GIFT GUIDE 2008
Fourth Grade Gifts
Gifts for a 9-Year-Old or 10-Year-Old
From toys that stand the test of time to board games that are anything but boring, we found the best fourth grade products for a nine-year-old or ten-year-old. Our list of loot is kid-tested, teacher approved, and full of options for any family, so get wrappin'!
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.
Kalimba
Want to raise a musician? This simple, hand-held African instrument is made of high quality wood and metal. Also known as the thumb piano, it produces a smooth, soothing sound. A great intro to the world of music!
A Volunteer Vacation
This year, along with all the wrapped gifts you slip under the tree, consider gifting your child an experience that will shape the person she becomes. The Sierra Club offers outings that teach kids about environmental protection, ecology, and history in a fun, playful environment.
Spill and Spell
This letter game works like a movable crossword puzzle, with players all scouting for letters to join together into words. The tiles are in a "face-up" pool for all to see. When a player spots a word sitting in the pool, he scoops its letters out and lines them up.
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.
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!
Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris
Is she like Nancy Drew? A pint-sized version of Indiana Jones? A female Harry Potter? When the first book in this series hit the shelves earlier this year, critics couldn't decide. But they did agree on one thing...they loved her! This winter, Theodosia is back, and she's just as clever as ever.
Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara
Follow the exploits of 19th century explorer, Arthur Denison, and his son Will, who survive a shipwreck only to find themselves stranded on an island teeming with dinosaurs! An adventure packed with amazing encounters, like a woolly mammoth and a giant dinosaur that resembles a knife-clawed chicken!
Buzzword Junior
Based on the popular vocabulary-building game for older children, this is a quick-moving game in which players have just 45 seconds to solve a given set of clues, all of which pertain to a specific "buzzword." Sharpens young minds like an interactive crossword puzzle. Get your buzz on!
Scoot-n-Shoot Soccer
This miniature soccer set will turn a snowy day or rainy afternoon into a chance to work those gross motor and team building skills. Ask your kid to invite a few friends over, or play as a family, and let the games begin!
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.
Kiki Magazine
Want to give your daughter something special in the mail? Sign her up for a subscription to this magazine for creative girls. This isn't another glossy fashion mag showing airbrushed bodies; instead, it teaches girls how to nurture their own sense of style, rather than follow the pack.
Lego Creator Beach House
This beach house packs everything we love about those little plastic bricks into an incredibly appealing package. The set has three cool projects stuffed into one box-- a beach bungalow, a cozy cafe, and a chic little apartment building.
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.
