Blokus: A strategy game that also develops spatial orientation and concentration skills. Players compete to be the first player to lay down all of their 21 pieces. The pieces must fit together in a certain order. Younger children can use the game as puzzle pieces, rather than competing against others.

Ages: 7 & up. Players: 2-4. Manufacturer: Mattel Games.

Candy Land: A simple board game that teaches children about taking turns, following rules, colors, and counting. Players draw cards and move their pieces along a board in a competition to become the first to make it the castle. Since no reading or strategy is required it is an excellent first game to teach the soft skills required for playing games.

Ages: 3-6. Players: 2-4. Manufacturer: Hasbro Gaming.

Roll & Play: A non-competitive game that encourages kids to have fun while also learning colors, numbers, emotions, animals sounds, actions, and body parts. Children roll a soft die, pick a card that matches the color rolled, and then perform the action on the card. A great way to get toddlers started playing games.

Ages: 18 months-4. Players: 2 or more. Manufacturer: ThinkFun.

Sequence for Kids: A strategy games for children just beginning to play games. Players choose a card from their hand, place a chip on the corresponding picture on the game board, when you have four chips in a row you have a sequence and are the winner. Older children and adults will enjoy Sequence.

Ages: 3-6. Players: 2-4. Manufacturer: Jax LTD.

Ticket to Ride: Players compete to build a railroad across various routes. In addition to building their own routes players need to pay attention to others to try and block them, to the number of routes they complete, and how long their routes are. A strategy games that can be enjoyed by children and adults. Younger children will enjoy, Ticket to Ride: First Journey.

Ages: 8 & up. Players: 2-5. Manufacturer: Days of Wonder.

Classics for Kids: Children are given the chance to compose their own music, play music, learn about composers, and combine identifying notes with spelling. Although there are only a few games they are a nice introduction to music. The interface is free of ads and very easy to navigate.

Ages: 4-8. Cost: Free. Format: Online. Producer: Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc.

FunBrain: Hundreds of games, videos, reading and math activities. Games can be selected based on grade, PreK-8, or type of activity. One drawback to the site is the presence of advertisements, which children could mistake for games.

Ages: 4-13. Format: Online. Cost: Free. Producer: Funbrain Holdings, LLC.

NASA Kids’ Club: Games and printable activities geared with a STEM (science, technolog, engineering, and math) focus and space themes. Games also align with Common Core State Standards. Although the site is easy to navigate there is not an easy way to limit the games by age level.

Ages: 4-10. Format: Online, some activities are printable. Cost: Free. Producer: NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).

PBS Kids Games: Over 100 games that cover a wide range of topics and familiar characters. Children can select games by topic, such as teamwork, feelings, music, and rhyming. Another selection option is by characters such as Curious George, Daniel the Tiger, and Pinkalicious. Although geared towards young children there is also the option for harder games. The interface is easy to use and there are no ads.

Ages: 3-7. Format: Online or App. Cost: Free. Producer: PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) Kids.

Starfall: Features activities designed to help children in preschool-grade 3 learn to read. It has a phonics based approach. There is also some content to learn math and music. There are no advertisements and the interface is user friendly. Multiple membership levels available in order to access more content.

Ages: 3-9. Format: Online and App. Cost: Some content is free, families can sign up for more content for $35 a year. Producer: Starfall Education Foundation.

Bill Nye the Science Guy: Bill Nye makes science exciting and fun! In just 25 minutes this show packs a lot of learning about one science concept. Experiments children can replicate at home are often presented. This show is an excellent way to keep kids engaged and also learn about new concepts. Production ran from 1993-1998.

Ages: 7-12. Format: DVD and streaming through services such as NetFlix. Network: PBS (Public Broadcasting Service)

Blue’s Clues: Children will enjoy helping Blue figure out the mystery on each showing by guessing the three clues. This program is a mix of animation and live actors. The style of the show allows room for audience participation. Parents can work together with their children to help guess the clues. Production ran from 1996-2007. It is scheduled to be back in production with a new name, Blue’s Clues and You.

Ages: 2-5. Format: DVD and Noggin App. Network: Nick Jr.

Coco: Miguel dreams of being a musician, but it is strictly forbidden in his family. On the Day of the Dead Miguel steals his idol’s guitar to play in a competition, but ends up in the Land of the Dead instead. While there he discovers the truth about his family’s history and learns a lesson on the importance of family. An excellent film that is also culturally accurate.

Ages: 8 & up. Year: 2017. Studio: Pixar Animation Studios. Directors: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina.

Finding Nemo: After starting school little Nemo, a clown fish, is caught and removed from the ocean to live in an aquarium. Nemo’s dad is on a mission to find his son. Nemo and his father embark on a journey to find each other. They come against many obstacles, but along the way also make some great friends. A sweet movie that shows the value of perseverance, bravery, and family.

Ages: 5 & up. Year: 2003. Studio: Pixar Animation Studios. Directors: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich

I Am Eleven: A documentary that showcases what it is like to be eleven all around the world. 15 children, all age 11, from different countries are interviewed. The result is an inside look about what it means to be on the edge of your teen years. Although everyone has different experiences there are many commonalities, such as deep friendships, bullying, and finding your place in the world.

