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Here's a creative enterprise that truly hits the spot! Kids become kitchen artists with Edible Sweet Art, a smorgasbord of tasty dough in several colors, ready to be kneaded, rolled and molded to your heart's desire with the array of tools included in this set. A rolling pin, several shape cutters, a dual-size popsicle mold, multi-shape candy mold, skewers, sticks, and more, make it a snap to create treats that look as delectable as they taste. Water acts like glue on the dough, allowing you to craft and attach small, finely designed pieces, making genuine works of edible art. The finished results are so varied, beautiful, and full of detail it's almost a shame to see them go once the eating commences. An illustrated chart provides inspiration, the tools and dough endless possibilities. Putting creative young minds and small hands in motion is what this kit does best.

Aqua Dragons enables kids to create, care for, and observe an exotic world filled with living creatures in the comfort and privacy of their own home. The Deep Sea Habitat is a mini-aquarium kids fill with bottled water and then populate with creatures by emptying the contents of the eggs pouch into the water. The Aqua Dragons (formally known as artemia salina, a species of aquatic crustaceans that does not appear to have changed in 100 million years) immediately begin to hatch, and begin to be visible to the naked eye within a few days. They can grow to be up to 2 cm long (about 3/4 inch) and, in appearance, resemble little hairy-headed dragons with three eyes and long tails. They swim and play, and should only be fed once every few days. The accompanying booklet includes diagrams of the life cycle and anatomy of the Aqua Dragon as well as fascinating details about this amazing species. The manufacturer, whose focus is on educational products related to nature, expresses a philosophy of love and respect for all living things, something all kids should be exposed to from a young age. Kit includes habitat (with LED lights in base), eggs, food, magnifier, aerator, and booklet.

Glitter Petz are charming animal companions that fit in the palm of your hand. Each comes with over 100 sparkling gems in a variety of shapes and colors you use to bring your new pet to life. The gems are self-adhering, and the wonderfully crafted animal provides the canvas to adorn. It's a simple matter of peel and stick, and the creativity, pride, and pleasure kids express in both the process and the result is a wonder to behold. There are currently 6 different Glitter Petz, sold separately (squirrel, fox, owl, puppy, pony, and kitten), playful and appealing in appearance even before all those creative touches are added. Each comes with a name, 100+ gems, and a backpack clip that makes it easy to take your pet with you wherever you go. Each Glitter Petz is so distinctively fun and charming in its own right, you may want to collect them all, friends for life.

The awesomeMAT playmat from Prince Lionheart has a uniquely comfortable, supremely squishy feel and a textured, pleasing-to-the-touch surface. One side is covered with a detailed, sprawling illustration of a day at the zoo populated with kids, grownups, animals, plants, trees, paths, ponds - a miniature world to explore. On the flip side, there is an entirely different world, one loaded with interlocking streets, roads, turnarounds, traffic signs, businesses, homes, and people. It's a whole town at your children's fingertips, and just making their way from one end of the mat to the other is packed with fun and adventure. Regardless of which side of the awesomeMAT is being explored, the scope, detail, and colorfulness of the imagery captures and stimulates the imagination while helping develop the intellect. And when not in use, it rolls up like a rug, snugly held together with a take-it-with-you strap.

The amount of brain power generated during the course of a single game of AZTACK might just be enough to light up a small city. For a quick-moving game that's easy to learn, there's plenty to think about. Players build a temple by stacking inscribed rectangular stones on one another. 12 stones placed face-up on the table form the foundation on which all players build. Each rectangular stone has two glyphs inscribed on it, and each glyph has a color. Players take turns placing one of their stones on top of the temple-in-progress. To place a stone, you and your opponents must follow certain rules, and that's where cleverness and keen observational skills come in. The added stone must bridge the two underneath AND match them by color or glyph. Since each player can see the others' stones throughout the game, players can, with forethought, determine what one another's options are as well as their own. How and where you place a stone can thwart an opponent, or, if you're not careful, benefit him. And of course, you want to be setting yourself up for future moves. When no more stones can be played, the player with the fewest stones left wins the game. For 2 to 4 players.

