Did you know that 65 percent of kids entering school this year will end up working in careers that haven’t even been invented yet? According to Cathy N. Davidson of Duke University, that means the need to be creative in life is essential. The new site DIY.org makes it easy and fun for kids to start enhancing their creativity skills early on. The website and app presents a multitude of projects kids can create at home. Once they complete the project, they earn virtual skill patches, similar to a Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts badge. They can share photos or video of their project to further enhance the feeling of pride of a job well-done. The projects range from easy and homemade, like making pickles or a smoothie, to medium-skill such as making an animal mask or rock collection, to complex, such as knitting a scarf or even making your own bicycle fenders.

We love how fun some of the the projects are, such as a cardboard birdhouse, scary monster finger cookies, or a marshmallow shooter. It’s the perfect solution for a rainy day, or any bored afternoon when your kids are sitting around wondering what to do. Turn off the computer and turn on the DIY. The site even has a parental dashboard to make sure kids aren’t sharing private information. Kids can sign on with an avatar and nickname, to make the site even safer. If you’re looking for a painless and productive site online for your child, it’s hard to beat DIY.org. We love that it provides online information for real-world fun.

The Zoku Quick Pop maker, makes popsicles in seven minutes. It takes a bit more, if you want to get fancy and make multi-layered ones, say O.J., cranberry then lemonade. For the first few weeks, we make popsicles all the time. Now we make them when we remember to, or when we have guests over, which was just this week.

When I got mine, you could only get it with three places for popsicles. Which means that in one go, you could make nine pops. The first set is quick, then it takes a bit longer and then even longer for the popsicles to freeze (time to put the popsicle maker back in the freezer). Now you can get one and two pop makers, perfect for those who don’t like to share, or who have well-stoked freezers. And if you are super fancy, you can get a character maker and a chocolate stand, in which to coat your pop with chocolate. Yum.

I have given this as a hostess gift over the summer when we visited friends. Part of my brain flash is that this is great gift that everyone can enjoy, no matter if the weather outside is cold. And I have just the people in mind.

“Surrur” is the sound that a sewing machine makes, if you are in Finland. It is ok if you can’t pronounce it, as 40% of Fins including their President, Tarja Kaarina Halonen, can’t trill their “Rs.” It is also the title of the amazing new “make your own Marimekko” book that I had to have from Crate and Barrel.

Marimekko is known for their bold printed patterns, but it really is more about lifestyle items – fabric, house wares and clothing— that echo the joy of life.

This book celebrates Marimekko’s 60th anniversary with over 60 fun-filled projects. “Surrur” was made by two Marimekko designers Mari Savio and Kati Rapia. They asked seven other Marimekko designers to design “whatever they wanted” (sounds like a fun job, huh?) and then they would then document and explain how to make it. Kati took the photos and did the illustrations while Mari wrote the instructions. The projects the designers made run the gamut from simple to way too complicated for me. Several of the projects involve sewing machines, which I won’t be attempting and come with patterns. Others are more user friendly, if you are like me, and involve fabric, paper, tearing, cutting and weaving.

A few of the projects are fun DIY clothing designs, others are more decorative and a handful are very playful like puppets or a gigantic car-cozy. Some are just silly, like Mika Piirainen’s “bad hair day hat,” which is basically a huge hat with holes for the eyes. It could be an excellent Halloween costume. Tuula Pöyhönen’s “chief collar” can be done by anyone. All it involves is cutting fabric into long strips and tying it into knots on a cord. I did it and it was easy and looks great. I gave it to my Mom and she actually gets compliments when she wears it. I bet that kids can do it too.

The seven designers were photographed in their living space with their kids and their finished designs. After seeing their houses and the décor, it is easier to understand how they could come up with such fun creations. It makes you want to take a sewing class and make something.

With so many kids-cooking sites online, when I’m looking for originality and spunk, I always head to Yummyfun Kooking, my default “have fun cooking with kids” website! Yummyfun’s part Pee Wee Herman, part Martha Stewart and 100% awesome!

My friend Clare Crespo is the Chief Cupcake in Charge and for as long as I’ve known her, she’s been obsessed with inspiring folks to get creative in the kitchen. From the first dusting of flour to becoming a media powerhouse, she has written two best selling cookbooks: “The Secret Life of Food” and “Hey There Cupcake!”, teaches cooking classes and writes recipes and party ideas for other media outlets. You may have even spotted her on TV whipping up something fun.

For the enthusiastic kid-chef in your life, look no further for an original present. For $28.00, you can subscribe to a  Yummyfun Kooking Club which includes a silk-screened recipe box, recipe dividers, a wooden mixing spoon, a membership card and welcoming letter, recipe cards, and then every month, you will receive three very fun recipes and a letter from Clare. With a Kooking Club subscription, it’s a gift that gives all year (but lasts a lifetime). And while you’re at it, check out the wildest cooking show ever, Clare’s Yummyfun Kooking Series.

With Yummyfun, the right tools and in insatiable imagination, I know you’re going to have fun experimenting in the kitchen with your kids. Create memories for a lifetime — and if that didn’t sound too Hallmark-y, let me reiterate, cooking with your kids will leave a permanent impression on them. I fondly remember the first pineapple-upside-cake I made when I was 12 years old. And hanging out in the kitchen with my family. Cooking was fun — it is fun!

I’d love to hear what you might’ve created in your kitchen with your families and friends recently. And please share your favorite cooking sites and recipes with us — I’m always on the hunt for the next smash dinner dish!