Ages: 10 & up. Year: 2014. Studio: International Film Circuit. Director: Genevieve Bailey.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood: Mister Rogers teaches children about kindness, acceptance, and getting along with your neighbors in this classic television show. The show features songs, special guest visits, trips to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, and field trips to really places of interest to children. In a gentle, friendly, but most of all accepting way Mister Rogers helps children make sense of their world. Production ran from 1968-2001.

Ages: 2-6. Format: DVD   Network: NET (National Educational Television) and PBS (Public Broadcasting Service).

Planet Earth: An up close look at nature around the world. From mountains, to caves, to the ocean this documentary series will show you a view of our plant you are unlikely to have seen before. This is a show that can be enjoyed by children and adults. There are real nature scenes that involve violence with animals so parents may want to prewatch to make sure it is suitable for their children. Production was in 2006, Planet Earth II was in 2016, and Planet Earth III is planned for 2022.

Ages: 7-adult. Format: DVD and streaming. Network: Discovery Channel.

Sesame Street: Children will learn right along with the characters on Sesame Street. This show teachers a mix of preschool education concepts and social emotional skills. It is a mix of live actors and muppet characters. A classic award winning television show for children. Production started in 1969 and still continues.

Ages: 2-6. Format: On TV networks such as HBO and PBS, and DVDs. Network: Sesame Workshop.

Spirited Away: Chihiro is moving to a new town with her parents and she is not happy about it. On the way there the family comes across an abandoned amusement park. Chihiro’s parents partake in eating food found there and are turned into pigs. To save not only herself, but also her parents, Chihiro must be brave, work in the land of spirits, and overcome the spell that has taken over her parents. The animation style in this film is likely different than what most children are used to and can be scary, so it is best suited for older children.

Ages: 9 & up. Year: 2002. Studio: Walt Disney Pictures. Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Whale Rider: Pai comes from a long line of Maori leaders and has all the qualities it takes to continue as a leader: strength, wisdom, and courage. The only hurdle standing in the way is she is a girl and girls are not supposed to lead. Her grandfather is the current leader and does not approve of Pai training to become the next leader. This forces Pai to train in secret until she can show everyone, including her grandfather, she is meant for this role.

Ages: 10 & up. Year: 2003. Studio: Newmarket Film Group. Director: Niki Caro.

The Book of Fingerplays and Action Songs: Caregivers can learn a wide range of fingerplay and movement songs from this book. It includes classics such as The Wheels on the Bus and I’m a Little Teapot, with many others that are likely to be new. Each song has lyrics and suggested movements. Although this item is not media it represents an important part of the musical experience for children, being sung to and participating in songs.

Ages: birth-6. Year: 2003. Author: John M. Feierabend Publisher: GIA Publications, Inc. ISBN: 1579992129

Get Moving with Ella Jenkins: Join in with Ella Jenkins, a highly influential artist is children’s music, as she performs with children using her typical call and response style. This collection of songs specifically encourages kids to move along with the music. Classic songs include Teddy Bear, London Bridge is Falling Down, and Follow the Leader. Jenkins has many other albums that are also fantastic for children.

Ages: 2-6. Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recording. Year: 2013. Producer: John Smith.

The Lion King Soundtrack: This soundtrack has a mix of fun, uplifting, and emotional songs. Each song relates to a specific part in the movie and feels integral to the plot. Children who enjoyed the movie will be able to relive it through listening to the soundtrack.

Ages: 5-adult. Label: Walt Disney. Year: 1994. Producers: Hans Zimmer, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Chris Thomas

Radio Disney: A kid friendly digital radio station that plays edited versions of modern popular songs. Songs are “clean” and have been edited to remove language that is inappropriate or suggestive. The station can be listened to either online on their website or via the app. Fans of this channel may also be interested in the Youtube channel, Family Lyrics Channel, which also features clean versions of popular songs.

Ages: 8-13. Format: Online and App. Producer: Disney Channels Worldwide.

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Rendition of the Beatles: Baby Rock Records has turned popular rock songs originally created for adults into kid friendly lullabies. These songs can first be used with babies from birth to soothe them to sleep and grow with children to become soothing background music. With songs adults are familiar with and more than 80 artists to choose from adults will also enjoy these albums.

Ages: 0 & up. Format: CD, MP3, App, some albums available in Vinyl. Label: Baby Rock Records. Year: 2009.

Brains On!: Kids ask a lot of questions! This podcast will help get them answered. Topics are based on questions submitted by children and range from how do airplanes fly to what happens when you flush the toilet. Each episode also has a kid co-host.

Ages: 6-12. Producer: American Public Media.

Classics for Kids: Classical music and information about the composer come together in this podcast. Each short episode features classical music interspersed with facts. It is an excellent way to enjoy music while at the same time expanding your knowledge.  

Ages: 4-12. Producer: NPR (National Public Radio).

Peace Out: A podcast to help children unwind at the end of the day. It features content to help children practice mindfulness and use their imagination for visualization exercises.

Ages: 4-8. Producer: Bedtime FM.

Stories Podcast: This podcast is an excellent way for children to hear stories being told. The show features original content as well as classic tales. The content is family friendly, but geared towards slightly older children. Young children are likely to enjoy Little Stories for Tiny People.

Ages: 7-12. Producer: Wondery.

Wow in the World: Science and technology come alive through this podcast. In each episode children will go on an adventure via their hosts, while at the same time learning about subjects such as volcanoes and edible insects. The content is informative enough that adults will likely enjoy as well.

Ages: 5-10. Producer: NPR (National Public Radio).