It’s holiday shopping season! If that fills you with dread rather than excitement, we’re here to help! Columbus is full of great boutiques and shops that offer items to fit even the most difficult-to-buy-for people on your list. Over the next few weeks, we’ll show you how to find the right gift for every person on your list. Today, we’ll start with kids. Kids are usually pretty easy to buy for - but if you want to go beyond a gift card or

One great local retailer is Team Chipmunk , which operates an online store and can be found at some craft fairs around town. Team Chipmunk creates cute clothes for kids and babies, made completely with recycled/upcycled fabrics, there’s a perfect fit for the fashion-forward tykes on your list.

Helen Winnemore’s , in German Village, is a fine-crafts boutique that has a wide range of jewelry, ceramics, turned wood and fabric-art, and is always a good spot for browsing during the holidays. If you venture upstairs, there’s a veritable treasure trove of hand crafted kids toys, with a focus on toys that have a learning component. From hand carved wooden puzzles to dollhouse china and plush toys.

Loot , a homegoods boutique in the Short North, has a great kids section at the back of the store. Studded with crib bedding, cute baby and toddler clothes, creative books and old-fashioned toys, something will be sure to catch your eye. Better yet, Loot has a 20% off one item coupon!

Do you have any favorite spots for kids’ gifts in Columbus?

Today’s post is written by Kristin Marks, a.k.a. cBus Mom . She writes a blog by the same name , which she created to offer suggestions and reviews of kid-friendly activities in Central Ohio. She also writes for Ohio Moms Blog and is a monthly contributor to Columbus Underground .

Here, she shares her experience at the Columbus Children’s Theatre , the award winning professional theater that has been entertaining families for over 40 years.

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Columbus Children’s Theatre: Engaging, fun and affordable
By Kristin Marks, cBus Mom

I recently went with a friend and three little girls to see Rapunzel at Columbus Children’s Theatre . We got the girls gussied up in their finest princess frocks and spent the afternoon enjoying the theater.

I have to admit, I was a bit nervous because the girls were not quite 4 years old (theater gives that as a suggested viewing age) and I worried that their attention spans would get lost in the middle, but that was not the case. Aside from a short game of musical laps, the girls did great at their first theatrical performance.

I think the elements the actors used to command audience participation helped keep the attention of little ones. The play was engaging and fun for the children because not only were the characters entertaining, but the children got to participate.

At the start of the show the audience was prompted to make certain noises or hand gestures when the witch came on stage. Each time the witch came out we all said in a scary voice "ooooohhh," and immediately there was giggling from kids - they loved being part of the production. Also, many times throughout the play there were chase scenes where an actor would run into the audience and sit in an empty seat. (more…)

Some exciting things are happening at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium .

On March 27, they welcomed a new baby boy elephant .  The adorable Asian elephant weighed in at over 300 lbs., but he still doesn’t have a name.

Me and my new pal at Zoo Days

The zoo held a baby-naming contest and has narrowed the list of more than 11,000 submitted names to four picks - Siddhartha, Beco, Sattva and Damai. Now, you can help name the baby by voting for your favorite name here .

And if you want a sneak peek at a few of the animals, come to our Visitor Center for Zoo Days . Starting in May, our friends from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will bring animals to the Experience Columbus Visitor Center on the last Friday of every month, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Admission is free.

We’ve had some really neat animals come by - everything from pythons to dingos to tortoises…and my favorite, the baby kangaroos that are snuggled warm inside a bag, just like their mom’s pouch.

Last time, I got to pal around with a clouded leopard. Come see what animals they bring in next!