So, it turns out that the little girl I was planning to buy an easel for is now heavily into girly stuff. She has once been all about Buzz Light Year - she even had a "life size" Buzz that she slept with. Now it's all pink barbie stuff! So, I thought I should rethink my gift. But I am not going with anything Barbie, there is no way! So here are some options:

Creative Jewellery: MilleSassa (from Selecta): Bianca, Rosali, Cora;

Clickits "Pretty in Pink" (Lego):

Pretty in Pink Jewels;
Pretty in Pink Beauty Set

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Both are reasonably priced, and both involve designing and making your own jewellery (so you could argue that there is some learning involved in the process of playing). The only difference is that the Selecta toys are for ages 4+ and the Lego ones are fro 6+. And the girl in question is just over 4 (going on 14...).

What is frustrating is that there are no real "learning" toys out there for girls. But that is a whole other discussion.

I wanted to make a tipi for a friend's daughter for a while now, but naver had the time. In order to organize myself here are some useful links:

Indoor/Outdoor tipi
Cotton Canvas 6' tipi
Making a tipi
Pottery Barn TeePee
TeePee pattern

It is only November and people are already talking about Christmas - presents, pictures (of babies) for Christmas cards.... Actually, maybe that's better because I always wait until the last moment and then - panic! So let's start soon this year... And on that note, here are some ideas for a 4 year old... She pretty much has all the toys I can think of, except a teepee and an easel. A teepee is a little out of my price range, and I actually wanted to make it myself, but there is not time for that right now. So I am currently looking for an easel. What I have in mind is a wooden easel with a blackboard. Ideally I would like it to be unfinished wood so I can paint it pink - she loooooves pink. So here are some possibilities:

Fantasy Toyland tabletop and regular easels
Children's Artist Easel
Adjustable Child Art Easel
Easel and Chalkboard
IKEA Easel

There are many software packages out there for creating needlepoint maps, and I have reviewed some, but Artopik seems to be both simple and useful. And it's free.