etsy find: AmyGaines

Amy Gaines sells her adorable toy patterns individually, in sets or as part of kits with everything you need to knit or crochet a darling little creature. The PDFs arrive in your inbox in 24 hours or less and the designs are suitable for novice yarn crafters. Check out Amy's book, Cute Little Animals, if you want her patterns in a more substantial form.

etsy find--Little Sapling Toys

It can be so difficult to find beautiful wooden toys that don't cost an arm and a leg. But the heirloom quality goods from Little Sapling Toys fit the bill. The toys are unfinished or waxed (no worries about the chemicals in paints or polyurethanes with these beauties) and the packing material is 100% recycled.

one potato, two potato...

I usually try to avoid plastic toys for Little Man but even I cannot deny the appeal of a true classic. Removable goofy body parts, a giant grin and endless possibilities for imaginative play. I am talking, of course, about the beloved Mr. Potato Head. He has come a long way since my childhood and now has scads of additional costumes. I am particularly keen on the Safari and Alien Spud kits.

Play with your food

Little Man just loves to help me unpack the groceries and organize the cabinets but I am worried about big cans crushing little toes or finding a drawer full of couscous. So I have started saving visually interesting boxes and labels to turn into play food. Old cooking magazines have great photos to glue into oatmeal or breadcrumb containers to make lightweight "cans" and empty boxes from the freezer need nothing more than a dab of glue to secure the flaps. You could include some lovely felt vegetables and make a faux kitchen or play with the containers on their own.

the perfect toy?

Little Man received several Plan Toys for his birthday and we both love them. He likes the bright colors and interactive features and I like the good looks and simple wooden construction.

Made from rubber trees that are too old for commercial production, Plan Toys cost far less than similarly modern designs and don't use a spot of plastic.

Everyone's a winner when you combine classic toys with the natural beauty of wood--especially when you keep things vibrant and youthful.

we've got the beat

Flash Beat Drum by I-Play

I am not usually a fan of plastic or battery-operated toys but we all adore this wonderful little drum. It has three settings: standard drum, silly sounds and Caribbean steel drum songs. The tunes are long enough that they don't fill my head in an endless loop like some musical toys and the volume control really works. Perhaps my favorite feature are the soothing chime sounds that play when the drum tips on its side. Before he was coordinated enough to play the drum Little Man was able to knock it over and roll it around on the floor. Even the colors manage to be fresh and fun instead of garish.