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The great CitiBlocs wooden building sets just got even better, with two new varieties - Hot Colors and Cool Colors. Made with precision cut, high quality wood, these blocks come colored with a non-toxic water-based stain - blue, turquoise, dark green, and lime green for the Cool Colors, and red, yellow, orange, and pink for the Hot Colors. Natural unstained planks are included in both sets. With these new colors, build forests, oceans, sunsets, Aztecan cities of gold - the possibilities are endless! These light-weight, uniformly sized, impossibly smooth wooden planks are perfect building blocks - no glue, no nails, no tape, just eager hands fueled by the imagination. Kids' hands start flying at the sight of them, and the speed with which they can be used to construct a limitless variety of structures is stunning. Highly recommended!

A very snuggly companion, this ultra-soft plush Pooh Bear was the delight of all the children and adults to whom we introduced him. Light-weight and easy to cuddle for even very young ones, this classic Pooh makes a wonderful addition to every toy collection. Warning: your child and this Classic Plush Pooh will be inseparable.

Travel through time as you traverse the About Time board, venturing guesses as to the year in which historical events occurred! Although only one team advances on the board with each roll of the die, all players are in on the action from start to finish. Every team ventures a guess, and the team whose answer is closest to the correct year collects a token. And collecting the most tokens is the key to winning! There are many twists and turns that spice up the game, one of our favorites being the Joker. The Joker is one of three types of Time Cards, and can turn the tables on the competition in a heartbeat. While the other two types give you an extra nudge towards the answer, the Joker allows you to force an opponent to put half their tokens at stake, with the winner of the round collecting them! Questions are far-reaching, spanning pop culture to ancient history. Put on your thinking caps. It's time to play!

Created by two mothers, both of whom are educators, Air Play fits easily over most airplane tray tables and provides ample means to engage and entertain a young child, reducing travel time stress for everyone. Loaded with fun activities and designed in bright, eye-catching colors, Air Play immediately drew the attention of any child placed in the same room with it during testing. The abundance of activities, (quiet) sounds, buttons, pockets, zipper, and soft, velcro-detachable shapes make Air Play a veritable tactile-and-auditory wonderland that can keep your child happy and absorbed in most any situation. An added nice touch is that Air Play is reversible (putting all the goodies on the inside) with cloth carrying handles, making it a snap to bring along anywhere at a moment's notice.

This is an exceptionally fun, quick-moving 2 player game that takes no time at all to learn, in which players use simple logic and reasoning to win. Both players secretly stack their animal tiles in their own tower in any order they choose. By asking yes or no questions, such as 'is the giraffe above the pig?' players can zero in on their opponent's order. Whoever correctly guesses the order of their opponent's tiles first is the winner. The components are cleverly designed and playfully illustrated, and the game is lightweight and compact, perfect for hours of fun at home or on the go!

Appletters is a word-lovers delight, with three exciting word games in one 110 tile apple pouch. Two of them, Make a Snake and Apple Turnover, require players to create words by adding tiles from their hand to those on the table, with the first or last letter of the word being laid down attaching to the first or last letter of the ongoing word snake. The twist of Apple Turnover is that it allows you to replace a word at the beginning or end of the snake with one that is longer, returning the tiles of the replaced word to the player who put them down. The third game, Apple Core, is scored for points on each turn, with a player earning one point for every tile involved in the words created by the tiles he placed. Each of the 3 games ends as soon as any player has used all their tiles. The red apple tile-pouch and boardless play make Appletters perfect to take with you for endless fun anytime, anywhere!

Imaginations will run wild with this 62-piece set of brightly-colored wooden shapes. The 'I' and 'L' shaped pieces make it easy for fingers and minds to quickly create patterns and structures of surprising beauty and playfulness. The child-safe wooden pieces can be laid out flat or built up into vertical structures, and the set comes with several easy-to-copy examples, ranging from simple to elaborate. Whether you're building pre-planned designs or improvising your way to a surprise ending, these ingenious pieces will keep your fingers nimble and your creativity flowing!

Love has just arrived on your doorstep! This wonderful doll (available as a boy or girl) has the luxuriously high quality feel of a bygone era, with beautiful blue eyes that close when reclining and soft, pretty clothing designed so little ones can easily dress and undress them. Their delicate yet solid, weighted feel (the midsection is a squeezably soft bean bag) make them seem real, especially when cuddling or rocking. Available in boy (dressed in blue) or girl (pink).

Who knew that having a stack of banana covered pancakes for a midsection would make for one of the most squeezably soft plush puppies on the planet? With big, imploring eyes, long floppy ears, a perky tail, and a banana peel on top of his head, this sweet, silly puppy is ready to be your constant companion and canine cuddle buddy. One of several different Pancake Puppy plush toys available from The CuddleCakes Group.

Feeling silly, kooky, creative, adventurous? Let your imagination run wild with Beach Buddies Shell Crafts. This great, fun kit makes for excellent group activities but is equally enjoyable to do on your own. The more than 25 included sea shells, beautiful to start with, provide a gorgeous, fascinating foundation on which to build your artistic vision. Paints, glues, wiggly eyes, felt accents, and more provide all you need in order to transform the shells into a wonderland of your own creation. Top notch fun for the hands, eyes, mind, and imagination!

This cleverly designed 108-card deck comes with instructions for six excellent games. Each card contains an image of either a bead or pendant that comes in various shapes, colors and patterns. Each of the six quick, easy-to-learn games involves using your bead and/or pendant cards to create strings, by using pairs (two cards that share 2 of the 3 bead qualities), or perfect pairs (two identical cards). Our testers had a great time with all six games, but our personal favorite was Beadominoes, which had a habit of surprising players who thought they were about to win by getting rid of their last card, only to suddenly find their hand growing fat with cards again to their opponents' pleasure.

HABA is masterful at providing food for your child's imagination, and their new Biofino Fish is no exception. Beautifully designed and executed, soft, colorful and creatively detailed, this fun fabric fish is sure to wind up in the play kitchens of little chefs everywhere. The belly of the fish opens to reveal a pink dotted interior and a removable plastic fish bone (the tip of which is just visible through the fish's puckered mouth). The kids in our group loved inventing games, playing before and after by serving up the fish whole and then revealing the bones picked clean after they were done 'eating'! They also couldn't resist hiding little treasures in the resealable belly for later discovery. This tasty morsel provides a smorgasbord for the imagination!

The Bobo Glove, with its bright colors, patterns, varied textures, and attachments (teether, rattle, reflector, pull toy, and more) turns your hand into baby's favorite toy. There's something exceptionally freeing and rewarding about slipping this mini-adventureland onto your hand and interacting with baby. Whether wiggling a red-and-white polka dotted index finger, curling your hand into a flower-eyed puppet, or simply waving and shimmying your hand through the air, you'll find yourself and baby happily engaged by your improvisations. The Glove also has a velcro-detachable book with different animals and their sounds printed on the cloth pages. Hours of precious fun for both parent and child!

Get your child off to a great start writing uppercase and lowercase letters with this fantastic set. Kids progress by first tracing, then writing freehand, typically working on one letter per card. Every card shows the proper starting point for each letter stroke, with arrows indicating the direction of the stroke. Captions and illustrations at the top and right-hand sides of the cards give examples of words and objects that utilize the letters and invite your child to come up with some of their own. The set comes with everything you need. The cards are grommeted together at one end, preventing the loss or damage of individual cards, and the dry-erase marker has its own built-in eraser, making it a snap to wipe a card clean and start over. The set is easy to use and compact, making it perfect for carrying anywhere and keeping young minds active and happy!

A great tool for getting preschoolers ready for school, this card deck is designed to help master the correct way to write numerals and the corresponding number words. Every card shows the proper starting points for writing a numeral and is designed as a practice space for both tracing and writing them. Cards also show how to write the corresponding number words, again starting with tracing and moving on to writing free hand. One of the great things about the card deck is its ease of use. The cards are grommeted together at one end, so they don't get lost or damaged. The non-toxic dry-erase marker comes with an eraser, making it quick and easy to start over when practicing. And while each card has plenty of work room, the deck is compact enough to bring along anywhere, allowing for an active learning mind in what would otherwise be idle moments. The deck covers numbers 1 to 38.

This colorful, inviting set helps kids develop early reading and writing skills using simple phonics words. The set's fun and effectiveness is further enhanced by the ease and simplicity of its use. Each card has two or three words on it. Kids work their way from card to card, filling in missing letters representing a specific sound (short a, hard g, etc.). Each word has a playful illustration above it of the object represented by the word, and the top of each card tells you the type of sounds with which you'll be working. Cards are grommeted together at one end, and the accompanying non-toxic dry-erase marker comes with an eraser, making it quick and easy to start over when practicing. The set is compact and easy to bring along when on the go, making it perfect for frequent fun practice sessions.

The wonderfully diverse set of activities presented on these cards stimulates the brain in a multitude of fun and exciting ways while helping kids develop fine motor, writing, and other essential skills. Each card features a different activity. The cards are grommeted together, maintaining the order of the cards and preventing individual cards from being lost or damaged. The dry-erase marker has a built-in eraser, making it a snap to wipe the cards clean and start over. Activities use sorting, matching, sequencing, patterns, and tracing to teach preschool concepts and promote abstract thinking. Several cards have illustrations in which you are instructed to find as many objects of a particular shape as possible. The second half of the deck incorporates writing words for the objects and colors illustrated. Give your kids a head start on mastering vital preschool concepts!

Anyone who's ever spent time patiently unraveling a knotted ball of string will appreciate the challenge and brilliant design of this highly entertaining brainteaser. The clear, plastic sphere-like object has 12 elastic strings stretching across its interior, crossing paths with one another. The strings are colored (red, orange, purple, yellow - three of each) and have plastic nodes at either end holding them in place from the outside. The player manipulates the strings by moving the nodes along tracks, the object being to finish with a specified number of same-color nodes along each side, but with no entangled strings on the inside. Kids and adults alike thoroughly enjoyed Brainstring, which requires a keen mind and deep concentration. The process is so fun and absorbing that the desired outcome becomes almost secondary, although we give huge bragging rights to those who master Brainstring!

Bubbling Blooms Body Wash provides a gentle, skin-loving cleanse for your body, free of the synthetic ingredients found in so many other body wash products. What you put on your skin gets absorbed into your body, so it's not just the health and beauty of your skin that benefits from Sparklehearts' use of natural ingredients. It's all of you. The packaging is fun, attractive, and made from recycled materials. A quick push of the hand on the pump action top makes it a snap to dispense while in the bath or shower. The result is fresh, clean skin and a sweet, light scent. The same healthy self-care, Earth-care philosophy and high quality components are inherent in all Sparklehearts products, making them extremely attractive to girls, young women, and parents alike.

