diff --git a/packages/core/AnotherCanvas.tsx b/packages/core/AnotherCanvas.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c111e7e6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/AnotherCanvas.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import React from "react";
+import { connectNode } from "./nodes";
+import { ConnectedNode, ConnectedPublicNode, Node } from "./interfaces";
+
+type AnotherCanvas = {
+  children: React.ReactChildren
+} & ConnectedPublicNode
+
+const AnotherCanvas: React.FC<AnotherCanvas> = ({children, craft: {node, connectTarget}}: AnotherCanvas) => {
+  return connectTarget(
+    <hgroup style={{background:"#eee", padding:"20px 30px"}} className="another-canvas">{children}</hgroup>,
+    {
+      incoming: (incomingNode: Node) => {
+        // if ( incomingNode.data.props.children === 'Order1') return false;
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+  )
+}
+
+export default connectNode(AnotherCanvas);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/core/App.tsx b/packages/core/App.tsx
index 334a5f872..cabbc62c7 100644
--- a/packages/core/App.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/App.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { MsgBox } from "./MsgBox";
 import { Heading } from "./Heading";
 import { Renderer } from "./render/Renderer";
 import { Craft } from "./Craft";
+import AnotherCanvas from "./AnotherCanvas";
 
 class App extends React.Component {
   render() {
@@ -13,9 +14,10 @@ class App extends React.Component {
       <div className='app'>
         <Craft>
           <Renderer>
+            <Canvas is={AnotherCanvas}>
+              <p>Alright</p>
+            </Canvas>
             <MsgBox text="hi" />
-            <MsgBox text="bye" />
-            <MsgBox text="lol" />
           </Renderer>
         </Craft>
       </div>
diff --git a/packages/core/MsgBox.tsx b/packages/core/MsgBox.tsx
index 290b604b7..0b15d4db5 100644
--- a/packages/core/MsgBox.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/MsgBox.tsx
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@ import React from "react";
 import { Canvas } from "./nodes/Canvas";
 import { Heading } from "./Heading";
 import { PublicManagerMethods } from "./manager/methods";
-import { connectNode, ConnectedPublicNode } from "./nodes/connectors";
+import { connectNode } from "./nodes/connectors";
 import MsgCanvas from "./MsgCanvas";
+import { ConnectedPublicNode } from "./interfaces";
 
 export type MsgBox = {
   text: string
@@ -14,10 +15,10 @@ const Msg = ({craft:{node, manager, connectTarget}, text}: MsgBox) => {
   return connectTarget(
     <div className="message-box" >
       <h2>MESSAGE{text}</h2>
-      {/* <Canvas id="Msgcanvas" is={MsgCanvas}>
+      <Canvas id="Msgcanvas" is={MsgCanvas}>
         <p>Order1</p>
         <p>Order2</p>
-      </Canvas> */}
+      </Canvas>
     </div>
   )
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/MsgCanvas.tsx b/packages/core/MsgCanvas.tsx
index 107ceaabf..532cc593b 100644
--- a/packages/core/MsgCanvas.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/MsgCanvas.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,20 @@
 import React from "react";
+import { connectNode } from "./nodes";
+import { ConnectedNode, ConnectedPublicNode, Node } from "./interfaces";
 
