I have a nephew who loves Minecraft. Ben obsesses over building virtual structures and fitting them out almost as much as his Aunt loves actual decorating. Which got me thinking: wouldn't it be cool if he could have Minecraft in the real world? If his virtual bedroom could become a reality?

Aware of my background in education and also my weekly app post here on Apartment Therapy, one of the questions I'm often asked at parties with parents in attendance is about kid-friendly app recommendations. To help answer their queries for apps best suited for kids, here are a few tablet apps I think will both entertain and educate on the iPad, Android, and Windows 8 tablet devices...

Name: Mae (10) and Marius (8)
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Room Size: 2 bedrooms, 250-300 square feet

When Marius goes to his friend's house, he's not allowed to eat strawberries near the kitchen counters for fear of staining. Marius' parents, Sophie and Michael, have a wildly different approach to homemaking and kid raising and fun is a big part of it. 

Family gardens are evolving spaces, particularly during the early childhood years. In infancy and early toddlerhood, a garden is purely sensory experience. As kids get older, their family garden becomes a site for work, relaxation, and learning. Here are some ideas to get kids engaged and excited about gardening, whether your family is working with a ledge, containers, or a yard.

Name: Gabriel (16) and Henri (10 1/2)
Location: Union Square, Manhattan, New York City
Room Size: 9 'x 12'

Judy Ross has two boys, aged 10 1/2 and 16, who share a room in a small Manhattan apartment. Not only is their room neat, organized and stylish, but the rest of the apartment is impeccably designed. This means that Judy has two boys who have learned not only how to keep track of their things, but also how to respect and enjoy design.

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I'm ready for spring, people. Bring it on! And with it, let's have some outdoor fun, especially if it involves bowling. Check out this tutorial on how to build your own outdoor bowling alley. More

Here in Illinois, we've got 3-5 more inches of snow forecast for the evening, and here in the house, I've got a bad case of cabin fever. Time to bust out the chainsaws and the lightsabers! More

I'm fascinated watching my niece grow and develop into a little person. She is about to turn three, and the stuff that comes out of her mouth already cracks me up to no end. Where does she get it from? It's really got me thinking about kids and creativity - each child's unique way of approaching the world and the special stuff they come up with. 

Well, the weather outside is still frightful, but that doesn't mean you can't bring a little summer inside this weekend! Here are five summery fun activities modified for indoor play — use these ideas as a springboard to create your own little warm-weather weekend extravaganza. More

Name: Teen Girl (13)
Location: United States

Tired of her pink room, my then thirteen-year-old daughter asked me to get rid of it and instead to incorporate her newly favorite color - navy blue! More