A steady hand and steely nerves are required as you guide a metal loop along the crooked contours of the buzz wire. Don't let them touch, or the balloon might go bang! The loop is small (about 3/8 inch diameter), and the distance you must travel along the buzz wire on your turn is determined by the lucky spin wheel. Each time you slip up (and you will) triggers a buzz, along with the possibility that the balloon will explode. And you never know which mistake will be your last! The contraption to which the buzz wire and balloon are attached looks like something straight from the mind of a mad scientist. The game contains a hidden sharp point with which the mechanism punctures the balloon - perfectly safe when used properly, but we advise parental supervision for younger players.

Cahootie is a quick, easy, very social game for 2 or more players. This modern version of the home-made folded paper fortune-telling game many of us played as children contains bright, colorful graphics, positive girl-empowering themes, and overall high quality craftsmanship. It comes with 40 reusable stickers, 8 of which can be loaded into the Cahootie for play on a given turn. Stickers contain either a fortune, trivia, or a challenge, and are geared toward sparking interesting and often playful conversation among players. This is a fun, welcome update to a classic game!

We can't say enough about what a great game this is - it's quick-moving, enormously fun, engages everyone from start to finish, and cultivates some fundamental skills including simple strategic decision-making. Just a few seconds (literally) of looking at instructions, and we were ready to go. Each player receives a hexagonal game board containing 61 spaces marked with images (a button, a tiger, an airplane . . .). Players take turns calling out objects while everyone marks off that image on their board using the nifty plastic markers provided. A player wins by being the first to create a continuous line that connects one colored border on their board with the same-colored border on the opposite side. For 2 to 4 players. Fantastic fun!

Celtic Challenge has a winning recipe - a pinch of luck, a dash of skill, simplicity of execution, and a unique presentation. The handsome hardwood board and rustic tiles give it an ancient look and feel. The pace of play moves at a good clip, and a game only takes about 20 minutes. Start with the tiles nested in layers and all but the top layer of four face down. The goal on your turn is to choose the symbol (there are five) that enables you to remove the largest number of tiles from the board. Uncovering a tile with a free edge allows you to turn it over and increase your bounty if it, too, matches the symbol you chose. Sometimes choosing a symbol that doesn't match the largest number of face-up tiles proves best, when it allows you to flip new tiles that then match your symbol. But you won't know until you take the risk, and you might regret it! Great fun for 2 players, or as solitaire.

Kids will love this beautifully constructed, exceptionally well-designed game. Parents will adore that it's easy to set up, fun to play, and teaches colors, counting, matching, movement, objects, money sense, and a balanced approach to food. The goal is to be the first player to fill your shopping cart with six items (from five different food groups plus one treat). Players store purchases in brightly colored little shopping carts they wheel around the board on rolls of the die, seeking items from their shopping list. A vibrant, two-sided stand holds items available for purchase, separated according to food group. Payment slots for coins are located below each food group, and if a player forgets to pay, he or she must return the item. For 2 to 4 players.

The chop balanceBIKE from Prince Lionheart is rugged and durable, its look designed to emulate that of a vintage motorcycle. The 100% birch frame, rubber tires and handgrips, and height-adjustable seat create a perfect vehicle for building balance and coordination in young children while instilling in them the confidence necessary to transition to a two-wheeled pedal bicycle. Children learn to balance and steer, first walking while seated on the balanceBIKE, then gliding along just like the big kids! Assembly is quick and easy (a mere few minutes, even for those of us who are less than handy), but the fun, confidence-building experiences gained with the bike will last your child a lifetime!

As with all the CitiBlocs wooden building sets, part of the beauty of the new Green & Turquoise blocks stems from the way they kick-start a child's imagination. Kids' hands seem to start flying at the mere sight of them, and the speed with which they can be used to construct an almost limitless variety of structures is at times stunning. Made with the same precision cut, high quality wood as in the past, these new blocks come colored with a non-toxic water-based stain, expanding the creative palette by allowing for color in all the right places. The perfect add on to the other CitiBlocs sets, and, as always, no fuss, no muss - just wildly creative fun!

Picture this: You answer a knock at your door and find a delivery man with a package your children excitedly open to find . . . frogs, LIVING FROGS! How cool is that? Few things are as fun for a child as getting a new pet, and few things are as gratifying for a parent as finding a pet that requires near zero maintenance, in other words, a pet you can say yes to with all your heart. The Classic Kit Eco-Aquarium from Wild Creations does just that, providing two companion Dwarf African Frogs, a one year supply of food, and all the trappings you need to populate the self-maintaining aquarium (merely change water every 3 months). The frog couple we received (we named them Guinevere and Lancelot) are cute as the dickens. When resting, the pair often squeeze together, piggyback style, behind the decorative rock. Home, sweet home!

Construction Plate is a great way to make eating more fun for young children. The surface of this brightly designed, dishwasher-and-microwave safe plate is compartmentalized, creating nifty places for various foods and utensils to go. Certain of the plate's features work well with Constructive's Tillywig Award-winning Eating Utensils. Down the hatch!

Make eating fun with these utensils fashioned as construction vehicles - Forklift Fork, Frontloader Spoon, and Bulldozer Pusher, all playfully designed to get the food where it needs to go - into your child's belly. Getting young children to settle in for eating can sometimes seem a chore. Why not actively engage their imaginations in the process and turn mealtime into a playful attraction? Rugged, light, and dishwasher safe, the Constructive Eating Utensils are brightly colored and comfortable for hands of all sizes.

The Country Tree House is spectacular, an epic playhouse for children and their imaginations. Very little assembly is required, yet the resultant level of detail creates the feeling that you've entered a real world in miniature. More importantly, it is a place you want to be, a sprawling, rustic, multi-level getaway whose charm bespeaks rest, relaxation, and easy country comfort rooted in the outdoors. The front of the Tree House has numerous exterior play spaces for the Calico Critters to inhabit - a rope-handled bridge, observation deck, hot tub, a pagoda with flower boxes, and a walkway that surrounds the 1st floor level, with a waterslide to the ground level pond. The rear of the house provides open access to all levels for easy 'indoor' play. Two Calico Critters are included, along with numerous stickers that enhance the interior and exterior of the house with delightful finishing touches!

Kids and adults alike will find creating stories and artwork on the pages of their own hardcover books to be a fabulously fun and rewarding experience, not just for the pleasure and creative ease fostered by the kit, but also the timeless keepsakes that will be returned to again and again. With 3 blank hardcover books, colorful mini-markers, story starter ideas, and 100+ stickers, visual and verbal storytelling is such a breeze that even those not normally artistically inclined will find themselves inspired to new heights of creative self-expression. Includes bookplates for identifying the author as well as a perfectly sized book holder for the proud presentation of these treasures.

Here's a marvelous idea that will provide hours of creative fun AND a cherished keepsake. Create Your Own Puzzle comes with two large, blank puzzle boards and 18 colored pencils. Each 20-piece puzzle board becomes a canvas on which you create your masterpiece, as simple or elegant as the mood that strikes you. When you're finished, it's puzzle time. Take your work apart and put it back together, time and again gleefully watching your work of art come to life! The back of each puzzle board has a certificate circle for the artist's name and age, making it a perfect memento that will give pleasure for years to come!

A phenomenal way to further your child's interest in cooking and kitchen fun, this highly attractive, durable set of cooking utensils and accessories is designed specifically with the little chef in mind. From the colorful, kid-sized oven mitts, chef's hat, and apron, to the mixing bowl and array of utensils, this set is of the highest quality, designed to be both functional and extremely attractive to children and parents alike. The measuring cups and spoons, grouped and attached by plastic rings to avoid losses, are a boon to any kitchen. The rolling pin is a marvel of style and functionality, and the 3-quart mixing bowl is lightweight and easy to clean, with a non-slip bottom. Appearance-wise, the designs are playful without being too child-like - any chef would be proud to use them, regardless of age or gender. Bon Appetit!

Enter the realm of Dixit, one of the most gorgeously illustrated games we've come across. An extra-large 84 card deck contains the kinds of images one might find in a book of faraway lands, mythical creatures, and mesmerizing dreams. Each player receives 6 of these cards. The designated storyteller (each turn has one) makes up a sentence relating to one of the cards in his hand, and will only score points on his turn if some, but not all, of the other players later choose this card from among several placed face up on the table. This requires the storyteller to create a sentence that will lead some players to his card without being so obvious that all correctly guess it. Other players earn points by guessing the correct card. Players advance on the board the number of spaces equal to their points on that turn. Whoever is farthest along when the deck runs out is the winner.

Dizios is a fun, fast-moving game in which players take turns playing a tile from their hand by matching its edge with the edge of one of the tiles already on the table. Your score on a move is determined by the number of dots on the tile you play yours next to on the table. Highest score once there are no more tiles to draw and no further possible moves is the winner. The cleverly designed tiles are extremely colorful, with dizzying swirl-like patterns that add to the fun and the challenge. This is a great all-ages game in which younger kids can compete well with older players. Includes 1 starter tile and 70 playing tiles - for 2 to 4 players.

Stimulate the brain and the senses with these unique, brightly colored, highly squeezable, soft rubber foam balls. Their already substantial tactile nature is enhanced by the fact that each ball has plenty of numerals, shapes, or letters on them, raised three-dimensionally so that they can be 'seen' by the fingers as well as the eyes. Ball play does so much for hand-eye coordination development. Bounce them, roll them, dribble them, have a game of toss. And given their variety, collect them. Excellent for both indoor and outdoor play.

The Snowcase - a suitcase for Elves that doubles as a mobile playhouse - enhances the already considerable fun to be had with Elf Magic Elves. The Snowcase contains everything an Elf needs to ensure a happy stay in your home, and opens into a playhouse for your visiting elf. The inside looks just like the Elf's bedroom back at the North Pole, with a built-in window bench that looks out onto a colorfully rendered winter wonderland. There's also a 'Claus-it' for hanging 'Elfits,' a sliding drawer, and lots of goodies - a mini-passport, magic snowflakes, stickers for decorating the suitcase and passport, and more! Whether you already have an Elf Magic Elf in your home or are just starting out, the Snowcase will add to your child's fun, excitement, and the indelible memories being created as part of a lifelong tradition.

Presto change-o! This transforming plush toy allows kids to see evolution in action. Just unzip the pouch on Dimetrodon's belly, and out comes Cynognathus, the creature Dimetrodon evolved into over the course of 35 million years or so. The two animals are attached at the stomach, and each can be tucked and zipped into the other's belly. This is a very neat concept that not only results in two toys in one, but more importantly, offers insight into the changes wrought by evolution at two distinct points in time. This plush toy comes with a card bearing interesting facts about each of the two ancient animals.

