GIFT GUIDE 2007
Preschool Gifts
Gifts for a 3-Year-Old or 4-Year-Old
From toys that stand the test of time to board games that are anything but boring, we found the best preschool products for a three-year-old or four-year-old. Our list of loot is kid-tested, teacher approved, and full of options for any family, so get wrappin'!
SquashBlox Builder Set
Plain and simple, preschoolers love Velcro. Now their favorite material moves off their shoes and into the playroom. Think of Squashblocks as stiff flat cushions, edged with thin strips of Velcro. Each square can be stuck to a neighbor, so that kids can form anything from a fort, to a boat, to a ...
Balance Bike
Training wheels make bike-riding easy... until they come off. This bike makes the whole transition moot by allowing kids to put the pedal to the metal without any pedals or metal. Based on similar European models, the Skuut lets kids cruise simply by kicking off the ground, the same way ...
The Little Dragon and Orange Cheeks
In an era where kids are up to their ears in video games and instant messages, Jay O'Callahan shows just how powerful a good old-fashioned story can be. Pop this baby into the CD player and hold onto your hat. From a baby dragon who can't breathe fire but must save the world from freezing, to a ...
Polly the Porcupine
A 3D version of the age-old game of Concentration, mixed with the idea of drawing the short or long straw, this game gives kids an introduction to simple strategy. Players roll the die to determine whether they're aiming for a short spine or a long one, then everyone plucks a quill from Polly's ...
Gears, Gears, Gears! Beginner's Building Set
Want to teach your child about simple mechanics and cause and effect, without a trip to the reference department at your local library? This toy is a future engineer's dream-- with dozens of gears, cranks, connectors, and interlocking plates, ripe for three-dimensional discovery. Because the toy is ...
Step to It!
This game mixes fun and learning in an irresistible package. Players lay out a set of cards with pictures on them (for younger learners) or letters (for those on the road to reading), and then lay out a set of footprint cards-- each with a number written on it. Players pick from the deck to ...
Real Rhythm Drums
Research has shown that drumming improves cognitive skills-- increasing children's brain power and nurturing physical, emotional, and language development. But research aside, drumming is just plain fun. And this drum in particular is just the right mix of indestructible and musically wonderful, to ...
Fire Engine
With an adjustable ladder that can rise and swivel up to a playroom block tower, an extendable fire hose, and two bendy wooden firemen, this truck helps develop fine motor skills. But kids will be too busy rolling it around the living room floor to notice. Rubber wheels make indoor and outdoor play ...
My Tabletop Easel
With its simple build, ample storage, and no-spill paint cups, this two-sided painting and drawing board has it all. Simply roll down the "canvas" from a paper roll hidden inside the easel, and feed it through the easy rip-off strip at the bottom of the board. Then, let your little guy get creative ...
Peep and the Big Wide World DVD Set
This newly hatched chicken and his best friends, a robin and a duck, are pure preschool magic. For young children, science is all about hands-on exploration, and this series plays to the innate wonder of everyday objects and events. Each half-hour episode contains two animated stories which ...
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