Sweet Reads #1

No No Yes Yes is full of clever drawings by Leslie Patricelli of all the adorable noes and yeses that fill toddler’s lives. Use it to explain why eating the dog’s food & pulling the cats tail are in the No, No category, or just take comfort in knowing that the pet’s dish holds universal appeal with the toddler set.

Setting up House

My nieces & nephew were playing with a large cardboard box this past weekend and trying to get the baby to crawl in. My nephew was extolling its virtues, saying it was a "secret place". He may have had more luck selling her on one of the sweet cardboard Houses from Kids on Roof. It's great right out of the box but maybe even more fun with a little personalization.

Pirates are Sweet

At least when they are covered with icing. A project at work has me looking at all things pirate related, including cupcakes. Here’s some I found irresistible. I think they’d be perfect for some little scallywag’s birthday. They make me want to throw a party and make the guests walk the plank. I mean eat cupcakes of course!

You can see more goodies here.

ABCs with an Edge

Being a huge fan of Tony Fitzpatrick, I’m convinced there couldn’t be a more fun way for little ones to learn their ABCs and get in a little art appreciation at the same time than a copy of Max and Gaby’s Alphabet. Copies are a little tricky to find but well worth it.

Ride 'em Cowboy

Gymnic's stylized Rody horses would be a perfect addition to any child's room, not to mention how great a few of them would look hanging around your personal teepee. See my last post. The question is not whether your tot needs one, but which of the 13 available colors to choose. Now if they just came in adult size.

A Teepee of One's Own

We had a tepee in my kindergarten class and there was always a line of kids waiting to get inside. Seeing these fantastic teepees (or tipis) from Candy Mill reminded me how much fun it is to be small and made me wish I was five years old again! There are three models available, the Chief Crazy Horse and the Lakota Teepees shown above and a pink version called the Pow Wow. What a great space for little ones to hang out, read a book or get a little privacy.

Around the World with Haba Blocks

Inspire their inner builder and your own with Haba's collection of famous historical structures from around the world. My personal favorite is the pagoda but you can venture to Egypt and build a pyramid or take on ancient Rome with an awesome coliseum. And no kids, it is not nice to feed people to the lions!