The EzyRoller is aptly named, in that it is easy to assemble (two screws, one minute - bam - you're done!) and it is easy to ride and navigate. It might just as accurately have been named the FunRoller, the AwesomeRoller, or the WowRoller, because it elicits all those responses from those experiencing it for the first time. Seated incredibly low to the ground, legs extended in front of you with feet placed against a metal bar, the user has simply to push with alternate feet in order to propel this delightful 3-wheeled contraption forward. To turn, simply push harder with one foot than the other. The ride is surprisingly smooth, and the method of locomotion enjoyably strange to observe, as there are neither pedals nor feet pushing off the ground - just a gentle wiggle-like motion caused by feet on the bar.

Find it is a highly engaging game that is equally suited to solo or group play. The clear plastic cylinder contains numerous small toys hidden amongst colorful plastic pellets. The object is to hunt for and find these hidden treasures (48 of them in all), checking them off a list as they are found. Since the treasures are on the inside, manipulating the container from the outside is the only way to bring them into sight - jostling, rotating, shaking, and inverting. Some of the objects seem stubbornly intent on staying hidden, but focus, persistence, and a keen eye will go a long way towards revealing every last one of them.

Imagine shrinking yourself down to Lilliputian size and being given the opportunity to attend the most modern, well-designed, best-equipped school around. Having Playmobil's new Finished School Building in your home is kind of like that. The set includes a school building with functioning bell, a furnished classroom, science room, and art and music room. Nine human figures (one of which is a skeleton for the Science Room) and numerous accessories add just the right touches with which to nurture and unleash your child's imagination, providing countless hours of stimulating entertainment.

Let's face it. Knowing stuff feels good. It doesn't much matter what that stuff is. With Guilty Pleasures, a fast, fun entry from Kheper Games, that stuff happens to be the amazing amount of seemingly useless information you've accumulated through years of watching movies and television, reading tabloids, and gossiping around the water cooler. How awesome is it for that knowledge to finally make you proud? Roll the die, move your playing piece, draw a card, answer a question. If you get it wrong, you'll find the correct answer fascinating and mindlessly educational. If you get it right, puff out your chest and move again. If you get it right while on a special Token Space, excellent - collect a token and you're on your way to winning. Pure social fun, an excellent party game for 2 or more players.

Excercise your creativity and passion for fashion with this dream set for budding fashion designers! Tuck and gather formal length fabrics around the mannequin using the special Style Lock system, attaching the fabric exactly where you want it without the use of needles or pins. Add accents using the fashion accessories, stickers, and rhinestones provided. Make beautiful ribbon flowers with the deco plate, then put it all together and have a show to reveal your latest creations!

Young children will love this fun, highly engaging pull toy. Beginning walkers will want to keep leading Henrietta across the floor - so much stimulation! She clucks, flaps her wings, and lays eggs one by one as you pull her along. Hear a chick peep each time an egg is released. The eggs are marvelously well-designed - a happy chick's head peeking over the top of half an egg shell, weighted at the bottom so that the egg rocks, rolls, but always returns to an upright position. Her bright colors, irresistibly playful design, and high quality durable construction make Henrietta a must-have for the toddling crowd!

The HEXBUG Nano has to be seen to be believed. These tiny, collectible, robotic creatures scurry and explore, unpredictably wending their way across floors, tables, through mazes, and most amazingly, within their customizable habitats (see separate review of Habitat Set). HEXBUG Nanos use the physics of vibration to propel themselves forward in a surprisingly lifelike way. Trapped in an enclosed space, they hunt for an exit. Create even a small opening, and they will find it and escape. Place them on their backs, and they will flip back onto their feet. About an inch and a half in length, HEXBUG Nanos come in various colors and degrees of rareness, and each one comes with a unique serial code number and point value system that users register online at handandstars.com to play games, earn points, and learn about real scientists and their discoveries.

This is one of the stranger and more amazing products we've seen, and while watching the HEXBUG Nanos in action in their habitat, we couldn't help thinking, 'Whoever created this is a genius!' The set includes two extremely rare HEXBUG Nanos - tiny, collectible, robotic creatures that scurry and explore, unpredictably wending their way across floors, tables, through mazes, and most amazingly, within their customizable habitats. As incredible as the HEXBUG Nanos are, the Habititat itself is brilliant - a unique, customizable set of hexagonal rooms that easily interconnect with one another or via straight and curved pathways (included). Each side of a room has a little gate that can be open or closed, allowing for the easy creation of many maze-like variants for your Nanos to skillfully traverse, always finding their way out! Additional pieces are available for expansion.

A keen eye, an elephant's memory, a healthy dose of luck, and a willingness to take chances will take you a long way towards winning this fun, quick-moving card and dice game. Roll the dice and move the mouse around the board, seeking cards that are higher or lower than the number on your card or that match the odd or even on the die. When you succeed, roll and try again, if you dare - for you risk losing what you've just gained! Sometimes you'll need to remember the exact location of face-down cards you've seen before. Or, if they're face up, the challenge will simply be in getting to them. If a card that's turned over has a mouse on it, the first player to shout 'Eek!' and grab the mouse figurine gets the card and the next turn. The first player to collect 10 cards wins. Fabulous family fun!

Seeing may be believing, but the Hologram Chamber proves that sometimes the senses are just plain wrong. Place a small distinct object inside the chamber and the object will appear to be hovering on top. That is, until you attempt to pick it up and your fingers close on nothing but thin air! It's stunning how completely the mind can be fooled into seeing a fully three-dimensional object where it isn't. Place the chamber where friends can happen upon it and watch their looks of amazement as they discover that all is not as it appears!

This silliness-inducing board game, for 2 or more players, is designed to get teens and adults talking up a storm, revealing secrets, and behaving in ways they might not normally behave - all in the name of fun! The game play is simple and quick-moving - roll the die, move your playing piece, follow the instructions on the space where you land. For example, Talk like a baby, Sing a rap song, Imitate your best friend. Every third or fourth space tells you to draw and read aloud an I've Never card, which might say something like, 'I've never received a love letter,' or, 'I've never had a crush on a teacher.' You then have to admit whether the statement is true or false, for which there are further potentially exciting or embarrassing consequences, depending on your answer!

This is a fun, fast-moving brainteaser puzzle. Place the triangular tiles on the ball so that all of the dots touching each yellow number add up to that number. It's easy to make swift progress in the beginning, but once the ball begins to fill up and there are fewer tiles to choose from, you'll likely have to reevaluate some of your prior choices. When finished, simply move a few of the yellow numbers on the ball and start over. There is always a solution. Icosoku is highly tactile, very gratifying, and more than a little addictive. Hours and hours of fun - ingenious!

Here is everything you need for startlingly creative fun - 42 extraordinarily well-crafted wooden block magnets in a carrying case that folds open to become the canvas on which they stick, along with 50 full color illustrations to replicate. The variety of shapes, sizes, and vibrant colors of the Imaginets allows for a stunning variety of self-expressive play. Make animals, faces, crabs, cranes, monsters, houses, entire worlds of your own invention! The white interior also acts as a dry-erase board, allowing for the mingling of magnetic and hand drawn art. When finished, fold it up, Imaginets inside, no fuss. You're ready to take the fun on the road!

This unique clock makes telling time easy for children. The design is such that the more traditional face of the clock faces upwards, and is covered by a clear plastic dome. The hour and minute hands each have a playful character attached to the end (in this case a little girl with a wand and a swan with a crown), standing upright. The side of the clock shows numbers 1 through 12 brightly printed, with lines marking the half hours. Kids can see the passage of time as the characters move along the edge of the clock, and illustrated cards showing key events of the day can be placed so as to allow your child to know exactly when it's time for snack, meal, bath, bed, or rise and shine! The clock can be placed on any surface, and will add color and playfulness to the room. It's time to make telling time easy and fun!

There's nothing quite like a fun activity that produces great end results! This easy-to-use tie dye kit is great for ages 5 and up (with adult supervision). The kit comes with pre-measured dye in red, blue, and yellow, and the entire process consists of 3 easy steps: 1) Wet the fabric and tie with rubber bands or string. 2) Soak in soda ash (provided) for at least 20 minutes while mixing the dyes with tap water. 3) Apply the dye, wait 24 hours, then rinse, wash, dry, and enjoy! The kit contains everything you need to create up to 5 adult t-shirts, but can also be used on heavier items such as jeans. The instructions provide methods for several different patterns (bunching, spiral, vertical stripe, geometric design) and encourages creative experimentation. This is a gift that keeps on giving.

For ages 4 and up (with adult supervision), this kit contains everything you need for hours of creative fun and artistic expression. It comes with 3 stretched silk hoops, 3 primary color Dye-Na-Flow paints (which you can mix to create a broad spectrum of colors), and supplies and instructions for four splendid techniques. The Watercolor technique allows colors to blend freely on the silk, creating a look similar to a watercolor painting. The Resist technique involves applying a water-based substance (provided) to the silk to act as a boundary between colors, allowing for a fair amount of intricacy in your artwork. The Salt technique uses Silk Salt (provided) to create starbursts of color, and the Sunprinting technique enables the use of small objects and sunlight to create interesting impressions on your artwork. These four techniques can be easily combined to inspire and create truly dazzling art!

This is a fun, creativity-inspiring toy. These 16 velvety-soft, brightly colored foam triangles provide a tactile and visual playground for eager hands and eyes. Put them together to form new shapes and designs, invent games, or simply play catch. See who can build the tallest tower of triangles (fear not - if they tumble, there will be no damage and nary a sound, so soft are they). Their shape and foam rubber design means they also have a pretty good bounce, and a resilience such that, when squeezed, is sufficient to promote hand strength.

Kids (and you) will love these precision construction blocks that can be used to easily create an astonishing array of designs - towers, bridges, buildings, sculptures - simply by stacking. Smooth, lightweight, perfectly cut, their identical construction allows them to be quickly stacked with a very high level of stability. Kids start stacking and building the minute they're out of the box, and the level of intricacy and variety achievable is almost limitless, making this a creative toy suited for all age and skill levels from toddlers on up. The blocks also are a genuine artistic medium, nurturing your child's creativity and self-expression. The guidebook that comes with this set is fantastic, offering basic stacking techniques, construction challenges, group activities, games, and more, making this an astonishingly versatile product with exceptional longevity and play value.

