifts.  There is no limit to the kinds of ornaments you can make from scrapbooking supplies.  Don't be afraid to get messy and use glitter for this project.

7.  Birthday parties and sleepovers are the perfect project for using your scrapbooking supplies with your children.  Begin with crafting invitations out of paper and embellishments.  Have enough materials to keep the same theme throughout the project.  Take the time to create thank you notes at the same time.  Then use your scrapbook materials to make napkin holders, name plates, centerpieces and party decorations.  Finally, using the same theme, decorate goodie bags for your guests to take home.

You'll find hours of fun in these scrapbooking for kids projects.  In most cases, you have everything you need in your scrapbooking supplies right now.  Scrapbooking for children is a chance to spend quality time with your kids and encourage their creativity and imaginations.  Try one of these projects today with your child.

Kindle for Kids: 4 Reasons Why You Should Buy a Kindle Reader for Your Young Ones

If it's not the new iPod model or smart phone parents are almost always saving up for their kids as holiday or birthday presents, the kindle for kids becomes a good alternative, for educational and entertainment purposes alike. But surprisingly, several parents still don't find this electronic reader a viable present for kids since they find it too mature for a gift. If such is the case, then should we start considering reading a too mature activity for kids as well? I don't think so.

As parents, we should be aware of the palpable significance of reading for everyone, whether you're an adult or an infant, and this brings information and education at no age defined or required. That is what a kindle reader brings just the same to any recipient of the gadget. The only difference is that, through this e-reader, the text is electronically transferred for reading, while a book is in the traditional print media form. Regardless of that, they still serve the same purpose.

But what makes the kindle reader more enticing, which parents should be aware of before buying?

1. Kids nowadays are gadget- freaks, and the kindle reader is definitely a cool gadget. Is your kid not a big reader? Do you find it hard for your kid to take out a book from the shelf and browse through it even for just a few minutes of the day? The kindle device might just be your solution. Gather your kids around and show them how this reading device works, it's impossible for them not to like it after seeing its real perks. But if your kid is a huge fan of reading, there's no question why you should be gifting him even more with such device. Teach kids the value of reading easier with the help of this Amazon reading gadget.

2. Lots of kid-friendly books to choose from in one handy device. If they find book print as boring materials, wait till you tell them there's a humongous library of books for their interests in the device. This reading device is perfect for school research and homework as well-without literally going through the dusty bookshelves in the library. Besides, this gadget compresses your kid's favorite books in one handy device, unlike the bulky book print types, which also makes it easier for them to carry it anywhere. Also, if you get connected with a Wi-Fi, you can access and purchase new books at anytime of the day.

3. Environmental issues are in these days, and the kindle reader is an environmentalist gadget. Are you conscious about saving the earth and preserving our trees? And you want your kids to learn how to become environmentalists themselves? Then go paperless! By now, everyone probably understands how going paperless saves the planet. For this reason, the paperless, kindle device is your ultimate partner in environmental advocacy.

4. Low-cost e-book purchases from a portable gadget. Who ever told you the idea that the Amazon e-reader, plus the thought of purchasing the e-books, is a total rip-off must be a plain skeptic of such technological advances, because truth is, the kindle for kids is just a far cry from being that. There are lots of e-books that you can buy cheap or even download for free, right to your reading gadget.

Free Online Coloring Pages for Kids

On rainy and during the cold days of winter, it is often difficult to find indoor activities for the kids. Who wants to go out in the dead of winter to get crafts, and you cannot send the kids outside to play. For a great way to spend the afternoon, download some free online coloring pages for kids.

Coloringbookfun.com - This site has thousands of pages to choose from. Some of the categories include holiday, character, Christian, educational, animals, and food. There are different craft ideas you can try as well. If you are looking for even more ideas, there is a forum where users can share ideas.

Coloring.com - Coloring.com has many categories of pages to choose from, such as basketball, beach, Christmas, dog, and cat, just to name a few.