Bag Tags are a fresh, fun way to add playfulness and style to any bag, lunchbox, backpack, suitcase - pretty much anything with a strap or handle. Each Bag Tag also contains an address slot with a personal information card so that items that previously would have spent an extended stay in Lost and Found can be promptly returned to owner. Each stitched felt Bag Tag is bold, colorful, durable, kid-themed, and has an adjustable buckle for attaching it where and how you want it. There are currently six different designs in the series - Madeline, Cupcake, Airplane, Owl, Taxi, and Robot - each of which is beautifully designed with its own unique, eye-catching artwork. Simply ingenious.

Whether or not you use the app feature along with the physical toy, this pretend cash register has tons of fun features. The hand-held scanner makes a lively beep each time you squeeze the button in its handle and 'read' an item. The register keyboard speaks aloud the individual numbers and amounts, then states the total due when you hit the checkout button. The money drawer makes a traditional mechanical cash register sound when opened and comes with paper and coin play money. There's a working microphone for broadcasting a messages to employees or shoppers ('Special sale prices, next half hour!'). But when used with the free iPad app, it can take the fun to another level. The iPad becomes your register's checkout screen, resting in a specially designed perch and connected via the unit's built-in audio cable. Onscreen, you can customize 5 different kinds of shops along with various membership cards, go on your own shopping sprees, and play games that earn rewards points to help you 'buy' certain high-end items. Extraordinary make-believe.

In the tub, at the pool, around any body of water large or small, BathTime Babies add a special dimension of fun to every kind of play. Kids love the squeezably soft bean-filled torso, which has an adorable bathing suit printed directly on it. Vinyl arms and legs are perfect for swimming and splashing. An initialed washcloth is included and makes baby-bathing extra fun, while the 'QuikDri' body means fast transitions between water-play and areas parents don't want wet. A luxurious animal themed robe and hoodie (included) fits her snugly, keeping baby warm and cozy when it's time to stay dry. BathTime Babies' eyes open and close as they shift between upright and reclining positions, so kids can share naptime with their bath and bed companions. To top it all off, BathTime Babies are lovingly handmade and come in several styles - bear, frog, shark, owl, elephant, and monkey. A variety of accessories are available separately from Adora Dolls to expand and enhance your play experience.

This is our favorite game of the year so far. It's quite easy to learn and play, which is almost surprising given the often deep thought processes players handily employ when choosing their moves. The fun factor is very high, and the fact that it's about sheep taking over the world (all right, not the entire world, but Farmer Pat's pastures for sure) is a bonus no one can deny. Each player starts with a single tall stack of really nifty sheep chips. Players move by taking part of their own stack off the top and relocating it to another space. Every move thereafter likewise consists of subdividing and relocating a portion of one of your stacks. As to where you can move, that would be straight ahead in a line until something (another stack or the edge of the playing field) blocks you. Which means, by the way, that if you're hemmed in on all sides, no moves for you. Players alternate turns, the goal being to occupy the largest portion of the playing field once all players can no longer move. First-rate, ingenious fun. 2 to 4 players, 15 minutes per game.

Worx Toys seems to have thought of everything when formulating this nail polish for children, including safety, cleanliness, ease of use, variety, and a big fun factor. Available in 10 different colors sold in 2-packs, Bo-Po brushes on and peels off in seconds. That color variety and the speed with which Bo-Po can be applied and removed makes it a perfect activity for creative exploration and experimentation. It's a form of play that encompasses both dress-up and artistic expression, inspiring kids to use imagination and creativity for hours on end. Finger and toe nails become little canvases to color and embellish, and with Bo-Po there is no reason not to mix and match a multitude of combinations. The genuinely spill-proof containers, quick-dry polish, and subtle vanilla scent make Bo-Po pleasant no-fuss, no-muss fun from both kids' and parents' point of view.

Remember the binky or blanky your parents couldn't pry out of your hands (not even to wash) when you were a child because it made you feel happy and safe? Bommerscheim Buddies are like that - soft, cuddly, comforting - the constant companion. With floppy ears and a facial expression so distinct and welcoming young infants zero right in on it, Buddies have a retro simplicity and feel that add to their timeless attraction, and come in a variety of colorful patterns and facial designs (28 designs within 5 collections). Their soft, flannel or fleece covers are easily removable and washable, allowing you to keep their appearance fresh and clean while leaving the pillow-like interior nice and dry. Bommerscheim Buddies are a foot tall, not counting the ears, and those cute, floppy ears are designed to make carrying easy for small hands. For added variety, extra covers are available for 13.99 each in 23 different styles (viewable online at BommerscheimBuddies.com), so your child never has to go without his or her Buddie, even when it's in the wash.

