Parents will ensure a peaceful holiday season if they plan ahead which toys to bring when visiting family and friends. This discovery tote cars designed by Helicopter Studios is amongst the best toy to bring. The tote comes with two cars but there is room to add more cars. Also look at A Day in the City tote that comes with 3 wood dolls and 3 skyscrapers. When folded, a 3 to 4 years old kid can carry it around.

A deck of activity cards can occupy kids whether you travel by plane, train or car. It also keeps your kids busy when you are at at restaurant. I saw those in actions last summer when the cousin of my husband brought a deck to a chic restaurant. It occupied her boys until they get their plates. Usborne Children’s Books, a British publisher, carries a wonderful collection for different age groups.

Lastly is the reliable pencil or crayon roll. I cannot imagine a parent not having at least set. Etsy is a great place to shop for rolls with unique patterns. Do not forget to carry an unlined notebook; it eliminates the need to ask for paper.

SOURCING:
+ Discovery Tote Cars
+ Discovery Tote – A Day in the City $60 USD
+ 100 things for little children to do on a train £5.85
+ 50 things to do on a journey £5.85
+ Christmas doodles £5.85
+ Little Artist Crayon Roll 12 counts – Best Friends pattern $14 by BloomWoosie on etsy

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If you are handy working with wood, here is something that you may consider doing for your kids. I feel it would be a wonderful Christmas gift. If you do, make sure to adapt the project to your child favorite games and activities. You could cut a window to suit the needs of a puppet theater.

I suggest to you a DIY project because Tschutschu by Dominik Lutz seems to be only available in Germany for the moment. This is kind of the ultimate multipurpose kid furniture as it integrated a bench, a train table, and a chalkboard. By standing on a different side, it serves a different purpose. You could fix a wooden train track on the train table. This way, there will be less mess across the home and no arguments with your kid to store the train set.

+ Tschutschu at Magazin 179 €
+ via ohdeedoh

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Any time I see a beautiful way to store toys I like to share it with you. Aesthetically pleasing storage solutions can transform a necessity into a piece of art. This series made with bamboo certainly qualify.

The superb Bulles de Nua were created by a duo of women designers for the French furniture maker Red Edition. Marie Macon and Anne-Laure Lesquoy took clues from the traditional Vietnamese craftsmanship to design the collection. The baubles comes in 3 sizes, which means that they can be used as a desk valet, to store jewelry, to keep your scarfs and gloves next to the door up to string magazines and toys.  The inside comes in 3 colors.

+ Photos: Bulles de Nua by Red Edition
+ via Minor Details

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You will feel double pleased of yourself if you buy a knitted owl by Kanana Knitters as a Christmas gift for a kid. These adorable dolls are fair trade. They are handmade by a knitting cooperative aimed at improving the living conditions of rural women in Kenya. Right now, 300 knitters from nine different tribes export their products to many countries around the world including Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The 15″ tall adult owls have a loosely looped knit coat. They come in several color combination. I photographed the 2 owls at Teatro Verde in Yorkville, Toronto. If I recalled well, they were around $85 CAD.

SOURCING:
+ Giant Hoot Owl baby $24, adult $64 USD at Kenana USA

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Founded in 2006, Kroom transforms recycled cardboard in adorable kid furniture and toy storage solutions. Cardboard can be durable and strong. You or the babysitter will be able to sit for playing with your kid since the stools of the table and stools set can hold 220 pounds.

I enjoy the illustrations printed on the furniture and the storage boxes. I feel that Krooom updated classic kid themes. Tris, in particular, is gender neutral.

Each series has several components. Items come absolutely flat in the package, they have a moisture resistance and are free of hazardous chemicals. Plus, no tools are necessary for assembly. I read on Inhabitots that they are laminated to protect against accidental spills and splashes.

Barnes & Noble and Target are listed on Krooom as the only US retailers who carry the line for now. Sorry but I do not know how much they cost. You may like to know that Kroom also makes home accessories that could appeal to students or to decorate your first apartment.

MORE:
+ Krooom Kids Collection
+ Store Listing
+ via Inhabitots

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Playing dress up for Halloween doll is a fun activity to occupy the kids while you are making breakfast. The woman behind Babalisme did these super cute Halloweenie dress up doll printables. Her dress up Halloween dolls are available in a boy version and a girl version.

Magnetic Dress Up Doll Project

If you are looking for a more resistant option than simply paper, a mother came up with a magnetic paper doll upgrade. She assembled a backdrop scene on a kiddo sized cookie sheet. This means that less pieces are spreading around your house. Plus, she reinforced the clothes and accessories with contact sheet before putting a magnet on each piece. It is a good idea. Visit Funny Days with Mommy and Maddie for the complete set of instructions.

