Everything you asked me to link last week...A roundup from The Workspace for Children

Can I be completely transparent? I used to hate sharing links with my Instagram and newsletter communities. I had the notion in my head that I was turning the wheel of consumerism and tempting you guys to spend outside your means. And I like to imagine my corner of the internet to feel like a warm hug, not a barrage of Do this or else…/ Buy this or your kid will never…

You know exactly what I mean, right?

But as I spent hours and hours answering your questions in DMs, I finally had an aha moment. Giving you all the links to the toys, home products, books, and art supplies that I love and use is helpful, not harmful.

In January, I decided that I would spend twelve weeks leaning into more link sharing publicly, outside of my DMs. I promised myself that even if it felt uncomfortable and “influencery,” I would give it twelve weeks and see if it was an effective way to empower grownups to feel capable and confident setting up their home, classroom, and office environments for play and connection.

Here is what happened…

What You’ll Find In This Post:

Why I used to resist sharing links, and what changed my mind
The containers, toys, and supplies you kept asking me about, all in one place
The one coffee table toy I’d buy first if I were starting from scratch
A whittling and tinkering toolkit for the big kids in your life
The bread box that says “I thought of you today” without saying a word
My honest takes, including what I tested and didn’t keep

At first, my inner voice was screaming, “But I am a play expert, not an influencer!!”

Then the messages started rolling in.

There were receipts. And I LOVED them.

EVERY SINGLE ONE.

“Lizzie, I bought the magnetic cubes you linked, and my nephews and son all sat around in our den playing for 35 minutes!! No phones. You are a miracle worker.”

“Lizzie, I bought a few of your travel recommendations that you linked in stories and shipped them to my in-laws’ condo ahead of Spring Break. What is usually a tense push and pull of my in-laws wanting the kids to sit still, be quiet, and stop running around the condo turned into daily family time around the coffee table, playing with mini magnetic tiles and coloring together. The kids even had quiet time in the backyard using some of the chalk supplies! Thank you!!”

“I just put out the stickers, paper and paint sticks you linked, and both of my kids sat at the table playing while I cooked dinner. Then they went back at it the next morning!”

And right alongside those notes, the specific questions kept landing. Which jar is that? Where did you get the frame? What are the coffee table toys for little ones? Which whittling tools did we use? What is that bread box? I answered them one by one in DMs, over and over, until I thought I should just put this all in one place. So here it is. Everything I've been linking and loving, with a little context for each one, before the stories expire and we're all starting from scratch, trying to remember what we were even looking for.

1. THE JARS — These are acrylic containers that I have used in my home for too many years to count.

They are clear, drop-roll-crash sturdy, and they don’t crack like the cheap ones I tested when you all sold mine out. Coffee table toys live in them. Art supplies live in them. They sit beautifully on a counter or table, waiting for little hands to lift the lid and unwind from their day.

Anti-recommendation: don’t bother with the thinner imitation versions. They scratch in a week and crack when dropped.

→ Shop the jars: HERE

→ See it in my home

2. CANDY DISPENSER FRAME — our wall-mounted candy dispenser

This is the one hanging by our back door. I keep it filled with M&Ms and Skittles. Friends and visitors light up when they see it, smiling and laughing as they turn the know, unsure whether a framed gumball machine is really going to dispense candy into their open palm. Do you absolutely need this? Of course not. But when I tell you that I am flabbergasted by the joy this one has brought our home? I am completely blown away.

→ Shop the frame: HERE

See it in my home

3. My Favorite Supply Box — I rarely like a crafting kit- too many directions, too adult-led, and usually not developmentally appropriate. This is different. It is a supply box. Don’t set it all out at once, but pull supplies from it for all your open-ended art prompts.

4. The coffee table toys themselves

Two requests in one. The coffee table toys we keep on our coffee table ( I have older kids), and the toddler-specific coffee table toys you’ve been asking about since I posted the roundup in stories.

5. The tinkerspace tools for bigger kids

The whittling tools, the kid gloves, the cordless glue gun, the wood loose parts. These are the tools I keep recommending for parents of tweens. See all tinkerspace items here.

6. The Magnetic Cubes

These are the entryway to coffee table toys… If you only ever buy one, this is the one. When I tell you every single person touches, stacks, clicks these together whether they are 18, 8 or 2, I mean it. Here is the version for littles.

7. The Playstix I bought on a whim and have taken your homes (and mine) by storm

A few weeks ago I came across a new-to-me toy that looked like a cross between old-fashioned Lincoln Logs and pick-up sticks. I scooped it up, set it in a jar on my coffee table and didn’t say a word. In fact, I kinda forgot I even put them there. Until my 16yo daughter’s boyfriend walked into the kitchen, all long lanky legs and fluffy hair, and plopped down on the chair across from me where I was working on my lap top. In his deep man-boy voice, he asked where Ruby was as one hand patted the whining dog at his feet and the other landed right into the jar. Without even missing a beat, he was chatting and building while he waited for my daughter to descend the stairs.

Since then? Every kid and grown up to sit in our kitchen has played with these. They are a must-get if you want longer conversations and fewer faces glued to phones moments with your kids.

8.The Bread Box

I have been putting out after-school snacks for my kids and their friends since they were little. But last year, with two of my three kids in high school sports, our afternoons became totally unpredictable, and afternoon snacks made by mom took a hiatus. When I put a snack tray in the fridge, it gets skipped- out of sight out of mind. When I left it out on the counter, it got stale and yucky by the time they got to it. My big kids are both runners, and carbs are the name of the game. So, I bought this clear acrylic bread box and set it out on my kitchen island. I put snacks in it daily. Muffins, breads, fresh cookies, grapes, and cheese. When the kids stopped home between school and practice, they could grab something quick. After practice or a late-night snack? Still here.

(FYI, I didn’t love the fake crystal knob it comes with, so I use a ribbon instead)

Are they capable and willing to make their own snacks? Of course. But I love leaving things for them. To me it says, “I thought of you during the day.”

9. The Coffee Tables are a yes, the TV credenza is a no.

Yes, I love our coffee tables! They are from Amazon, a great price point, and they’ve really taken a hit and keep getting back up. My oldest was home from college for a few days this past week, and he brought his girlfriend along. I overheard her ask Nate if it was okay to bring a snack into the den, and his reply was clear and immediate: This is not one of those houses where you can’t put your feet up on the coffee table or eat snacks wherever you want. And he is correct. I grew up in a home that was much more formal than the one that I have created, and it felt really good to hear him articulate it.

Someone asked me if I was worried the kids would get marker on the table. First off, if anyone is getting marker on the table, it is likely me. And second, most things are washable, and when they aren’t? I don’t mind a few signs of childhood in our home.

The coffee tables are sturdy, wipeable, good for feet and butts. The credenza? Took a zillion years to put together, is flimsy, the doors are uneven, and if I could have returned it, I would have.

You can find all my home links HERE

One last thing before you go clicking.

You do not need all of this. I mean that.

A home full of play isn’t built in a cart. It’s built slowly over time. The jar on the counter. The bread box that says I thought of you. The whittling tools that are set out with some sticks in the backyard, next to a snack. These things work because they’re just sitting there, waiting, not because you bought twelve of them at once and set them all out, and told your kids to go play with them.

Start small. Leave space for things to surprise you.

A note on links: Some product links in this post are affiliate links, meaning if you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only link to products I use, would buy again, or would put in my own home.