Whew! We did it. We can take off our holiday magic maker hats until next year. If you are drowning in boxes after the Christmas madness, keep the kids busy making these clever creations using stuff out of the recycling. There's a good chance they'll play with their cardboard inventions more than their new toys. Sigh.

One of my favorite moments as a parent is hearing my kids playing nicely together in the next room. Try these six secrets to encourage unstructured sibling play and enjoy less fighting this winter break.

— Devon Hammer, email editor