Something I have done with kids is buy the ready-made plain stepping stones from the home improvement store. They have lots of shapes and sizes. Mix cement mortar into a toothpaste consistency. Spread the mortar over the top of the stepping stone with a spatula. Let it set for 3-4 minutes and then let the kids draw pics with pretty much any object (skewer, pencil, screwdriver) or let them push marbels, small mirrors, seashells, etc. into the mortar. (Be sure to have them wear gloves. The cheap ones you use for food service or hair dying work fine. The mortar dries the skin out really bad.) The one Christian likes the most he made is made from different size stars that glow in the dark. He loves to check it out at night. There are cheap (99 cents a bottle) paints out now that are permanent on outside items. Some have to be baked on in an oven to 250 and/or air dried. I have experimented with these and they really do work. I have used them on terra cotta without any preparation to the pot (just clean) and the paint has lasted over two years outside winter and summer so far. There are some several clays on the market that don't have to be fired in a kiln...either air dry or bake in a 250 degree oven. Check with a larger hobby store. Sculpey is the brand I prefer. It comes in lots of colors. The hobby store will also have books of tips and projects. The kids absolutely love to put it through the pasta maker to flatten, make hair/fur, etc. Like someone stated earlier, not art for art sake but something the kids can see an end result in a couple of lessons. They will be learning the whole time but hands-on learning and not so much like 'school work.' Check with your local library. They should have a lot of books on this subject.

I am surprised sometimes by books that receive awards. Not all of them read well or hold my daughters attention. My daughter really likes animanls so books about animals are often what we go for. Pictures with a lot of detail, so her eyes have plenty to look at while I finish reading all the words on the page. Nothing too scary, and to my daughter; being chased by a bear, having a dragon in the woods, etc ... all too scary for her. She also does not like to see people angry and sad if it is a repeating theme in a story. She likes fantasy or realistic stories. But since the parents are buying, therefor choosing for their little kids the other posts are probably more acurate. Most parents I know try to purchase books that will help teach, things like alphabet, colors, similarities and differences, how to share, etc. Good luck!

There are some really pretty colors of ceramic mini tile. You don't have to cut them and they don't have any sharp edges. I have bought them from several places including Ebay. you might also check out Maryland Mosaics and Mosaic Basics. they both have them. I think Basics has them as low as $9 something a lb which is 450 tiles. But if you put Gardenweb in the code section, you can get 10% off at maryland mosaics!! Just check them all out. and the ideas of shells, buttons etc all are great ideas. I know you will have fun http://www.marylandmosaics.com another idea is the marbles from places like walmart. I bought a big batch of different colors a couple of weeks ago, in the crafts area. They were less than $2 a bag. so lots of ideas , you just have to decide what is best. good luck Here is a link that might be useful: mosaic basics store

I checked out the folding table...really cute! then I saw the one below. why I like it was the size....(NOT the price, lol) they grow so fast you might want to invest in a full size folder...I know storage is hard, but if the kids craft, it's a great size.... Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/carolina-craft-table-simply-white/?pkey=dplayroom-play-tables-chairs&