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hvparent.com n Hudson Valley Parent 25 catalogue full of incredible costumes for your little princesses, jedi, knights in shining armor and more! Playdate in a Box I wish I was the mom that saved paper towel rolls and made brilliant creative projects with my son. But truth be told, if I was left with a pile of string, cardboard and glue and all the time in the world, I still wouldn't know what to do with it. Thank goodness Playdate in a Box heard my cries. Each box comes with supplies (and instructions) for your child and a friend to create costumes and accessories. Kids can choose from themes including pirates, superheroes, and rock stars. The make-your- own system has easy to follow instructions. Playdate provides creative, tactile fun and promotes social interaction. And seriously, anything that reduces screen time activities in my house is greatly appreciated. Play & Go Bags It's a play mat! It's a toy organizer! It's a travel bag! The Road Map/Thunderbolt bag starts out as a 55" soft play mat. Winding roads take toy cars through the countryside, a gas station, the shop and even past zoo animals. After playtime is over, whatever is laying on the mat can be hidden away with one swift cinch using its durable drawstring closure. This fantastic all-in-one design is my favorite part. The outside of these bags are available in a variety of fashionable fabrics including animals, superheros, chevron, and bright solids. Play & Go Bags even offer a "color my bag" design with tons By RIELLY GREY I nspiring little minds to create fantastic worlds and characters for pretend play can foster a lifetime of imagination and social skills. Whether they are slaying dragons and storming castle or running registers at the local market, children have a natural desire to play out scenes from story books and from watching their favorite grown-ups. While I was at this year's Toy Fair in New York City, I found some incredible toys and games that bring pretend play to a new level of creativity. Little Adventures® Chair Covers & Aprons Pretending to be a handyman or hair stylist just got a major imagination upgrade with these chair covers. The durable covers fit most dining chairs with velcro straps securing them in place. All sides of the covers provide bright graphics and pockets for a fully interactive space. The shop offers covers to transform your dining room into a bakeshop, beauty salon, market, handyman workbench or a pet hospital. They even have adorable matching aprons for each profession. The best part about these covers, aside from the fact they are machine washable which is a huge plus, is they don't take up any extra space. Use your existing chair and voila, your child has a colorful space to pretend all day. Little Adventures also has an online of fun character outlines just waiting for the creative coloring of a child. Aside from the easy storage, these bags also come with sturdy carrying straps to bring your child's playtime with you wherever you go: the beach, the park or grandma's house. Doodle It & Go Chalkbooks Toy company Jaq Jaq Bird believes in "creativity unplugged" toys and that is totally something I can get behind. Their Doodle It & Go books are soft and flexible books with eight reusable pages intended to be used with their exclusive patented Zero Dustª ButterStixª. This chalk won't transfer to your clothes, and wipes away with a wet cloth. Inspired by the owner's daughter who would repeatedly waste paper by creating stories in her notebook, then crumple up the pages, only to start a new story all over again, Grace invented the original, reusable Doodle It & Go Book. These books are perfect for an artist-in-training, little ones practicing spelling or playing games and long car trips. Rielly is a part-time writer and full-time mama to an adorable autistic toddler. Follow her online at HVParent.com/Sailing-The-Spectrum. 4 top toys to spark imaginative play Foster creativity, imagination and social skills with toys and games