Are your kids begging for a pet, but you haven’t the faintest clue where to start? Finding the right pet can be a challenge, and there is no ‘right’ answer to which animal is best. Instead, you should keep in mind the age and personality of your kids, how much space you have and, of course, what everyone in the family wants. Here are some thoughts to help you find the pet that’s perfect for you.

1. Dogs. Many people instinctively think of dogs when the subject of pets comes up, and their popularity is well-earned. Dogs are playful and, if you get the right breed, can be trusted to interact safely with your children. They’re a great excuse to exercise as they have to be walked daily, and there are many different options in terms of size and temperament. Of course, this can also pose a problem, because it means more potential wrong choices. For small children, a large dog with a non-aggressive temperament is the best; small dogs and toy breeds are easy for children to injure, and more aggressive breeds might hurt your kids. The best dog breeds for children are Labradors and golden retrievers, because they’re friendly and easy to train. If you want a smaller dog, consider a beagle—they’re cute, trainable and seldom aggressive. However, keep in mind that dogs are high-maintenance pets. They need to be walked at least once a day, and some breeds (like poodles) need to be groomed and trimmed regularly. Plus, some breeds have common health issues, so it’s important to do your research ahead of time, especially because in many jurisdictions dogs have to be licensed. Dogs also have to be trained to eliminate certain bad habits, such as chewing on your shoes or barking all the time. If you get a puppy, be careful with your kid’s toys! They make perfect chew toys for a growing pup.

2. Cats. Cats are pretty, and they mostly look after themselves. They will generally not over-eat the way dogs do, so you can just put food in their dish and not worry about feeding time later. However, cats vary greatly in personality, with some quite affectionate and loving, while others are more standoffish or downright mean. The personality of a kitten cannot be predicted and some simply cannot deal with small children, while others love them. Because it is so hard to predict, would-be cat owners should consider adopting an adult cat whose personality is fully developed, and is also larger and less likely to be injured. A cat can provide hours of entertainment, but, like dogs, they often can’t tell the difference between their own toys and your child’s. Make sure to remove any that are more fragile and might be damaged by those sharp little claws.

3. Rabbits. Rabbits are more popular in Europe than in the United States, and some localities class them as livestock. Even so, bunnies are one of the pets children ask for the most, due to their cute and cuddly appearance. But if you’re considering a rabbit, bear in mind that they do not do well locked in a hutch all the time, and benefit greatly from a run on the lawn, or a long hops with a harness and leash. And if you don’t interact with them regularly, they can become quite surly, and those little legs can pack quite a punch! Although rabbits need relatively little maintenance, their cage or hutch needs to be cleaned regularly. When it comes to diet, rabbit pellets do not provide everything your bunny needs, so it’s important to give them hay and fresh vegetables as well. Yes, they really do like carrots. They also like toys; contrary to popular belief, rabbits like to dig, so putting a rabbit in a sandbox with your kid and some toys is a great way to spend the afternoon.

4. Tortoises. If somebody in your household has a fur allergy, then how about a pet with no fur? Although many reptiles can be kept as pets, tortoises are often the easiest, because they are so laid back. They eat leafy greens, and will cheerfully munch on the weeds you just pulled out of the garden. Small tortoises can be kept inside in a pen, but larger ones like to live outdoors, although this is a bad idea in very cold places. Their pen must be cleaned daily, and they need a bath, too! All tortoises like to hide in boxes and sit in water bowls, so always give them a water bowl large enough to sit in. Although they are not the most active pets, this only means you can have fun putting them in different settings, and trust them to stay put. They are essentially breathing dress-up dolls for your kids! But that doesn’t mean they can’t move—a tortoise can really run when it’s scared, so be careful not to put it in an unfenced yard. Also, small tortoises can carry salmonella, so it’s very important to wash your hands after every use.

5. Hamsters. Out of the various ‘pocket pets’, hamsters are the most popular. If you live in a very small apartment, a hamster is a great option as they take up very little space. They can be brought out of their cage to play and then put away when you’re done, or allowed to roll around the living room in a hamster ball. Hamsters are generally tolerant of a bit of mauling, providing children are taught to handle them correctly (they do not like to be dangled!). They’re far less hyperactive than other small pets, and thus more suitable for small children (rats and mice do not make good pets for very young children who have not grown out of the tail-pulling phase, as pulling their tails can injure them badly). Because hamsters are so small and tolerant, your children will enjoy come up with creative ways to play with them. They will easily fit in a boat or in the seat of one a toy car, which can means hours of imaginative play!

