In these commercial times, it can be easy to lose sight of the true spirit and meaning of Christmas. An easy way to bring the focus back, especially for your children, is to create handmade gifts to give away instead of simply buying off-the-shelf items from the shops. This involves the children in the gift giving and creates an activity that the whole family can partake in. What’s more, a handmade gift is a thoughtful and touching gesture, and will be treasured by its recipient for years to come.

Art works

It can be sculpture, painting or even music – bring out your child’s talents to create some personalized gifts for Christmas. Modeling clay can be formed into useful jars, mugs, vases, then baked hard in the oven and decorated with ribbons or paint. If your child likes painting or drawing, encourage him or her to unleash some creativity on canvas or art block paper via crayon, paint or colored pencils. You can make some frames using black cardboard, or pop them into some ready made frames from your local art shop. Lastly if your child plays the piano, the violin or loves singing, create a mix tape by recording their performances on the computer or via a tape recorder and send out copies on CDs to family members as gifts.

Christmas snow globes

You will require some clean, empty glass jars with air tight lids, glitter or confetti, decorative figures, epoxy glue, water and a ribbon for the lid. Secure your figurine to the bottom of the jar. While it dries, encourage your child to decorate the lid of the jar using ribbons, paper or paint. Once the glue is dry, let your child fill the jar with water up to two thirds full, then sprinkle confetti or glitter into snow globe. Brush on some glue on the edge of the lid and screw it onto the jar tightly to prevent spillage. These are wonderful little presents and are bound to bring a smile to friends and family who receive them.

Felt bookmarks

For this present you will need to provide your child with felt material in different colors. Using a template cut out from stiff cardboard, draw Christmas trees, reindeer or gift boxes onto the felt. Cut these shapes out then decorate using marker pens or by gluing on beads, different colored felt or tying on ribbons. Punch a hole at the top of the shape and thread ribbons through. These bookmarks are fun, easy to make and are a practical gift for any book lover.

Edible treats

An easy gift to make and give is treats. Your child will need your help in the kitchen for this project. Bake batches of cookies in season flavors like ginger nut or perennial flavor favorites, chocolate chip. Ice these with Christmas designs then box and tie up with colorful ribbons. Christmas cupcakes are also lovely gifts and your children will enjoy icing these creations. Fruitcake is a traditional gift during the holiday seasons. These edible presents are easy to make and will be welcome by all.

Unfortunately, classic Nintendo and Super Nintendo games were cartridge-based and extremely sensitive to dust and corrosion, and when the delicate metal contacts on these cartridges were dirty, the games would often refuse to function at all. When buying a classic Nintendo game on the secondary market today, this problem is even more likely to occur as the vast majority of used cartridges that are available have been improperly stored for two decades or more. Thankfully, with just a few household items, it is possible to restore these games to their original operation while avoiding the inflated prices that are charged by game retailers for cartridge refurbishment.

Getting Started

Before you begin restoring your classic Nintendo games, you will need a fully-functioning and clean Nintendo console. Nintendo games are equally as susceptible to blinking and non-playability if the console is dirty as they are if the games themselves need to be cleaned, and it is far more difficult to clean the inside of a console, which was never meant to be opened by the end user. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you purchase a refurbished Nintendo console to enjoy your games with a minimum of hassle.

Alternatively, several clone consoles are currently available which emulate the original hardware to near perfection. The SNES/NES FC Twin Video Game System is a popular example of this; it is able to play both Nintendo and Super Nintendo games, and generally costs under $50.

Supplies Required

Before you begin cleaning your classic Nintendo games, ensure that all of your supplies are laid out in front of you in a manner that is accessible. You will need some isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, a large supply of cotton swabs, a small dish or cup, and a place to dispose of your dirty cotton swabs. Because alcohol is a highly flammable substance, do not smoke or leave an open flame in the area where you will be working.

Cleaning Your Games

Pour some of the alcohol into your dish. Alcohol evaporates quickly, so using a separate dish will allow you to close your bottle while you work. Wet a cotton swab with a generous amount of alcohol, and rub it across the contacts of your cartridge. Work in an up-down motion, rubbing with the direction of the cartridge’s contacts rather than against it.  This will prevent the fibers of the cotton swab from becoming lodged underneath the contacts. When you remove the cotton swab, you will find that it is dark with grime. Dip the other side of the cotton swab into the alcohol, and repeat. Do this only once for each side of the cotton swab; this will avoid recontamination of the alcohol and prevent dirt from being re-deposited onto the cartridge’s contacts. Once both sides of the cotton swab are dirty, discard it and begin cleaning with another one. Ensure that you are cleaning both sides of the cartridge’s contacts, and continue this process until your cotton swabs no longer pick up any dirt.

