The Parent's Guide to Kindergarten

Castle Tabletop Puppet Theater

This tabletop theater gives aspiring hand puppeteers the royal treatment. Big enough to accommodate the hijinks of two hand puppets, but small enough to tuck away after the show, it features real sliding curtains and a whimsically decorated wooden frame. Interlocking pieces make assembly easy and tool-free. Kids will love retelling favorite fairy tales with the cheerful prince and princess puppets, and the theater also provides an opportunity to create new characters and act out original ideas "on stage." A perfect pick for the born performer, as well as the child who doesn't play for applause. (Alex Toys, $49.99)

Addition and Subtraction Puzzle

Arithmetic not your kinder's cup of tea? Try tempting him with the elegant simplicity of this puzzle. Numbered wooden puzzle pieces of different lengths interlock and add up to fit on a ten-by-ten grid, but kids needn't worry about doing the mental math. They'll learn through trial and error that the "seven" piece can only fit next to the "three" piece, and this unique toy will help them take the step from experimentation to understanding of basic addition and subtraction concepts. But don't let on that they're learning all that --we wouldn't want to take the fun out of a perfectly pleasant puzzle! (Pottery Barn Kids, $39.00)

Premier Learning to Read Software

Learning to read is a huge leap. This web-based software takes all the fear out of it, with a crew of aliens, quirky machines, and silly robots that tromp kids through a series of sounds and then teach them to put the sounds together to form words. What we like best, is that Headsprout starts with easy words that follow the rules—giving kids a glimpse at success, then moves on to more challenging sections. Each of the animated episodes takes about twenty minutes to complete, and kids get a nice package in the mail with a progress map and six “readers”—thin brochure-like books to save for certain episodes. But beyond all the honking spaceships and floating phonemes, is this: the program is designed so that less than two hours after their first mouse click, kids will be able to read a short book. And for our kid- testers, it worked! (Headsprout, $99 plus $4.95 shipping, for 40 episodes).

Butterfly Canopy

This is a toy with a shelf-life, but that’s okay — your kids will continue to talk about the experience long after the butterflies have fluttered away. It all starts with a box containing a canopy, instructions, and a caterpillar order form. Once your adopted larvae arrive (for the squeamish: don’t worry, they’re in a small container and you never have to actually touch them) your children can watch the caterpillars grow, form cocoons, and transform into painted ladies. Kids can help feed their new friends with sugar-water spritzed on freshly cut flowers. The nicest part of the process? "Raising" butterflies from babies to adults, and then setting them free. (Discovery Store, $24.95)

Woodkins

Little girls just can't put Woodkins down! These wooden versions of "paper dolls" are a wholesome alternative to blinking electronic toys. Place squares of brightly colored cloth beneath the doll's surrounding frame and your child can create socks, pants, shirts, dresses, and belts. Woodkins also get bonus parent points for the handy carrying case and the fact that adding to these dolls' wardrobes consists of nothing more than finding some fabric scraps. A pitch-perfect gift that bolsters creativity, and reminds us that sometimes the simplest toys are also the best. (Pamela Drake Inc., $15.00)

In My Kitchen

If you've got a budding chef in the making, but are worried about purchasing a noisy, plastic kitchen set, put this item on your shopping list. This set is as simple and wholesome as apple pie. It's made of sturdy wood painted in gender neutral colors and it doesn't beep, whistle or talk. The kitchen features two burners, a pull open oven and a sink large enough to "wash" dishes in--making this less like pretend play and more like the real thing. The set is more affordable than most, but all pots, pans and other accessories are sold separately. (Alex Toys, $54.99)

Plan Toys Parking Garage

To most parents, spending hours navigating a crowded parking garage sounds like a living hell, but for kindergarteners it can be a little slice of heaven. A three-level parking structure, complete with elevator, helipad, car and parking attendant, this play set is crafted of quality wooden components and colored with natural dyes, making it ultra-safe for children as well as environmentally sustainable. Kids will love driving their car up the spiraling driveway and picking a perfect parking spot, and parents will love that they're also practicing fine motor skills and imaginative play. (Plan Toys, $49.99)

Ladybug Magazine

A magazine subscription can start your child's reading career off on the right foot. Besides, who doesn't love getting mail? Ladybug is a monthly magazine jam-packed with stories, songs, skill-building activities, cartoons, games, and ear-pleasing poems. The magazine has a nice mix of reading levels--some text is easy enough for a beginning reader, while other stories can be saved for reading with the family. Colorful illustrations draw readers in and make the characters pop off the page. Sure to keep kids running to the mailbox all year long. (Carus Publishing, $59.40/year)

Fantacolor Tecno

This unique toy gives "learning the nuts and bolts" new meaning. Using a multicolored assortment of plastic screws, wrenches, nuts, bolts, and screwdrivers, kids can create designs by attaching and detaching a slew of shapes to the special board (which folds up to become a handy carry-all for the set). Though the concept seems basic, kids find hours of enjoyment out of this open-ended toy. Plus, while they're focused on using tools to create designs and structures, they'll also be developing fine motor skills, color and shape recognition, counting, and the basics of building and engineering! (International Playthings, $21.99)