Bowling Game Funny Bunch has several outstanding qualities - simplicity, variety, visually and tactilely stimulating, and promotes dexterity - that make it thoroughly enjoyable and beneficial for young children. Each of the five bowling pins would make a fine children's toy all by itself. Super-soft, each with a different animal head on top (hedgehog, donkey, rabbit, mouse and bear), these lightweight plush bowling pins are weighted to stand. A gentle nudge will cause them to fall, and a youngster can become quite engrossed simply holding and squeezing or tipping and re-standing any one of them. While the base of each pin is identically shaped, each has a different combination of colors, textures, and patterns that appeal to hands and eyes. And each contains a small rattle, adding sound to the hand-eye mix. On top of all that, the adorableness factor is quite high. Lining these lovable guys up in a row and rolling the equally soft, colorful 'bowling ball' is a game that brings squeals of delight from the mouths of babes.

This is a fast, fun 2-player game in which players go head to head (or should we say rat to rat) through round after round of battle, with nothing less than the entire kingdom at stake. The first player to win 4 rounds is the conqueror! Each player starts with eight cards. Each card contains a number (0 through 7) and bears a specific rat character (Musician, Wizard, Assassin . . .) that possesses a special power in battle. In each round, players simultaneously flip a card face up. The highest card wins EXCEPT when the card's special power overrules the numbers. Some examples: the Assassin's power is that the lowest card wins that round. The Wizard nullifies your opponent's card's power. Playing your General card increases the strength of the card you play in the next round by +2. And your Prince, normally invincible, has a particularly dangerous weakness - if your opponent plays his Princess against your Prince, you lose the entire game. The detailed rat illustrations on the cards are quite humorous, the action fast and furious, and the games are short (about 5 minutes) and oh so sweet.

Bubbles and Puddles is one of our all-time favorite games from a company that consistently produces outstanding games. One thing that makes it special is how well it plays with children of a young age. There are actually two games, 1) Bubbles, and 2) Puddles, each of which has the same set-up and game play, but a different objective. In either game, players take turns moving a Rubber Duck around a circle of tiles (sections of which belong to different players) based on rolls of the die. Each time the Duck is moved, the tile it lands next to is removed and discarded. If the duck symbol is rolled instead of a number, a previously discarded tile is returned next to the Rubber Duck and the die is rolled again. When playing Bubbles, the objective is to be the last player with one or more tiles left in front of you. When playing Puddles, the goal is the opposite - to be the first player with NO tiles in front of you. The two games complement one another perfectly. The very outcomes that excited your opponent while playing Bubbles (winning back a discarded tile, watching other player's lose tiles) will have him groaning during a game of Puddles. The game moves quickly, is easy to learn, has loads of active participation, and teaches counting, number recognition, and taking turns. For 2 to 4 players.

Outdoor art is a phenomenal way for kids to express their creativity while enjoying the outdoors. It makes sense that Crayola, with so many years of helping kids explore the world of color and self-expression under its belt, would come up with such an exciting, dynamic concept for sidewalk chalk. Each Build Your Box Chalk package contains a unique combination of colors, four large chalk sticks that, together, convey a specific mood or feel and thus inspire a different creative energy. Each of these combinations has a name reflective of its feel - Thunder & Lightning, Pool Party, Arctic Fire, Desert Dawn, Martian Moon, and many others - vibrant colors that pop like crazy on the sidewalk, driveway, or playground. These washable chalk sticks (just spray or wipe the ground with water to erase) resemble large crayons with squared edges, making them easy to hold and to use and keep them from rolling away. And with 18 different color combinations to collect and explore, kids can mix and match to their heart's content!

Caillou Lights and Sound Fire Truck provides several kinds of play for young children. As a construction toy, the truck stimulates young minds and hands by breaking down into several simple components that reassemble again and again using nothing but proper positioning and gentle pressure. When assembled, the six-wheel truck is an action toy that sparks the child's imagination. Rolling swiftly across the floor, it includes an extendable ladder assembly with a cherry picker at the end in which the Caillou fireman figure can ride to the rescue! Press a button to add the excitement of flashing lights and sound. Miniature fire hydrant and red traffic cones add detail to any number of scenarios. Fans of the popular Caillou TV series and newcomers alike will find that this toy inspires action, creativity, and fun.

