Great gifts for preschoolers

Skuut 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 they would to start running. Without the distraction of brakes, pedals, or gears, they're free to work on balance-- sticking their feet down Fred Flintstone-style whenever they need to stop. The Skuut helps fine-tune gross motor skills, so when it comes time for a "real" bike down the road, your child will have the balance down pat. (Skuut, $89.99)

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 lazy bee who refuses to go on honey duty, O'Callahan's four tales will have your kids hanging on every word. This CD gives families a glimpse of what it must have been like to gather around a bard in ancient times. A simple gift, but a pure delight. (Jay O'Callahan, $15.00)

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 back. Whoever has the most notches (or least, depending on the roll) is that round's winner. This game turns the typical memory game on its head (er...back), while giving kids practice with simple counting. The best news? Unlike many games for the preschool set, Polly takes less than five minutes to learn, and the rules are easy. (University Games, 2-4 players, $15.95)

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 open ended, kids can build whatever they dream up, be it a monster engine for their imaginary solar car, or an intricate candy concoctor chock-full of moving parts. This 95-piece set is a good start, but if your kid likes it, you'll want to add more pieces to work with, as her creations grow in complexity. Underneath all that plastic is a simple but elegant design: kids will focus on the fun, but they'll be building on creativity, patterning, problem solving, and spatial reasoning, as their gears grow. (Learning Resources, $19.99)

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 determine a destination. In the easier version, this might be a card with a picture of a couch or window. In the more advanced version, it's a letter, like "D", and kids need to come up with an object that starts with that letter, for example, "Door". To win the round, a player must hop, jump, or step to the object in the number of steps dictated by the footprint card. Can your child make it to the door in exactly seven hops? You'll see. And you'll see her practicing numbers, letters, logic, and estimation in the process. (Gamewright, 2-8 players, $11.95)

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 keep both parents and kids happy. Unlike most instruments on the market today for kids, this is the real deal, made by Yamaha, the world's largest manufacturer of musical instruments. And the sound is truly excellent. The Real Rhythm line includes congas, tambourines, and bongos. We're particularly partial to the floor tom, especially for preschoolers. (Yamaha, prices vary)

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 a possibility, and the classic craftsmanship make this a quality toy that may just make it to hand-me-down. With this truck under the tree, you can forget all the hubbub about lead paint-- the entire line is made from recycled rubberwood and colored with preservative free and non-toxic products. (Plan Toys, $45.00)

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 using the thick, kid-friendly brushes, roll their masterpiece down, and rip it out for a no muss, no fuss tour-de-force. (Alex Toys, $44.99)

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 highlight specific science concepts, like density or reflection, then two live-action shorts with real kids playing and experimenting. Narrated by Joan Cusack, with quirky music by Taj Mahal, this is a wonderful way to introduce scientific principles like flotation or migration, and show the hidden thrills of everyday things like shadows and mud. Then turn off the DVD, head outside, and help your child investigate his own big wide world. (Discovery Store, $29.95)

Zingo

(2 or more players) Ready for Bingo, with a twist? This game helps kids practice shape and pattern recognition, memory, and concentration, as they attempt to fill their card with matching picture tiles before anyone else beats them to it. There's nothing revolutionary here-- it's basically the Bingo of your childhood, but it includes a super simple contraption that makes the tile sorting exciting for little hands. A nice version of a preschool and kindergarten staple. And the bonus? Because each picture tile has the corresponding word spelled out below it, preschoolers get practice with letter recognition and matching, key precursors to reading. (Think Fun, 2 or more players, $14.99)

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 triangles. With simple shapes and no "right" or "wrong" way to use them, kids can form whatever they want out of this open-ended toy. Colorforms have seen their share of change throughout the decades, but this set is an exact replica of the original version that launched the company in 1951. A classic. (University Games, $32.99)

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, and go generic on the table. This particular beauty is a nice wooden version, complete with track, play mat, three plastic storage bins, and over 130 pieces, from tunnels to bridges, plus starter trains. Perfect for pretend play and ripe for expansion, the set is also compatible with all things Thomas and Brio. (Battat, $179.99)

Library Mouse

by Daniel Kirk

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 inspiration from Sam, they'll realize that anyone can write a book... including them! (Abrams Books, $15.95)

Caps for Sale

by Esphyr Slobodkina

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 body language and silly voices, and your spouse may never get the chance to read a bedtime story again. (HarperTrophy, $6.99)

I'm Dirty

Kate and Jim McMullan

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 swagger, there's a cool countdown of all he's cleaning up, from "10 torn-up tires" all the way down to "1 wonky washing machine". But mostly, this is a raucous celebration of all things dirt. (Harper Collins, $16.99)