By Jennifer de Beer, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

For many of our A Mighty Girl supporters, the season of summertime and school vacations is upon us, and along with it the typical periods of travel. Oftentimes, the process of getting to and from the destination of choice can be the most challenging part of the getaway.

Long hours in the car, on a train or plane, or even just the time waiting for the next mode of transport, can bring many an adult companion — let alone their children — to tears. Never fear: here at A Mighty Girl, we've carefully researched the best in kids' travel resources and compiled our latest collection, Planes, Trains & Automobiles: Mighty Girls On the Go!, featuring toys and activities to help break up the monotony and entertain your young traveling companions!

Occupy and engage those Mighty Girl minds with a wide range of products, specially selected for ease of transport and/or use during travel! You will find items appealing to the broad spectrum of Mighty Girl interests, including creativity, geography, math puzzles, word play, and logic/ spatial games — with a variety of formats, besides. So, go ahead and brush up on your Broadway tunes, pick out a few select titles on audiobooks (be sure to check out our Book section for great suggestions — and don’t forget the headphones!), and then dive into Planes, Trains & Automobiles: Mighty Girls On the Go! for some inspirational finds! Continue reading → Continue reading

By Lili Sandler, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

Each May the United States celebrates the history and culture of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. during Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. The month of May was selected to commemorate the diverse and important roles of Asian-Pacific Americans for two reasons. First, early Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843, and second, the transcontinental railroad -- built predominantly by Chinese immigrants -- was completed on May 10, 1869.

Asian-Pacific heritage encompasses a broad and diverse array of cultures from an expansive geographic region. All of the Asian continent, as well as the Pacific islands of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia are included in this celebration. In honor of the essential role all of these cultures play in modern-day American culture, we’ve selected a dozen books which tell different stories of Asian-Pacific American girls. We’ve organized these selections by the age group for which they’re intended, and hope that you’ll enjoy our choices as much as we do! Continue reading → Continue reading

By Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, you may be looking for a few more things you can do to make Mom’s day a little more special. Music is amazingly evocative -- there are few things that can capture complex emotions so quickly -- so why not look for the perfect song to describe your relationship?

A Mighty Girl is proud to present our top ten songs for Mighty Girls and their Mighty Moms: songs that are loving, sweet, and powerful in their depiction of one of the foundational relationships in a girl’s life.

We will describe each song here, but for more details, including information about concerns parents may have about content in either lyrics or video, and to preview songs via embedded YouTube videos, please follow the links to our full entries. Each of these songs, like all of those featured in A Mighty Girl's music collection, is also available through either iTunes or Amazon.com’s MP3 download service via the links on each song's page. By using the links on A Mighty Girl, you also help to support the site at no added cost to you, and can have your Mother’s Day playlist set up in no time!

And, to discover wonderful books celebrating Mighty Moms, check out our previous post entitled: A Mother’s Day Special Feature: Celebrating Mighty Moms and Their Daughters. Continue reading → Continue reading

By Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

“Play is the work of childhood.” — Jean Piaget

Today is Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day, a day in which children all over the world will shadow parents or other mentors through a day at their jobs. Carolyn McKecuen, the president of the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day Foundation, shares the value of these experiences:

“Exposing girls and boys to what a parent or mentor in their lives does during the workday is important, but showing them the value of their education, helping them discover the power and possibilities associated with a balanced work and family life, and providing them an opportunity to share how they envision the future and begin steps toward their end goals in a hands-on and interactive environment is key to their achieving success.... By bringing girls and boys together, we will continue to create a more equitable world — at home, at school, in the workplace, and in the community.”

For children younger than 8, however, a day of job shadowing probably isn’t feasible. How can you provide them with some of the benefits that older kids get from a day at work? One great way is to give them pretend play toys that allow them to roleplay different careers. With that in mind, A Mighty Girl has selected ten toys from our Career / Jobs Collection of pretend play toys to feature. Each toy represents a different career that your Mighty Girl might aspire to, from astronaut to veterinarian. So, let her get down to work with some serious play! Continue reading → Continue reading

By Jennifer de Beer, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

To visit our expanded "Read Aloud" collection, visit our special feature, found in our "Best of A Mighty Girl" section, on the Top Read Aloud Books Starring Mighty Girls.

“Storytime” typically evokes images of small children seated in a ring on the floor, or perhaps a parent & child cuddled together before bed. Whisked away into a world filled with dragons and magical spells, the nuances of friendships, or glimpses into another time and place, read aloud sessions open up a world of possibilities. Often, these shared stories allow children to engage in material that would be beyond their independent reading levels.

Solid and extensive research exists on the importance and positive effects of reading aloud to young children. A recent analysis of international data, conducted by the OECD, supports the strong link between oral language development and reading skills, and even goes so far as to say that nurturing such skills at an early age is directly related to success rates in later school years. The practice of reading aloud is widely encouraged by many from Day One (if not before!), and the benefits are plentiful: increased literacy, school readiness, stimulation of language development, imagination, and memory -- the list goes on. Reading aloud also provides a prime opportunity for bonding and strengthening the connection with the children in your life. Continue reading → Continue reading

By Lili Sandler, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

Happy Earth Day! Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd in almost 200 countries all over the world as a day to support and protect the Earth. Many communities have volunteer opportunities during the entire week -- often referred to as Earth Week -- so that individuals can take part in environmental activities to help care for the Earth.

At A Mighty Girl, our Earth Week focus is on the Mighty Girls and women of the environmental movement. How have girls and women contributed to our global understanding of ecology, recycling, alternative energies, and many other environmental issues? More ways than you can count!

