Don't forget to change the clocks this Saturday night before you go to bed!

Our team just got back from the American International Toy Fair in New York, and this year's crop of new products was outstanding. Keep an eye on our blog, spillingthebeans.net, for the latest new arrivals in our stores.

We thank everyone who participated in our annual Toy Fair survey. The winner of our drawing will receive a tote bag packed chock full of samples of the best toys and games at the show.

One overwhelming trend we saw at Toy Fair this year was active play. Many toy manufacturers are coming up with great new ideas for getting kids up and moving instead of sitting on the couch. These new products will be arriving soon, but in the meantime, we asked our resident fitness expert, Dara Kelly for some tips on active indoor play.

Baby, it's cold outside. And snowy, and gray, and blah. Winter in the city in New England does not exactly bode well for extended periods of outdoor playtime. As a fitness instructor and active mom, I'm always seeking fun ways to incorporate fitness into playtime.

How do we keep ourselves and our kids active during this long winter stretch? A bit of imagination aided by some cool games - that's how!

Throw in a CD, or just turn on the radio for a dance party. Or let those creative juices flow by leading the troops in a game of jungle explorer, treasure seeker, or even follow the leader. Everyone can take a turn walking, running, crawling, and scooting around the house to find hidden “treasure.”

Animal lovers? Recently, I found myself directing my children in an animal imitation game...leap like a frog, gallop like a horse, waddle like a duck-and so on. Entertaining for all...

In tough times, I have even set up a jump rope, string, or plain rope and have the kids slalom jump over it, and then run back to the beginning. Have any extra paper plates hanging around? Wait - those aren't paper plates! On a slippery surface, those are...skates! Slide around the kitchen and then “warm up” with hot chocolate.

Fresh air and exercise are the two of the keys to happy living. But when Mother Nature has other plans, a little creativity and a good attitude make all the difference in keeping fit and active. By the time you test out a few of these ideas, it will be time to run, splash, and play in the springtime mud...

Dara Zall Kelly is the owner of Peapod Fitness, a fitness company dedicated to meeting the needs of new and expectant parents. Visit her at www.ppodfitness.com.

Most families have no shortage of empty egg cartons lying around, and especially with Easter coming, we thought it would be nice to offer some suggestions for fun ways to recycle those cartons into fun craft activities. These are just two of the neat ideas we found. For a complete list, visit Family Crafts

Egg Carton Flower Garden
Take an empty egg carton and cut off the top. Fill the cups with soil and your favorite flower seeds. If you do a few different types, label them using popsicle sticks. Put them near some sunlight and water them regularly, and when the weather gets nicer, transplant them into your garden, or to a larger planter to enjoy flowers all summer long.

Chicks in a Basket
Cut your egg carton into individual cups. Using food coloring, dye some cotton balls yellow and let them dry. Then, using a black marker, draw eyes. Cut an orange beak out of construction paper and glue it onto the cotton ball below the eyes. Nest your chick into the egg carton. So cute!

It's almost time for our annual golden egg hunt, and this year, it's going to be three times as much fun, because we're hiding eggs in Coolidge Corner, Wellesley and Hingham. The hunt is on from March 16 - March 23, and each day we will be hiding one golden egg in each area. There will be photo clues to the eggs' whereabouts posted on our website each morning, and the reward for finding an egg is a $10 gift certificate to Magic Beans. The egg hunt is open to all children under the age of 12. Visit our Egg Hunt page for more details.

Buzz, Buzz
If you're in the Brookline area, come and cheer on the Magic Bee'ns team at the Adult Spelling Bee, an annual event to benefit the Brookline Education Foundation. Sunday March 9th at 2pm at Brookline High School.

Boston Baby Faire
Don't miss the annual Boston Baby Faire, March 29-30 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. We'll be there with great products, tips and giveaways. For more information, visit americanbabyfaire.com.

In-store Events
Our calendar of events is packed with great, free activities all month. Here are some highlights:

In Brookline, March is DIY (Do It Yourself) month with several great events. Hingham has a very popular Mom's drop in playgroup every Sunday morning. Wellesley is having an Expectant Parents' Gear Night hosted by Magic Beans owner and Stroller Matchmaker Eli Gurock on March 10 (please rsvp for this by e-mailing lindsey@mbeans.com).

Coming in April, Earth Day Celebrations, Stroller Speed Dating in Hingham, Make Your Own Baby Food in Wellesley and a Gearing Up for Baby workshop in Brookline.