I tried one of these suits for my two year old last summer on a recommendation. This summer, it still looks brand new (and it still fits!). Coolibar makes high quality UV protective clothing, and the fabric is really comfortable. I appreciate their full coverage styles—my five year old wears the full bodysuit; and my three year old years the hooded full bodysuit. Nobody complains about how little sunblock we need to put on! (They make great stuff for grown ups too.)

Sun prints (also known as cyanotypes) are a simple form of photography in which you arrange objects on specially treated paper, place in the sun for a few minutes, and then rinse in water to reveal beautiful prints. You can use any types of small objects, but it’s especially fun to use intricate natural objects (feathers, leaves, etc.) to create your design and capture the memories of a special day spent outdoors.

This “creepy” tale follows Jasper Rabbit as he deals with a trio of spooky carrots who have been following him. Everyone tells him that he’s just imagining things, but he’s not so sure. This book has always been one of our favorites (the pages are covered in tape where the pages have been “overused”). It is compelling, funny, and uniquely illustrated with smooth, shadowy drawings, mostly in grayscale but with significant pops of color. The story ends with a twist that parents will enjoy but might be over the heads of younger kids, who never have any reason to doubt that what Jasper Rabbit sees is real…

If you are looking to infuse more creativity and art making into your family life, this book is the best place to start. It is filled with with great art ideas and recipes, and most of the projects are simple enough for even toddlers. The art in this book is process-driven and open-ended, which frees up little artists to experiment, do what feels good, and have fun. No more coloring inside the lines! Even if you don’t get the book, you have to check out the blog by the same name and try raised salt watercolor painting and using rubbing alcohol drops on wet watercolor to create amazing effects.

This might be my favorite ABC book of all time, as it combines the alphabet with some of the world’s best art from The Met. Each letter is associated with one word, and that one word is represented by four different works of art. For example, “A is for APPLE” is accompanied by four different artworks of apples: a pop art apple by Lichtenstein, a still life by Cezanne, an Ancient Greek urn depicting women gathering apples, etc. We have so much fun discussing which “style” is our favorite and pointing out colors and other details of interest. I love that the book simultaneously reinforces alphabet recognition and ignites discussion about fine art.