In our home, Laurie Berkner rocks. When my 7-year-old was in preschool, you could hear “Victor Vito” and “Five Days Old” blasting from the CD player on any given day. Four years and two kids later, and we’re still rockin’ out, albeit to newer releases like “Shake Your Body Down” and “Choc-o-lot in My Pock-o-lot.” Yes, Berkner is a proven mainstay in the fast-growing kids’ indie music space that’s peppered with tons of musical variety. Because there’s undeniably no shortage of singers devoted to entertaining the 4 and under crowd, The Talking Walnut likes to keep on watchful eye on who’s still hot–and who’s not. We’re glad to say that 13 years later, Berkner still holds her own with plenty of toe-tappin’ favorites that even [&hellip
The Playful Walnut Archive
Amazing what memories a favorite toy can conjure up…When I was six years and recovering from minor surgery, my mom offered (okay, let’s be straight, “bribed”) me with three treats of my choosing. After careful consideration, I picked a visit to Jones Beach, Munchos potato chips and a pig in pickle car–and not necessarily in that order. A pig in a what, you say? No, it was not some strange variation of a passed hors d’oeuvre. If you grew up like I did, reading Richard Scarry’s Busytown, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. An imaginative world in which animals and various foods co-exist in harmony, the beloved porcine Mr. Frumble was second only to Lowly Worm who traveled in his signature apple car. (Others [&hellip
When it comes to snowmen, why is it that the guys should have all the fun? In a male-dominated world, we ladies can sometimes get a little tired of the men getting all the attention–and that includes snowmen. It is Crystal, not Frosty, that’s one of my favorite lesser-known Christmas characters (blink and you might have missed her in “Frosty’s Winter Wonderland” and “Frosty and Rudolph’s Christmas in July.”) After all, it’s Crystal that helps Frosty keep it together when the going gets tough. And let’s not forget those cute snowball kids she mothers; if it weren’t for them, future generations of Frosty might never be. So, this holiday season, we’re favoring the Design Your Own Snow Woman kit. Part of WallCandy’s winter wall decal [&hellip
My young heart was broken. After receiving Hoppy the Bunny for Easter one year, I happily took my stuffed animal outside to play in the backyard. Sadly, a muddy afternoon and a white plush rabbit did not make the best match; it wasn’t long before poor Hoppy was desperately in need of a bath (as was his mother–a.k.a. Me). While a bit of spot cleaning may have returned Hoppy to near-normal, his fur was still uncomfortably wet and he didn’t seem as happy as pre-springtime romp. Ever take a blow-dryer to a stuffed animal? Not very pretty. How my long-lost stuffed pet would have benefited from Teddy Needs a Bath. This eco-friendly cotton washer/dryer bag made especially for the care and repair of stuffed animals [&hellip
Never too soon to start celebrating the holidays, you say? My 7-year-old has been working on her wish list since the summer but, according to her, “it’s still not ready!” Lucky for her, Christmas came a little early this year when she joined me yesterday at NYC’s Monkey Bar for a special luncheon, hosted by PBS Kids, to kick off the Curious George Holiday Spectacular. Everyone’s favorite little monkey was on hand to help announce the November 23rd television airing of three Curious George specials: the Curious George movie, Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey and Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas. (Encore presentations will air throughout Thanksgiving weekend, so check your local listings.) After a fun-filled photo session, the kiddies were treated to lunch, [&hellip
As a kid, I looked forward to Advent not because it marked the start of the holiday season, but because of the candy. We had an Advent calendar that hung in our kitchen window and each day, my brother and I took turns opening the windows and reaping the benefits inside: a small chocolate treat. It was like having 24 days of Halloween, a seemingly endless supply of sweets! Many years later, my family’s Advent calendar is not unlike the one from my childhood; in each pocket of a vintage Santa cloth calendar, I tuck green- and red-foiled Hershey’s Kisses and let my girls enjoy the treats. It’s a hit year after year, but who knows how long that will last? If you’re in the [&hellip
Are you good at thinking on your feet? Do you possess a knack for coming up with words that stump your Scrabble partner? If you love playing games that allow you to flaunt your vast vocabulary, then take a break from the virtual Words With Friends and dust off the coffee table for Game Night. Packaged in an eye-catching vintage tin, Road Trip is a fast-moving board game where you get points for moving quickly (no worries about traffic tickets on this route!). Players travel cross-country as they move across the board, taking challenges that demonstrate their language skills. When you roll the Alphabet Dice, you must use that corresponding letter to answer a question. It can be as difficult as saying a word that [&hellip
I fear that in a matter of few weeks, our family room will come to resemble a toy store under attack. I’m not even talking about Christmas morning alone; in our family, the holidays become a month-long event of packages arriving on a regular basis from extremely generous out-of-state family and friends who want our girls to wish our girls the merriest. And yet, every year, these little ladies wind up playing with a couple of select toys, while hardly batting an eye at the loot that would make any normal child envious. It’s not to say my girls are greedy, but let’s just say that they are content with what they ask for and receive. While we would never deny the opportunity for loved [&hellip
The results are in: when a national marketing research firm recently polled a number of kids as to what they’d like to be for Halloween this year, the top choices were princess, witch and superhero. Oddly enough, Wall St. powerhouse didn’t make the list. Have our kids been taking sneak peeks at our downloads of “The Daily Show” or glancing at the Post and Daily News headlines? In more ways than one, I too long for the good ol’ days of Halloween, spent trick-or-treating from house to house, rather than in the shopping mall. I miss being able to recognize and greet the motley crew of characters that paraded down the dark streets, instead of seeing the same Harry Potter and Lady Gaga get-ups outside [&hellip
You’ll never catch me carving up a pumpkin. The closest I get to making faces out of food is limited to a fruit plate of banana eyes, a grape nose and a orange slice mouth. (My nickname wasn’t “Fruit” for nothin’!). But because I still love to decorate for Halloween, we invest in equally festive (and not as messy) alternatives: inflatable ghosts, flickering electronic candles and tons of wall decorations. We think WallCandy Art’s Design Your Own Pumpkin Kit is a great addition to this year’s pumpkin patch. Little goblins who love to help decorate, but aren’t keen on getting their fingers in pumpkin goop will be able to let their creative juices flow, mess-free. This set of easy-on, adhesive decals includes 3 pumpkins, 35 [&hellip