MORE:
+ Halloweenie dress up doll printable – girl version
+ Halloweenie dress up doll printable – boy version
+ Via Living Locurto

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I discovered a UK retailer who assembled an exotic collection of items for kids and your house. I cannot imagine a child who could resist those charming old-fashioned toys.

+ The felt finger puppets are hand stitched with embroidered hearts, stars and Liberty Print fabric (£32 for 6 or £7.75 each, come with a postcard).

+ The rope cat, mouse and dog are affordable (£8.25).

For the house, check out:

+ Leather dog doorstop £41
+ Earthenware castellated egg cup and toast soldier stand £16.50

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These two items were to cute for not mentioning them. First, the cutest pincushions I have seen. Renilde was inspired by a small fishing village theme to create this series. Her needlework plays with basic forms in red, white and blue. The pincushions are available at Mieke Willems, a small shop in Belgium. Renilde has a blog called At Swim-two-birds.

The wood bowling set is a creation of Little Sapling Toys on etsy. They plant a tree through Trees for the Future for every toy sold. They use a local beeswax and organic jojoba oil finish to bring out the natural beauty of the woods. The organic SKITTLES include 10 6-inch tall profile blocks and 2 hardwood balls.

I discovered Mieke Williams through the beautiful blog of Jane of Simple Pretty that I followed on Twitter.

SOURCING:
+ Mieke Willens’ blog
+ organic SKITTLES – 10 pin retro wooden bowling developmental set $26 USD on etsy
+ Via

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While I was on etsy, I came across this crayon roll by Little Bird Designs of Vancouver, BC. This is one thing that parents should always carry with them. This ready-to-go crayon roll holds 10 crayons (or colored markers). Just roll, fold over – front to back – and tie! The crayons are included with the Animal Parade Crayon Roll. $12

Janick of Neawear contacted me to tell that she is having a sale on everyhting in her etsy store, including her gorgeous wall wear. You can save 15% if you buy before August 22, 2009. This is her 3rd year Anniversary Sale. Congrats on your anniversary, Janick!

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It is no secret that I love the vintage items at Three Potato Four.  Here are my three fab from what is online this week. These would feel at home in any family with young children. You could also build a baby shower theme around on item.

+ If you are planning a baby shower on your backyard, go for the Vintage Ice Bucket with a Sandpiper motif. It is playful and sophisticated. I want it. $40 USD
+ I am fond of vintage wood toys. It adds charms to a nursery and a kid playroom. This set of antique Scandinavian building blocks inspires me. $24 USD
+ For your young kids to have a place to put their keys and hang a membership card, I like the Little Red Riding Key Hook $12

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Designed for children of all ages, these wooden airplanes are almost too exquisite to be a toy. The shadows of their silhouette create a Wow factor when you gather them to form a mobile in a nursery or a toddler room.

These wooden planes were designed by Ole Sondergaard for the Normann Copenhagen brand. The shape conveys the simple elegance of Danish design. I love it!

SOURCING:
+ Normann Copenhagen Plane small (plane 1) $45, med (plane 2) $60, large (plane 3) $115 at Velocity Art and Design
+ Normann Copenhagen Wooden Planes small £30, med £42, large £75 at Panik-Design

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We are never too young to learn to principles of green living. Pretend games were part of my favorites as a kid. These days, we can find green doll houses and city life accessories. The toys also have to walk the talk and be made of organic or eco-friendly materials. If you have an upcoming kid birthday, here a few suggestions from two brands that specialize in green toys.

City Life Toys

+ Your kids will become familiar with the ecological ways to heat, cool and supply energy to a house. The Green Dollhouse by Plan Toys features a wind turbine and a solar cell panel with electrical inverter for generating electricity, a rain barrel for collecting rain plus a green facade which helps control the appropriate temperature of the house. A shade canopy that can be pulled down in order to block or allow the wind and sunlight into the house. Recycling bins are integrated to the house. $190 USD green house alone, $234.95 house with green furniture

+ They will learn the value of local farming with the Doll House Vegetable Garden by Plan Toys $19.94 USD

+ The new Eco Street Accessories include 4 solar street lights, 3 signs, a recycle bin, and 2 street flower beds. On the Website of Plan Toys, they say street benches but from the pictures, it looks like flower beds.

For Playing Outside

These making of these toys is more environmentally. They are made recycled plastic that were collected from curbside milk containers. The plastic is safe for kids. It contains no phthalates or BPA.

+ Sand Play Set $19.99 USD
+ Green Toys Gardening Kit $20 USD

MORE:
+ Plan Toys
+ Green Toys

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