3. Help kids keep track of time

Whether you're trying to speed your kids up (to get them out the door, say) or slow them down (as they practice an instrument), these two clever devices could come in handy. The straightforward Time Timer (timetimer.com, $35) features a 60-minute clock face with a shrinking red wedge that shows little ones the minutes ebbing away. Recommended by readers, Time Tracker Visual Timer & Clock (learningresources.com, $40) works like a tabletop stoplight, changing from green to yellow to red (with sound if you wish) as the allotted time runs out. It requires some setup, but then it's a cinch to use.

4. Craft a can't-miss reminder

After delivering her second-grader's forgotten lunch to school a few too many times, Alisson Clark came up with a trick for reminding Owen, now 10, to get it from the fridge. She wrote Lunch on one side of a wood clothespin and clipped it to his backpack. This simple solution worked so well that the Gainesville, Florida, mom penned additional clips for other often-overlooked items. Make a changeable reminder clip like the one shown here by gluing a pad of mini sticky notes to a clothespin. Then you can tear off sheets and switch the "don't forget" message from day to day.