With schools cutting back on art education, one of the best ways to make sure your children get the benefits of studying music is by helping them learn about it at home. Groovy Music City software lets kids use the computer to creat their own musical compositions, which they can share with other kids online at Groovymusic.com. The software works with Macs and PCs; tt offers kids a library of sounds to tweak and shape, the online tutorials are easy to follow, and the interface feels kind of like a video game. Best of all: It’s a fun way to foster a love of both music and learning.

$39.99 at SoftwareMedia.com.