Gift Guide2008
From toys that stand the test of time to board games that are anything but boring, we found the best products for each grade that will build your child's brain as well as being chock full of fun. Our list of loot is kid-tested, teacher approved, and full of options for any family, so get wrappin'!
The Big Dig
Got a kid who's crazy for construction? Bring the worksite to your own backyard! This metal excavator is the perfect size for preschoolers. It pivots full-circle for a true on-the-job feel, and as kids delight in dirt, they work on key skills like manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination, too!
Grocery Store and Lemonade Stand
Looking for a hands-on way to get your kinder comfortable counting coins? Look no further! This wooden play center transforms the living room into a compact grocery store, perfect for pretend shopping. Plus, the reversible awning turns the store into a lemonade stand, when playmates get parched!
Color-Your-Own Farmhouse
Encourage your kid to draw on the walls! At least the walls of this house... Large enough for friends to play inside, too, this easy-to-assemble cardboard farmhouse is like a hopped-up version of the playing-in-the-discarded-refrigerator-box idea.
Face Off! Air Hockey
Is it a science lesson or a toy? Kids can usually tell you in no time flat. But this ingenious set actually had our testers fooled. With a little adult assistance, (but not much!), kids can assemble a miniature working air hockey set and learn about the science of air ...and a good hockey game, too.
Lego Creator Beach House
This beach house packs everything we love about those little plastic bricks into an incredibly appealing package. The set has three cool projects stuffed into one box-- a beach bungalow, a cozy cafe, and a chic little apartment building.
Woodburning Creations Kit
Let's face it: kids are naturally curious about things that burn. Harness your child's curiosity for good with this fun kit, which allows kids to burn and paint designs into a variety of wooden surfaces. He'll make a picture frame, CD case, key chain, and more!
World Vision
Make this year an eye-opener for your child, by teaching her to spread love beyond her own doorstep. Start her out with a "giving budget" and a copy of the World Vision catalog, which contains a smorgasbord of poverty-fighting items to donate, from goats to clean water.
Hike the Continental Divide
What do Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico have in common? They're all part of the Great Continental Divide. Give your teen the chance to experience its beauty with a multi-day volunteer trip.
Reindeer Swing
Sculpted from recycled tires and made entirely by hand in the U.S. and Europe, this Blixen-for-the-backyard looks like a living breathing beast, thanks to the elasticity of the tire material. We can't think of a better use for all those semi-truck treads.
Royal Rescue
Want to raise the next Frank Lloyd Wright? Get your budding architect off to an early start, by stretching her logic muscles with this beautiful wooden toy. Designed to bulk up spatial reasoning skills and hone logical thinking, this toy is part building fun, part brainteaser.
