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'!
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.
Harris Finds His Feet
This is not a book to be rushed through in the mad dash for bedtime. Though it's short, with only a few lines of text on each page, this is a book that should be savored. Beautiful watercolor illustrations sweep across every page, bringing to life the story of Harris, a wild hare with enormous feet.
Lego City Coast Guard Patrol Boat and Tower
With 444 pieces, this baby will keep your kid scrambling around the rug for hours. Where to start-- the cargo ship, the patrol tower, or the dock? Because it comes with three separate models to build, it's easy to convince a child to put down the pieces and save some for later.
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!
Apple Tree-to-Be
This Apple-Tree-To-Be kit contains clear directions for growing a tree from seed to fruit. The materials are organic across the boardâfrom rice-hull planting pots, to bark made of coconut husks.
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.
iPod Touch with Nike Plus iPod Sport Kit
What if your iPod could talk to your running shoes? Well sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, because guess what? It can. Thanks to a collaboration between Apple and Nike, all new iPod Touch and Nanos now come ready to step in as Personal Trainer.
Woody Click Family Home
This modern house courts boys and girls alike, with its cool modular construction possibilities. Pieces can be clicked together in whichever way your young architect chooses, simply by sliding small pegs into holes and stacking or swiveling at will.
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!
Lab Luxury
Learn about the chemical reactions in bath salts that make water fizz. Find out how soap works, and how milk baths soften the skin. Not only does this kit introduce your child to the science of spa ingredients, it also teaches her the basics of scientific inquiry!
Lightroom 2
This software makes plucking your best digital photographs a breeze, with cool features that let you sort your shoots, view the contenders side-by-side, and then slide your favorites into buckets, much like one might cluster favorite songs into playlists.
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.
The 15 Greatest Board Games in the World
No need to lug a duffel bag full of boardgames on your next vacation: this little volume packs fifteen of the greatest games of all time into a slim little package that can slide into a suitcase with room to spare. A great way to get your game on, on the go, and sneak in a little culture, too!
BuildImagination Blocks
These are not your grandpa's blocks. The Water Set, with its sealed windows filled with colored liquid, can be overlaid to show how colors mix. And the Twisted Blocks transform triangles into parallelograms, allowing kids to turn angles upside-down with a quick flip of the wrist.
Apple Nano
Combine nine new and fabulous colors such as tangerine, hot pink, lemon yellow and lime green with a longer, sleeker body, and a 2" wide screen that makes watching movies and videos a whole lot more fun, and it's no wonder tweens are begging to turn in their old models for the fresh new nano.
The Higher Power of Lucky
Lucky is a ten-year-old who lives in Hard Pan, a tiny desert town, with her guardian and her faithful dog HMS Beagle. Ever curious about the world, Lucky's take on life will ring true for kids and adults alike in this Newbery Medal award-winning read.
