Casey Lewis, Contributor

From climbing walls to crossing bridges, super swings to monkey rings, this Manfred Mantis playset is bound to be the envy of the entire neighborhood. It will turn any backyard into a little amusement park, and the best part is that with add-ons and extras, this jungle gym can grow right along with your kids (and the kids next door).

See more great ideas for outdoor spaces.

Sarah Engler, associate editor

We just discovered the blog Make & Takes and are loving some of Marie's kid crafts--especially these flower cards. Learn more about how to make your own--plus Marie's inspiration--here.

Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom

We're pretty much gaga over these gorgeous fire extinguishers made by the French company Fire Design. And we're pretty sure we've never used the word gorgeous before when writing about fire extinguishers. Who wouldn't want one of these beauties sitting next to their stove? Who knows--maybe Fire Design will figure out a way to make fire drills more glamorous as well.

Spotted on kirtsy.

Casey Lewis, contributor

Let your children channel their inner performers with this multipurpose easel from P'kolino. The sleek chalkboard-whiteboard-puppet theater will entertain budding artists for hours, while the utilitarian aesthetic allows for easy (flat) storage after the curtain closes.

Sarah Engler, associate editor

Ohdeedoh just reminded us that few crafts are more fun as a kid than a simple paper chain. The options for colors are endless, and even the youngest ones can help build them. We're thinking a couple strung up might make Father's Day that much more festive. See more fun chains here.

Jordan Ferney, Oh Happy Day

Katie from the excellent blog KatieDid just helped plan an event at her daughter's school where they had a science fundraiser. These activities would translate easily if you wanted to do a science birthday party. The results look very messy but very fun!

Some of the activities they did:

Snail Discovery
"A ton of snails, hasta leaves, magnifying glasses and spray bottles. (Snails come out of their shells and move around a lot when sprayed with water, which actually makes them fun.)"

Play Dough
"Mounds and mounds of homemade playdough for the kids to sculpt and mix to their hearts content."

Giant Bubbles
"Surrounding each child bubble after bubble was so entertaining that i didn't notice the 5000 squats i was doing. Until the next morning."

Geysers
"Every 20 minutes i set off the diet coke/mentos geysers. the kids would count down, we'd guess how high it would go with three mentos, with five, with ten."

Check out Katie's post right here with more activities really great directions on how to do them. And also check out our mad scientist birthday party--complete with brain cake.

Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo

Tina Roth Eisenberg, swissmiss

Patrull corner bumpers made us look. Finally, a playful alternative to the usually drab world of corner bumpers. We love the fact that they are red and clearly visible--and, of course, that they keep your child from getting hurt by sharp edges. To attach, simply stick on.

Kristen Tauer, contributor

How charming are these new rugs from DwellStudio? We’re loving the unexpected mix of animals, and the simplicity of the plus sign design is perfect for adding a touch of color to any room. Made of 100% hand-tufted New Zealand wool, these covetable rugs are also as durable as they are playful. (Sold at Fawn & Forest.)

Sarah Newell, contributor

Freshen up wood floors with a dash of color! Sunny's Goodtime Paint collection (aptly named after founder Sunny Goode) includes color washes, paints, glazes, and supplies to get a custom look by doing it yourself. Sunny has color consultants that could be in your area-- though she insists anyone can do this on their own. This "sunny" bathroom becomes striking in aqua blue. See below for do-it-yourself instructions.

This floor was painted Benjamin Moore's floor paint (in Aqua) and stenciled in white floor paint with Sunny's Large Hayden Stencil. The walls are the opposite combination with white wall paint, and Sunny's Small Hayden stencil. The trick is keeping everything symmetrical.

For this project, Sunny painted the whole floor green, marked out the pattern with tape, and painted the white squares. Then aged the floor with her Original Aging Glaze to give it a worn-in look.

Both floors are covered with an acrylic polyurethane that will not yellow.

Find more inspiration and products here!