Every day I discover more and more beautiful things. It’s enough to drive one mad. I have such a desire to do everything, my head is bursting with it.
- Claude Monet
Dad Suggests was created to share with others the many different things that we have loved sharing with our own children.
Our hope is that - by reading or visiting our children’s bookstore - you will find something special to enjoy with your own family.
- Ryan
The important thing to remember is that kids with good parents will almost always thrive despite a school’s obsession with standards, but it still begs the question - is it necessary? Let me tell you the #1 reason we decided to homeschool our first grader.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a collection of 75 songs from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. The songs are presented as a volume of poetry, and they’re beautifully illustrated and brought to life by Luke Flowers. And it’s basically the only parenting manual you will ever need.
These are the best picture books that teach colors. Illustrating a picture book must always be a challenge. But I imagine that illustrating a picture book about colors is a very special challenge in-and-of itself. You’re tasked with capturing the very essence of illustrations themselves.
I think that one of the secrets of My Little Scythe’s greatness is that behind the cute exterior lies an extremely well-balanced and incredibly interesting strategy game. Created by a father/daughter team, this board game is vibrant and detailed and screaming for a cartoon adaptation.
Following your passions is vitally important. Khalida and the Most Beautiful Song is a picture book that teaches kids the importance of following your dreams and listening to your heart. It also comes with the added bonus of championing creativity and the arts in a world that tries to diminish their importance.
I must admit I personally have a soft spot for anything that champions the lost art of the high five. High Five is an interactive picture book that has truly sparked the imagination of our children. Get ready for the craziest and most serious high five competition you’ve ever seen.
Can you make it through this list without shedding a tear? I think it’s important to cry every now and then. And I think it’s actually a good thing for kids to see Dad shed a few tears as well. So buckle up and brace yourself for the tearjerkers to come.
What we really love collecting now are games that introduce strategy and decision making in a bite-size, family-friendly format. Very recently we’ve added a new board game to our collection that fits this description perfectly. Its name is Honga.
April is National Poetry Month - so we’ve chosen the best collection of poetry ever crafted by mankind for our April Giveaway. Enter today for a chance to win Where The Sidewalk Ends!
The Little Green Girl by Lisa Anchin is a beautiful picture book that reminds me to truly appreciate the people that I love for who they are. It’s a reminder to celebrate what it is that makes them special. And it’s a wonderful tool for teaching empathy to our kids.
This style of reading aloud creates a much more engaging experience for everybody involved. If you start early with your little ones, you’re going to encourage a lifetime of thoughtful reflection and engagement with literature.
These are the best board games for 2-year-olds. They might teach practical skills like cooperating and counting and following directions. But, most of all, they are fun - and they provide us very valuable bonding time for the whole family.
My First Castle Panic has turned out to be a perfect family board game for us. Having a 3-year-old and a 3 year age gap between our kids always makes it a truly remarkable experience when we find a game that legitimately works for all of us in the spirit of a true family game night.
Let’s Have a Dog Party! is a perfect addition to our collection of books that can teach empathy to kids. But it is certainly more than just an empathy lesson - it’s also a beautiful story about love and friendship.
Our son’s imagination is very strong, and he’s prone to get super excited when he gets his hands on something like Zombie Kidz Evolution and its tracking system. And the more he heard about this board game, the more excited he got.
We are firm believers in the magic made while reading to your kids - not to mention how incredibly important it can be for a child’s development. While diapers may be a very useful and practical choice for a baby shower, I always make a point of including some of our favorite books as well.
We’re giving away one copy of The Dark by Lemony Snicket. The combination of Klassen’s art and Snicket’s writing leads to some seriously, legitimately creepy pages. So if you’re looking for something spooky for the little ones, this is the giveaway for you!
Dragon Night by J. R. Krause is a beautiful, new picture book about friendship - and taking care of each other. And there are many reasons I’m very excited to add it to our collection of books that help pass empathy on to our children.