Once your Nintendo games are clean, leave them out and allow them to air dry for at least 3-4 hours. If you wish, you may use a fan to aid in the drying process, but do not blow into your cartridges. The saliva in your mouth could trigger corrosion, eventually rendering the game unplayable. After the cartridges are completely dry, you should be pleasantly surprised to find that they play exactly as they did when they were new.

NOTE: To extend the life of your classic Nintendo games, always remove them from the console when you are done playing with them, and place them into dust covers. Dust covers are available online and in retail game stores for pennies each, and can help to prevent grime from re-accumulating inside your cartridges and avoid more time-consuming cleaning projects.

Although the graphics and sound of modern console games greatly outclass the technical capabilities of the games that were made decades ago, restoring and playing classic Nintendo games proves that great gameplay is timeless.  The simple steps that have been outlined in this article will restore your cartridges to pristine working condition, enabling you to continue enjoying them for many years to come.

By Gabriel Morgan

You can see the top toys for Christmas (and other holidays of the winter season) here: Amazon’s Top Picks in Toys 2009.

Hyperdash has been selected in many toy lists each year, and it’s no wonder. We love the game that has kids thinking on their feet–literally. It’s an Edutaining Kids Top Pick as well, as it fits perfectly into our expectations for a quality “edutaining” toy. Hyper Dash puts a new spin on the term “active learning”–it promotes listening, memory, and math skills, as well as giving kids a little workout. Intense fun! For more information about this fun and educational toy, see Wild Planet Hyper Dash.

Zhu Zhu Pets are one of the most wanted toys this Christmas, but their scarcity has led to toy stores upping the prices. There are many other alternatives to be found, thankfully.

Some of the toys that appear on both Amazon’s list and our Edutaining Kids Holiday Gift Guides include Crayola Glow Dome which allow kids to draw on a dome and have their drawings projected onto the ceiling in full glow in the dark glory, LeapFrog My Pal Scout and LeapFrog My Pal Violet (cute little stuffies that actually say your child’s name after they’re programmed, LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table, and more.

Sorry, Hamlet, but where technology is concerned, that is the question. If Shakespeare were still around, he would surely agree; whenever a shiny new version of something you already own is released, it can be difficult to decide whether or not that extra lustre is worth the inevitable extra money.

To simplify this comparison, the DS Original will be lumped in with the Lite, as the leap from the Original to the Lite was purely aesthetic: the Lite is smaller, sleeker, features more options for the backlight, and is an all-around better piece of hardware (barring, of course, the Original’s more-attractive price tag and the Lite’s lessened utility as a blunt instrument). The leap from DS Lite to DSi has come with its share of aesthetic improvements, but also with some interesting functional changes, the significance of which will ultimately depend on what you want out of your portable gaming system.

If you’re debating a DSi purchase, you’re in one of two camps, generally speaking:

1. You own a DS already, and you’re wondering if an upgrade is in order.

2. You do not own a DS, and are wondering if the DSi, the newest and priciest of the three available versions, is the one for you.

In either case, the best way for you to make your decision a well-informed one is to be aware of the changes that the DSi has brought with it. No out-of-ten score can replace the usefulness of a point-by-point comparison in helping you to decide whether or not the new perks are enough to warrant your purchase.

First, here are the aesthetic tweaks that this newest member of the DS family is sporting:

- The power button (a slider no more) has moved from the right side to the unit’s face, next to the lower left corner of the DSi’s bottom screen, where it is much less likely to be mistakenly triggered as you’re holding the unit. A tap of the button will send you back the DSi’s main menu, and holding it will turn the device on or off.

- The volume control has similarly changed from awkward slider to button-based adjustment, and is located on the left side of the unit rather than the bottom.

- The Lite was a slim and sleek piece of work, but the DSi is even more thin and pocket-friendly.

- Buttons are less prominent on the surface of the DSi, lessening the likelihood that they’ll become loose and wobbly as they’re hammered on over the years.

- Both of the DSi’s screens are slightly larger. Will you notice the difference as you play? Probably not, but it’s a nice touch nonetheless.

- The DSi’s speakers are much smaller and the sound quality a bit improved.

- In addition to the LED indicators used by the Lite to indicate battery level and battery charger connectivity, the DSi has another one for Wi-Fi connectivity. Each of the three lights is clearly marked by an icon for your convenience.

