Monkeys are fun, no doubt about it. I will even go out on a limb (see what I just did?) and say that watching monkeys leap from branch to branch is one of my favorite stops at the zoo. Which is why the kid inside me--along with my actual…
It only takes about 3/4" of snow to get my kids begging to go to the sledding hill in town. They used to bang a big plastic sled up and down the hills, arguing over whose turn it is to lug the awkward thing back to the top, but this wint…
One of my favorite pastimes with my kids has always been puzzles. I love the combination of relaxing and challenging. My son usually only lasts a quarter of the way through, but my daughter patiently works until the very last piece is pl…
One of the neat things about sending the kids off to preschool is seeing all the fun developmental toys they get to play with. It's also one of the mildly guilt-inducing things. Like, uh...was I supposed to be giving them all these fun d…
I caved. After years of avoiding the store and hiding the catalog, I finally gave in and bought two American Girl Dolls for my daughters for Christmas. But in doing so, I swore that I'd support Etsy artists and crafters by buying as much…
You have to love any DIY tutorial that includes among the instructions "print out Death Star from the Internet." And I especially love it when it combines two of our favorite things--LEGO and Star Wars. I love this tutorial for a DIY Sta…
In my part of the country, it is definitely more hot-cocoa time than ice-cream weather. But not according to my kids who know that any day is perfect for ice cream. Which is why this sweet-smelling six-pack of cones would be a welcome ad…
The siren song of electronics has a huge pull on my tweens this holiday, so if I'm going to ask Santa to bring them something that doesn't begin with an "i" it'd better be something pretty cool. I found something pretty cool. No... reall…
When you consider that most nativity sets include a couple of sheep, some people, an angel, and a stable, is it any wonder that most kids can't wait to get their hands on them? But after my three were finished playing with the set I had …
What little girl doesn't love tea parties? Well, I sure did. Some of my fondest childhood memories are making my grandfather sit down for nice cup of my make-believe tea. He was always the best sport about it, which meant the world to me…
We're so happy to wish a happy 40th anniversary to Free to Be...You and Me, that groundbreaking collection of songs and spoken word pieces that introduced me to the concepts of equality and tolerance at such a young age. For instance, ta…
If you--like me--have a little one who has become so devoted to all things "super" that you have to call breakfast "super-Cheerios" and explain that bedtime is the only way to recharge super-batteries, then I guarantee this is a truly su…
Expensive plastic figurines? A Jedi craves not these things. Grab your lightsaber-shaped crochet hook and get busy creating your own galaxy of bite-sized Jedi, Rebels, Empire, and, well, giant squid guys. Trust us-- it's not a trap. You …
We're not saying you need to leggo your LEGO (like your kids would ever let that happen). We're huge LEGO fans ! But this holiday season, we just want you to know about some really cool alternative building systems out there that'll get …
On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: three sneaky ninjas. Also: ten caped crusaders, nine Star Wars figures, two vampires, and a well-muscled werewolf in a fir tree. The husband and wife team of Itty Bitty Wood Shoppe …
If you are shopping for a vehicle-obsessed child who can't wait to get more Things That Go, you're in luck. This holiday, some of our favorite small companies are offering such cool, eco-friendly toys that fly, choo-choo, and zip--with a…
I love flash toy sales before the holidays. If you're on the ball, you can score really top-quality brands at a portion of their regular prices. (You already know that, if you've been following us through the Cyber Monday madness this we…
Silent night? Yeah, only if your holiday toy choices don't include batteries, drum sticks, or bells. We've found a beautiful selection of handmade, heirloom quality toys that can help your child create a peaceful, quiet winter wonderland…
I admit I swooned just a little when I saw this beautiful play food toy at longtime CMP favorite, Cattiwampus. Then I saw that they were on sale, too, with an extra discount for Black Friday --and a little extra discount just for our rea…
This is the time of year that my kids become obsessed with games, puzzles and any activity that can keep their attention without them having to be outside in our freezing cold weather. Usually for Christmas I stock up on a little new inv…
My kids absolutely love to play store. They'll gather up whatever small toys they want to sell, set them out, and then yell at me until I agree to buy something. (They need to work on their customer service a little.) I imagine my favori…
Here's a sweet phone for your little one that doesn't require a contract, an upgrade, or even a fancy power cord. And it even rings! You know, like phones used to do? The ring ring! phone available from our pals at ROMP is the apex of he…
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. Three Bad S…
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 cust…