Christina Refford

When I took BASIC back in the dark ages of computer programming, I found it to be anything but, a feeling that has remained which is why I'm thrilled that my kids have sites like SCRATCH and code.org to teach them some "basic" programmin…

If you and your kids like tongue twisters as much as I do, you're going to love this week's music download pick from a duo that's been making fun kids' folk music for over thirty years. Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers by Trout Fishing in Ameri…

This Thursday marks that esteemed international holiday, Talk Like a Pirate Day . Ha! So to get you landlubbers ready to Ahoy or Arrrr with the best of them, I've dusted off one of my kids' favorite treasures from those old deckhands, Ca…

There's nothing quite like the start of a new school year to make you realize how quickly these kids of ours are growing up. (Yes, I've been gasping over the Back-to-School photos all over Facebook too.) Feeling a bit nostalgic for years…

Welcome September! We sure will miss the fun of summer, but there is much to love about this first month of fall, including an awesome (and free!) collection of kindie tunes you can download immediately to get everyone dancing. Kick Out …

The only thing more fun than listening to The Not-Its!, is seeing them perform their high-energy songs in their trademark pink-and-black outfits. And while catching them live is a lot more doable for you west-coasters, the rest of us can…

When two of our favorite kindie artists come together to create new music, it's a reason to celebrate. And the first single off of Dan Zanes and Elizabeth Mitchell's August 27th release is so great, we're thrilled to be able to share it …

If your kids are already groaning about early mornings at the bus stop and after-school homework--or getting ready to--it's time to remind them that, with the start of school, comes the fun of recess. And kindie favorite Justin Roberts h…

What happens when you mix the punk-rocking Boogers with the new-wave sounds of Mr. Leebot ? A song that sounds great for those hot summer days when donning floaties and doing cannonballs is all that is on the schedule. (Having a Blast) A…

You know when you are searching for a word, and it just eludes you? Happens to me daily. Well this incredibly peppy and full-of-fun song by Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band is perfect for us. And anyone who has struggled to find that p…

Now that we're near the halfway point of summer, chances are we've all done some hard travelin' by now. Hey, traveling with kids isn't easy. And while Alastair Moock and The Okee Dokee Brothers are certainly talking about a much more ser…

It's fun hearing my kids create their own Mad Libs stories, just like I used to do with my friends (even if every other word used is some sort of potty joke). So, it's no surprise that they all think a new app we've discovered is a big h…

Today is Bastille Day so our pick for this week's Kids' Music Download is en français. And it's a beautiful song that is perfect for these summer nights by Jennifer Gasoi off of her much-loved debut CD Throw a Penny In The Wishing Well. …

At least a few nights during summer vacation, we throw "reasonable bedtimes" out the window and stay up way too late around a bonfire or lying on the beach gazing at the stars. And now we have a song that captures beautifully the sense o…

The bright sparklers, the red-white-and-blue banners, the popsicle-dyed smiles...I love celebrating a loud, messy, fun-filled Fourth of July with the family. And to add even more excitement to your day, we've got the coolest (and free!) …

Last year, our kids were thrilled to discover the super-fun Lazoo Squiggles! coloring app that lets them decorate pictures with their own squiggles, and then watch the entire thing come to "life" through adorable animation. And, now, jus…

My eyes have finally stopped itching and my nose stopped running which means that the trees around my yard are finally in full bloom. And though they make my allergies go crazy for a few weeks each year, I love looking out at all the dif…

I was surprised when I went to send a Facebook message to someone who isn't on my "friends" list and saw the following: Either pay a dollar and get my message delivered, or let it languish in some "other" folder. What would you do? I cho…

No matter how your family is spending this Father's Day, we've rounded up some great songs about dads and "dad-themed" tunes to download and blast throughout the house or car. (Because really, Papa was a Rolling Stone...not the most lovi…

During those moments when you let your preschoolers have a little screen time or app time, my favorite word has always been "educational." If they are going to make my iPad sticky with their little fingers, they might as well being learn…

Before taking a fun-filled family roadtrip this summer, make sure you spruce up the music in your playlist to help keep the family in harmony as the miles tick away.With almost forty minutes of free music to download in this playlist we'…

Maybe you've never thought about playing piano on a bunch of bananas or turning Grandma into a space bar, but once I saw this cool new gadget that lets you turn (almost) anything into a computer key. Think of it as one Father's Day gift …

My kids' love of electronics is not going away just because the grass is green again, which is why I really like a new educational iPad app that gets kids excited about the great outdoors---and even asks them to put down the iPad and go …

Besides the ushering in of spring, one other reason to love April is that it is the ASPCA's Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month . I love how this organization helps out our furry, feathered, and scaley friends in so many way. So, in h…