As a child growing up in the late 1970s/early 1980s, I have fond memories of spending rainy afternoons making Shrinky Dinks in the oven with my mom or babysitter. Once I colored them, these little plastic pieces would amazingly shrink up in the oven. Today’s Shrinky Dinks robots are pre-cut, making the process even easier. Colored pencils are included, and you can mix and match heads, bodies, and feet. An adult needs to put them in the oven, and when they’re finished “baking,” your child has his own mini-robots that he helped create. A ring on the top helps to attach the mini-robot to a backpack so it won’t be easily lost. Recommended for ages 5 and up (with adult supervision), Shrinky Dinks Robots sell for $4.99 for a set of 9 pieces (makes 3 robots) at ThinkGeek.com. A great rainy-day activity.

Sometimes you just want a simple and inexpensive gift for your children or you’ve got a child to buy for but a dollar cap to stay under. The Decorate Your Own Art Piggy Bank with Markers gift set is the ideal fun and inexpensive present to give out this holiday season. I think children will enjoy decorating the piggy bank over and over, expressing his/her creativity. Only $4.99 at buybuybaby.com, it’s for ages 8 and up and it comes with everything you need, including 6 markers. If that’s not your thing, there’s a similar decorate your own picture frame for sale on the site as well.

I always have fun finding stocking stuffers. Etsy makes it even more fun by providing tons of great sellers with great handmade items for sale. I love the Children’s Coloring Crayon Wallet by GetSassed. It comes in a slew of gorgeous patterns and tri-folds like a wallet. It’s made to hold 12 crayons and a 4×6 notepad. Great for your little doodler to travel with and for this weekend, from now until Cyber Monday, shipping is free.

Another toy that was recently chosen as one of the Top 10 Eco-Toys of 2009 in the 2009 Eco-Friendly Toy Test by Goddard Systems and Eco-Child’s Play; Mama K’s Aromatic Play Clay is a 100% natural modeling clay made using only certified, gluten-free flours and organic essential oils. No synthetics and no artificial dyes are used to make Mama K’s. Even better, it comes in seven luscious scents: Lavender, Bergamot, Lemongrass, Geranium, Sweet Orange, Cardamom, and Chamomile. What a great way to combat the horrible smell of some play dough - provide a fun, safe play clay that smells great and maybe even eases some of Mom’s tensions while their child is playing with it! You can purchase a sampler set of all 7 scents at Mama K’s Etsy Store for $27.

I’ve seen these Parents Easy Squeeze Paints in the store, and I think they look like a lot of fun. The set includes 8 colors of paint in brush-topped bottles that the manufacturer claims won’t spill or drip. If that is true, these will be as much a blessing to parents as they are to children. Who wouldn’t want to give or receive a fun, creative gift like this one this holiday season? You can purchase the set for $18.95 at onestepahead.com. I have also seen them in Target stores.

We all love the drawings and unique pieces of artwork our kids bring home from camps, daycare, preschool, and elementary school, but many parents struggle with what to do with all of it. You can only hang so much of your child’s artwork on the refrigerator for so long. Artimus Art is one solution. It’s an online storage area. When you order one of their high-resolution books full of your child’s art, you automatically get a free webfolio of that artwork where you can save, organize, and print your child’s artwork whenever you want. This is nother great idea that, of course, was invented by a mom. Packages are available based on the number of images you want and the size of the book, starting at $120. Visit ArtimusArt.com for more information. It’s also a great gift idea for other members of your family who don’t always get to see your child’s beautiful artwork!

Kids love craft projects, and what could be more fun than making your own sock monkey? Etsy seller Sillysockmonkeys offers a kit that allows you to do just that. Original Rockford red heel socks, stuffing, eyes, nose, and much more, plus all instructions, are included. You and your child can have fun putting together your own sock monkey with just scissors and a sewing machine. Great gift idea as well. Check it out at Sillysockmonkeys.com, where the kit sells for $13.50. Not the creative type? You can buy a pre-made sock monkey at the same shop for $40 if you prefer.

I’ve been looking into different photo editing sites and downloads and so far, I really like Picnik.com. Not only can I edit my photos so that their appearance improves, but I can make collages and scrapbooks as well. I can add all kinds of quirky effects to my photos, like borders, color changes (Sepia, Black & White, Infrared Film), and text. I’m having a ball altering my photos and here and there, I’m managing to improve on them as well. If you take as many pictures of your children as I do, you will love this site, and the best thing is that a lot of it is free (but subscribing doesn’t appear to be expensive) and you don’t have to download anything. All the changes you make to your photos are done online and you get the choice of saving them to your computer. Thumbs up to the creators of Picnik!