Finding the right pet for your children can be a challenge, and there are many more options not covered here. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that the pet you pick is well-suited to both your children and your home environment. There is no right choice for everyone, but there is the right choice for you.

Brittany Lyons aspires to be a psychology professor, but decided to take some time off from grad school to help people learn to navigate the academic lifestyle. She currently lives in Spokane, Washington, where she spends her time reading science fiction and walking her dog.

1: First focus is the turkey of course! Buy organic and if possible, local. This means no antibiotics will go into the bellies of your family. By buying locally, it means less transportation was needed to get that turkey to you and therefore less pollution.

2: Next think about all the décor for your table. Try to buy things that you will use after the holiday is over. If you buy pumpkins, don’t throw them out! Make a post Thanksgiving pumpkin soup or bread.

3: It may be tempting to use disposable plates and utensils for easy clean up, but try to resist the temptation. Over 40 billion plastic cups, plates and utensils are thrown away in the US each year. Remember that figure while you and your family team up to load the dishwasher!

4: Try to make a pit stop to your local farmer’s market for all the side dishes. It is a fun fall outing for the family to browse the market and if you include your kids on selecting veggies for the meal, they may be more willing to eat them:)

Have any other eco-friendly ideas for Thanksgiving? We would love to hear them in the comments below!

I am a SAHM to two boys: J will be 8 in weeks and L is 17 months old, and wife to an incredibly hard working and wonderful man whom without, none of this would be possible.  Strong christian woman and huge animal lover (we own 2 dogs and 2 guinea pigs, but I want more!).  I am learning to parent all over again the second time around…these two boys could not be any more different.  I am new to homeschooling and blogging, and so far enjoy and love both!  Come visit me over at Whit’s World  to join in all the fun!

I was so excited when I saw the opportunity to guest post for Sprig Toys on toy organization!  Now let me be clear, I am no expert on this at all.  I wish that I could show you rooms straight from an Ikea catalog full of organizational furniture with everything tucked away nicely in bins, but I can’t.  I can however share how I keep the mountains of toys organized on a budget in my home.  (And by on a budget, I mean with things I already had laying around.)

I have two boys, one is weeks away from being 8 and the other is 17 months, so as you can well imagine, we have toys coming out of our ears!!  There never seems to be enough room no matter what we do, so we make the best of what we have to work with.

Here are my top tips for keeping all those toys organized:

1) Go through and clean out toys a couple times a year.  I find it beneficial to do a purging session after birthdays and Christmas every year.  Out with the old and in with the new.  I separate these toys into 3 piles:  toys to “trade in” at Once Upon a Child for store credit, toys to donate, and toys to toss (things seem to break and go missing a lot around here).  This process always makes me feel so much better and it’s also a great opportunity to do some deep cleaning.

2) Buy a label maker!  I have always considered myself an organized person, and one way I do that is by labeling everything that I can.  There is no excuse for my oldest to just throw things onto shelves when everything has a home that is clearly labeled.  I also put pictures next to the words on the labels so the toddler can begin correlating the words with the pictures when it’s clean up time.  This really does help everything stay nice and neat.

3) Can’t go out and buy organizational furniture and bins?  Look around your house, there is a wealth of organizational resources right at your finger tips.  How many buckets and baskets do you have laying around from Halloween, Easter, or summer fun?  We have a ton, and converted them into “bins”.  One for cars, balls, animals, action heroes, etc.  We have a ton of play food for our kitchen area that we put in a water/sand table which we picked up at a garage sale for $2. I also use some of our hundreds of travel/carry on style bags to put specific toys in.

4) Use the area under beds for toy storage.  Now that we have everything neatly organized and labeled in buckets and bags, it can be slid underneath the beds and not look cluttered and messy!

5) Stuffed animals!  We have more stuffed animals than anything else.  Luckily we have a bunk-bed in the boys’ room and, for now, all of those stuffed animals have a home on the bottom bunk.  It’s a fun place to cuddle with a book before bedtime every night too!

When all those toys are strung from one end of the house to the other, I definitely get a little overwhelmed, but thankfully the clean up process is a little smoother with all these toy organizational tips that I use.  I hope that you will find some of this helpful in winning the war against overflowing toys in your home.  Please share any tips that you may have as well, I love great organizational tips!

Follow Whitney on twitter… and while you’re at it -  follow Sprig Toys too! If you would like to contribute to our Guest Blogger series, please send an email to info@sprigtoys.com.

and turning it into a room like this:

Stay tuned for great advice to help keep you happy and sane amongst your home full of toys!