- The smooth, glossy, smudgeable surface of the Lite has been replaced with a matte finish; neat freaks rejoice and put down your paper towels!

- Stories of ruined L and R buttons should be far less common, as the DSi’s are much hardier. You can feel the difference when you click!

Now to address the bigger, more functional changes that will likely be the true makers or breakers of your purchase.

Nintendo DSi Camera
The DSi received its name partly as an answer to Nintendo’s other cultural giant, the Wii (as the Wii is based around the concept of shared experiences, the DSi is an individual one). The DSi Camera is another aspect of the DSi’s name; two cameras (a pair of eyes), a frontal one on the hinge and a rear one on the back of the unit’s top half, allow you to snap shots of yourself and others and save over 400 of them in the unit’s generous album. Included with the album is a photo editor that allows you to stretch, colour, and otherwise horribly disfigure your pictures in a variety of amusing ways. It’s a 0.3 megapixel camera, so you won’t want to go and sell your digital camera, but the unit’s small screen size ensures that your shots will look pretty nice. Until you start distorting them, that is.

Nintendo DSi Shop
The handheld equivalent of the Wii’s shop, the DSi shop includes budget games from a variety of developers that are tailor-made for the system and added to the library on a daily basis. Applications such as a DSi-friendly Internet browser are also available. Downloaded applications and games are stored on the system’s main menu, a horizontal bar with plenty of space. No word on some sort of Virtual Console-esque service that will let us download Game Boy or Game Boy Color games, but never let hope die.

SD Card Support
On the right side of the DSi is a slot that accepts any standard SD card. This allows you to store music and downloaded applications and games.

Nintendo DSi Sound
This is a music application that allows you to record and edit short sound clips courtesy of the DSi’s built-in microphone, or put music you’ve brought in through an SD card through a variety of filters (including a rather awesome 8-bit filter). Be aware that only the AAC format (.mp4, .m4a, and .3gp) is accepted for imported songs.

GBA Slot
This is arguably the only true downgrade, and could definitely be a deal-breaker for some: the GBA slot is no more. If you still play your GBA games, trading in your Lite for a discount on the DSi might not be such a great idea.

Conclusion, in handy Q&A format:

Q: “Why might the DSi be a worthwhile upgrade?” or “Why would the DSi be a good point of entry into Nintendo’s DS family of handhelds?”

A: It’s definitely Nintendo’s most ambitious step forward in terms of portable gaming; it’s proof that they have come onboard with their competitors in bringing their systems online. It’s also proof of their dedication in giving their systems something for everyone, as shown by the dual cameras, the music editor, and the online shop with its free Internet browser that’s available for download. If you love some added value with your video games, the DSi has the goods.

Q: “Why might I want to pass on it, pick up a Lite instead, or wait until my current DS kicks the bucket?”

A: The camera and the music application can be fun to monkey with, but if you’re in it purely for the video games, you may want to consider sitting on your money for now. Most changes are certainly for the better, but the changes that truly enhance your gaming experience are few, and the absence of the GBA slot that both the Original and Lite had really hurts the DSi’s value for those who still enjoy their older games. The DSi shop is definitely the biggest draw as far as game-centric enhancements are concerned, but the library of worthwhile DSiWare titles is still very small. If you live for the games and the games alone, the Lite will suit your needs just fine for now.

This video game is well suited for the Wii. As you bounce, de Blob bounces. As you swing the Wii-mote, splats of color are hurled across the screen. Racing through the city, splashing, splattering, and painting everything in sight, is fun. Squashing Inkies is even more fun. Inkies act as color police, trying to stop de Blob from coloring the city through the use of ink turrets, ink spills, tanks, and other devices.

De Blob is part of the color revolutionary movement. His fellow color revolutionaries have special powers such as painting, combating, racing, and supersizing. Together, de Blob and his helpers paint the town and free the citizens from a dull and uncolorful world.

With its “Long Live Color” story line, de Blob is entertaining and fun. It also has an educational element in that young players learn about mixing colors. When paint is mixed in de Blob, the mixtures are accurately portrayed. For example, if de Blob is currently blue and smashes a yellow paintbot, he turns green. As he continues smashing into paintbots, his colors change accordingly, eventually turning him brown. Landing in water washes de Blob clean.

De Blob, by THQ Inc., is rated E (for everyone). Mild cartoon violence involves squishing Inkies. This game is fun for players of all ages and doesn’t take too much time to get involved. Younger children enjoy bouncing around and making a mess on screen while parents can relax knowing that the mess is a virtual one. Long live color!

