Digital learning tools inspire kids to learn, share, and flex creative muscles. By Ingrid Simone, Common Sense Media editor

With summer break just around the corner, it's a perfect opportunity to get hands-on and creative, and we've shared some of our favorite creativity tools in our Digital Fun for Creative Kids Guide. In it, you can find apps, games, and websites to help your creative kids shine in their own way.

Many of these tools let kids combine their passions and skills with surprising results. Take my daughter's recent experience. Years ago, she created her first book during a summer break, and it was a masterpiece as far as 5-year-old princess tales go. She's a great writer, so I was surprised when, at 9, she said she doesn't like writing much. She's creative in many ways -- her favorites are origami and making jewelry -- but writing's more a chore for her now.

On a recent two-week break from school, my son had a class writing assignment to complete. My daughter didn't have a similar assignment, but I told her she should do one, too.

How I get my toddler to try new foods

In all fairness to my child, who doesn't get to blog in her own defense, she is a pretty good eater. But, as she's approached the age of two, she's become increasingly resistant to trying new foods, especially at dinner time (the meal where she regularly has the least appetite, regardless of how long it's been since she last ate). I try avoid bribery and I don't want to make meal times unpleasant for her, but I do want her to try at least a bite or two of whatever we're having for dinner.

Related: 14 tricks for dealing with a picky eater

I've discovered that one trick will get her to open her mouth, happily, 99% of the time. I tell her, "Try this one bite and if you don't like it, you can spit it into my hand." For some reason, the idea of being given permission to spit out her food is just the temptation she needs.

She does spit out that first bite probably three-quarters of the time, but usually that one taste is enough to make her willing to eat at least a couple

Tina S. appears to be your average teenager -- that is, until her fingers fly into action on Van Halen's 1978 instrumental, "Eruption."

The guitar solo was first performed by Eddie Van Halen on his band's eponymous debut album, and even though the song's more than two decades older than Tina, she's got it down pat.

Tina's YouTube video -- first spotted by The Sideshow blog -- has been seen by nearly 1.5 million viewers to date, and we swear we saw sparks flying off her guitar!

Watch Eddie Van Halen's live version below.

With the U.S. Social Security Administration's release of America's most popular baby names for 2012 last week, we discovered pop culture dictated the fastest-rising name for girls. The rising star in boy names was major - no, literally Major. Clearly, Americans have had the military on their minds when naming their little ones! A recent release from the SSA shows just how popular the military has become recently in popular culture and beyond. I've gathered a handful of great military names for babies that have pop-culture cross-over appeal - so stand at attention! There is no telling if using a military themed baby name will ensure your child will have a happy and well adjusted childhood, but you can't argue with the strength of character these names carry! Click through for 7 awesome military names for babies! -By Dresden Shumaker

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With Father's Day coming up this weekend, many are scrambling their pennies together to find a gift worthy of the special guy in their life, but you don't have to spend a lot of money to show dear old dad how much you care. Here are ten ways to give dad a great gift without having to spend more than you can afford.

Read More: Great Gifts for Awesome Dads

Photo Credit: Getty Images

One of the best gifts you can give to dad is your undivided attention. Turn off the cell phones, video games, computers, and televisions, and pack the family into the car for a trip to the local hiking trails or beach for some quality family time without any distraction. Other than the gas money to get you all there, this gift is free and is sure to be a day that he'll remember forever.

Read More: 10 DIY Father's Day Gifts for Every Kind of Dad

Photo Credit: Stuart O'Sullivan/Getty Images

What would dad do if he had a block of time to himself? Read a book?

I absolutely love when people use last names as first names for their babies. It's a great way to give your baby a name that is classic yet unique. Even if you were to name your baby "Smith" (which is one of the most common last names there is), it still sounds totally fresh when being used as a first name, but doesn't venture too far out there in the uniqueness category since it's still a name people are used to hearing - even if it is only as a last name. I checked out a list of the most common last names in the U.S. (based on census data) and got so many great baby name ideas in the process. In addition, I added a few last names of famous actors, writers and the like to round out my list. Here are 40 of my favorite last names that make great first names! - By Lauren Hartmann

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When I'm out with my three kids, I often get some bizarre questions and comments. One of the most common question is, "Are all of those kids yours?"

On the surface, it seems like an innocent question, but it is rife with condescensention and pity. I've heard the question enough to understand what they're really saying is, "I can't believe that a dad is out with children by himself." After I assure them that my wife is healthy and alive, they smile and give me a backhanded compliment.

"You're a good dad."

Really? Are the expectations for dads so low that showing up in public with your kids, makes you Dad of the Year?

I know that many dads have experienced similar scenarios. While we try to be polite and respond respectfully, having strangers question our parenting abilities can be annoying.

The next time you observe a dad out with his children, please exercise some restraint and avoid saying the following five things:

1. "Do you know what you're doing?"

You've got to give props for the originality of this form of unique and unusual punishment. A parent in Murray, Utah made their daughter wear old and dated outfits from their local thrift store for bullying one of her fellow students for how she dressed.

Related: 15 weird and wacky vintage board games

According to Fox News, Ally - the woman who acts as the girl Kaylee's mother (she is in a long-term relationship with the girl's father) - received an email from Kaylee's school saying that the young woman had been harassing one of the students for weeks for how they dressed. "She would take her out on the playground and call her names, and tell her she was a slob and tell her she dressed like a sleaze," Ally said. "Someone not wanting to go to school anymore based off of something that one other little person said to them. I mean, that's huge, that's damaging."

That's when Ally decided that Kaylee needed to be taught a lesson, "she really needs to know that this had such an effect on