-export default function MsgCanvas({children}) {
-  return (
-    <hgroup className="msg-canvas">{children}</hgroup>
+type MsgCanvas = {
+  children: React.ReactChildren
+} & ConnectedPublicNode
+
+const MsgCanvas: React.FC<MsgCanvas> = ({children, craft: {node, connectTarget}}: MsgCanvas) => {
+  return connectTarget(
+    <hgroup className="msg-canvas">{children}</hgroup>,
+    {
+      incoming: (incomingNode: Node) => {
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
   )
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+export default connectNode(MsgCanvas);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/core/events/EventsManager.tsx b/packages/core/events/EventsManager.tsx
index 2db453e2e..dc7e21fd3 100644
--- a/packages/core/events/EventsManager.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/events/EventsManager.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import { connectManager, ConnectedManager } from "../manager";
 import React, { useState, useRef, useCallback } from "react";
-import { CanvasNode, PlaceholderInfo } from "../interfaces";
+import { CanvasNode, PlaceholderInfo, Nodes, Node } from "../interfaces";
 import { NodeId, DropAction } from "~types";
-import { getDOMInfo, getDeepChildrenNodes } from "../utils";
+import { getDOMInfo, getDeepChildrenNodes, getAllCanvas } from "../utils";
 import findPosition from "./findPosition";
 import movePlaceholder from "./movePlaceholder";
 import { useEventListener } from "../utils/hooks";
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ export const EventsManager = connectManager(({ children, manager: [state, method
   const placeholderRef = useRef<PlaceholderInfo>(null);
   const placeBestPosition = (e: MouseEvent) => {
     const { nodes } = state;
-    const nearestTargets = getNearestTarget(e),
-      nearestTargetId = nearestTargets.pop();
+    const [nearestTargetId, possibleNodes] = getNearestTarget(e);
     if (nearestTargetId) {
       const targetNode = nodes[nearestTargetId],
         targetParent = (targetNode as CanvasNode).data.nodes ? targetNode as CanvasNode : nodes[targetNode.data.parent] as CanvasNode;
@@ -32,6 +31,8 @@ export const EventsManager = connectManager(({ children, manager: [state, method
 
       const bestTarget = findPosition(targetParent, dimensionsInContainer, e.clientX, e.clientY);
       const bestTargetNode = targetParent.data.nodes.length ? nodes[targetParent.data.nodes[bestTarget.index]] : targetParent;
+      
+      if ( !possibleNodes.includes(bestTargetNode.id) ) return;
 
       const output: PlaceholderInfo = {
         position: movePlaceholder(
@@ -49,17 +50,33 @@ export const EventsManager = connectManager(({ children, manager: [state, method
     }
   }
 
-  const getNearestTarget = (e: MouseEvent) => {
+  const getNodesInAcceptedCanvas = (nodes: Nodes, incomingNode: Node): NodeId[] => {
+    const canvases = getAllCanvas(nodes);
+    const nodesToConsider = canvases.reduce((res: NodeId[], id) => {
+      const canvas = nodes[id] as CanvasNode;
+      if ( canvas.ref.incoming(incomingNode) ) {
+        if ( !res.includes(canvas.id) ) res = [...res, canvas.id];
+        res = [...res, ...canvas.data.nodes];
+       
+      }
+      return res;
+    }, []);
+
+    return nodesToConsider;
+  }
+
+  const getNearestTarget = (e: MouseEvent): [NodeId, NodeId[]]=> {
     const { nodes, events } = state;
     const pos = { x: e.clientX, y: e.clientY };
 
     const deepChildren = getDeepChildrenNodes(nodes, events.active.id);
-    const nodesWithinBounds = Object.keys(nodes).filter(nodeId => {
-      return nodeId !== "rootNode" && nodes[nodeId].ref.dom && !deepChildren.includes(nodeId)
+    const possibleNodeIds = getNodesInAcceptedCanvas(nodes, state.events.active);
+    const nodesWithinBounds = possibleNodeIds.filter(nodeId => {
+      return nodes[nodeId].ref.dom && 
+      !deepChildren.includes(nodeId) 
     });
 
-
-    return nodesWithinBounds.filter((nodeId: NodeId) => {
+    const nearestTargets = nodesWithinBounds.filter((nodeId: NodeId) => {
       const { top, left, width, height } = getDOMInfo(nodes[nodeId].ref.dom);
 
       return (
@@ -67,6 +84,8 @@ export const EventsManager = connectManager(({ children, manager: [state, method
         (pos.y >= top && pos.y <= top + height)
       );
     });
+
+    return [nearestTargets.length ? nearestTargets.pop() : null, possibleNodeIds]
   };
 
   const onDrag = useCallback((e: MouseEvent) => {
diff --git a/packages/core/interfaces/nodes.d.ts b/packages/core/interfaces/nodes.d.ts
index b944b5e06..9fe92f2b6 100644
--- a/packages/core/interfaces/nodes.d.ts
+++ b/packages/core/interfaces/nodes.d.ts
@@ -20,14 +20,21 @@ export interface NodeData {
 
