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'!
Blokus Trigon
The four-square version of this game has been around for a while now, boosting spatial relation skills and challenging kids and adults alike. In the new Trigon, players compete with triangular shapes on a hexagonal board to fill as much area as possible with one color. Sound simple? It's not!
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.
Crestone Backpack
Your high school kid may not be the hike-and-bike type, but all teens have this in common: they're about the pick up, move on, and seek adventure, whether it means going to college, traveling abroad, or just taking an extended weekend away.
Bazoongi Rocket Ship and Mushroom House
Any room can hold a secret hideout with one of these in the corner. Sturdy, colorful, and roomy enough for a friend to climb inside and play, too, we're bonkers for Bazoongi! A lesson in canvas creativity, and a must-have for the preschooler or kindergartener in your life.
World Traveler Magnetic Dress Up Doll
Konichiwa! Namaste! Guten Tag! Give your kindergartner a tour of the world, with this set of magnetic dress up dolls. Like paper dolls, but created in a much more robust format, each tin comes with a magnetic figure, four background scenes, and three pages of magnetic outfits from across the globe.
Castella 3
This strategy game is made of bamboo-- a fast-growing, earth-friendly raw material, and it's colored with non-toxic, water-based paint. A bit like a 3-D version of the age-old game of Dots and Squares, Castella forces kids to think ahead, building their strategy skills in the process.
Leather Stamping Collection
What could be cooler than leather? Not much! This kit gives your kid all the tools and materials she needs to experiment with it. She can dye and buff pieces to make a key chain, lace the leather together and craft a unique wallet, or braid strips to make a funky bracelet.
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!
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.
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.
