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'!
Deluxe Magic Set
From vanishing coins to entrancing illusions, this all-wooden kit is sure to inspire would-be Houdinis. Forget those cheap plastic tricks you see hanging at the local party store - this set has 54 high quality pieces that are built to last. Plus, your child can practice hand-eye coordination, too!
Giant Weaving Loom
Are your children interested in learning the ancient art of weaving? If so, then there's no better product on the market. Large and sturdy, this loom should last through more than its fair share of creative crafting sessions, whether kids decide to make a purse, weave a belt, or whip up a scarf.
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.
Art Shark
Have you ever wanted to be an art dealer or museum cat burglar? In Art Shark, an engaging and beautifully illustrated boardless board game, you can do both! Not only is this a fun family game, it will also get your child acquainted with over 60 classic works of art.
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.
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.
Dado Cubes and Squares
Pick up a pack of these colorful creations and give your kid a lesson in structure, balance, patterning, and proportion. Whether she stacks them into vertical skyscrapers, nests them within each other, builds willy-nilly, horizontal, or cantilevered creations-- this is open-ended play at its best.
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.
Villa Paletti
Hit the road, Jenga. Villa Paletti is the next incarnation of nerve-tingling, risk-taking, balancing fun! Kids will get a rush out of simply removing and replacing the colorful columns, all the while working on concentration, hand-eye coordination, and geometric awareness.
Pixel
Think Connect 4 for up to four players. Sounds fun and easy right? Well, there's one extra feature that makes this game super interesting: a coordinate marker that governs where players can put down a piece! Boost logic, sequence, and strategy skills, and give your kid a jump on thinking visually.