Below you’ll find many of our favorite books and films about real-life environmentalists to share with the eco-kids in your life! And, if you missed the first two blogs in our Earth Day series, you can learn more great fictional stories about the environment starring Mighty Girl in our post on Ten Mighty Girl Books to Inspire Young Environmentalists and about toys to teach children about the environment in our post on post on Eco-Toys, Games, and Gear for Green Girls. Continue reading → Continue reading

By Lili Sandler, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

As we prepare for Earth Day, we’re excited to share a selection of ecologically-focused toys, kits, and gear for the young environmentalist in your life. Whether she’s interested in science, prefers artistic pursuits, enjoys a game or puzzle, or shows her Earth pride by choosing reusable products, we at A Mighty Girl are thrilled to support every girls’ dedication to protecting the Earth. And, for those children who aren't yet sure what it means to 'go green,' there are plenty of toys and games to help them learn about protecting the environment -- all while having fun!

For the first part of our Earth Day series on environmental-themed stories, visit our post on Ten Mighty Girl Books to Inspire Young Environmentalists.

SCIENCE, GONE GREEN!

If you haven’t yet heard of Snap Circuits, you’re in for a treat. Consistently very highly-rated by parents and teachers alike, Snap Circuits are like Legos in that they’re plastic shapes that snap together, but unlike Legos, the goal is to create an electrical circuit or device. With the Snap Circuits Alternative Energy Kit, young electrical engineers can experiment with creating 125 project focused on learning about electricity and alternative energy. Highly recommended for ages 8 and up, Snap Circuits are sure to be a hit!

With the Power House: Green Essentials Edition, young environmentalists can learn all about alternative energy, sustainable living, and replenishing resources by building energy-related models and conducting experiments. Projects include, but are not limited to: a greenhouse, a wind turbine, a hydrometer, a lemon battery, and the power house itself. Recommended for ages 10 and up, this kit also includes a diary with entries from a young group of explorers on an island who are learning to live a sustainable existence. Continue reading → Continue reading

By Lili Sandler, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

Here in the northern hemisphere, tomorrow is the first day of spring! There is something very special about the days getting longer, the birds chirping from the trees, and those first daffodil buds peeking through the cold soil. It’s a reminder that the cold is coming to an end and that days of sunshine and warmth are just around the corner.

Whether you’re celebrating spring’s arrival by going for a walk in the rain, planting seeds for a flower or vegetable garden, or peeking in birds’ nests in search of hatchlings, one thing is certain: there are many wonderful books to share with the young people in your life that celebrate spring and all that comes with it.

EXPLORING YOUR WORLD IN SPRING

The youngest outdoor explorers are sure to love Gerda Muller’s Spring, recommended for ages 2 - 4. In board book format, this book is without text, but the detailed and beautiful illustrations provide endless opportunities for little ones to make up their own stories, or to simply identify all of the wonderful signs of spring shown throughout this book.

In The Listening Walk author Paul Showers and illustrator Aliki reveal all the wonderful things you can hear in the outdoors. From the “zoooom” of a lawnmower, to the “twick twick” of a dog’s nails or the “dop dup, dop dup” of her father’s shoes on the sidewalk, each sound in this story is observed with a relaxed quiet by a happy little girl. Best for ages 3 - 7, this book is sure to inspire other Mighty Girls to take “listening walks” of their own.

Sometimes, spring can be wet. Really, really wet. But this is not always a bad thing! In Who Likes Rain?, by Wong Herbert Lee, a little girl suits up in her rain gear and heads out into the wet spring world in search of the answer to her question: Who likes rain? With lyrical text and delightful illustrations, we join the young heroine as she splashes in puddles and discovers how different plants and animals react to a spring rain. Recommended for ages 2 - 5, you’ll almost feel the rain falling as you read this lovely book. Continue reading → Continue reading

Lola at the Library

By Lili Sandler, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

As a final tribute in our celebration of Black History Month this year, we’re sharing ten of our favorite picture books featuring little Mighty Girls girls of color for the youngest readers. This is only a sampling of what’s available on the site; there are so many fabulous picture books for babies, preschoolers, and beyond with diverse protagonists that we couldn’t possibly highlight them all in one blog post!

It’s never too early to share a love of reading with little ones, and going to the library is one of the best ways to accomplish that goal! With Anna McQuinn’s book, Lola at the Library, your little one will learn to look forward to visiting the library just like Lola does. With bright, vibrant illustrations courtesy of Rosalind Beardshaw, this book is not only a delight to read, but a delight to look at as well.

Another book sure to be a hit with babies and toddlers is Rachel Isadora’s Peekaboo Morning. Every toddler loves to play peekaboo, and they’ll have such fun following the active and adorable protagonist of this story going through her morning, playing peekaboo with her mommy, her daddy, her puppy, and more! This is one of those books your child will want to read again and again. Continue reading → Continue reading

By Lili Sandler, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern, and Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Communications Specialist

Nearly every child, girl and boy alike, loves to play with dolls in one of the many forms a doll can take. One child might prefer an action figure, or paper dolls, while another may choose a baby doll to care for and cuddle. Some children prefer a whole family of dolls to act out scenarios in a doll’s house, while others might like a doll designed to portray a favorite character, fictitious or historical. Regardless of what kind of doll a child likes best, one thing is certain: every child should have the opportunity to play with a doll that looks just like her.

And so, in this A Mighty Girl Spotlight post we’re highlighting dolls representing girls of African descent as part of our celebration of Black History Month. That said, there’s bound to be a doll in this list or in our main doll collection that would appeal to any Mighty Girl, from birth to adulthood, regardless of ethnicity! Continue reading → Continue reading