Pre-schoolers love Caillou, and why wouldn't they? He's one of them. As popular as the TV show is, kids get very excited to have their very own talking doll version of the inquisitive four-year-old Caillou. Adorably and sharply dressed for pre-school, he comes bearing a bright green backpack (you can even store things in it) and removable red cap. The best part happens when you give him a squeeze. He talks, telling you quite a few things about himself - what he likes, what he thinks, tidbits about his family - he'll even teach you a bit of French! Keep squeezing and the thoughts and words keep coming. Caillou is a fine friend for any youngster. Approximately 15 inches tall.

Outdoor play has always been an arena for creative, active fun. With Chalk Grab 'N Go Games, there's no waiting for inspiration to strike, just creativity and action in one fell swoop, courtesy of Crayola. Each Grab 'n Go Game - favorites like Bean Bag Toss, Foot Hockey, Obstacle Course, and Chip Shot Golf - provides four large sticks of colored washable sidewalk chalk. Each includes a unique set of game accessories and instructions for playing that particular game. For example, Obstacle Course provides conical blue markers for players to weave in and out of as they follow obstacle courses of their own divising. Bean Bag Toss provides brightly-colored, durable little beanbags for tossing, as well as a scoring system and guidelines for setup. And there's so much creativity, variety, and drawing each time you play, the setup's half the fun! With Spring here, Summer just around the corner, and kids and families eager for all the outdoor time they can get, Chalk Grab 'N Go Games is a must-have for the summer fun menu. Each game sold separately.

ChineseCubes is a fun, game-like system for learning the Chinese language. It combines the use of physical elements with computer technology and augmented reality (AR) in such a way that key aspects of speaking, writing, and translating the Chinese language are made easy and enjoyable. By placing one or more of the Chinese Character Cubes with the AR marker facing the webcam, you can select from onscreen buttons to either hear the Chinese word perfectly spoken, see its English translation appear onscreen above the cube, or view an easy-to-follow animation of the specific stroke order to use when writing out the Chinese characters. There are two primary onscreen modes. Learning Mode follows a specific progression through the Chinese characters while tracking your progress. Freestyle Mode is a looser, creative approach in which one freely combines cubes in order to see, hear, translate, and understand the results. Playing with ChineseCubes allows you to master 200 commonly used Chinese characters, the combination of which generates up to 64,000 words and conversational phrases. The set includes everything you need - 40 Chinese Character Cubes, 5 Tutor Cubes, Webcam, Software Disc, Quickstart Guide, Writing Pad and Pen, and Learning Pad.

Games that are perfectly suited for younger kids (in this case 3 to 7 years old) are hard to find. That Crazy Pants consists of four such games is a boon to parents and teachers. Each of the four games is easy to learn, quick-moving, requires no reading, and teaches different skills (taking turns, following directions, social development, language expansion, auditory awareness). Meanwhile, everyone's having a blast. All of the games use Crazy Pants cards, each of which has a single article of clothing on it. In Crazy Pants Bingo, the caller pulls one card at a time from the deck while everyone tries to spot the article of clothing (Crazy Pants are wild!) on their own game board and cover it with a playing piece. In the Memory game, players take turns flipping up two cards at a time, taking them if they match, returning them face down if they don't. The Sequencing game has players arrange their cards according to the order in which they put on their own clothes during their dressing routine. Last, but not least, Crazy Pants Card Game is a fast, fun variation on Old Maid.

There's more to this fantastic game than meets the eye. It's great light-hearted fun for those in the mood for whimsy, but it really shines when players utilize the depth of strategy available. An 8 X 8 grid of tiles is laid out, face down, on which wide-eyed frog playing pieces move. Each player starts with a Queen and two servants in play and four servants in reserve. Players take turns moving one of their frogs to an adjacent tile, each of which has an effect on the player who moved. The catch is, when the tiles are face-down, you don't know what you're getting till you land and it's flipped. The result might be a nice place to hang, a forced bounce to another tile, paralyzing mud, or the dreaded Pike, which eats your frog (gone, finito). And if you lose your Queen, you're out of the game, so let your servants take the risks. Queens make babies when they land on certain tiles, allowing you to bring reserve servants into play. Moving one of your frogs onto a tile occupied by another player eliminates the opponent's frog. There's lots of fun and action, and players who use their noggin can rule the field. The artwork, packaging, design, and components are all top-notch, making for a great play experience. For 2 to 4 players. See Croak! at 2014 New York Toy Fair in booth 137.

