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'!
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Library Mouse
Sam is a voracious reader with dreams of writing his own book. A big endeavor for anyone, but Sam is a mouse! Young children will love watching the anticipation build as everyone tries to discover the identity of the library's new mystery author. And, with a clever little plot twist and some heavy ...
I'm Dirty
This backhoe braggart is sure to be a hit with kids, as he lists all the reasons he relishes his job. From his favorite pie (mud pie, of course) to the glory of a long bath when the day is done ("make that a mud bath"), this guy knows how to get dirty. In between all the sass and ...
The Original Colorforms Set
Open up this little black box and spark some creativity! This toy packs 350 plastic sticky shapes into a spiral-bound book, giving kids two boards to use to assemble them any way they see fit. Rectangles and circles become train cars and wheels. Squares stack tall to form presents under a tree of ...
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 ...
Lacing Beads
Not ready to give the kids your best pearls for dress up? Relax. You can let them string and unstring to their hearts' desire, and give them a little fine motor practice in the process. Crack open this set of laces and assorted wooden beads, and let the play begin! In addition to sprucing up their ...
Caps for Sale
This book has had preschoolers rolling in the aisles since its release way back in the 1940's. The repetitive cries of the peddler who falls asleep after a particularly tough day and wakes up to find all his wares on the heads of monkeys, has an irresistible rhythm kids love. Ham it up with some ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Rectangle Train Table with Train Set
If you've ever gone to a toy store and seen the mob of kids clumped around the train table, you know that this is one amusement worth its weight in gold. The problem is, sometimes they're so pricey, you might ask yourself if that's what they're made out of... We say save your loot for the trains, ...
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 ...
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