Whether it is because they have an innate sense that the food that nourishes their bodies comes from somewhere other than the supermarket or that they see farms on a regular basis, children enjoy acting out the farming life with their playthings.

(Via NovaNatural.Com)

   

Now here’s a feeding set that truly deserves its name! Suitable for kids of all ages, the Table Fun series is made of a durable, dishwasher-safe melamine, decorated with illustrator Eleanor Grosch’s playful designs.

(Via Gnr8.Com)

   

A collection of cute tea sets and dishes that are fit for any Alice in Wonderland.

(Via Schmancy.Com)

   

Looking for some refreshingly guilt-free toy shopping? Consider Plan Toys (Palo Alto, California), the next time your looking for a gift for the little one.

Their manufacturing process has a very refreshing transparency to it. Meaning, it is clearly stated what they use when assembling this simple but beautiful toys -

• Organic Rubberwood,
• E-Zero (Non-Formaldehyde Glue),
• Water Based Dye, Recycle
• Recyclable Material, and
• Soy Ink & Water based Ink

They are available at a number of online outlets, but you should really check out their site, it is very informative and has their entire catalog of stuff - really nice stuff at that. The different places to buy their good is listed under FAQ’s (oddly enough).

Sit Walk Pup Pull Toy (pictured above) listed for $18.99

(Plan Toys Vis a Vis Moolka.Com)

   

I don’t care what they say, nothing describes the joy of boyhood more than a good toy race car to play with. I love MatchBox cars, they represent the “bread n’ butter” of car play for the boys, but having that special one in the toy box or on the shelf can’t be beat. Well it doesn’t hurt to dream, anyway.

Ulf Hanses has designed this beauty. Named an Excellent Swedish Design recipient, the Racer F1 flaunts a high-luster exterior and an exhilerating body design. An exclusive gift for racing fans around the world, this solid wooden race car gives a whole new feeling to the expression “vroom, vroom.”

(Via PlaySam.Com)

   

(Bob Dob Vis a Vis Thumbtack Press)

   

Have you ever tried to make origami but could never understand the directions? Have you run out of cool ways to make a paper airplane? Or you want to see how the Pro’s do it? Or have you just run out of craft and activities and need some inspiration? The folks over at ActivityTV.Com have done a great job at creating a site filed with video tutorials for a number of great kid activities.

Find lots of fun activities for kids, with video instructions and printables. There’s a great selection of craft ideas including gifts, games, and holiday items. Learn easy magic tricks, or try the fun and easy kid-friendly cooking recipes. Check out the simple, safe and fun science experiments or very cool paper airplanes. Other categories include cartooning, cheerleading, juggling, origami, jewelry, puppets, and more. Just follow along with the step-by-step videos.

Some of my new favorites is LegoTV, where you can see some of your favorite lego characters in actions. Of all the Instructional Channels available I’d have to say puppets section is my personal favorite. Banana Buddies. Running Rabbit. Shoe Box Monster. Come on, we’re talking about a screaming good time here.

So the next time you wake up to one of those impenetrable raining spring mornings or you just run out of tricks to pull out of the proverbial mom/dad hat, check out Activity.TV and see if they help spark some kind of fun.

(Via ActivityTV.Com)

   

The Xtreamliner, dreamt up by Scandanavian Designer - Ulf Hanses, comes in sporting bold colors such as black, lime-yellow and lightning blue, is a playful rendition of a convertible automobile. A magical gift for any occasion from birthdays to graduations.

(Via ScandanavianDesignCenter.Com)

   

The have the cutest stuff here. These baby-sized (0-12 mos.) Cowboy Socks, Mary Jane Socks and Ballerina Socks from Trumpette come to you by way of the fine folks at Two Blue Peas. Not a bad buy either - six pairs for $24 bucks!

(Via Two Blue Peas)

   

The folks at SpottedGoose.Com have a digital watch in every flavor. And for $10 bucks a pop, you might consider more than one flavor. They come in both adult and kid sizes (they can cut the wristband to fit any sized wrist).

(Via SpottedGoose.Com)