The holidays are coming early this year!

For months now our office has been full to bursting with more books and toys than you can imagine (It was like coming to work in Santa’s workshop!).  Our selection team (of editors, parents, teachers, and kids) road tested every item.  I saw our Editor-In-Chief float by my office wearing butterfly wings and watched our CEO zoom by in carpet skates.  It’s been lots of fun around here but the best part is we now have a fool-proof list for parents (and grand parents, and aunts & uncles….) to use for their holiday shopping this year.

To make the list, products had to be really fun but also have some physical, developmental, or educational benefit.  There are definitely some electronics and some cool toys made of plastic, but there are also lots of toys made of wood, fabric, and other materials that will last a long time and help kids get back to basics a bit. And most items fall in the $20 - $40 range.  It’s organized by grade level so you can shop fast and shop smart.

Check out the Gift Guide and let us know what you think.  And to help get you in the spirit, we’ll choose 10 commenters to receive Disney’s new Little Einsteins DVD The Christmas Wish (not available in stores until October 14th).  With exotic snowy landscapes, magical ballet performances and classical music and artwork, it’s a perfect treat for kids - and may let you get some online shopping done! Make sure to include your email address on the comment form so we can contact you for shipping info if you win.

Little Einsteins

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