Are you frustrated with the lack of realistic socializing among toddlers in The Sims 2? Do you want your toddlers to play together and develop their relationships while they are still babies? You can! With the toy box, toddlers can relate to each other as something other than animate obstacles in their path.

Remember the sextuplet Broadleaf babies from the April Fools Day joke in last week's SimsHost Chronicle? They're back again, this time to demonstrate the technique.

First, buy your babies a toy box. It's cheap and comes with lots of fun toys that the parents will enjoy putting away. Then, one by one, have your toddlers select the box and "Play With Toys." Your toddler will dive face-first into the box and pick out a toy to play with. Don't worry; they won't get stuck in there.

Once the toddler has a toy, select "Play With Toys" a second time. The child will put the toy down, away from the box, and then move to play with it.

When the child moves away from the toy box after the second "Play With Toys" command, there will be room for another child to get to the box. Use the same command a second time for the second child. When that child moves way from the box, the two will start socializing, conversing about all those things that are so important to babies--science fiction, politics, and the vitally important issue of how to demonstrate global warming by sticking mom's thermometer into the heating register. (Babies will assure you that this is a much better location for that thermometer than any place that mom wants to put it!)

As you can see, there's plenty of room in front of the toy box for at least six babies to sit in a circle and debate the relative taste of their toys. After a few sessions of this, all the Broadleaf babies had all become Best Friends.

You could alternatively have the parents take toys out of the box and put them on the floor for the babies to play with, but then you'd miss the adorable animation of the babies rooting around in the toy box!

There are some more experiments we haven't tried: In real life, babies who socialize with others who have mastered the arts of walking, talking, and using the potty will develop these skills much more quickly. Does this work in The Sims 2? We're also wondering if there is a way, without using fan-created hacked objects, for neighbors to bring their toddlers over so they can socialize with your kids. If you find out, please post a note at the Hullabaloo and let us know about it!

A new table to go with the recolored painting, window, lamp and sofa and love seat set. Also a new color option for my original bonsai plant; the base object is included in the zip.

Today at The Sim Republic, I've added a set of 2 Coleus Plants to the Decoration/Plant section:)

A bunk bed/ loft bed set was uploaded today at Yuppie Sims. This set includes a working bottom bunk with animated bedding and a loft/ top bunk with ladders and side rails on both sides. When placed directly next to a wall the side panels and ladder next the wall will recede into the wall. The set comes in all of the frame color included with the original Craftmeister's bed plus three recolors.

Added a new stucco house! Tons of room upstairs & down. Upstairs deck & 3 bottom porch area's, pool & garage!

This update is some blue kitchen things.

Today I have added a new house on page 4. Tons of windows to let the sun in & a garage that also goes out into the back yard!

Here's a table and chairs with new meshes. There are also recolors of a door, window, drapes and my tall tree (the base object is included in the zip)

The Sim Republic has added a Retro Bed Set to page 2 of the Seating/Bed section! Great for the dorm!

Today I added another 2 story stucco house. It's got plenty of rooms inside. garage, 2 decks on the side/back, hot tub, pool & swing set!

Elemental Sims has updated the water section of the site with 4 hairs, 2 eyebrows, 2 beards, 2 stubbles, 2 glasses and 2 masks. One set of hair is based on a starlit night sky reflected in deep dark water while the other is based on placid river water. Be sure to check out the eyebrows, stubble, beards and glasses for matching themed options. Happy Simming!

Today's update is a light wood kitchen set and requires the University expansion pack in order to be used. All objects except the counters are original Sims 2 objects. If you have problems, please drop me mail. Hope you enjoy them!

A Mixed bag of treats in this update, since the last announced update:

I've added 2 eyeliners in Chestnut that look natural for your redheads, New Floors to page 3, New Interior walls to page 3 of those and a peeling white exterior wooden wall to page 3 of Exterior walls. Two posters to page 2 of Paintings and a new skin each to University YA Men's Fitness and University YA Women's Everyday. I also added a HOT new Lonely Heart.

Enjoy!

Today, The Sim Republic has added a set of Spring Hardwood Flooring to page 3 of the Floors section! All floors are seamless in the game!

This update is four pairs of embroidered jeans with four complimentary embroidered denim vests.