This enchanting, imaginative collection of 40 fun indoor and outdoor activities and games is a fantastic way to engage your child in nature and gardening. Beautifully packaged and illustrated, Kids' Garden contains 40 easy-to-follow activity cards grouped into five color-coded categories - Exploring The Garden, Planting and Growing, Fun with Plants, Discovering Creatures, and Creating Garden Art. Among these, one favorite activity was Squirmin' Worm Inn, whereby kids create a habitat in which worms thrive and produce composting materials. Another, Planting a Rainbow, creates a bed of flowers divided into seven sections according to color, providing a beacon for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. An eight-page booklet contains information on garden tools, plant care, and garden safety. Kids' Garden is fertile fun that can produce a lifetime of pleasure for your child.

This imagination-inspiring toy will bring hours and hours of fun right out of the box. One byproduct of LEGO's easy modular design is that the Fire Ship is as much fun to build as it is to play with. Things snap into place, one after another, until you've created a miniature world with a remarkable level of detail, durable enough to withstand the exciting playtime this toy will inspire. A sense of accomplishment gives way to a sense of wonder at this formidable firefighting vessel and the many accessories with which it comes: six water cannons, a 360-degree rotating fire-fighting boom, 4 firefighter mini-figures with life jackets, a floating dinghy, and more! The boat itself measures over 16 inches long and over 11 inches tall.

Young kids will love the large, easy to snap together pieces and vivid, playful illustrations in these durable puzzles from HABA. Each box contains six different puzzles, a wooden figure, and six stand-alone pieces (each of which shares background color and motif with one of the puzzles). The puzzles hold together well, are easily maneuverable on table or floor, and, along with the wooden figure and stand-alone pieces, inspire imaginative storytelling. Assembling the puzzles builds fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and close observation skills, while matching the stand-alone pieces to their like-themed puzzle promotes cognitive associative development. There are three styles available - Farm, Animals, and Construction - each of which contains all of the components described above.

Extraordinarily lightweight, durable, and smooth-riding, this attractive 3-wheel Swiss-designed scooter stands a class apart. Whisper quiet as it glides along, the Maxi Kick requires very little push-off to get it traveling a hearty distance. The 3-wheel design creates ultra-stability, allowing kids as young as age 6 to get scooting confidently in no time flat. The Maxi Kick's overall precision and special lean-and-steer mechanism create a unique and exciting riding experience that kids of all ages will love. Recommended weight limit: 120 lbs.

Make bubbles big enough to fit a person inside with the Mega Bubble kit! Just dip the large circular wand (about 31-inch diameter) in solution held by the inflatable base and lift it up to create a bubble of preposterous proportions. Whatever, or whomever, is standing within the base will be inside the bubble looking out. The science of how it works is explained in the instruction guide, along with tips for creating the biggest, baddest bubbles imaginable!

Mind Fizzle has many merits, not the least of which is the way it requires you to hold in mind a group of symbols while assessing which of them is missing from a card on the table and scanning cards in your hand for any of the missing symbols. If you spot one, you'd best be fast in getting the right card from hand to table because everyone else is doing the same and it's the first one down who wins the round. Whew! It all happens in a heartbeat, and if this doesn't keep your hands fast and your mind sharp, we're not sure what will. For 1 to 7 Players, ages 7 to adult.

Feel the sweet satisfaction of solving the Mind Jewel puzzle - and the maddening frustration when things go awry along the way! The Mind Jewel comes out of its package as a three-dimensional ball you can hold in the palm of your hand. With a quick tug it unravels into a series of colored gems connected by an elastic string. The challenge is to reassemble it to its original shape by twisting, turning, and fitting the pieces together (they have little nodes along the edges that allow them to snap into place). Our testers really enjoyed the fact that the challenge was doable, even for kids of a relatively young age. Having two or three on hand only enhances the fun by allowing races to see who can finish first!

Kids will love collecting Mini Kimochis, the wonderful new twist on the existing Kimochis toys with feelings inside. Each 6-inch Mini Kimochi character comes in a canvas peek-a-boo pouch, its sweet little face peering out at you, and includes a Kimochis comic book and feeling keychain. The Mini Kimochi we received, Huggtopus, was irresistably soft, cute, and, yes, huggable. Both the story and illustrations in the comic book, 'Huggtopus and the Uggtopus Feeling,' were loaded with charming originality and humor and, naturally, was a tale of strong feelings and a healthy resolution. A separate compartment in the canvas bag held the feeling keychain (one of the soft little Kimochi feeling pillows with a clip attached). Kids will be resistably drawn to the originality and playfulness of Mini-Kimochis, with the added benefit of having a toy to help them learn to identify and express their feelings in a fun and comfortable way!

Imagination and intellect blend seamlessly when using this building set to explore and create during fun and play. Morphun Education construction bricks have a patented side joining system that makes it easy to construct a stunning array of models and shapes using their square and triangle bricks. The set comes with 3 instruction sheets showing a multitude of examples ranging from simple to surprisingly intricate. Additional instruction sheets can be downloaded from the company website. The set comes nicely packed in an attractive plastic tub with a carrying handle for building at home or on the go. The tub contains 200 square and triangle construction bricks in 6 different colors, and 4 joiners for connecting the bricks in new and unusual ways.

The Multicar is an ingenious construction system whose unique components and connectors inspire countless creations. The booklet shows easy-to-follow pictorial instructions for 14 different constructions including a robot, bird, dog, cat, snake, and numerous vehicles (including a ride-on for kids) made possible by the inclusion of 4 large, highly durable floor-safe wheels that pop right on. As fun as the finished constructions are, the real pleasure comes from the ease and solidity with which the pieces fit together and, when extra stability is desired, are secured with large plastic screws using the simple plastic tool that acts as both a screwdriver and wheel remover. Pure, innovative, ingenious fun!

Making friendship bracelets just got easier and more fun with this kit from Crorey Creations. The kit comes with 56 precut threads in 14 different colors, conveniently stored in a in a built-in thread organizing tray. The butterfly clip and string holder enable you to work easily with up to five different threads at a time, making it a snap to build wildly colorful bracelets without getting all tangled up. The instructions take you step by step through the process. When you're done, just slide the top back on the thread organizer and you're ready to hit the road - to friends' houses, the car, the backyard, you're ready to make friendship bracelets anytime, anywhere!

This kit combines several elements - touch, sight, sound, movement, and storytelling - to actively engage children in the processes of exploring colors, enhancing motor control abilities, and actively using their imaginations. The kit includes Dr. Seuss' My Many Colored Days board book, 10 different colored sheer nylon scarves, a CD with many beautiful well-known music selections chosen for the moods they convey, and a velcro strip for hanging the scarves. These elements can be combined and explored by parents and children in an almost endless variety of ways. The soft, flowing, 27-inch square scarves, when moved through the air to the accompanying music, create a mesmerizing attraction for the eyes and the spirit.

Playmobil's penchant for detail and fine craftsmanship has produced another great play product for children, one that is also wonderfully portable. The farm building, with easy to carry handle, comes with a variety of human and animal figures and a multitude of accessories sufficient for even the most elaborate imagination. The two level farm house opens to reveal four rooms which look out onto a fenced-in animal enclosure populated by a host of farm animals, tools, vegetation, and more. Play to your heart's content, then scoop everything into the farmhouse, fold it shut, and you're off to a playmate's house to share the wonders of My Take Along Farm with a friend.

elope, Inc. is known for making creative, high quality, playful headwear, and the Nemo Hat is a cut above. This goofy, laugh-inducing hat is so much fun that we found kids of every age, and more than a few adults, gravitating to it on sight. Bright orange and beautifully made of plush, durable velvet, the Nemo Hat looks as good resting on a dresser or table (or pinned to a wall) as it does snuggled on top of someone's head. And good news: it has a built-in Velcro size-adjuster so that it can fit every head in the house. Nemo-lovers, unite!

This fun, sprawling floor puzzle (2 Feet X 3 Feet) has large, rugged pieces made from 98% recycled materials. Like all Innovative Kids' Green Start series products, this puzzle is not only good for the earth, it also helps kids see their connection to it, in this case with a wonderfully illustrated garden scene showing kids busily working and playing in and around the garden. Once assembled, the puzzle becomes a hunt-and-find adventure in which kids count objects hidden in the garden. Numerals and matching illustrated quantities (chicks, apples, bees, flowers, etc.) along the top and bottom borders of the puzzle show kids what, and how many of each, to look for. When finished, pack it back up into the very attractive carrying case package it came in, also made from recycled materials. Highly engaging fun that's good for your kids and for the world!

More word fun from the folks who brought you Bananagrams, PAIRSinPAIRS consists of two fast, action-packed games - PAIRSinPAIRS and PAIRPOINTS. In PAIRSinPEARS, players race to be the first to construct a given number of pairs of words, with each word at least 3 letters long. All letters in a given pair must display the same pattern (solid, lines, dots, outline). Words within a pair are allowed to intersect, thus sharing a letter. In PAIRPOINTS, players are still racing towards creating a given number of pairs, but winning is based on points rather than who finished first. Letters can be from any suit. However, a player earns two points per letter for any pair in which all letters share the same pattern, versus one point per letter for mixed. First to finish gets a 5-point bonus. For 2 to 4 players.

One comment we heard from people who tried Sparklehearts products, including the Peace Out hair detangler, is that you can actually feel the difference made by the organic ingredients. There is a light, refreshing feel immediately noticeable on your skin after years of using typical chemical-laden skin and hair-care products, and even the scent has a pure, sweet, natural quality to it. Which makes sense if you think about it. Peace Out does its job well, without the stickiness or coated feeling that often results from other hair care products. Sparklehearts also uses 100% recycled packaging, giving young women the ability to care for their own health and beauty and that of our planet at the same time.

This two-player game from Mindtwister is great fun. Start playing after eyeballing the instructions for just 30 seconds or so, then gain a deeper understanding as you go. The concept is simple, and very clever. Be the first player to get five same-colored marbles in a row. The twist is, in this case, literally a twist: Each move consists of placing a marble (one player is black, the other white) on one of the four quadrants of the brilliantly designed board and then twisting any of the four quadrants ninety degrees. This means players have two direct ways to disrupt their opponent's progress and advance their own - marble placement and quadrant rotation. And the latter can make it challenging to see just what curve ball is coming your way, including hearing the words, 'I won,' just as you were planning your victory dance.

The technology at the heart of this deluxe learning experience is nothing short of amazing. Touch any word or image on the abundance of materials provided (books, sounds sheets, word sheets, stickers, flash cards) with the CROCOPen and hear that word sounded out or spoken aloud. Touching various icons activates different features, enabling the Pen to spell words, read aloud sentences and paragraphs, rhyme, sing songs, and play games. Progressing through the four books is fun and exciting. Seven bunches of sturdy flash cards (each held together by a plastic ring) are particularly helpful, with a word and photo of a given object on opposite sides of each card. It all packs up compactly in a playful, attractive carrying case for fun learning anytime, anywhere!

