When you have small children, keeping them occupied can be a full-time job in and of itself.  During the winter or on rainy days, that task gets even more difficult, so craft time can become a very important part of your daily activities.

Made to Play is an excellent book to help you find creative play ideas for those small children in your life.  All of the thirty-five crafts are handmade, and many feature scraps or items that are low or no cost, allowing you to get back to basics with your children.

No cheap plastic toys here – with this book you can make dolls from wire, portable zoo animals, a shadow puppet theater, wooden nature scene and much more.

Made to Play has full-color photographs, along with templates, to help you create the projects that range from simple sewing to drawing and even some woodworking.  Most projects can be completed with simple tools already on hand, but you will need tools such as a saw, wood burner and sewing needle.

Written by Joel Henriques, author of the Made by Joel blog, this book has received perfect five-star ratings on Amazon, with reviewers complimenting how easy the projects are to complete, the quality of the instructions and the variety of the projects.

If you have young children and need more ideas to help keep them occupied, Made to Play is a great choice, filled with fun projects that encourage creative play while helping your child get back to basics and away from loud electronic gadgets and toys.