Markers, with their rainbow of colors, and heady scent, are magical to kids. And they are special to parents, too. After all, there aren't many playthings that are portable, mostly nonstaining and virtually impossible to use as a weapon on one's brother. And, unlike other kids' toys, which enjoy cycles of popularity, markers are a reliable staple--a quick fix before dinner or on a long, rainy afternoon. Just when the boys are about to whine there's nothing to do, they'll see the tin of markers on the kitchen table and gravitate toward it.

Part of the draw, is that markers offer them versatility and precision at an age when they're relegated to clumsy, kid versions of most things. What else lets you copy the exact pattern of a monarch butterfly's wings? Or make a teeny, tiny face on a bottle cap? Or write your name in colors like Iguana Green or Parrot Pink? But what we've also realized is that markers lend themselves beautifully to techniques we never imagined at first scribble, such as turning drawings into watercolors, or using them on glass as an erasable marker canvas. You can also use them to draw faces on balloons, decorate shoelaces and colorize old photos.

What follows is a selection of our favorite projects. Some will please your preschooler who craves a line that isn't fuzzy and waxy to the touch. Others will engage your eight-year-old who loves to choose colors and doodle. A few of them may even get you scribbling and feeling like a kid again. Now that's what we call magic.