Strollerderby : dvds for kids

It's Hip Hop . . . for Babies

JeanneSager — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:53:00 GMT

All I could think was a sippy cup of gin and juice. So I've got to tell you, finding out "It's Hip Hop Baby" was just a bunch of kids bouncing around playing Simon Says and shaking their sillies out on a TV screen has definitely made me more "laid back."

A riff off of the old Sesame Street interstitials of kids dancing around onscreen to get your kids off their feet, "It's Hip Hop Baby" is less Baa, Baa, Black Sheep . . . more Bump, Bump, Shake That Little Booty. The thirty-minute video - one of a series of several in the works from producer Candi Carter - is still focused on kids, but they're trying to get away from the same old, same old kid music.

Does it work? The kids like it - my daughter was furiously trying to master "head, shoulders, knees and toes." She was getting close when they threw in the "eyes, ears, mouth and nose" bit. The stars are regular off-the-street kids with the kinds of goofy grins and silly stories that have been making these kinds of videos wholesome entertainment for years. So "It's Hip Hop Baby" is fun for kids, and a nice change of pace for parents to boot.

But it's not really hip hop - no, not even the Dre and Snoop beats without the lyrics. Would parents really want hip hop for their kids at this age - the series is promoted for kids ages two to six? Lyrics removed, I could see more of a hip hop influence to the sound getting them moving - if it works in the club on a bunch of drunk teen and twenty-somethings, why wouldn't it work on a bunch of toddlers?

Maybe that's the next mashup to take YouTube by storm . . . Lil Wayne does it lil kid style.

Image: It's Hip Hop Baby

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Strollerderby Giveaway: Disney's "The Aristocats" on DVD!

editors — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Remember The Aristocats? It's that 1970 Disney movie about a family of pampered French cats who get tossed out of their mansion and fall in with a ragtag group of tomcats. Oh, and this is the best part: the cats are jazz musicians! (You may recall this number, "Everybody Wants to Be a Cat.") Listen closely to the cat voices and you'll hear some familiar ones, like Sterling Halloway, the voice of Winnie the Pooh, and Thurl Ravenscroft, who voiced The Grinch. This week, the new Aristocats Special Edition DVD hits stores, featuring a deleted song, a bonus short from 1946 and various other bells and whistles.

And we have five to give away! Just email babblecontest@gmail.com with your full name, mailing address and the answer to this question: Which Hungarian actress voiced the character of Duchess the Cat? First five correct responses win DVDS. The rest of you can pick one up here. Good luck!

Because Gorging on Candy Isn't the Only Way to Celebrate

aprilpeveteaux — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:02:00 GMT

It's just the best way. Still, the build-up to any holiday is half the fun. Whether you and your kids eagerly anticipate all the TV specials, or you’re just looking for something to do while your trick or treaters come down from the sugar high, Babble has created two handy entertainment guides for the season. Gwynne Watkins gives you spooky book options, outlining age appropriate fare for all. And Lisa Carver and family review the latest in Halloween DVD’s. While most don’t seem to pass ‘The Great Pumpkin’ test, Carver’s brood do have some thumbs-up options. Carver herself, however, is cranky.