Every year I look forward to Dr. Toy’s list of the best toys and games for kids. Steveanne Auerbach is the author of Dr. Toy’s Smart Play/ Smart Toys and a respected expert on toys that encourage learning and imagination. Her 10 Best lists include the ones she recommends most highly for building, being active, being creative, for learning, and for environmental sustainability.

My favorite: Time in a Box

Inside this box you’ll find 96 activity cards that allow a child to momentarily shift your priorities and focus on doing a special activity together. Play a board game, solve a puzzle, start a family tree, make a blanket fort, visit your local fire station or carry out an act of kindness that will bring a smile to a stranger’s face. A simple written agreement between you and the child sets the ground rules by which you’ll both abide.

Switch off your cell phone and get ready for some quality time! Season-by-season, with these inspired activities, you’ll have a wealth of ways to make memories together.

What is Time in a Box? A gift of dedicated time, an opportunity to try new things, a way to explore art and science, a chance to plan for the future and to consider the past, a way to tell a child in your life that they matter to you – more than anything!