In our opinion, there's probably nothing that Kate from Kate's Creative Space can't invent. For Christmas this year, she built this amazingly detailed hardware store for her son Harry. More

Play stores are great, but often not practical if you live in a small home. Jill devised a small, but no less fun, version of a play store for her daughters this Christmas. She started with a wood flower box and ended up with… More

We set you up early with some ideas for beautiful calendars for kids, but in our house, it's never too late to get in on a new calendar. In fact, I always wait til a few days after the new year, since then you get all your calendars at a deep discount! We found some great calendars for 2013 that provide fun activities for your kids, some on a monthly and others on a daily basis. Check out our roundup after the jump! More

Start the new year off right: get your kids to love doing laundry! We've seen some wooden toy washing machines that are quite beautiful, but this DIY cardboard one is easy, inexpensive, and quick to whip up. More

Rolling Wooden Tools
• $10.29
• Dick Blick

There are plenty of common household items you can gather for fun playdough play, but I do find that having some good rollers adds to the enjoyment. This set is super affordable and versatile.

Blocks are often the most simplistic children's toy in your home and not only do they captivate and provide hours of imaginative and open play, they are easy on the eyes and ears of parents as well. While available for purchase at many stores, you can also create them yourself from 2x4 scrapes you probably have in your garage with just a chop saw and some sand paper. But did you ever think to add an additional step by making your wooden blocks into a canvas? More

Give gifts that foster a child's love of music this holiday season. Here are some great choices for listening, making, learning, playing and doing. More

It's one of the great frustrations of the holidays: being stuck indoors. Though kids can be outside with sleds and snowballs, there are days - and in my Northern neighborhood, sometimes weeks - where being out of doors isn't an option. This, of course leads to severe cases of cabin fever, the wiggles, the sillies, and ants in the pants. How do we conquer such maladies? Here are some activity-based gifts that can be used inside:
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There may be no better toy for imaginative play at a wide variety of ages (even adults!) than good old-fashion wood blocks. As a Toy Designer, I remember once receiving an idea submission that was simply a wooden block with a face on it! It was ridiculous, but definitely rooted in the reality of playtime: kids love blocks, and blocks love them too. More

Play kitchens are one of the most popular big holiday gifts for toddlers and preschoolers, but if you think your kids might have more of an entrepreneurial bent than a domestic one, a play store may be in order. They're a great source of open-ended, imaginative play and will be the focus of any play dates you host. Although they can be quite simple to make, I'd suggest you get started planning now. I've amassed plenty of handmade play stores for you to peruse as well as tutorials to make some of the components.

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