up securely and it certainly gives more peace of mind as opposed to the cheaper hammocks many megastores sell. The hanging kit is not included with the hammock purchase but it is available from NovaNatural.com for an additional $16.90 and includes a carabiner, hook and steel loop. The wooden rod of the hammock is 32" long and the hammock will hold up to 66lbs so your child can keep this up through toddlerhood if they wish and still be held up; however, the recommended age range for this one is only 0-18 months.

This particular hammock is available from NovaNatural.com and I have not seen it elsewhere. You can find other hammocks for your younger child, but I would advise you to be extremely careful with your hanging kits and the quality of the hammock you purchase!

above. The carousel horse measures 58"W x 47"H x 9"D and makes any extremely wealthy child’s bedroom the center of their very own carousel. Posh Tots also have matching decor so your child’s room can be completely transformed in to a fairground carousel if you are so inclined. Posh Tots also carries an equally gorgeous Carousel Tiger if your child is not particularly in to horses; however for $5,700 each I say they should like whatever they get!

This piece is available specifically from Poshtots.com where you can find "a plethora of other great and unique kids toys and furniture that will make any child’s toy desires come true.

most elaborate and comprehensive teaching tool for foreign language with younger children. Muzzy is a green monster who interacts with his friends teaching children conversational language skills by a see-and-listen" technique that children pick up quickly as it "engages the inborn ability to learn language." The Muzzy language series is expensive; however, which turns off many parents from the program but it is available in steps, for example you can purchase series 1, and after teaching with series 1 you can resell it through Amazon or Ebay and purchase series 2. You should also be aware that often these sets are cheaper when purchased from other parents on Ebay so keep your eyes open! Muzzy is available in Spanish, French, German, Italian, English and Mandarin Chinese so it is also extremely helpful for teachers of ESL classes, adoptive children’s parents and bilingual families as well as for parents who are simply trying to broaden their children’s horizons. While I am aware that this DVD system is so expensive it may turn off many families I sincerely urge you to take the leap in to the Muzzy system because it returns results like you will see no where else.

The Muzzy DVD/CD-Rom sets are available from multiple resources; however are a little trickier to find than many foreign language tools because they are a BBC production. You can sometimes find a set available from Amazon.com or you can order directly from the UK and have your set shipped to you or take a look around at Muzzy products on Ebay and see what you can find!

unlock! The Batcave itself opens up wide to make playtime easier and folds shut for easy storage. The batcave even comes with a carry handle so your child can take it to sleepovers or simply down to the living room for playtime! The Batcave set includes the cave, two figures, a batcycle and a computer command center (see the yellow thing in the picture above). Additional figures are sold for $6 a piece and additional vehicles are sold for $11 a piece. The Batcave is recommended for children ages 3-8 and measures 21” L x 6” W x 16” H.

Since the Imaginext DC Super Friends Batcave is brand new it is not yet widely available so your best bet is to pick it up directly from Fisher Price’s website for retail price; however, as the toy becomes widely available you may be able to find discounted ones at bigger stores such as Amazon.

learning a third language at 27 years old and my older sister who has grasped seven languages by the age of 30. A great tool for teaching younger children foreign language is through flash cards, these can be taught with both English and Spanish/French or any other language of your choosing (although these cards happen to only be in Spanish or French.) Teaching a foreign language with vocabulary flash cards is a great start to broadening your child’s vocabulary by building a basic foundation on which you can constantly add on to as your child ages. These flashcards come in either French or Spanish and include the basic objects that most beginners start with as well as a handy pronounciation guide so you can teach your child (and yourself!) if you are not already versed in the language you choose. Each set of cards has 56 individual cards and they are all beautifully illustrated.

These particular flashcards are available from LandofNod.com; however, multilingual toys in general can now be found at most toy stores as our nation begins to expand and accept other languages.