The first thing most people feel when they see the developMAT is an urge to get down on it, trace it with their fingers and hands, and explore its visuals up close. It has that kind of pull. And that's what you want for your baby, something that stimulates, engages, and activates the mind, precisely what the developMat was designed to do. The artwork on one side of this cushy, textured foam mat is particularly well-suited for an infant. It contains large, bold patterns in red, white and black, varied shapes and geometric figures that seem to jump out at you. So that the mat can grow with your child, the flip side contains far more detail to take in and explore. It consists of a sprawling, colorful image of a bustling farmyard teeming with life - barns, homes, vehicles, tools, people and animals engaged in a variety of activities. The developMat rolls up into a tight cylinder for easy storage and fits snugly in the handy take-it-with-you case in which it comes packaged.

Doodle Quest is unlike any drawing game we've ever seen. It's not about your ability to draw an object or to get someone to guess your drawing. It's an obstacle course for the mind. Players work from an existing drawing, adding elements to it where they've been instructed to while avoiding obstacles. For example, one doodle quest requires players to add 12 little triangles (teeth) anywhere inside a shark's empty mouth without going outside the white area. Here's the mind-blower: you're not writing directly on the existing drawing. You can look at the drawing while you work, but each player is drawing on a separate transparent sheet, with nothing but their eye to guide them. When finished, each player overlays their sheet on top of the drawing to see how well they've done, earning points for fulfilling requirements and losing them for hitting obstacles. There are 18 double-side Quest Cards with kooky, clever sea-themed scenes that include beginner and advanced levels, making it easy for the entire family to enjoy. Also included are dry-erase pens, drawing boards, erasers, stencils, and scoring sheet. And, as always with Blue Orange Games, everything is top-notch. 1 to 4 players.

These sweet, wide-eyed plush animals are not just toys, they're guardians-in-training! Developed with the help of a pediatrician, Dream Team Pets is a wonderful way to help kids get the restful sleep they deserve, easing away the angst and fuss that can occur at bedtime. It's your child's participation in the pets' training that soothes bedtime anxieties away. Each plush animal comes with a Certificate of Training and a small, hard-cover illustrated book subtitled 'How to Train Your Pet.' Parent and child make a ritual of reading the book at bedtime, it's rhyming verse expounding on the fearlessness with which Dream Team Pets keep monsters and bad dreams away. Your child is enlisted to empower the animals by stating aloud the book's simple declaration to believe in them in exchange for their vigilance and protection. In reality, your child is empowering himself and learning to self-soothe. After each good night's sleep your child fills in one of the stars in the illustrated badge that appears on the Certificate of Training until the training is complete. Available in Playful Puppy, Magical Cat, or Mighty Lion.

This is an exceptionally fun game in which every move counts. Each player starts with a bird playing piece and a given number of energy chips of varying point values. The goal is to be the player with the most energy points once all players' birds have made it to their nests. Flying burns up energy points (paid by you before the end of your turn) equal to the number of spaces you move. But you also collect energy chips of varying values from the spaces you land on, and the key is to come out ahead on those exchanges. You'll typically have several destination options on a given move, so determining in advance which of those will net you the biggest payoff is a priority. A smart move also takes into consideration the values of chips in the vicinity of each destination, since those represent point gains on future moves. Adding to the fun is the fact that the board, which is comprised of sections, is continually changing. Its rearmost sections are removed and new ones added to the front as players advance towards the nests. With players constantly managing their resources, evaluating options, and planning ahead, the experience of playing eat & tweat is exhilarating fun. 2 - 6 players.