Why do we recommend this game? Impressive audio and visual, and gameplay to match. It’s challenging enough for older kids and adults, while still very appealing and “playable” for the younger crowd. A family pleaser. This is why de Blob is on our Best Nintendo Wii Games for Kids list.

For more information, user reviews, or to buy: DeBlob

Kids learning to read often find the task daunting, frustrating, and anything but fun. It’s even less fun if the other kids read better or if adults have to help them too often with the words. Karaoke is a really fun outlet. Not only are the words highlighted on a screen as they roll by, but they are words to songs with which your children are familiar. Start out with the tracks that include the singer’s voice. Seeing the words on a screen and hearing a musician they love pronounce those words correctly in a flow that makes the words mean something as they string together in a times beat will help improve your child’s recognition of words, ability to pronounce those same words when seen in other venues, and allow them to hear the proper pronunciation of those words without feeling stupid for not having figured it out themselves. It’s a fun way to learn, in a format where children have no idea that they are learning. In time, you will be able to use the music track while your kid sings the words back without the aid of the musician and in so doing, they will read the screen better than they have ever read anything before.

Most people have trouble speaking in front of others, no less singing in front of others. Karaoke offers a venue for this to happen in a way that is non-threatening, and in a way that will help your child build confidence. Our voices are like instruments. In time, all but the most tone deaf will learn to play those voices with confidence. One doesn’t have to be good at karaoke in order to have fun doing it, and the process of doing our best in a creative venue is good for self confidence. A kid that can sing karaoke will have an easier time standing to deliver a book report to the class.

Along the same lines, your family members will have varying degrees of talent when singing karaoke. It’s a good thing for kids to see that there is no shame in the variance of talent that is experienced by all of humanity. If they are better than you, say so! That’s another great ego booster for a kid. As a parent, you don’t need to worry about your kid’s ego being too big. If their heads get too big their friends will have your back. It’s your job to make sure that you are the one person who is always their biggest fan!

Kids also find themselves learning and appreciating music as the result of karaoke. There is a difference between knowing some songs and having music in your life. You know the difference instinctively, so I will not labor point further than to say, it’s your job to lead your kids to music.

If I were to ask you what the best day of your life was before your kids were born, there is an 80% chance you would relate a story of a time that you spent quality time with your mother, your father, or both parents. Even now your heart has been warmed by a memory. We spend enough time keeping our kids from killing themselves and each other, screaming, barking orders, etc, that karaoke becomes a nice reprieve. It’s a family activity in which even feuding family members can lose their frustration, if only for a couple of hours. It’s impossible to sing and be upset at the same time. Even sad songs feel pretty good in a placed down deep. Songs bring us back to our humanity and they touch the core of our being…even for those of us with limited musical inclination.

A karaoke player costs about a hundred dollars, and you can usually find low cost ones at a local store. Discs run anywhere from $8 to $30. The benefit of including karaoke into the lives of your kids and your family is priceless and worth every penny you will spend, one hundred times over. If you have never considered adding karaoke to your life, now is the time. May the lives of all of your family members be enriched by the addition of more music in your lives.

by Harry Widdifield

For an affordable Karaoke machine: Singing Machine SMG-137 CD+G Karaoke System

Nintendo pioneered hand-held entertainment in the 1980’s with the Game Boy video game system. There have been very successful incarnations (or iterations) over the years, and now Nintendo is releasing the Nintendo DSi handheld system. Priced at a manufacturers’ suggested retail price of $169.99, this new handheld features a sleek and slim design, the largest screen Nintendo handhelds have seen yet, a set of two cameras (external and internal, pointed at the user), an interactive voice recorder, and music player. Both the new sights and sounds features can be manipulated–photos can be taken using interactive lenses, and music or voice can be altered. The system will be released in black and matte blue versions.

Similar to the Nintendo Wii’s Wiiware, the DSi platform will allow downloadable games and applications using Nintendo DSi Points. Of course, there will be the usual retail games designed specially for the system.

Is it backwards compatible? In other words, will kids be able to play their current Nintendo DS games on the new DSi? The answer is “for the most part”. It will be able to play most DS games, according to Nintendo.

The system will be launched along with the game, Rhythm Heaven, a unique musical game that has been quite popular in Japan since its release.

For more information and/or to preorder: Nintendo DSi

With the PSP, it’s easy to connect to the Web for any number of activities. You can access RSS feeds, obtain your instant messages, make phone calls with Skype™ and more. The Playstation website also provides easy access to free demos, movie trailers, and screenshots.

