We’re bringing back some of our faves of Summer this week. In this case we wanted to because any berry picking expedition requires a few tools including a bucket with a handle for independent berry picking toddlers. This little Sand Play set made by Green Toys contains the precursory bucket perfect for small hands with an eco-friendly rope handle, rake and shovel. Plus, a sand castle mold for days at the beach. And once again Green Toys amazes us with a cool product that contributes to improving the health of the planet. By using recycled materials such as recycled milk jugs, they reduce CO² emissions and fossil fuel use. Sweet. $19.99, here.

Our tots love to hang out in our tent. We set it up in the backyard and they take blankets and pillows, a few books and favorite plush buddies, making it a second bedroom of sorts. The idea of acquiring a tipi came about when we were at a friend’s house recently who’d made one for their tots. Since we’re still somewhat challenged on the sewing machine (read: dang bobbin), we decided we’d better find a DIY tipi kit pattern or one already made for us. We couldn’t find a kit, so we opted for the ladder. And really, what could be better than your own custom made tipi? Of course Etsy pointed us in the direction of these sweet tipis made by  Oregon seamster, and High School English teacher, NickMaxMama. Each tipi is constructed from duck cloth and measures 52″ tall. The teepee is held up by PVC pipe, making it easy to move and durable. Custom made, orders usually take a couple of weeks to complete. Price is perfect for what you get. $80.00, here.

Memory games have always been a great way to get kiddos to sharpen their recall skills, but these games also help tots understand the basics of hide and seek. We love this game by Djeco and our toddler is crazy about it, too. The graphics are so cute; animals playing & holding musical instruments, which our tot loves because she’s currently interested in knowing the name of each instrument. The game pieces are circles with scalloped edges, a nice touch for younger siblings. easy to pick up. We had to start out using 5 matched sets at a time because it was too overwhelming for her to figure out the game with 32 pieces on the floor. This game has worked wonders for us on learing how to take turns and the concept of matching. Observation is FUN. We can’t seem to find this game online, and we received it as a gift. It must be out there somewhere.

We recently picked up “Who’s hiding?” at the library while rummaging through the shelves, and it’s a keeper. Our tots are enamored with Satoru Onishi’s brightly colored, animated animals. Some animals crying, some backward, all adorable and the kiddos love trying to figure out who’s hiding on each page. They’re totally engaged and learning the art of observation and discovery, and we love it. “Who’s Hiding?” is the perfect puzzler book for the 2 and up crowd, giving them a sense of accomplishment after they identify each animal. 18 furry friends like a dog, tiger, hippo, zebra, bear, reindeer, kangaroo, lion, rabbit, giraffe, monkey, bull, rhino, pig, sheep, hen, elephant, or cat. Great stuff. If you can’t find it at the library, when in stock, $10.17, here.

We recently toured a preschool with a special dark room for children to explore and have fun with flashlights. We had a hard time getting our tot to leave the room, she was having such a blast making shapes on the ceiling and dancing about that we decided we’d better bring this entertainment home. We were initially hoping to find a solar-powered flashlight, but we couldn’t find one that we thought would work for a toddler, so we settled on Melissa & Doug’s Sunny Patch Bibi Bee Flashlight. It’s lightweight, brightly colored and the handle is easy for small hands to grasp, plus the on/off switch is pretty easy-to-use. No eco-friend here, but we’ll keep searching. Meanwhile, our toddler can continue her flashlight dance party and strobe light simulation with this sweet little flashlight and it can also be used outside at night or when camping. $12.48, here.

Another score for Nana, who bought this tutu for our kiddos second hand. Everytime our tot hears music, it’s “tutu time” and “tutu time” has become an intergal part of our dance party routine. We aren’t especially girly or into pink, but there’s just something to be said for dressing up in a frilly outfit and dancing. Any tutu will do, of course, but we like Danskin’s all-in-one tutu+leotard combo with a sweetheart neck and attached tulle tutu. It’s perfect for burgeoning ballerinas and recreational dancers alike. We also appreciate that this one piece saves us a step when getting dressed, leaving us more time for dancing. Yay. Turn up the music, it’s time to dance. Available in sizes 2T-6x-7. If you can’t find used, $29.00 & up, here.

No dance party would be complete without an instrument or two. We say the drums are the perfect instrument to help our kiddos get their groove on, so we’re bringing back a cleeo & bea fave this week. And since our dance party instrumentals started with a set of pots, pans and wooden spoons, it quickly became clear we needed to upgrade. Plan Toys makes a great starter drum kit, perfect for toddlers. It comes equipped with drumsticks, two toms, a guiro and cymbal. Made from reconditioned rubber wood, this kit is durable and stylish, though the cymbal is a little wonky, and is the perfect size for storing in our kiddo’s tiny room. As a first drum kit, Plan’s set is not too loud and satisfies our tots. Dance on little ones! Not cheap, but will provide solid entertainment, priceless. Measures 13″ x 13″ x 10″. $50.00 here.

We’ve always loved surf music and now The Venture’s play Telstar is our kiddos’ number one summer jam. We had no idea our little ones could cut such a rug until we put this record on. This awesome 60s soundtrack music reminds us a little of summers past, watching Gidget reruns with Grandma, eating jello pops and slip n’ slides. If you can’t get to the beach (sometimes you just can’t), this record is a great alternative in a pinch. Originally released in 1962, like most Ventures releases, the songs on Teltstar are surf versions of familiar songs. Try listening to “Percolator” or “Let There Be Drums”, both are silly and will turn any tot’s frown upside down. And “Green Onions” has been a family favorite for years, plus seeing our tots dance to these songs is pretty great. If you can’t find it any other way, get it in tandem with the Ventures In Space, $8.95, here.

We may be dating ourselves here, but it’s okay. If we’d never heard the likes of Kim Deal of the Pixies, Amps and Breeders and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, the cleeo & bea mamas may have never learned to play the bass. Sure, there were other influences, but we loved the Kims. They were the first female bass players to inspire us to learn to play because they were both so darn cool. We now have daughters of our own and will be so pleased if they ask us for a bass one day. We think introducing them to the instrument and teaching them to play would be so much fun, so we had to feature the only mini-bass we’ve ever seen in action. This unbranded .245 bass is perfect for the 3+ set, ready to hold their own guitar. We love that it has all the features of the real thing including offset pick ups, full-sized tuning knobs and 20 Frets with Bolt-on rosewood plank neck. Measures 36″ tall, totally adorable. Pictured with power cord and wrenches, but no mention if they’re included. $65.00, here.

Why is it so hard to find pocket kites? We loved them when we were kiddos and have had a pretty difficult time locating any for our tots. We did finally find one and it’s been a great source of outdoor entertainment for the whole family. Perfect for small hands and small pockets, this kite is a great way to encourage team work and sharing, since it takes an adult or older kid to get the kite in the air. Single-line struttless pocket kite comes with a pouch, great for a windy picnic day at the park and won’t break the bank. $9.95, here.

We were thrilled when the gparents decided to all pitch in and buy one big Christmas present this year instead of a bunch of little gifts. We had to stay up late Christmas eve assemble the Plan toys chalet doll house, but after a glass of wine (or two), it was a cinch. It’s trés modérne and reminds us of our favorite Dwell magazine lodgings. One day we hope to cash in our piggy bank and maybe have a house like the chalet. We like the fact that it’s not pink or frilly and both boys and girls dig it. It has two separate sides, so a few kiddos can play with it at the same time and the biggest bonus is all the furniture that  came with it. Definite crowd pleaser for mamas and tots alike. Highly recommended. As with all plan toys, the chalet is constructed from replenishable rubber wood. From $197. 67, here.