Even the pizza-box style packaging on this wonderful family game makes players laugh. Pizza Night comes with 150 pizza-slice shaped game cards separated according to six different colors that match the colored die players roll to determine which card to play next. Each card has super-simple instructions to a lightning quick game (e. g., Everyone take a big sip of their drink and see who has the biggest drink mustache). Take a turn, play a game, pass the die - there are no losers, only winners, laughter, and happy Pizza Night Family Dinner Game players.

Make an air rocket out of potato chip bags, fingerprint powder out of potato chips, a potato battery that powers a clock, and much, much more! That this enormously fun kit comes packaged as what appears to be a bag of potato chips gives you some idea of the sly humor and cleverness of its contents. Inside, you'll find a book of 29 potato chip experiments along with numerous items used in their execution (a spud-powered sound chip, potato propulsion pipe, 6 chip lids, wire connectors, and more). The experiments are clear, easy to follow, and the book does a fabulous job of taking you through the science behind them. Experiments variously employ bags, chips, lids, spuds, and tubes in their execution, and are grouped accordingly. A bona fide treasure trove of knowledge and fun!

Puzzle Blocks brings a new dimension of fun to puzzle play. Each of the nine blocks is illustrated on all six sides, meaning one set of blocks creates six different puzzles! Kids twist and turn the playfully illustrated cubes, searching for the side that fits the puzzle on which they're currently working. This highly tactile aspect of solving the smooth, light-weight block puzzles adds an element of fun not found in standard puzzles. From a developmental perspective, the contrasting and comparing required to find the correct side encourages eye-hand coordination, color-shape awareness, and associative development. Most important of all, kids have a wonderful time solving these simple, quick-moving puzzles. Puzzle Blocks are light-weight and compact, perfect for play during travel or at home. Available in three different themes - Fairies, Monsters, and Butterflies.

This game is fast, there's no turn-taking, and a keen eye and agile mind will get you everywhere! Visual dexterity plays a big part in Q-bitz, as players race one another to recreate a pattern shown on a card drawn from a deck, using wooden cubes with images on their sides. Each player works with his own set of 16 cubes (each side contains a different image), filling in a wooden tray until the pattern is complete. Some players fill in the corners and sides first, others think in larger chunks, assembling several cubes into a unit before dropping them into their tray. Regardless of your approach, being able to mentally hold onto spatial relationships while thinking and moving quickly will go a long way towards winning. Play consists of three rounds, each with a different twist. The winner of each round keeps the card, and the player with the most cards after three rounds wins. Fast, furious, fun for 2 to 4 players!

This game has it all - a handsome wooden board, playing pieces, and lid, a simple game-play concept that lets you get moving in the blink of an eye, and a depth and intricacy that increases both during the course of every game and as you gain experience as a player. Players alternate taking turns sliding a playing piece (one player is white, the other black) onto vertical poles on the board. The first player to get four in a row, vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, on any level, column, or plane, is the winner. The more pieces that accumulate vertically during the course of play, the more challenging it becomes to track the possibilities. Relax your concentration for a moment or get too focused on playing offense, and you'll likely be blindsided. Throw in the optional 90-degree twist (the center of the board rotates), and you've got a game that let's you see and play in four mind-twisting dimensions!

This toy racer has the timeless feel of a classic. Built of basic wooden shapes, threaded nuts, and pegs, it can be disassembled in a matter of seconds. The individual shapes can then be used as the imagination's building blocks for all variety of things. The cool, smooth sensation of the quality hardwood pieces invites the hands-on experience so vital to learning - everything from shapes, stacking, sorting, and free-form building, to reassembling the Racer to its original form. When the wheels are on, the Racer makes a nice pull-along toy to be proudly paraded from room to room, before launching into another inspired session of deconstruction and creation!

This two-and-a-half foot long radio-controlled rattlesnake will slither and turn at your command, moving just like the real thing! The tongue flicks, the tail rattles, and the scaly body moves forward with S-shaped serpentine precision. The controls are easy to use, and this realistic critter, modeled after the very dangerous Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake, will be your faithful servant. Batteries not included.

Some games just seem to have it all, and this is one of those games. For starters, the components are of the highest quality, in terms of both design and execution. Take the beautifully detailed 6 and 1/2 foot long board (three panels that quickly and easily interconnect like giant puzzle pieces), which in and of itself provides ample entertainment value. Throw in the marvelous playing pieces, the Goldbug cards, the magnifying glass tokens, the timer, the spinner, the food tiles, the ferry boat, the gloriously straightforward instructions and game play. Add in the teamwork, (players either all win or all lose together), the observation skills, (the game is a visual scavenger hunt), the quick pace and group participation. Mix it all together and you've got hours and hours of fun!

This set contains 9 squishy, velvety-soft blocks, each of which is brightly colored, durable, and very fun to touch. The blocks come with equally squishy cylindrical connecters that fit snugly into openings in each of the blocks' sides. This design allows a variety of sturdy formations to be quickly created, disassembled, and repeatedly varied. Both the blocks and connectors are soft and bouncy enough that they make for a pretty good game of toss, and bounce in fun and unpredictable ways. This is a great set for building creative and critical thinking skills, color sense, and just all out fabulous tactile stimulation.

Here's a quick, fun game with a cleverly simple premise. How many scoops of ice cream can you pile on top of one cone before they fall? Players use a special scooper and twelve different flavored scoops of plastic ice cream to find out. Place as many scoops on the cone on your turn as you can without any falling. The player who stacks the most, wins! In an alternate version, players take turns adding one scoop at a time. If any scoops fall on your turn, you're out. Play continues until there is just one player standing - the winner. Loads of good, clean fun for 2 or more players!

This enjoyable game has just the right amount of intricacy. It's a game that can be played very lightly, or with great intensity. The strategies are easy to understand and employ, and the stealing and defending, two main components of game play, are gratifying as all get out. Each of the five types of cards in the deck has a designated function or functions. Throughout five rounds of play, you'll use cards from your hand to defend your rice (markers) and to attack and plunder your opponents' rice and cards. A round ends when a player has accumulated seven Samurai cards of the same or two different colors, at which point rice markers are worth one point apiece, and the seven Samurai cards have a point value determined by their color distribution. Highest cumulative score at the end of five rounds is the winner. For 2 to 8 players.

The earlier we start young people taking good care of their bodies, the better. One of the many great things about Shine Shampoo (and all Sparklehearts products) is that it is 99.6% natural and made from organic ingredients, with none of the chemicals and toxins used in the majority of shampoos on the market. It has a light, sweet, fragrance, leaves hair clean and lustrous, and comes in an attactive (it actually brightens the bathroom), high quality, easy-to-dispense container. While the targeted age group for Shine Shampoo appears to be teens and younger, more than a few parents expressed glowing enthusiasm for the product based on personal experience.

This is an Action product, with a capital A. The Shred Sled combines elements of skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing. Inexperienced boarders may initially need time to get the hang of balancing, like riding a bike for the first time. But once you do, boy can that thing sing! It's fast and sleek, made with high quality components, and the flexible connector linking the fore and rear plates allows them to rotate both vertically and horizontally, enabling some sizzling tricks. The 4 wheels allow for a surprisingly smooth ride on even rough surfaces, and the Shred Sled gets the entire body activated - muscles, tendons, and flexors, working together like there's no tomorrow. As with any other skating or boarding activity, don all your safety gear before jumping on board and soaring off into the sunset.

Like all Sparklehearts products, Soft Conditioner is 99.6% natural and made from organic ingredients, with none of the chemicals and toxins used in the majority of conditioners on the market today. Soft Conditioner leaves hair lustrous and manageable, with a sweet, light, natural scent. Given that 60% of everything put on your skin is absorbed into the body, it's important to start kids early with a focus on staying healthy. Sparklehearts products make it easy to take care of yourself by offering an array of fun, healthy products for hair and skin care that provide the look, feel, and healthy self-care that would leave anyone feeling good about themselves.

This ginormous Airship Kite is much like a hot air balloon, only it's easy to use and doesn't require any pumps, gas, huffing or puffing. All you need is a still day (no winds), a wide open space, and sunshine. The airship uses the sun's energy to gain lift-off as the molecules inside move faster and faster as they heat up. Read the accompanying explanation of the science behind it to gain a deeper understanding of how and why the airship works, or simply get out there and let fly! Either way, you'll turn more than a few heads with this unique, mammoth airship. Shine and rise!

Sounds Like a Plan is a great party game, with a flair for sparking silly connections and interactions between players. The basic premise is, given a specific goal (e.g. Pet a wild animal, Build a time machine, Start a cult), be the player whose advice best suits the goal and the type of advice that was sought. A rolled die determines the type of advice you're after - Best, Worst, Grandma, Kid, Wild, or Psychic - and a different player on each turn ranks the suitability of the advice given by the other players. That ranking determines the number of spaces a player advances on the board, and the first to the finish line wins. This is quick-moving, highly interactive fun, loads of laughs from start to finish!

This special bat and ball set made a huge splash with our testing team. The soft foam ball soaks up water like a super-sponge, then unleashes a drenching spray of invigorating fun with each swing of the incredibly lightweight, durable foam bat. Great for the pool, the park, parties, and cooling off while working up a sweat, the Splash Bat brings the zing to warm weather fun!

These hand-sized critters from Italy are cute and squishy, but more importantly they go SPLAT when thrown against the window, door, or floor. Watch them stick, then magically regain shape as if taunting you to try again and give it your best shot. Squeeze them, toss them, bounce them in the palm of your hand, but watch out - playing with Splatterosi can be highly addictive!

Young ones will love this wooden stacking pull-around toy. The brightly colored designs and varied shapes of its smooth, wooden pieces make it a happiness-inducing magnet for hands and eyes. This finely made developmental toy will grab your young child's attention and keep their brain stimulated and delighted. Stack and rearrange the pieces every which way before proudly parading it through the house on its four bright blue wheels. Bear, Gator, and Rhino look oh so happy no matter where you put them in the stacks, and the playful, eye-catching design will brighten any child's room.

This fabulously entertaining toy creates exciting visual effects and animation at the flick of a switch. Just spin the Strobotop and aim your hand-held LightPhaser at it, adjusting the dial until the images spring into motion. The results are often dazzling, sometimes strange, but always fun! There are 18 different Strobodisks included, each with something different - ants crawl, pigs gallop, wildly colorful patterns jump between order and chaos. Included are disks that allow you to create your own colors, patterns, and drawings. For even more fun, additional Strobodisks are available in booster packs.