This well-designed electronic version of Hangman takes playing the classic game to a new level of fun. With its ongoing interaction between players, physical and electronic components, and built-in sound effects, Electronic Hangman is like having an exciting TV game show in your home. Players take turns being the game master, who sets up a word of 8 letters or less using tiles that perch atop the Hangman unit facing away from the guessing player. With each correct guess, the master turns around the corresponding tiles and presses the Correct Letter button, causing the device to emit a cheering sound. With each wrong guess, the master presses the Wrong Letter button, causing a loud buzz and a segment of the scaffold figure to light up. There are 11 segments in all, so play continues until either the full word has been revealed or 11 wrong guesses have caused the figure to fully light up, which results in a musical sound effect that makes it clear the round has been lost. Players use built-in counters to keep score, and the self-contained unit includes a space for storing letter tiles when not in use. For 2 players or teams.

By any measure, this is a whole lot of mat. The foam material is scored in a way that makes it easy to fold and unfold to a variety of sizes, enabling the mat to fit any number of physical spaces. Fully extended, it's just under 6 - 1/2 ft. long by 5 ft. wide. At its most compact, it's 29 inches by 15 inches. It's also thick, durable, and comfy, with a patterned texture that encourages tactile adventure. Each side is covered with a sprawling, colorful illustration, the exploration of which enhances physical and cognitive development. On one side there's a zoo bustling with kids, grownups, animals, plants, trees, paths, ponds. On the flip side there's an entire town, with interlocking streets, roads, turnarounds, traffic signs, businesses, homes, and people. Not only are the illustrations thoroughly engaging to young hands and eyes, the characters and objects displayed in them are grouped in ways that promote shape and color awareness, pattern recognition, counting, and more. At each stage of your child's early development, the Everywhere playMat has something fun and valuable to offer. Zippered carrying bag included.

Playing with Flip & Draw unleashes creativity, but it also seriously tickles the funny bone. Each Flip & Draw book contains 10 mix & match characters to color in, plus 5 blank sheets on which to draw your own. Coloring in the pages is a blast, but the fun really kicks up a notch once the flipping begins. Mix & match means each page consists of 3 panels, so rather than turning the entire page, you can just turn the part of the drawing you would like to see change. Each given Flip & Draw contains similar types of drawings, so that any combination of upper, lower, and middle panels work well together. For example, Superhero Flip & Draw contains a variety of far-out Superheroes, and flipping just the upper, lower, or middle parts of a page creates some clever, kooky combinations. By creating odd, unexpected, and often humorous pairings, new ideas become triggered, even new ways of looking at things. More importantly, it's a whole lot of fun. More than a dozen different Flip & Draws (Superheroes, Princesses, Monsters, Robots, Forest Animals, . . .) are currently available.

FlipStir Puzzle is invigorating, maddening, simple, challenging, stimulating, and perhaps even a little diabolical. The goal - to order 10 plastic wedge-shaped pieces so that the snippets of artwork on their sides come together to form a whole - would be easy if it were possible to touch them with your hands. But those pieces are encased in a clear, sealed plastic cylinder. The only way to touch them is with a wand that extends from outside the cylinder into its interior. By manipulating the exterior end of the wand, one can use the L-shaped tip at its other end to slide, stir, and otherwise position pieces inside. The challenge is made greater by the fact that there is not a lot of space within the cylinder relative to the size of the pieces. Getting them past one another to where you want them is tricky. You're free to use gravity and motion as your allies - twist, turn, flip, and shake - in fact, there are no rules. Much of the time you'll be combining those forces, creating your own ingenious solution to an utterly ingenious puzzle.

When kids play with Fort Magic, there's a sense of empowerment in the air, as if someone just handed them the keys to the kingdom. That's because suddenly so many things are possible, and on such a grand scale. Working with nothing but their hands, in a matter of minutes they can build structures large enough for an adult to stand upright in. These can be simple, or elaborate, from modest tent-like structures to labyrinths and castles. The straight and curved building pieces range in length from 1.5 inches to 24 inches each and hold firmly together using any combination of 5 different kinds of connectors provided. All it takes is a push and a twist to make a firm connection. Fabric clips (130 included) make it easy to flesh out the walls and exterior of the forts, adding color, seclusion, and a whole new level of creativity and finesse. Fort Magic unleashes the imagination to invent, explore, build large-scale prototypes, models, and of course, forts. And with 382 pieces at your child's fingertips, the sky's the limit. Includes a velcro-sealed mesh bag for convenient storage of the entire set when not in use.

