Gift Guide2007
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'!
Lego Creator House
Got a budding architect under the roof? Give her the tools to build the house of her dreams. This kit comes equipped with over 700 pieces and instructions for three very different models. The houses are quite complex-- with everything from hinged garages, to rain gutters and dormer windows. Kids ...
Folding Medieval Castle
The sprawling turrets, spacious courtyard, and winding stairs of this wooden castle are sure to delight your budding royalty. And the fact that the whole thing can be folded up and stored flat, will delight you as well. Complete with four playing figures (more can be bought separately), this ...
Leapster
An excellent portable teaching tool with well thought out features, the Leapster offers game-like controls but includes features appropriate for learning, such as a pen that allows kids to draw, drag, circle, and select objects. Reading games for the platform are fun, engaging and motivating. Math ...
Palm Z22
If getting your adolescent to keep track of his homework assignments feels like splitting the atom, you may want to consider luring him into organizational utopia with this little wonder. This compact, high-tech organizer holds appointments, addresses, to-do lists, and notes--all in an easy-to-read ...
Speed Stacks
What, a wildly popular activity that kids are addicted to that's not a video game? That's right. It's called "sport stacking". And it involves "up stacking" and "down stacking" 12 specially designed cups into pyramid formations as fast as possible. There are international competitions aired on ...
Balance Bike
Training wheels make bike-riding easy... until they come off. This bike makes the whole transition moot by allowing kids to put the pedal to the metal without any pedals or metal. Based on similar European models, the Skuut lets kids cruise simply by kicking off the ground, the same way ...
Fire Engine
With an adjustable ladder that can rise and swivel up to a playroom block tower, an extendable fire hose, and two bendy wooden firemen, this truck helps develop fine motor skills. But kids will be too busy rolling it around the living room floor to notice. Rubber wheels make indoor and outdoor play ...
iLife
Tired of consumption? Inspire creation! This suite of software includes an array of artistic tools that will flex your kid's right brain and kick-start her imagination. Inside the box you'll find iMovie (for video), iPhoto (for photos), GarageBand (for music), iDVD (for DVD burning) and iWeb (for ...
iPod Nano
Thin is in, especially when it comes to electronics. But this year, the iPod Nano got a major makeover, and in exchange for a little girth, it now has video. Kids will focus on the fact that they can watch movies and TV on the go, but this little guy also comes in handy for podcasts and audio ...
Mindstorms NXT
R2D2 move over! The coolest robot on the block doesn't come from a galaxy far far away. And he can be built in thirty minutes flat. With Lego Mindstorms NXT and a computer, kids can design and program a robot to do their bidding. This hunk of gears, wires, and plastic comes hopped up with a 32-bit ...
RipStik Caster Board
This new toy is all the rage at skate parks around the country. Sure it looks a little odd, with its rotating deck and wheels that turn 360 degrees. But unlike its skateboard cousins, this means kids don't need to push off to keep this baby rolling; a twisting motion with shoulders and hips is all ...
iPod Touch
Not quite ready to shell out $400 for an iPhone? Your teen will forgive you if you put this under the tree instead. The Touch has the look and feel of the iPhone, but without the calling capacity. The 3.5 inch wide-screen and simple-as-can-be touch interface are here, as is the elegant zoom-- just ...
Real Rhythm Drums
Research has shown that drumming improves cognitive skills-- increasing children's brain power and nurturing physical, emotional, and language development. But research aside, drumming is just plain fun. And this drum in particular is just the right mix of indestructible and musically wonderful, to ...
Smart Globe
Think it's impossible to get your child and all his friends to crowd eagerly around a globe? Think again. Granted this one has more pizazz than most: kids can touch the smart pen to its surface and hear facts about that part of the world, or get quizzed about countries, capitals, major cities, ...
Castle Tabletop Puppet Theater
This tabletop theater gives aspiring hand puppeteers the royal treatment. Big enough to accommodate the hijinks of two hand puppets, but small enough to tuck away after the show, it features real sliding curtains and a whimsically decorated wooden frame. Interlocking pieces make assembly easy and ...
Blue Man Group Keyboard
This wild conglomeration of musical toys, aptly named "Keyboard Experience," was inspired by the antics of the Blue Man Group, who are featured banging stuff, blowing through convoluted tubes, and prancing around with light tricks in an accompanying DVD. A synthesizer keyboard with 9 ...
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