by Kirsten | Toys + Playthings
My first thought after seeing these handmade plush cameos and pillows was, “So cute that it hurts.” I mean, look at these faces! And shapes! I have a list of children that I want to make happy with these adorable creatures.       ...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Liz Gumbinner | Toys + Playthings
I know, I know…Halloween is not even here and already we’re diving headfirst into holiday picks. But it’s hard to resist when it’s a Hanukkah goodie as cool as these dreidels. Made by artist Val Glaser, who does all kinds of cool custom things...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings
There is no question in my three-kid household that one of the favorites in our fleet of ride-on toys is the Mini Kick scooter. From the moment they could balance on the stable footrest, my kids were cruising the driveway and declaring it “best scooter...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Eva Glettner | Toys + Playthings
Board games have a lot to compete with these days. Ever tried to get your older kid to put down Angry Birds in favor of Monopoly? That’s why I’m thrilled to find this interactive (albeit battery-free) board game that’s not boring in the least. And my...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Stephanie Mayers | Toys + Playthings
When I was a kid, my father ran a factory and on the rare special evening he would come home with big cardboard boxes for my sister and I to play with. I have memories of late nights setting up giant playhouses in the basement where we spent hours cutting,...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Delilah S. Dawson | Toys + Playthings
Striped or polka-dotted, these lovable handmade dolls have us mesmerized. Each adorable polkadottydoll is entirely unique, handcrafted in cotton without a pattern in black and white according to Alberta artist Lynda Black’s imagination. They’re nicely...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Stephanie Slate | Toys + Playthings
Paper dolls are the perfect emergency boredom-buster to have on hand, at least if you’re our family; every fall, a bunch of annoying colds and coughs descend on my children, leaving at least one of them at any given time home on a school day, moaning...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Delilah S. Dawson | Toys + Playthings
I’ve got some folks I’d like you to meet. These pretty custom dollies are hand-sewn, have hand-painted faces, and each cost less than $50. Um…Barbie who? I’m downright twitterpated over the beautiful handmade dolls at Hen and Chick on Etsy....				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Liz Gumbinner | Toys + Playthings
I have a dollhouse-obsessed five year old…and I’m not complaining a bit. I love the fun creative play and imagination it inspires. (Currently, the little girl who resides in the dollhouse is named “Frodo.”) If you’re more interested in...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Delilah S. Dawson | Toys + Playthings
Let me rattle off a few words for you to chew on: heirloom, handmade, safe, affordable.Also: pretty. These Heirloom Baby Rattles from Windfall Boutique on Etsy are everything you could possibly want in a baby toy–but at half the price you might expect to...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Stephanie Mayers | Toys + Playthings
Before I was a cool mom, I was a cool aunt with very high standards. Lucky for me, being a cool aunt in New York City isn’t tough, as fabulous boutiques beckon from just about every other corner. But one in particular really captured this cool auntie’s...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Delilah S. Dawson | Toys + Playthings
I’ll admit it–puzzles don’t normally pique my curiosity. But when you combine a beautiful painting with intricate laser-cut wood pieces that are works of art in themselves, you have me grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Artifact Puzzles is pure...