The PSP also offers access to a variety of free items downloadable from the Playstation website. This includes wallpaper, backgrounds, custom themes, and much more. All of these features allow you to personalize your PSP to portray your own personality.

You can preset the background color to change automatically on a monthly basis or you can change it manually whenever you want. If you have a special photograph of digital image that you like, you can easily use it for your wallpaper. Plus, changing the look of you icons is simple with the PSP.

Plus, the PSP can be used to connect to the Playstation website in order to download exclusive games. PSP game downloads provide everything avid gamers want- the information needed for game play, game trailers, game demos, and game audio. It is also possible to access your personal PS3™ System using your PSP device.

Parents will discover that the PSP offers exceptional parental control through a variety of features so they never have to worry about what the kids are doing. This system comes with rating features for games and for movies. Plus, it provides hardware settings for that parents can preset what their children can access on the Web. It is also possible to implement a password in order to initiate Internet browsing, limiting what the children can do on the PSP without a parent’s permission.

The Playstation website offers excellent support features that make it easy to use the PSP. Whether you are looking to download Skype or find out how to download games or access Internet radio, the website provides all you need to know. Certain additional equipment might be necessary such as headphones or remote controls. Why not take advantage of the wonders of today’s technology and get a PSP for yourself today?

For more information, user reviews, or to buy: PSP 3000

See games for the Playstation Portable: Playstation Portable System & Games

By Susan M Keenan ©2009

Hardly a day goes by when we don’t hear about the problems of obesity–and childhood obesity–in the news. With obesity on the rise, more and more people are aware of the benefits of exercise. But what of video games designed to get kids moving? Is it just hype? Well, some are, no doubt. We tend to get all worked up when a video game gets children out of the typical stupor and onto their feet. But a lot of games inspire only a small amount of movement. Not so with the Nintendo Wii Fit, which completely focuses on working out, without turning the process into a tedious lesson.

Getting enough exercise can be easier said than done. If your children tend to be sedentary and love video games, or if you are not a “going to the gym” type, the Nintendo Wii Fit for the Nintendo Wii gaming system can certainly get you and your family started on the road to fitness, or at the very least, fitness and health awareness. The Wii Fit offers an interactive workout and is designed to make exercise a fun activity that anyone in the family can enjoy, no matter their level of fitness.  It’s also highly interactive and educational: it guides you through designing a workout program, tracking your progress and learning proper technique. Interestingly, the game made our testers aware of the importance of balance.

Using the Nintendo Wii Fit involves stepping  on its balance board, which reads body movements, measures weight and weight distribution, and the game offers feedback about these measures, as well as BMI and Wii “fitness age”. Players learn about their BMI, but do note that kids who are even slightly on the chubby side will find out that they are “at the risk of being obese” or worse. Players set fitness and weight goals, and the Wii Fit records progress as well as total hours and minutes of usage.

The Nintendo Wii Fit is designed to be a fitness and educational tool, but it’s also designed to be pleasurable. Families perform aerobics, strength training, learn yoga moves, play balance games, and more. Weight measurements can be password-protected if desired. Scores in various activities are recorded and lists of top scores are provided. Players jog, play goalie, walk a tightrope, play with hula hoops, go skiing, learn and perform yoga poses, and a whole lot more.

If you are ready to make fun and fitness a permanent part of your life, then getting a Nintendo Wii Fit is one easy way to get started. Work. School. Bills. Housework. With all of the things you have to do each day, it’s easy to forget that you need to make time for exercise in your life.

To find the Wii Fit or other Wii games: Top Selling Wii Games

The Caring Corners Mrs. GoodBee Interactive Dollhouse is a real little gem. It reminds kids that refrigerator doors should be closed, teeth have to be brushed, and so forth. Ringing the doorbell brings this clever fold-out dollhouse to life. There are 12 rooms in the Caring Corners dollhouse–six on each side–each with interesting details that inspire a young girl’s imagination.

Parents will love the fact that the dollhouse is big enough for more than one child to play with, yet it also folds up neatly for easier storage and clean up. The dollhouse comes with an access code that kids can use to unlock a “good deeds garden” online–an activity that offers further playful lessons about responsibility.

The toy requires batteries, and most families will want to purchase some of the additional accessory sets for it, so factor that into the total cost of the playset. Also, small parts make the dollhouse appropriate for children over 3.

For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Caring Corners – Mrs. Goodbee Interactive Dollhouse