This has got to be one of the most wonderfully kooky conceptions we've ever seen in a game - Heavyweight Hamster Wrestling in which plastic, player-controlled hamsters go toe-to-toe in the ring! Play is quick-moving and takes no time at all to learn. A roll of the die on your turn determines whether you EAT (place plastic pellets in your hamster's mouth), TRAIN (try to knock unmanned hamsters back to their home spaces), or SLAM (engage in a 3-round wrestling match). During matches, players use magnetic wands to lock onto their hamster from beneath the ring and slide it around the ring's surface in an effort to topple their opponent. The magnet-bottomed hamsters manage to look cute and fierce at the same time, and make no mistake about it - when push comes to shove, there will be only one Sumo Hamster left standing!

Who knew an elephant could pack this much fun? Place this ultra-cuddly toy within reach of a young child and watch their face light up and hands and eyes leap into exploration mode. Ample colors and patterns stimulate visual activity. Numerous textures and shapes paired with crinkly and squeaky sounds invite fingers to squeeze and probe. Multiple compartments housing delightful surprises of various shapes and sizes keep the mind actively engaged. A built-in cloth handle makes this the perfect toy to take with infants and toddlers anywhere and everywhere!

The natural ingredients used in all Sparklehearts products were particularly appreciated in their excellent body lotion. The reality that what we put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies seems more apparent than ever with body lotion, which gets spread over a large area and left on for long periods of time. And we use body lotion with the intention of caring for our body, not damaging it. Like all Sparklehearts products, the packaging is playful, attractive, high quality, and made from recycled materials. Their hair and body care products look and work great together as a set and make a wonderful gift for young women looking to do the very best for themselves.

Swinxs is the first screen-free game console that plays games, talks, listens, and keeps children entertained for hours. Players each wear a colored wrist-band. Hold your wristband near the Swinxs console at the start of session to let it know you'll be playing, and it will identify you by color as you participate in the fun and games. Swinxs is verbally interactive and very easy to use, allowing you to choose from a series of fun, active games. 8 games come pre-loaded with the unit, and many more are available for free download from their website. Some are updated versions of old favorites like Hide and Seek and Musical Chairs, while others are creative new fare. Swinxs comes with 4 wrist-bands but can be used with up to 10. Rechargeable batteries are included, making it easy to play indoors or outdoors, come rain or shine!

TableTalk Conversation Decks get conversation flowing in interesting, and sometimes odd, directions by revealing a fascinating fact followed by a related, intriguing question. And here's the thing - the facts really are fascinating and the questions, genuinely intriguing. During our sit down sessions, kids became very engaged, whether it be in discussing the environmental benefits of choosing toys and games that use less packaging or arguing the merits of dogs vs. cats as pets. Each deck has a specific theme (GreenTalk, PetTalk, etc.), and while the manufacturer indicated age range is 4 - 10 yrs. we found them to be a very good fit for older kids and adults as well.

Another great game from Gamewright! Fine motor skills, as well as shape and color recognition, figure prominently in the game play. Fill the sprinkle shaker with the colored wooden shapes (stars, cubes, triangles, etc.), place the cupcake cards on the table, and you're ready to go. On your turn, roll the die and shake the sprinkle shaker the number of times shown on the die. Any shapes that pour out can be placed on the face-up cupcake cards if they match both a shape and color found there. Cover all the shapes on a given card and you get to collect it and the shapes on it. Once the sprinkle shaker contains no more shapes, the player with the most cards wins. Take the Cake is simple, delicious, fun!

In addition to being outstandingly educational, the EarthBox Snow Pea Kit provides your child the unique pleasure and satisfaction of initiating and sustaining a garden project and watching nature do the rest. That the yield is an edible crop of food is an invaluable part of the experience. Imagine the excited sense of pride and self-sufficiency your child feels as the family sits down to a dinner that includes food he or she has personally grown and nurtured. And it is so easy. The reusable garden kit & staking system sets up quickly, and planting and maintenance instructions are simple to understand and follow. The EarthBox system, in conjunction with the splendid array of activities provided in the activity guide, teaches applied science, horticulture & nutrition, and is uniquely designed to facilitate the production of quality produce in most any setting.

The Shuttle Imagination playhouse is the ideal environment for children to express themselves in (and on) while playing to their hearts' content. Made in the USA using 100% recycled cardboard material, it measures 72 inches tall X 39 inches long x 34 inches wide. The space shuttle design unleashes their imagination to go on countless adventures, and provides a sturdy canvas on which to draw and express their inner artist. Perfect for individual and group play, parties, rainy days, sleepovers and anytime all-around fun!

These fun, entertainingly illustrated placemats provide a fabulous way to engage your young child in learning. Children can use washable markers to engage in a variety of activities and then wipe them clean for next time. The Baseball Activity Placemat allows your child to visualize the field, team, and playing positions while learning the basic rules of the game. The Learn To Count Placemat teaches children counting skills and enables them to learn insect names and numbers in several languages. The First Grade Math Activity Placemat helps build valuable math skills by doing fun activities related to addition, subtraction, money, and telling time. Each placemat comes loaded with learning on both sides - an abundance of food for thought!

This worldly game even comes with its own functional passport stamp, a feature indicative of the level of thought and detail that went into its devising. Players travel the globe, collecting passport stamps and visas by landing on key spaces and correctly answering multiple-choice questions. The first player or team to collect one passport stamp and one visa from each of the five continent groups wins the game. Expand your horizons while exposing yourself to fascinating aspects of various cultures - the languages, government, economy, geography. Whether showing off what you know or learning what you previously didn't, you'll find Travel Mania provides a world of information and entertainment, all in one meaty box of fun!

For 2 to 4 players, Treasure Pools is a game that not only creates enjoyable family time, but also provides interesting and fun facts regarding the tidal pool animals on the cards players must collect in order to win the game. For example, we learned that Sea Urchins eat red algae, sea lettuce, and the occasional dead fish. Players' pieces move around the outside path of the board seeking opportunities to enter the tidal pool paths, where opportunities to collect the animal cards can be found. A player must collect either all 6 animal cards or 5 animal cards and a Treasure Pool card in order to win.

You've got to love instructions that are written both clearly and with a sense of humor. The box cover claim that Triviathon is a game for smart AND stupid people is true in that you can pretty much lack any trivia sense at all and still do a pretty good job of pretending you know what you're doing. After all, the only questions you'll be asked are 'How many spaces do you want to move?' and 'To what colored space do you want to move?' You then are given four options, for example, 'The number of toes on an ostrich.' Your job is to try to pick the option whose number (or color), when revealed, gets you furthest along on the board. Very simple, clever, social fun, and the facts you learn along the way (Papa Smurf wore red pants and hat!) you'll surely carry to your grave. Each player also receives a 'character card' that can be used at will (usually only once) to throw humorous curve balls and reversals into the action. For 2 to 12 players.

Like all good party games, it's the banter and laughter that make such great fun, and Truth be Told yields plenty! So much so that scoring and winning often become an afterthought. Each turn has a designated Host who reads aloud a statement ending with a blank space. The Host fills in the blank with a true answer, while the other players devise answers that sound like something the Host would say. All answers are read aloud, after which each player guesses, in writing, which answer was the one actually given by the Host. Points are earned by guessing the correct answer or by having other players mistake yours for the Host's. Truth Be Told lets you put words in your friends' mouths and smiles on their faces!

Here is a mini-playground for the hands and mind, the sort of experience vital to learning - shapes, stacking, sorting, free-form building, and everything in between. The all-wood Wagon of Blocks breaks down into 40 different building blocks and pieces, perfect for the imagination. Many of the wooden shapes rest atop the vehicle (which is a pretty sweet pull-toy in and of itself) on pegs, slipping on and off with ease. A quick turn of threaded nuts allows the wheels to slide right off, and pegs unscrew from the front and rear axles, allowing for maximum breakdown. Kids find the cool, smooth sensation of the quality hardwood pieces irresistible, and the sheer variety of ways the pieces can be assembled endlessly stimulating.

The whirl balanceSCOOTER from Prince Lionheart has an awful lot going for it. Utterly charming in appearance, its design emulates a motor scooter, with pink metal spokes and rims and a matching pink wooden headlight. The 100% birch frame, rubber tires and handgrips, and height-adjustable seat are highly durable, and assembly is exceedingly easy (a mere few minutes). Everything about it bespeaks high quality. More importantly, the bike does what it's intended to do, and does it well, building balance and coordination in young children while instilling in them the confidence necessary to transition to a two-wheeled pedal bicycle. Children learn to balance and steer, first walking while seated on the balanceSCOOTER, then gliding along just like the big kids!

This is an outstanding game, incredible fun for the entire family. A simple concept - 30 seconds reading instructions, mega-hours of fun - executed in a fresh, clever way, makes this a highly entertaining play. Elsie the cow (an endearing 3 X 3 inch wooden creature with wobbly back legs) has a habit of standing right in the middle of a heap of grass bales (a pile of cardboard tiles) whenever the farmer wants to mow the meadow. Players take turns using a wooden fork to pull these bales out from under Elsie and off the game board without tipping her over. If you manage to do so, keep the tile and pass the fork for the next player's turn. If Elsie tips, put her back on the heap before passing the fork - you get nothing for that turn. The game ends when either all bales are off the board or none can be removed without Elsie falling. The player with the most bales wins. For 2 - 4 players. Highly reccomended!!!!

These little robots are as cute as a batch of speckled pups, and twice as much fun! This kit gives you five walking wind-up bases along with all the bits and pieces you need to design and assemble the kookiest, craziest robot gang in the universe. Use the colorful cardboard cutouts, stickers, wiggly eyes, mini-markers, and more - putting together your creative vision is half the fun! Then wind them up and watch your robot minions mingle and march. It's an art. It's a craft. It's a gang of hysterically funny little robots you put together with your own two hands!

For 2 or more players - If we gave an award for clarity of instructions and the speed with which one can zip through them and let the fun begin, Wise Alec would win it! Add to that the fact that this game of facts is highly playful, fast-moving, and enjoyable, and you've got a winning combination. The three main categories of play - History, Science, Spelling - determined by the space on which you land, give you the choice on your turn of going for a hard question (7 points) or easy (3 points). There are also spaces which allow you to choose your own category, as well as Wise Alec cards that throw funny and creative curve balls throughout the game.

In what year did Barbie get a belly button? The answers to this and other burning questions are the stuff of which Wits & Wagers Family game is made. The super-good news is that you needn't know the answers to play and even win this fast, fun family game! On each turn a question is asked and players write their best guess on a little dry erase board. The answers are always numeric, and players, after seeing all the written guesses, select which answers they think are closest to correct (without going over) by placing wooden pieces on them. The pieces are called Meeples, and each player gets two, one large (2 points), one small (1 point). You can split your Meeples between different players' answers, and needn't choose your own. You'll still score if your answer wins, even if you didn't place a Meeple on it. Plenty of ways to strategize, score, laugh, and win!

