In karaoke clubs around the country, adults sing the lead vocals of popular songs backed up by recorded musical accompaniment. Kids are no less immune to the thrill of karaoke; they love the chance to sing into a microphone without being told to "Turn that thing down!" and pretend that they're Judy Garland or Elvis or Belle from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

Karaoke is especially wonderful for children who are otherwise shy about singing for anyone outside their own families. When we tried it for the first time, one of Rachel's friends who really didn't want to sing edged her way toward the microphone and by the end of the afternoon, she'd found a place in a trio with Anna and Rachel.

For this activity, you'll need karaoke tapes, a tape player and, if possible, a microphone. Karaoke tapes are widely distributed at music and record stores, and they cover a variety of music--from children's songs to scores from musicals and films, and from rhythm and blues to Top 40 hits. Each cassette box comes with song lyrics and tapes with songs with lyrics on one side and only the accompaniment on the other. Many kids have portable tape decks with attached microphones, which work fine for these purposes. You also can play the tape through a console-type tape player and just use the microphone on the portable deck, or you could buy a stand-up battery-powered microphone. The sound isn't great, but the fun value for the kids is terrific.

Kids shouldn't expect to be able to sing along with karaoke immediately. It takes practice to learn where to come in and when to wait for instrumental sections. With my girls, practicing karaoke was not a problem. They rushed home from school every day to hit the karaoke machine. They also began bringing the tapes along for any errand in the car so they could get some more practice. Before long, Rachel knew every word to "My Boyfriend's Back," while Anna was ready for "Over the Rainbow."