Zimbbos

The circus is coming to town, bringing a tent-load of wooden animals to be stacked and balanced in a teetering tower. Kids roll the dice to see how many elephants they must add to the stack, placing the numbered beasts in order, and being careful not to overbalance the pile. Children love the simple challenge of being the best balancer, and as players get the hang of it, strategy comes into play, too. The quality wooden components and versatile stacking possibilities (elephants can be placed upside down, or facing the other way for a cute tail-view) make this a game that will keep on giving, long after the circus packs up and leaves town. (Blue Orange Toys, $24.95)

Marble Race Deluxe

Take the old fashioned fun of a stacking block set, cross it with interlocking legos, make it tube-shaped and add pretty marbles... and you'll have some idea of the hours of fun kids can have with this toy. The kit comes with a variety of colorful angled tubes that fit together, supported by a triangular stand. Some are plain, others have extra doodads like little wheels or twists. The components, while manageable, present an excellent and surprisingly rigorous logical challenge for a five-year-old's developing brain. And that's just a start: expect squeals of delight once you add a marble, or two, or six. Count on this toy making you and your kid smile for a good, long time. (Toys 'R' Us, $19.99)

Career Hats

It's a fact: kids love mimicking the professionals they see in their everyday lives. What could be cooler than writing traffic tickets, fighting fires, building houses, and racing cars? These four kid-sized "career hats" -- comprised of a yellow hard hat, a police officer's helmet with visor, a firefighter's helmet, and a race car driver's helmet with removable goggles -- make for the perfect dress-up accessories, and encourage not only imaginative play, but also imagination itself. By trying on different "hats", kids get a chance to think about their dream jobs, whatever they may be. (Educational Insights, $29.99)

"Every Day Is a Birthday" by Brady Rymer

Parents who shop in the alt rock section will feel right at home with Brady Rymer, a former roots-rock musician who's made the switch to children's music. The title track, describing all the kooky ways birthdays are celebrated across the world, is an instant favorite. Rymer shared the stage with the likes of Bob Dylan and Dave Matthews before parenthood brought him off the road. This CD holds all the wonder of the best children's music, with some of the soul of your pre-parenting favorites. (Bumblin' Bee Records, $15)

"Victor Vito" by Laurie Berkner

When it comes to kids' music, Laurie Berkner is recording artist royalty. A regular on Nickelodeon's sister station, Noggin, and a frequent guest on the national morning show circuit, Berkner is far from undiscovered. But for those parents who haven't yet had the pleasure of a listen, and who don't know where to start, get thee to a CD player! Berkner's voice has a Cranberries-esque Celtic twang that will keep you smiling, while your kids sing along. Try the title track, about two friends eating burritos, or skip on over to "I Feel Crazy So I Jump in My Soup." Never cheesy or preachy, this CD is a winner. (Two Tomatoes, $16.95)

Lincoln Logs

In this case, an oldie really is a goodie. Simple, non-toxic, and easy to handle, they offer hours of old-fashioned fun. Because of their kid-friendly size, Lincoln Logs can be used by five-year-olds independently and with much delight. Without realizing it, kids will enhance several academic skills: Lincoln Logs offer practice in pattern, proportion and other spatial relationships which support early math. In addition, kids can build dexterity and thinking skills"useful in both math and early writing--as they figure out how to click and clamp the different pieces. Finished structures even lend themselves to mini-social studies lessons about the "olden days." Westward ho! (Hasbro, $34.99)

Mazeways: A to Z

by Roxie Munroe

In this picture book, the alphabet goes maze-y! But these aren't just any old mazes, they are colorfully illustrated worlds that delight the imagination. Let kids' fingers do the walking, as they trace their way through each challenge, from A to Z. There are also hidden objects to find in the illustrations, helping kids practice categorizing, shape identification, and observation skills. Learning letters has never been so much fun! (Sterling Publishing, $12.95)

Backbeard: Pirate for Hire

by Matthew McElligott

Yes, this pirate's name is missing an L for a reason. That's because Backbeard is the hairiest pirate who ever lived. The premise is unapologetically silly, and that's exactly why kids love it. When Backbeard is kicked out of the Pirate Council for dressing in his own style he is forced to go out and find other employment. But who would hire a a smelly, dirty ex-pirate? Kids will delight in finding out. (Walker Books for Young Readers, $16.95)

Jazz on a Saturday Night

by Leo and Diane Dillon

This book is a great introduction to the world of music and art. At every turn of the page is a beautiful painting of some of Jazz's greatest legends, including Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald and more. These graphic-styled illustrations are complemented by rhyming text that bounces along to a jazz beat. The book concludes with a short biography of each of the artists featured. Kids hungry for more will be delighted by the accompanying CD, which tells about the history of Jazz, the characteristics of each instrument and also features the original song "Jazz on a Saturday Night." (Blue Sky Press, $16.99)

Hisss

The goal of this game is to build the most reptiles from a stack of severed snake cards (some heads, some tails, and some middles). Here's how it works: the whole pile of tiles are fanned out on the floor and players take turns picking a card and trying to match it to a piece with the same color. If there's no match available, they can start a new snake. The player with the most snakes in the snake pit when the game ends, wins. This game, a great stocking stuffer, gets kids practicing pattern recognition, color matching, thinking ahead, and logic. (Gamewright, 2-5 players, $9.99)