 export interface CanvasNode extends Node {
   data: CanvasNodeData;
+  ref: CanvasNodeRef
 }
 
 export interface CanvasNodeData extends NodeData {
   nodes: NodeId[]
 }
 
-export type NodeRef = {
+export interface NodeRef {
   dom: HTMLElement;
+  canDrag(node: Node): void;
+}
+
+export interface CanvasNodeRef extends NodeRef {
+  incoming(incoming: Node): boolean;
+  outgoing(outgoing: Node): boolean;
 }
 
 export interface NodeEvent {
diff --git a/packages/core/manager/methods.ts b/packages/core/manager/methods.ts
index 2afe44764..d5ca15fb0 100644
--- a/packages/core/manager/methods.ts
+++ b/packages/core/manager/methods.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { NodeId, Node, CanvasNode } from "../interfaces";
 import { CallbacksFor } from "use-methods";
 import { ManagerState } from "../interfaces";
+import { isCanvas } from "../utils";
 
 export const PublicManagerMethods = (state: ManagerState) => {
   return {
@@ -33,11 +34,15 @@ export const PublicManagerMethods = (state: ManagerState) => {
 };
 
 const ManagerMethods = (state: ManagerState) => ({
-  setDOM: (id: NodeId, dom: HTMLElement) => {
-    state.nodes[id].ref.dom = dom;
+  setRef: (id: NodeId, ref: "dom" | "outgoing" | "incoming" | "canDrag", value: any) => {
+    if ( !["dom", "outgoing", "incoming", "canDrag"].includes(ref)) {  throw new Error(); }
+    let node = state.nodes[id];
+    if ( isCanvas(node) ) (node as CanvasNode).ref[ref] = value;
+    else node.ref[ref as "dom" | "canDrag"] = value;
   },
   pushChildCanvas(id: NodeId, canvasName: string, newNode: Node) {
     if (!state.nodes[id].data._childCanvas) state.nodes[id].data._childCanvas = {};
+    newNode.data.closestParent = id;
     state.nodes[id].data._childCanvas[canvasName] = newNode.id;
     state.nodes[newNode.id] = newNode;
   },
diff --git a/packages/core/nodes/Canvas.tsx b/packages/core/nodes/Canvas.tsx
index 9d70e9f15..521637b73 100644
--- a/packages/core/nodes/Canvas.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/nodes/Canvas.tsx
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ const shortid = require("shortid");
 
 export interface Canvas extends ConnectedInternalNode, React.Props<any> {
   id?: NodeId,
+  style?: any,
+  className?: any,
   is?: React.ElementType
-  children?: React.ReactNode
 }
 
 export const Canvas = connectInternalNode(({ craft: { node, manager }, children, is="div", id, ...props}: Canvas) => {
@@ -19,15 +20,19 @@ export const Canvas = connectInternalNode(({ craft: { node, manager }, children,
     let canvasId = `canvas-${shortid.generate()}`;
 
     if (node.data.type === Canvas) {
-      canvasId = internal.current.id = node.id;
-      const childNodes = mapChildrenToNodes(children, canvasId);
-      manager.add(node.id, childNodes);
+      if ( !(node as CanvasNode).data.nodes ) {  // don't recreate nodes from children after initial hydration
+        canvasId = internal.current.id = node.id;
+        const childNodes = mapChildrenToNodes(children, canvasId);
+        manager.add(node.id, childNodes);
+      }
     } else {
       if (!id) throw new Error("Root Canvas cannot ommit `id` prop");
       if (!node.data._childCanvas || (node.data._childCanvas && !node.data._childCanvas[id])) {
         const rootNode = createNode(Canvas, { is, children } as any, canvasId, null);
         internal.current.id = canvasId;
         manager.pushChildCanvas(node.id, id, rootNode);
+      } else {
+       internal.current.id = node.data._childCanvas[id];
       }
     }
   }, []);
diff --git a/packages/core/nodes/useNode.ts b/packages/core/nodes/useNode.ts
index 9a40d9ae8..1803457b6 100644
--- a/packages/core/nodes/useNode.ts
+++ b/packages/core/nodes/useNode.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { NodeContext } from "./NodeContext";
 import { ManagerContext } from "../manager";
 import { ManagerMethods, PublicManagerMethods } from "../manager/methods";
 import { CraftNodeAPI } from "../interfaces";
+import { isCanvas } from "../utils";
 
 const useNode = () : CraftNodeAPI<ManagerMethods> => {
   const nodeContext = useContext(NodeContext);
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ const useNode = () : CraftNodeAPI<ManagerMethods> => {
       )
     }, [state.nodes[id]]);
 