Does it really get any better than having your favorite plush animal and most comfy blanket combined in one delightful toy? Well, yes, because soft, cuddly Wyatt the Wolf also functions as a cozy pillow. A quick tug on two velcro strips on Wyatt's belly and this beautiful Grey Timberwolf spreads open into a deliciously soft pillow, even more huggable than before. An easy pull on the zipper near his tail releases a large, gentle blanket to keep you warm and cozy. And it's all attached - nothing can get lost or separated. When finished, just tuck the blanket back into Wyatt's tummy, zip him up, and you're ready for action. Brilliant fun from a constant companion!

This game quickly got the creative juices and silly streaks kicked into high gear for the players who tested it on our watch. Given a made-up word, a silly category, and a doodle sheet, players race against time to write and/or draw their own definition of the word. For example, one might be given the word 'quib,' the category 'something slimy,' and a doodle sheet containing a starter doodle of 3 slightly curved lines. The category and starter doodle help kick-start the imagination and take it in surprising directions, and there were strange and wonderful things coming out of players' minds and mouths in no time. The player chosen by the judge as having the best definition collects the word card, and three word cards wins you the game. A spinner gizmo called the Spindoodler throws wild curve balls during play, making this an unpredictable play-fest of epic proportions.

You've Been Sentenced generates exceptionally wacky sentences, a natural byproduct of scrambling to create a grammatically correct sentence from a given pool of words. Reading those sentences aloud and then defending them when challenged makes for some robust hilarity. The mental gymnastics involved in juggling and rearranging words lining the edges of the 10 pentagonal cards you receive each round, all under time pressure, can be exhilarating. Each word used in forming your sentence has a point value (except for Wild Cards). Using all 10 cards or being first to form a legitimate sentence earns you a bonus. First player to reach a given point goal wins. For 3 to 10 players. Skill and laughter makes a winning combination in this clever game!

When a child lays eyes on the bold, colorful Zillio Mini Mountain, their natural impulse is to immediately lay hands on it. Making math hands-on and fun is precisely what Zillio does so well, with a series of 20 math-based games that do a beautiful job of incorporating creativity, imagination, and fun into math-play. The Mini Mountain's structure is comprised of 12 brilliantly colored removable staircases, with individual steps representing numbers and multiples. Numbered foam tokens that fit snugly into spaces on steps are key components of game play. The accompanying booklet organizes games so as to allow you to easily pick the right skill level for any given players, with some games being competitive, some collaborative in nature. A treasure trove well in the top of the mountain allows components to be easily stored. A mountain of fun!

The Zipfy Mini Luge Snow Sled's solid, lightweight, compact design makes it easy to store and port around. It's speed, and the uniqueness of its look, will have you turning heads on the slope as you zip down the hill. The rider sits feet first, steering with a center lever by leaning into the turn. The Zipfy gives a the rider great control, and, despite it's speed, never feels risky - you're quite low to the ground, so it's easy to roll off in a pinch. The Zipfy comes in several bright colors and has a 250 lb. weight capacity. Fast, furious, fun!

This is a truly fabulous CD for children and family, every song on it a joy to sing-, move-, or dance-a-long to. There's an overall quality to the music, instrumentation, and lyrics that's so bright, cheery, and engaging, it's hard to imagine not feeling happy while listening to it. The presence of both adult and (lovely) children's voices invites active participation by all ages. The various meters, keys (both major and minor), and rhythmic accompaniments complement the wealth of musical styles, providing an incredibly rich listener experience. It would be difficult to name favorite songs, only because each one is delightful in its own unique way. A 32-page booklet includes a fun music-making activity suggestion for each and every song. We can't say enough good things about this wonderful musical experience!

Sarah Pirtle's expressive voice and lyrics evoke a sense of wonder, hers and ours, at the beauty and mysteries of the world in which we live. The sixteen songs on this CD take us on adventures great and small, but never trivial. Our favorites include 'Snow Came Today,' and the lively 'Vegetable Do-se-do,' songs that convey the magic of such seemingly simple acts of nature as the first snowfall of the season and vegetables growing and providing sustenance to others. 'Spring Singer' recounts the gorgeous stirrings and awakenings of spring, while the words and melody of 'Fairy House' beautifully capture the wondrous sense of possibility and imagination contained within each and every one of us. There's a definite folk/country sensibility to the music and instrumentation on this CD, perfectly suited to the lyrics and themes.

This highly energetic disc contains a diverse set of songs by the wonderful Rebecca Frezza & Big Truck, music that will get just about anyone up on their feet, boppin' and groovin' and singin' along. Our personal favorite was Hey-O, an irresistible song with call-and-response listener participation, sung with special guest Roscoe Orman (Gordon from Sesame Street). Big Truck, Rock Like This, and Motorcycle Boy provide rock-solid rock 'n roll, with great guitar work by Ivan Max, while the acoustic guitar and lovely melody on the slower paced Smiling Moon allow Rebecca Frezza's beautiful voice to shine through with crystal clarity. The rest of the disc, which includes colorful instrumentation, great backing vocals, and a bonus music video, is excellent as well.

Certains songs become so familiar to us at an early age that they seem almost to have been passed to us through our parents' DNA - songs like 'I've Been Working on the Railroad,' and 'Oh, Susanna.' The Take Me Out of the Bathtub CD contains kooky versions of 14 such songs, with silly new lyrics set to the original tunes. What's enjoyable about these silly songs, aside from their being funny, is the way they give playful expression to common childhood experiences. Any child with (or without) a younger sibling will love singing along with 'Stinky Stinky Diaper Change,' set to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.' Each song appears twice, once with vocals, once without, and the easy-to-remember lyrics are included in a booklet. The irresistible goofiness of 'Sock in the Gravy,' (sung to 'Rockabye Baby') and others, make them instant Sing-along, laugh-along favorites!

This exceptional deluxe kit provides a wealth of material designed to help babies and children learn to read and, like the other items we've seen from the Your Baby Can line, is beautifully organized and presented. The kit includes five volumes, and each volume includes a DVD, a group of interactive sliding word cards, and a special Lift-a-Flap book. These components work together to create an interactive, multi-sensory experience, engaging your child to the fullest. In addition to all of the above, the kit includes 82 double-sided Word Cards, 50 Word Game Cards, an Early Learning Workshop DVD, and a CD containing the songs from the DVDs. The Parent's Guide makes it easy to move through these materials at an appropriate pace and get the most out of the program. The quality, creativity, variety, and entertainment value will keep your child hungry for more, allowing you to fully capitalize on the optimal age period for learning language.

Whether you're a Bananagrams fanatic or one of those people living in caves who've never heard of the game, this book is a great way to hone your skills and have hours and hours of wordplay fun. The book contains 130 original word puzzles - rearranging letters to form new words, completing and interlocking words, and much more - there are 18 different puzzle types in all. A fun feast for the brain!

Introducing children to books at the youngest possible age is ideal, but, as every parent knows, infants and toddlers have an unrelenting tendency to explore everything with their mouths as well as their hands. Creep! Crawl! is one of the latest entries in Workman's Indestructible series, books that are chew-proof, drool-proof, rip-proof, non-toxic, and washable. Explore the world of bugs, insects, and other common small creatures cleverly illustrated on the pages of Creep! Crawl! without having to inhibit your child from exploring the pages in his or her own way, creating a 100% positive experience for their first foray into the wonderful world of books.

Flutter! Fly! is one of the latest entries in Workman's Indestructible series, books that are chew-proof, drool-proof, rip-proof, non-toxic, and washable. Introducing children to books at the youngest possible age is ideal, but, as every parent knows, infants and toddlers have an unrelenting tendency to explore everything with their mouths as well as their hands. Buzz, tweet, and honk along with the flying creatures illustrated on the pages of Flutter! Fly! without having to inhibit your child from exploring the pages in his or her own way, creating a 100% positive experience for their first foray into the wonderful world of books.

Never have we had so much fun while gaining so much invaluable knowledge about ourselves. In a spectacular mix of fun and brains, My Silly Body provides all you need to know about your body - its design, functions, processes, needs, a breakdown of the skeleton, muscles and organs. Billed as a user's manual for boys and girls, it also does a bang-up job of conveying why we need to be good to our bodies, and provides great ways to care for and feed them. The kid-size, life-size figure that accompanies the book is loaded with information and enlightening illustrations (including awesome lift-and-learn flaps) and flips over to reveal an x-ray perfect skeleton, fully labeled. Cleverly designed, brilliantly packaged, and a treat for the eyes, brain cells and funny bone!

This entertainingly written, cleverly illustrated rhyming book gets young minds thinking about something that impacts every moment of our existence - the laws of physics, specifically, Newton's laws of motion. It sounds heady, but the author and illustrator keep it simple, natural, and fun by showing a day in the life of a young boy and his dog, Newton. Balls are pushed. A toy trucks rolls downhill. Try as he might, the boy can't push Dad's car (whose license plate reads m = Mass). Even without the wonderful observations regarding the workings of the world, this book would be a fun read, but its focus - examining the behavior of everyday objects under various conditions - brings it up to a whole different level. A special section after the story features fun facts, questions, and vocabulary to enhance the learning. Bravo!

This is the heartwarming tale of a young boy named Nico who is asked by his aunt if he would 'be so kind' as to take care of her dog Lola for the weekend. Before Lola, an adorable black pug, arrives, Nico asks himself, 'How will I be so kind?' He needn't have worried, as he proves himself a loving and considerate caretaker. The images in this beautiful photographic book include many shots of Nico and Lola in lush outdoor settings, as the instantly inseparable companions go exploring and make new friends together. The writing is well crafted, and the kindnesses demonstrated in the storyline and images are encapsulated in a series of 'Being kind is . . .' statements highlighted on every other page. Being a good listener, taking turns, sharing, treating others the way you want to be treated - these are just some of the kindnesses Nico and Lola show one another, and the reader, in this lovely tale.

If Perfect Piggies doesn't bring a smile to your face, well, we just don't know what will. This board book has a wonderful sense of humor, a great theme (self-appreciation and acceptance), and a few outstandingly quirky lines '(Ba-DOO-bah CHATTANOOGA PIGGY PIGGY Piggledy DEE.') spoken by the frolicking piggies that grace its pages. The illustrations are so delightfully varied and clever, the rhyming text so charming and humorous, that it's sure to be a favorite your child will call for again and again.

This portrayal of friendship in the face of hardship, set during the Great Depression, focuses on 10-year-old Allie, who is uprooted along with her family when her father finds a new job. Author Mary Ann Hoberman's writing style is aptly simple and effective, artfully communicating themes that transcend childhood or time period.