Kids find this plush version of Franklin the turtle (from the popular Franklin and Friends show) to be irresistibly charming. He looks just like he does on television, brightly colored, with a polka dot red bandana tied around his neck and trademark red cap hovering over his familiar, friendly face. Except that this Franklin is squeezably soft, a portable, comforting presence that goes wherever your child goes. There's lots to explore. Little hands can't seem to get enough of him, pinching and squeezing the beanbag in his turtle shell, bending and moving his bright green legs and arms (which forever appear to be reaching out for a hug), flipping up and down the brim of his cap. Fans of the show know Franklin is as big-hearted as they come. Now this happy, smiling turtle can be a cuddly, stimulating companion for children all day long.

Everybody's favorite turtle, Franklin, is all revved up and ready to roll. His trusty automobile, riding high on four big wheels, is activated by a simple pull-back motion. When released, the toy car and Franklin go zipping across the floor. Even better, this rugged ride is designed especially for fun in the tub, so suds are no deterrent to bath-time adventures with Franklin. He'll float across the surface of the water unless little hands decide it's time for a journey to the bottom of the tub. Small, lightweight, and equally fun whether powered by push, pull, or riding the waves, this vehicle is built to go wherever the fun may take you.

Funnybones is fast, breathtaking fun, a game of skill and manual dexterity in which players' abilities quickly progress to dazzlingly competitive levels. It's all about tossing, catching, sweeping, and grabbing various combinations of five little colored playing pieces called bones. Each challenge is prefaced by a move called jockeying off. The player whose turn it is tosses all five bones in the air, flips his palm face down, and catches as many as possible on the back of the throwing hand. Only those that fall to the floor have to be dealt with during the challenge, so the jockey move is essential - the fewer you drop, the easier the challenge will be. There are 30 game challenges in all, clever variations that involve tossing one or more bones in the air and picking others up off the floor while those are airborne, then catching the ones you tossed - all with the same hand! Players decide in advance the number and order of challenges that will be played. The first to successfully complete them all wins. There's technique, strategy, lightning moves, occasional mayhem, and always, great fun.

Once you've finished building Future Car, you'll have a sleek-looking remote-controlled vehicle (10 inches long by 6.5 inches wide) at your fingertips. Just download the free app and you'll be steering and driving Future Car by moving your thumbs on the screen of your iPhone or iPad in no time. You can do some pretty nifty moves and get some good speed with it, too. This comes in handy when you activate the Augmented Reality (AR) function and a virtual city springs up onscreen. You can still see the actual vehicle through the screen's lens, but the virtual buildings appear as well, for you to maneuver and do stunts around. As with other fine products from Genius Toy, building Future Car is half the fun, and you don't need to be a model enthusiast to enjoy the extremely gratifying process of doing so. There are 8 very different vehicles you can build with the same components, which snap apart and back together quite easily, so the building fun doesn't ever need to end. The 44-page, full-color manual provides easy-to follow illustrations and fascinating information on each of the real-life vehicles your constructions are modeled after.

GeniusBlocks, like other fine products from Hanz, unleash possibilities, and in doing so, inspire creativity and innovation. There is an interesting convergence of simplicity and sophistication in this unique 100-piece building set. The simplicity resides in the fact that all the pieces are the same size, shape, and design. The sophistication stems from the ways those pieces can connect to one another and the manner in which building with them frees the mind to see in new or different ways. Hanz' 'spring fit' connecting system enables pieces to connect easily yet firmly side-to-side, top-to-top, or side-to-top, while the 'pin and barrel' design allows any two blocks to connect bottom-to-bottom, forming very solid modular units with molecular overtones. The result is an astounding variety, and in some cases oddity, of ideas that rapidly spring up. Like a form of non-verbal brainstorming, the structures and appendages grow with an improvisational flow that can lead to joyously inspired results. Each GeniusBlock package contains 100 building pieces in 4 different colors - blue, green, orange, and pink. See GeniusBlocks at 2014 New York Toy Fair in Booth No. 5747.