-    const connectTarget = useCallback((render) => {
+    const connectTarget = useCallback((render, nodeMethods) => {
       return cloneElement(render, {
         onMouseDown: (e) => {
           e.stopPropagation();
@@ -31,7 +32,14 @@ const useNode = () : CraftNodeAPI<ManagerMethods> => {
         },
         ref: (ref: any) => {
           if ( ref ) {
-            manager.setDOM(id, ref);
+            manager.setRef(id, "dom", ref);
+            if ( nodeMethods ) { 
+              if ( nodeMethods.canDrag ) manager.setRef(id, "canDrag", nodeMethods.canDrag);
+              if ( isCanvas(node) ) {
+                if ( nodeMethods.incoming ) manager.setRef(id, "incoming", nodeMethods.incoming) 
+                if ( nodeMethods.outgoing ) manager.setRef(id, "outgoing", nodeMethods.outgoing);
+              }
+            }
           }
           if ( render.ref ) render.ref(ref);
         }
diff --git a/packages/core/render/Renderer.tsx b/packages/core/render/Renderer.tsx
index 0076f8329..f7572285b 100644
--- a/packages/core/render/Renderer.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/render/Renderer.tsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { Canvas } from "../nodes/Canvas";
 export const Renderer = ({ children }: any) => {
   const [state, methods] = useContext(ManagerContext);
   useEffect(() => {
-    let node = mapChildrenToNodes(<Canvas id="rootCanvas">{children}</Canvas>, null, "rootNode");
+    let node = mapChildrenToNodes(<Canvas id="rootCanvas" style={{background:"#ccc", padding:"20px 0"}}>{children}</Canvas>, null, "rootNode");
     methods.add(null, node);
     console.log("added root node");
   }, []);
diff --git a/packages/core/utils/index.tsx b/packages/core/utils/index.tsx
index d5aba0225..7d4e7676f 100644
--- a/packages/core/utils/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/utils/index.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import { TextNode } from "./nodes";
 export * from "./nodes";
 export * from "./element";
 
-export const isCanvas = (node: any) => !!node.nodes
 export const isCraftComponent = (type: any): boolean => !!type.editor;
 
 export const defineReactiveProperty = (obj: any, key: string, val?: string, cb?: Function) => {
diff --git a/packages/core/utils/nodes.ts b/packages/core/utils/nodes.ts
index 0c9f559c2..4ffd84d4e 100644
--- a/packages/core/utils/nodes.ts
+++ b/packages/core/utils/nodes.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ import produce from "immer";
 
 const shortid = require("shortid");
 
+export const isCanvas = (node: Node) => node.data.type === Canvas
+
+
 export const createNode = (component: React.ElementType, props: React.Props<any>, id: NodeId, parent?: NodeId): Node => {
   let node = produce({}, (node: Node) => {
     node.id = id;
@@ -22,7 +25,12 @@ export const createNode = (component: React.ElementType, props: React.Props<any>
       }
     };
     node.ref = {
-      dom: null
+      dom: null,
+      canDrag: () => true
+    };
+    if ( isCanvas(node) ) {
+      (node as CanvasNode).ref.incoming = () => true;
+      (node as CanvasNode).ref.outgoing = () => true;
     }
   }) as Node;
 
@@ -143,4 +151,11 @@ export const getAllParents = (nodes: Nodes, nodeId: NodeId, result:NodeId[] = []
   }
 
   return result;
+}
+
+export const getAllCanvas = (nodes: Nodes) => {
+  return Object.keys(nodes).filter(id => {
+    if (isCanvas(nodes[id]) ) return true;
+    return false;
+  })
 }
\ No newline at end of file