*If you are a blogger and would like to contribute to the Sprig Toys Blog, please send blog information to info@sprigtoys.com for consideration.

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Next Tuesday will be our monthly Sprig Toys TWITTER PARTY! Please join in the conversation starting at 11am PST by using the hashtag #sprigparty. We will be discussing toy organization! We want to hear how you keep your life sane and your toys in their place. Let us know if you have anything else you would like to discuss. See you there!

What you will need (for indoor mural):

- Large sheets of paper

- coloring tools (markers, crayons etc)

- tape to hang the mural on a wall

- their Sprig Toys

Now all you need to do is fire up your imaginations, create a fun world and start your pretend play!

image via

This Friday will be our monthly Sprig Toys TWITTER PARTY! Please join in the conversation starting at 3pm PST by using the hashtag #sprigparty. We will be having a Q & A session about play time with your kids! Let us know if you have anything else you would like to discuss. See you there!

1. Go to the playground! Luke loves the playground and to him it’s a wonderful outing where the possibilities are endless! Pack a lunch and make a day of it! Go for a walk, swing on the swings, have a picnic!

2. Check out the local parks in your area. There is a great arboritum in our area where the flowers and trees abound and there are paths to walk, an outdoor Koi pond and everything you need to have a great day! Admission is free and Luke had a blast when we went there!

3. Play in your own backyard! A sheet thrown over a couple of folding chairs makes a great outdoor fort, walk around your town and point out the different things you see. If you have a bag of sand a food storage container that will make for hours of fun! There are always fun new things to do in your own backyard if you just use your imagination!

4. Visit your local library! Our library has a summer reading program for the kids where they earn a prize for reading all summer. They also have family nights where there are fun, family friendly activities. The library is one of our favorite places!

5. Break out the arts and crafts! Get a canvas and let your child paint on it. Once it dries you have your very own, one of a kind work of art to hang up! You can find plenty of recipes on the internet for homemade finger paints, homemade playdough and even homemade sidewalk chalk!

I hope you get out and explore your own backyard and your own neighborhood this summer! You might be surprised at what you can find!

From Lee Luckeydoo via Facebook

From Joe DeLorenzo via Facebook

From Tracy Buchan via Facebook

From Shannon Bosket via Facebook

From Theresa Barnes Nethercott via Facebook

After getting votes from our office – we have finally chosen a winner! I am pleased to announce that Tracy Buchan’s son, Lewis,  is the winner of our contest! Everyone thought he looked like he was truly having the time of his life! Tracy, please go ahead and email your address to support@sprigtoys.com and you will get your Sprig Toys prize. Congratulations, and we hope to have more fun photo contests in the future.

-Molliee

My name is Jasmine and after a decade of working behind a desk in the mortgage industry, I am now working for my family as a stay at home mother of 3 incredibly active and insatiably hungry children. Making life work on a single income isn’t always easy, but finding exciting and affordable ways to entertain my children is. When the temperature outside reaches the triple digits, as it often does in the San Fernando Valley, I have to come up with fun indoor activities to keep the kids busy while staying cool.

Today my kids wanted to make something special for Dad to celebrate his 35th birthday next week. They decided to paint a masterpiece and frame their artwork in homemade picture frames. My kids love crafts time. They put on their smocks and selected the items they wanted to use to decorate their picture frames.

The supplies needed:

-crayola paint
-construction paper
-paint brushes
-glue
-popsicle sticks
-foam sheets
-decorations of choice (sequins, rhinestones, stickers, pom balls, buttons, glitter, etc.)
-scissors

The kids started off by painting a special picture for their Dad. In the beginning it looked like trees and stick figures, then they decided to go abstract! I set the pictures aside to dry while we started working on the frames. I took a rectangle foam sheet and cut a rectangle out of the middle leaving it to look like a frame. Then my kids decorated their frames with sequins, pom balls, glitter and jewels. The finished product came out great! I think Dad will really like them.

Crafts are a wonderful way of getting your children to sit down and use their imaginations to create something personal and original. We try to set time aside for crafts at least once every other week. You can find all sorts of eco-friendly crafts items made from recycled goods at your local arts & crafts store.

Bio: Jasmine Forte is a Wife and SAHM of 3. She is the blogger behind So You Think You Can Mom? and writes about Family Fun, Travel, Toys, Reviews & Giveaways.