This wonderfully illustrated book and read-a-long, sing-a-long CD will get your kids up on their feet, singing, dancing, wiggling, and laughing, as the hit children's song, Tony Chestnut, is brought to vivid, colorful, activity-inspiring life. The story begins with Tony and his little sister Eileen on their first day of school in a new neighborhood. Sitting on the playground surrounded by kids playing, Eileen's sadness over leaving old friends behind brings her to tears, BIG tears! After failing to cheer up Eileen with his usual tricks, Tony breaks through his shyness and performs a bold, brave, song and dance that engages all the kids, spreading smiles and laughter everywhere. The dance, illustrated in the book, follows the lyrics of the Tony Chestnut song (on the CD), in which children's names double as movement instructions (Pat - pat your shoulders, Neil - kneel, Skip . . .). A fantastic multi-sensory experience for all!

It's time to get in touch with your inner Mad Scientist! Everything about this book of 50 experiments, from its cover design to the paper, fonts, illustrations, and, most importantly, its content, conveys a feeling of fun and excitement. And content-wise, it's much more than just a book of experiments. Each chapter begins by recounting a major historical scientific or technological breakthrough, followed by an explanation of the scientific principles involved. The reader is then guided, step-by-step, through the execution of experiments relating to that breakthrough. The chapters and experiments follow a timeline from the Stone Age to the present, providing a hands-on guided tour of the history of science. A Catastrophic Meter Chart lets you know which experiments are messy or require adult supervision. Now break out the book, roll up your sleeves, and get busy reinventing the greatest discoveries of all time!

This book-plus-journal provides a wondrous glimpse into the constructively creative minds of second-graders while inspiring and motivating young readers to explore their own solutions to real life problems. Air pollution, broken hearts, shyness, getting enough exercise . . . each of the 24 problems presented includes a written solution by a real second-grader accompanied by fun, colorful artwork and followed by pages on which the reader will verbally and artistically express his or her own solution. The given solutions are charming and whimsical (How would you make your school better? 'Put chocolate milk in the water fountains.'), and the interactive journaling pages are irresistibly inviting. The Observation Log and Action Plan sections encourage the reader to solve problems in their own lives, and guides the process of making an action plan for solving them.

This book is so gorgeously illustrated it would be a treasure even if there were no words on the pages. But there are, and the language is simple, rhythmic, and lovely. Each illustration spans two pages, creating thrilling panoramas viewed by three children in a balloon as they soar over rivers, oceans, mountains, desert, the planet earth - all the way to the stars! Sprawling faraway lands populated by creatures great and small grace the pages. The spirit of adventure and limitless possibility make this an excellent eye-and-mind-opening choice for parents to read with their young ones or for kids to read alone. A sing-a-long CD is included, with the book's text as lyrics. Set your child's sights high, with Up, Up, Up!

As you turn the pages of WADDLE!, the animal images on them really move, using a special process called scanimation that allows them to hop, prance, stomp, slither, flap, scamper, leap, and of course, waddle, right before your eyes. It's like having a nifty little movie screen on every page. By toggling the pages back and forth, you can keep the creatures in motion (frogs, pigs, elephants, snakes . . .) and witness the type of movement described by the text. Even without scanimation, this book would be a find due to its hearty, colorful construction and exciting, playful feel that draw the hands and eyes to it over and over again. Ingenious!

Introducing children to books at the youngest possible age is ideal, but, as every parent knows, infants and toddlers have an unrelenting tendency to explore everything with their mouths as well as their hands. Wiggle! March! is one of the latest entries in Workman's Indestructible series, books that are chew-proof, drool-proof, rip-proof, non-toxic, and washable. Quack, oink, and moo along with the farm animals illustrated on the pages of Wiggle! March! without having to inhibit your child from exploring the pages in his or her own way, creating a 100% positive experience for their first foray into the wonderful world of books.

Each of the five books in this program covers a different topic - Colors, Numbers, Patterns, Shapes, and Prepositions, but the excellent multi-sensory methodology and techniques remain the same. The pages are specially designed with a large flap so that your child can first be introduced to a word or concept before opening the flap to expand on and enrich the concept through vivid, brightly colored photographs and captions. The inside cover of each book outlines the process to be followed for that particular book. No mistake about it, these books are fun, engaging, educational, and carefully designed for maximum fun and learning.

A great, playful concept and wonderful learning tool, these 6 specially constructed board books are designed to keep your child's hands and mind actively engaged, thus reinforcing and anchoring the learning process. The books are divided into groups of familiar objects from around the home and garden - Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom, Home, Garden, Play. Each colored page contains a word in large, bold print and has a tab at the edge which, when pulled, extends the page outward, exposing a colorful photograph showing the item named. An engaging sentence or two appears below the word, incorporating it and often asking questions for maximum involvement. The tactile, peek-a-boo quality of books keeps the hands, eyes, and mind coming back for more, and their size and durability makes them perfect for in the house, outdoors, or on the road.

Mathletics is a fun, exciting online platform for improving and reinforcing math skills at home or in the classroom. From the moment of the first log-in, when users can quickly and easily create their Avatar (an online visual representation of themselves), Mathletics is designed to engage and hold the student's interest. The Live Mathletics section does this to great effect by allowing the student to play math games in real time against other learners of similar ability. The Curriculum Activities section allows you to answer sets of questions from topics aligned with what you are studying in school, receiving immediate onscreen feedback to your answers. Points are given for correct answers and credits for improved results, keeping motivation high. Credits can be used to purchase new accessories for your Avatar, while points determine your ranking in the Mathletics Hall of Fame.

The characters and songs in this fun, engaging DVD teach multiplication in such an entertaining and straightforward manner that learning time will feel more like play time. Just as valuable is the way the DVD's positive, encouraging tone fosters the viewer's confidence in her ability to master multiplication. The fun kicks off with a number of catchy, upbeat songs teaching multiplication tables through 12. Songs are repeated, once with answers given immediately, then again with a pause to give your child time to provide the answer. The What Is Multiplication section does a fine job of showing that math is really a form of addition, giving practical examples that use real world objects, and includes some very nifty multiplication tricks. The Skip Counting section shows how to count by 2s through 12s and by 25. An invaluable addition to learning multiplication!

We found this educational video game for the Nintendo DS to be an effective and enjoyable way to engage kids while helping to establish and enhance their reading skills. The game is broken into three main sections: The Books/Library section has several different stories to choose from, and modes that allow books to either be read aloud by the virtual tutor, explored for reading comprehension, or to be read by the player. In each instance, the game is interactive, providing easy help, puzzles, and games that reinforce learning. The Phonics section contains a variety of excellent mini-games such as selecting words said by the tutor, words that contain or start with a certain letter, or words that rhyme with the one the tutor says. The Quiz section includes plenty of games and questions. The prizes, fun factor, and strongly encouraging feel will keep your child coming back for more.

Children find Oum irresistible. And what's not to love? He's big, blue, equal parts friendly and furry, and in no time at all he gets children playing along with a series of activities and games. This DVD helps build psycho-motor and physical skills by taking kids through 3 progressive, well structured interactive sessions, each consisting of several smaller segments, led alternately by Oum's kooky friends Mimi and Coco. Children become familiar with concepts such as loud and soft, high and low pitches, rhythm, tempo, the body and its senses, and much more, by matching physical actions to hearing, vocal, and visual input. The use of live action footage that includes participating children and a variety of animals is particularly effective. The sing-a-longs, rhymes, animal imitations, and movement activities are extremely well laid out and very engaging, the key to effective teaching and the resultant learning.

Bring history to life and solve the mysteries of the past with Roman Town! This interactive computer game lets you run your own archaeological digs with clicks of the mouse, allocating manpower and tools to locations marked with on-screen flags. As you progress, the sound of picks, trowels, and hoes fills the air, and when your workers find something interesting, be quick to click on it in order to experience the thrill of uncovering an artifact. Roman Town is chock-full of practical and historical information, familiarizing players with archaeological tools and providing plenty of information on artifacts and the people who used them long ago. Roman Town also affords players shorter bursts of fun with playful selections from the Mini Games Menu. A fun, engaging game for the whole family!

This exceptional deluxe kit provides a wealth of material designed to help babies and children learn to read and, like all of the items in the Your Baby Can line, is beautifully organized and presented. The kit includes five volumes, and each volume includes a DVD, a group of interactive sliding word cards, and a special Lift-a-Flap book. These components work together to create an interactive, multi-sensory experience, engaging your child to the fullest. In addition to all of the above, the kit includes 82 double-sided Word Cards, 50 Word Game Cards, an Early Learning Workshop DVD, and a CD containing the songs from the DVDs. The Parent's Guide makes it easy to move through these materials at an appropriate pace and get the most out of the program. The quality, creativity, variety, and entertainment value will keep your child hungry for more, allowing you to fully capitalize on the optimal age period for learning language.

Unlike older children and adults, young kids have the capacity to learn multiple languages as easily and fluently as they can their primary spoken language. This fantastic deluxe set is designed to let you take full advantage of your child's window of opportunity, and consists of two 70 minute DVDs, two CDs, and a 48 page full color booklet. In the Hear Say DVD, children hear a French word while seeing the written word on screen, with animation and sound effects reinforcing the word's meaning. The Lyric Language DVD contains 21 bilingual music videos with lyrics displayed and spoken in both French and English. Both DVDs are organized topically so that each section exposes your child to related words, increasing learning and retention. The CDs and 48 page color booklet allow your child to learn and reinforce while on the go, and the Hear Say CD includes printable flash cards. This program is exceptionally well-conceived and executed.

Unlike older children and adults, young kids have the capacity to learn multiple languages as easily and fluently as they can their primary spoken language. This fantastic deluxe set is designed to let you take full advantage of your child's window of opportunity, and consists of two 70 minute DVDs, two CDs, and a 48 page full color booklet. In the Hear Say DVD, children hear a Spanish word while seeing the written word on screen, with animation and sound effects reinforcing the word's meaning. The Lyric Language DVD contains 21 bilingual music videos with lyrics displayed and spoken in both Spanish and English. Both DVDs are organized topically so that each section exposes your child to related words, increasing learning and retention. The CDs and 48 page color booklet allow your child to learn and reinforce while on the go, and the Hear Say CD includes printable flash cards. This program is exceptionally well-conceived and executed.

Part of what makes this 5-disc set such a valuable asset is the degree to which it keeps your child coming back for more. The high production values, creative visuals, and sheer variety of ways in which words are organized and presented make for a learning experience that is interactive and highly engaging. The series employs phonics and whole word learning methods to enhance and reinforce your child's reading skills. Individual words, poems, stories, and games are interspersed with charming songs (adorable live action music videos), with words and lyrics displayed on screen. The series is progressive, with each disc building effectively on the prior one with a continuity that makes for a wonderfully cohesive learning experience.