We’ve been back to school for almost two weeks now. Apart from an unfortunate incident in which the new school principal mistook my poor fifth-grader for a first grader, it has been smooth sailing. I am enjoying settling back into the routine, but I am suffering withdrawals from school supply shopping. It all went by too quickly for me to enjoy it this year. Perhaps that’s why I still find myself browsing these things online! A recent discovery is this great “Desk Raft” from Haba. I’m partial to anything Haba, but this is extraordinary. Even my 10-year old girl would love this fun desk accessory. I think it would be a great way to make homework time fun. Everything is perfectly coordinated to the pirate theme, and there’s plenty of room to add your own accessories. You can purchase one of these for $32.99 at oompa.com. While it is a bit pricey, if you think about it as a great way to lure in a reluctant writer or homeworker-completer, it may be well worth its weight in gold.

Crayon holders are a great, practical idea for kids, and this Retro Dot Crayon Holder by etsy seller KateWDesigns is an attractive way for your child to hold and carry crayons wherever she goes. I like the fact that the crayon holder rolls up easily to fit into Mom’s purse, diaper bag, the car, a backpack — wherever. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been in a restaurant with my son, who’s bored and hungry, and crayons aren’t offered by the hostess to entertain him. If I can’t find a stray crayon or two in the bottom of my pocketbook, he’s not happy. Now, I won’t have to worry, as I can easily carry crayons with us on the go. You can view all of Kate Williams’ creations at KateWDesigns.etsy.com, where this Retro Dot Crayon Holder sells for $12.

Here’s a great idea: Eco Dough is an all natural modeling compound that is as safe and eco-friendly as it is fun. Made from plant, fruit, and veggie extracts, it comes in a number of colors and is packaged in compostable cornstarch containers. You can purchase a set for $22 at thelittleseed.com. This would make a very thoughtful gift.

When I was a child, I loved weaving potholders. Best of all, my sweet Aunt Mary was so generous as to buy them from me. I think my mother still has some of these creations as well. With so many busy, electronic toys around these days, it is nice to see that these looms are still out there. Made in the USA, the set includes instructions for making potholders, or combining them to make placemats, doll sleeping bags, and purses. You can purchase the set for $24.95 at blueberryforest.com. It seems like it would be a nice change of pace for many kids.

With school shopping in full swing at my house, I have pencils and crayons on my mind. Though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend sending these to school (especially if your child is as forgetful as my own), these natural crayons from Inntrax are a wonderful treat. We got some of these for all of the kids last Christmas and they were a big hit. Not only are they fun to use (and great conversation starters), but they are eco-friendly–made from twigs that would otherwise be burned. This set includes eight handmade crayons in different colors. You can purchase it for $21 at thelittleseed.com. I think it would make a wonderful “you survived the first day of school/preschool” gift.

We are just thinking about redecorating our son’s nursery. I noticed the other day that it still greatly resembles a nursery and that he has grown up so fast recently that he is due a big boy room! I’m not big on themes for rooms, mainly because I would never be able to decide on a theme and follow through, but when I found these the other day I realized that with a lick of paint and some wall stickers his room could be totally transformed at the fraction of the cost. Only now I’m having a hard time deciding on what wall stickers to purchase as they have some great designs including a blue fortress, Noah’s Ark, a circus design and, for girls, a pink Eiffel tower. These would be a wonderful addition in a playroom too.

These creative images were designed by artist Vanessa Verillon and are printed on high quality non-toxic self-adhesive paper and come in a pack with 4 sheets of motifs. I particularly like this Chateau one as you can become imaginative in the way that you assemble the stickers. For just $31.00 you can make your own original playroom or nursery for your child without having to totally redecorate. They are available at MySweetMuffin.com

It is an unfortunate reality of life that many dining rooms are carpeted. If you want to eat dinner together as a family, it can be hard to protect your rugs and carpets from the messes that naturally result from young eaters. When my oldest daughter was little, we had to use a horribly ugly splat mat with television characters on it because it was all that I could find. Thank goodness times have changed. This splat mat from Modern June is as cute as it is useful. Measuring 36 x 38, this mat features scalloped edges and a fun red and white print. It provides coverage to protect floors or table tops from art and food messes. You can clean it with a damp cloth or sponge. The mat retails for $18 and can be purchased at LillyAndLucy.com.