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'!
Rapunzel's Revenge
For some middle schoolers, reading can go from a joy to a chore in a flash. Fortunately for parents, Newbery Award-winning author Shannon Hale has come up with an intelligent and original story featuring a butt-kicking heroine, wrapped up in an easily digestible graphic novel format.
Junior Genius: Blast of Color Science Kit
Kindergarteners are natural scientists: they love to experiment, they live to make a mess, and their favorite question of all time tends to be, "Why?" This kit gives them plenty of chances to flex some burgeoning science muscles, with 15 simple experiments.
FlapDoodle
FlapDoodle involves lots of ridiculous trivia and even sillier tasks. Play involves moving through a beautifully illustrated “factory” using one of the deliciously absurd character game pieces. Quick, creative, and endlessly amusing, this is an absolute must for any family's board game ...
Brother Sewing Machine
Got a tween who's glued to the tube for every Project Runway episode? Introduce your designer-to-be to the creative possibilities of owning a sewing machine! The practice of sewing ones own clothing may seem like ancient history, but stitching for style is enjoying a well-deserved renaissance.
A Visitor for Bear
Bear does not like visitors. So when a bright-eyed mouse knocks on his door, wrangling for a cup of tea, bear tells him to go away. The problem is, the mouse keeps popping up again and again, and in the most unlikely places! A delightful slap-sticky saga.
Faces Magazine
What would it be like to vacation in the Ukraine? What do teens eat in Japan? Treat your tween to a monthly spin of the globe with a subscription to this magazine. From the corners of Madagascar, to the alleys of Jerusalem, he'll catch a glimpse of the people and places that make the earth unique.
Tiki Topple
This game is a blast! Using strategy and more than a little blind luck, players take turns trying to maneuver their given set of "tikis" to the top of the heap. This fast-paced strategy game takes a mere 20 minutes or so to complete, and keeps kids mesmerized as they play Polynesian!
Spring Trampoline
Talk about a workout! Not only do trampolines burn calories like crazy, but they increase endurance, strength, spatial awareness, and balance. And they're so much fun to use that exercise feels like play, not work.
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street
The Penderwick sisters are back! The new installment, fresh on the heels of the National Book Award winner "The Penderwicks", resumes the story of Rosalind, Skye, and Jane, with the addition of new little sis, Batty. A sure bet for family read-alouds and individual page-turning alike.
Safari West
Has your child always dreamed of going on safari? At this wildlife preserve in the California wine country, visitors pile into jeeps and hit the road for close encounters with zebras, rhinos, wildebeests, and more than a dozen varieties of African antelope.
Triskellion
This is a riveting tale of two twin teenagers who, following their parents divorce, are sent to stay with their grandmother in a small English village. Sounds boring, until Rachel and Adam discover a legacy that foretold their coming... over three thousand years ago!
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.
Link 26
This is a simple game that's big on letter recognition, vocabulary, and brainstorming skills, with enough silliness to keep it fun! The person with the most letter cards at the end of the game wins. It's like vocab volleyball, as players battle to brainstorm words before their opponents.
Travel Spin Doodles
Remember the Spirograph of yesteryear? This is a great portable scaled-down version of the creative game many of us remember fondly from childhood. It makes for a fantastic on-the-go diversion, as each component, from the small pens to the multi-shaped gears, is housed in the mini-drawing board.
Educated Kid
This indie band of three hails from the Bay area, and while they aren't a household name (yet!), we're betting it won't be long. Handpicked to grace the kids' stage at Lollapalooza, it's no surprise that they've got a hip-factor that will keep parents rocking out along with their kids.
Scoot-n-Shoot Soccer
This miniature soccer set will turn a snowy day or rainy afternoon into a chance to work those gross motor and team building skills. Ask your kid to invite a few friends over, or play as a family, and let the games begin!
