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'!
Play and Learn
This 3-layered box contains all the ammunition kids need to fight rainy day boredom. The first tier has a double-sided domino game, the middle has 12 lacing activities, and the bottom contains a 25-piece double-sided alphabet puzzle. Plus, it's as good for the earth as it is for your kid's noodle!
Family Tree
If you like singers like Sarah McLaughlin and Shawn Colvin, pop this disc into the player, because you're going to love it as much as your preschooler. A little folk, a little alt-rock, even a little bluegrass, don't be surprised if you're tempted to turn it up, even when your kid's not in the car!
Square Up!
This game looks really easy when you see the box, but looks can be deceiving! Shake up the little canister and you'll get a random pattern of colored blocks, which players then race to duplicate on a flat tray of tiles. It's a boon for math and science, and can become addictive.
Knot a Hat-n-Scarf
All children need to know how to do to create the scarf and hat projects outlined in this kit is to tie a simple knot. That's it. And the projects come out looking like something you might find at your local craft fair! A brilliant introduction to the world of crafting.
Window Nest Box
Attach this simple birdhouse to a window and breathe some life into what your kid's learning in school. The solid wood house has a clear plastic panel at the back for easy viewing. A sure way to stoke a love for science and give your first grader a bird's eye view of the natural world!
Meerkat Manor
Meerkats have one of the most cooperative and tightly-knit societies in the animal kingdom, and Animal Planet's documentary camera work, expert narration, and a few fun names to keep the animals all straight, add up to equal terrific drama in the animal kingdom!
Mailbox and Mail Set
Adults may take the postal service for granted, but for young kids, the process of sending and receiving mail is a mysterious and incredibly interesting phenomenon. Let them go postal, with this hand-painted wooden play set.
Lego Creator Cool Convertible
Kids will jump at the chance to construct this cool convertible, which can be rebuilt into a hefty truck, or miniloader with a moving platform. They'll be developing fine motor skills and mastering complex, sequenced directions. But with a kit this cool, they won't need much convincing to get ...
Chaos
It looks like a no-brainer at first, but this deceptively simple two-person game has got the goods to keep kids and adults engaged through hours of strategic play. Based on the sand pile metaphor in chaos theory, players take turns stacking and toppling their pieces. But prediction is everything.
The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones
Meet orphans Amy and Dan Cahill, two kids competing against other members of the powerful Cahill clan to discover the first of 39 clues. Why so interested? No biggie-- the clues just lead to a secret that will make them the most powerful people on the planet.
Malarky
Why do cows stick their tongues up their nostrils? These are the types of wild questions your kid will find in this bizarre game of bluffing. Tell the group the real answer to the question, or make something up, creating your own answer. Boosts brainstorming, and builds vocab on the fly.
Hush Little Dragon
This story traces a mama dragon's quest to find a tasty bedtime snack for her sleepless little dragon. The progression of princesses, knights, magicians, and others that get dropped on his plate, only to run away, is sure to bring on a set of the giggles, and the ending a big satisfied yawn.
Doodles-n-Art
Kids are crazy about crafts, especially at this age, when skills like drawing, cutting, and gluing are well-established. But it's hard to find the time to get supplies and ideas. Introducing Doodles-n-Art, a subscription service that delivers a new craft kit to your door every month!
Pocket Posh Puzzle Books
Now that your teen is in high school, toting a word search puzzle in her back pocket may be less than cool. That's why these puzzles are disguised as funky and fashionable notebooks that go with anything. The hipsters version of sudoku, word search, word roundup, and crossword puzzle books.
Audible Kids
Fourth graders are pros when it comes to downloading songs for an iPod. This year, give your child something a little different to tickle his ears, and his brain! Audible, a popular service for adults, recently introduced a special site just for kids, jam-packed with amazing titles.
Moringa
You may not have struggled to tie your shoelaces lately, but lacing up, like writing, is a major task for most preschoolers. This cool tree makes learning how fun. Kids can attach wooden birds, leaves, and butterflies, using the sturdy laces provided, to create a layered Moringa bursting with life.