Free-coloring-pages.com - This website has a variety of printable and online coloring pages with a number of different themes. You can even print games like connect the dots, mazes, and preschool age games.

Crayola.com - Who knows better about coloring than Crayola? They have many different categories like cars, animals, Disney, holidays, and learning. There are also some puzzles and games and craft idea listed.

Morecoloringpages.com - Not only are there coloring pages, you can also download printable cards, educational worksheets, and paper games.

Keeping your children entertained on those cold, rainy, and dreary days can be a challenge. However, if you visit some of the websites listed above, you can find hours of endless educational fun for the entire family.

Easter Crafts for Kids

Easter crafts for kids include simple directions for making holiday projects for children. Here are fun kids craft projects to try out.

Easter Bunny Envelope

This is a fun craft for Easter. It will make a nice gift for Easter. All you need are a few materials and some drawing skill.

Here is what you will need:
construction paper

1 envelope

crayons

glue

scissors

Get some construction paper and draw a bunny head. Make sure that the head is big enough to cover the envelope. Color in the ears, eyes, nose, and mouth with crayons. Cut out the bunny head with scissors. Glue on the bunny head on to the envelope.

Easter Egg Bunny Craft

Easter egg bunny craft is a fun, easy, and quick project to make during the Easter holidays.

You can use real or plastic eggs. For this project, we will be using the plastic eggs.

Here is what you will need.

1 plastic Easter egg
foam sheets (preferably sticky backed)
Exacto knife
glue
wiggle eyes

First you will want to get a pen or pencil and draw the shapes on the foam sheets. Use the template as a reference and draw the shapes for the ears, mouth, feet, and arms. Stick or glue the ear pieces together. The longer end will be used to attach to the egg. Make sure that you bend the long end so that it holds easier.

Use extra caution when using the knife because it is very sharp. Adult supervision will be necessary.

After you have cut all of the pieces, stick them to the egg. For the mouth, add the mouth pieces first and stick the nose above it. Glue on the eyes. You now have an Easter egg bunny.

Easter Egg Peep Craft

Easter egg peep craft is easy to make and is edible.

Peeps are a chick shaped marshmallow treat that is eaten on Easter. We will be making a peep in this craft.

Here is what you will need

1 plastic Easter egg
foam sheets (preferably sticky backed)
Exacto knife
glue
wiggle eyes

First you will want to get a pen or pencil and draw the shapes on the foam sheets. Use the template as a reference and draw the shapes for the crest, beak, feet, and wings. Stick or glue the crest pieces together.

The longer tabs will be used to attach to the egg. Make sure that you bend the tab so that it holds to the egg easier.

Use extra caution when using the knife because it is very sharp. Adult supervision will be necessary.

Fun and Free Activities For Kids This Christmas

Christmas is indeed the ultimate family holiday. The Christmas holidays are a great time for your family members to catch up, bond and enjoy each other's company. Many families spend their Christmases vacationing on ski resorts, cities, and other destinations. Still many prefer to stay at home and get cozy on their living rooms. Take this opportune time and have quality time with your whole family with extremely fun and free activities for kids.

If your children love Scrabble and word puzzles, why not make your own Christmas word puzzle to play? You can make the rules and do whatever you want with it. Let your children find, match or answer the right word. You can make a Christmas-themed crossword puzzle, or guess the word, or relate it with a photo, or fill in the blanks, or complete a silly story. This will greatly improve your children's creativity and vocabulary through these fun word activities and games.

Explore your imagination when coming up with free activities for kids. Try to make the activities as fun and as educational as possible. Create Christmas quizzes or Christmas Sudoku. Furthermore, give your children rewards and prizes in case they come up with the correct answers! These games are both intellectually stimulating and rewarding.

You do not need to spend thousands of dollars to enjoy your Christmas. By engaging your children with your created fun and free activities for kids, the whole family can enjoy Christmas together without even spending a single cent at all.