Kennedy Krieger Institute , a hospital in Baltimore that specializes in treating children with special needs, is working with the Parents' Choice Foundation to set up a national resource for testing, certification and labeling of toys for children of different abilities.

Cranium Hullabaloo. Sharpen listening as well as motor skills with the game that comes with pads of different shapes, colors and themes that you scatter around the room. A voice module then calls out instructions (spin to a musical instrument, for example) and tells you to freeze when the round is...

Q: For the past two summers I've been dealing with cicada-killer wasps. I discovered that they almost never sting and all they want to do is catch cicadas, and they really don't know they're scaring the pants off you.

G Street Fabrics is holding its annual holiday sale at its stores in Centreville and Falls Church and at its new flagship location in Rockville.

Here is an edited excerpt from The Post's On Parenting blog. Read the latest posts at http://voices.washingtonpost.com/parenting.

These food establishments were closed because of health code violations. The list, compiled from health department reports, reflects actions taken by the departments.

With childhood obesity rates nearly tripling in the past 30 years, many parents are wondering what they can do to inspire their kids to be more active, especially during the winter.

Growing dahlias for show is a fine hobby, but the practice of devoting whole beds to jumbo-size blooms has grated against those who see a gentler and more integrated role for this tender New World perennial.

This is the time of year to overwinter favorite varieties of dahlia. The tubers are lifted after the frost kills the top growth, but take care not to nick or bruise them.

A mild and wet November prompted the rapid germination and flowering of persistent winter weeds that will soon set seed unless they are removed.

These sales were recorded in Prince George's County and supplied to The Washington Post by Spatial Systems Associates, the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation and the Maryland Office of Planning. To find sale and assessment records for homes in Prince George's and other Washington areas,...

Q: My antique bed, which I really love, needs a new mattress. I can remember when there were several local companies that made mattresses to order. Now I can't find one. Can you help?

Aleader in the national effort to raise the achievement of low-income children once told me how she became, to her amused surprise, one of those rare suburban Washington parents who pay tuition to send their children to D.C. public schools.

Prince George's County Animal Shelter, 3750 Brown Station Rd. in Upper Marlboro, makes animals available for adoption by residents of the county and other jurisdictions. Adoptable animals, as well as lost pets, can be seen at the shelter's Web site, at http://www.goprincegeorgescounty.com . Under...

The following cases were received by the Prince George's County Department of Environmental Resources' Animal Management Group. Call 301-780-7200 for directions to the county animal shelter, hours of operation and adoption and licensing procedures. The shelter's Web site is at...

It took Greenbelt slightly longer than the United States to elect its first black leader, but like President Obama, Emmett Jordan -- the city's first black council member -- wants less emphasis put on the color of his skin and more on what he plans to accomplish for his community.

Stella McDonnell knows not to give out her credit card or bank account information over the phone without verifying the identity of the caller. That's why the West Laurel senior citizen ignored a number of voicemails saying there was something wrong with her account last summer.

Substitute teacher Martin Carole has seen just about everything a room full of students has to offer.

Three St. John's College High School girls' basketball players entered a campus dining room on a recent afternoon for a mock college signing, each in a school-sanctioned skirt but one wearing a Harvard sweat shirt, one a Dartmouth sweat shirt and one a Cornell sweat shirt.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE CONTEST AND SHOW, view the entries in the annual Viewer's Choice Award competition; vote for your favorites. Noon-5 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays, through Dec. 13. Darnall's Chance House Museum, 14800 Gov. Oden Bowie Dr., Upper Marlboro. $1. 301-952-8010.

Volunteers with Cresthill Baptist Church's PB&J Ministry have perfected the science of building peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The group of five to 10 volunteers turns out 400 sandwiches every other Monday at the church, assembly-line style.

The Community Financial Center of Prince George's Community College is offering eight hours of training in coaching and basic personal finance to future volunteers in the community in exchange for a four-hour-per-month commitment. No experience is necessary. Call 301-322-0713.

Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church will present the last installment of three parts of the film "Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?" at 7 p.m. Tuesday at 3215 Powder Mill Rd. in Adelphi. The 2008 documentary examines causes and solutions for the economic, racial and social...

These were among incidents reported by Prince George's County police. For information, call 301-772-4710.

Whether you're just starting or just finishing your holiday shopping, we've got you covered. Here are our picks for some of the best gift ideas in town.

Oxon Hill Farm, part of the National Park Service, celebrates the three cultures that shaped its history: African, European and Native American. See how each of these groups marked the changes of winter; activities will include apple cider pressing, African and Native American storytelling,...

Nobody wants to unwrap a book about dieting, right?

"This space needs to remain functional, but needs to be brightened up and beautified."

Dear Dr. Fox: We have lost two precious, beautiful German shepherds. Both had crippling hind-leg deterioration. The strength in their hind legs and lower back appeared to simply give out. One of them finally couldn't walk at all.

Spread healthy holiday cheer with exercise gear. Here are goodies for every active elf on your shopping list.

You don't often think of air as fertilizer, but I recently opened a book called "Soil Aeration and Its Role for Plants," by Jan Glinski and Witold Stepniewski, and this was its first line:

You survived the Thanksgiving trek. Now it's time to get ready for the December holidays. Traffic history tells us this month's getaways will not match November's road agony. Only at Thanksgiving do so many pack so much travel into so few days.