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'!
The Museum of Western Colorado Dinosaur Expedition
Many kids first come to love science through paleontology. Why? Dinosaurs, of course! Mix it up this year and give your child the experience of a lifetime: the chance to be part of a real dinosaur dig.
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.
Lightsnake Podcasting Kit
Podcasting is a great way for a teen to get her voice out to a limitless audience on the Web, in a creative and safe venue. This program comes with a microphone, editing software, plus a one-year subscription to Acidplanet Prozone, an online host for her podcast. Terry Gross, watch out!
Word Chase
In this literacy scavenger hunt of sorts, kids lap the board looking for words. In the process, they practice the top 25 building blocks of the English language.
Marble Run
Marble runs have been a kid classic for years and it's no wonder-- they provide hours of whizzy fun, in addition to a shot of fine-motor practice and pre-engineering skills. This one's a real looker, but it's made of environmentally friendly rubberwood.
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.
Atlas Adventures
In this game of geography smarts, players compete to complete a world map puzzle by correctly answering world trivia questions. But this ain't your grandmama's quiz game: in a word, these questions are hard.
Paradice
At first glance, this colorful wooden set looks more like a coffee table conversation piece than a board game. But despite its eye-catching aesthetic, Paradice is a complex and multifaceted strategy game that demands focus and creative visuo-spatial reasoning.
Art Time Easel
Parents, unhand the toolbox! This super-swank easel makes that screwdriver completely unnecessary. Made of just three pieces of earth-friendly wood, it helps your kid get up and at it in no time, whether she's making a finger-paint masterpiece, or working on a Picasso-esque self portrait.
Junior Genius: Blast of Color Science Kit
Kindergarteners are natural scientists: they love to experiment, they live to make a mess, and their favorite question of all time tends to be, "Why?" This kit gives them plenty of chances to flex some burgeoning science muscles, with 15 simple experiments.