GiggleTime Babies come with numerous lifelike touches that enhance the make-believe experience young girls so delight in. Not the least of these is the infectious giggle that lights up the room each this baby doll gets a hug or gentle squeeze. An internal beanbag weights the doll just right (about 16 ounces) to make holding, rocking, and carrying her both easy to do and substantial enough to feel lifelike. Tilt her to a reclining pose and watch her eyes close, or have her wake up again by returning her upright. She comes dressed in a soft, snug onesie that snaps in front, with her adorable little hands and feet showing from the sleeves. A magnetic pacifier, placed to her lips, remains there until removed. The included hands-free baby carrier (sporting cheerfully colored designs) makes transportation easy and fun. These handmade dolls are created using Adora Dolls' exclusive Gentle Touch vinyl, lightly scented with a baby powder smell that makes even real moms ooh and ah. A variety of first-rate accessories are available separately to enhance the countless hours of playtime and make-believe your child will have with GiggleTime Babies.

Each of the 7 models/experiments you'll build with this set contains a powerful gyroscope that seems to defy gravity. Despite the swiftness with which you'll excitedly assemble and reassemble the pieces, morphing from one experiment to another, each of these models has a highly polished, futuristic look. Robo Gyro in particular, with his see-through blue skull, mechanical arms, and pincer hands, looks like he sprang from the pages of a science fiction story. Whether careening along a flat surface or balanced delicately on a taut string, the mobility of the Robo Gyro, Segway, Rope Walker, and Flight Simulator models is as exciting to watch as they were fun to build. The Balance Game model lets you observe changes in its center of gravity as you add blocks to it. The Gyrorector model demonstrates how a key component of all aircraft works. The Gyro Compass model adjusts automatically to point due north, a result of the earth's rotation. The included booklet, in addition to containing easy-to-follow visual guides to building the models, provides marvelous information on the Gyro Effect and its many uses. Takes 3 AAA batteries.

Two seemingly opposing principles - simplicity and complexity - are at work in HanzMoto, a building set that enables you to build a wild variety of highly original vehicles and other designs. The simplicity refers to the sameness of the parts - 8 identical wheel assemblies and 140 identically sized and shaped (though they vary in color) blocks. The complexity stems from the versatility with which these uniquely shaped blocks fit together. This makes trial and error a particularly fruitful approach to creating something new and exciting, with intuition and happenstance leading you down unexpected paths. There's no getting bogged down in preconceived notions. Your mind is free to explore. A methodical approach also works exceedingly well. The two approaches - the planner vs. the intuitive - are not mutually exclusive, and therein lies much of the brilliance of HanzMoto and Genius Blocks. They enhance your ability to morph from fluid to concrete thinking and back again, triggering inspirations large and small all along the way.

Few things create glee the way a good Easter Egg hunt does. With Hide'em & Hatch'em Eggs, you get the fun and excitement of the hunt plus an entirely different kind of fun once the hunt is over. Hide'em & Hatch'em Eggs look and feel surprisingly like real colored eggs, but there's far more to them than that. Once you've found them, simply place them in water and wait. Within 24 hours the eggs begin to crack. In another day or so, the shell will break open and you'll see either a bunny, a duck, or a chick peeking out at you. Within a few days your new toy pet will have grown completely out of its shell, and you'll have a new friend to play with for as long as you like. Hide'em & Hatch'em Eggs comes packaged in a playful, attractive 3-pack box that lets you see the eggs from the outside and makes a great gift for family and friends.

High Tail It, like a number of other excellent board games from publisher SimplyFun, has a way of getting your brain crackling, your mind working in new and different ways. Shortly after starting play, you find yourself seeing patterns and relationships that eluded you moments before. The further you get into game play, the more vivid those connections, and your ability to spot and anticipate them, become. That's the sign of a good game. High Tail It has Kangaroo pieces that players walk and jump around the board. The first player to get all 5 of their own Kangaroos around the board and across the river, wins. Jumping is where the real action is at, because you can really cover some terrain, either through large jumps or multiple jumps in a single move. But being good at jumping requires seeing the possibilities, setting them up, and making sure none of your Kangaroos gets left behind. You'll be surprised at what your brain can do when you're having fun.

Inspired by the collections of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, this guided activity book provides exceptional creative stimulation for young minds while simultaneously exposing them to the beauty of art history. Open the book anywhere, and on the left you'll find a photograph of a historical work of art with a short paragraph providing background information on it. There are masks from around the world, an ancient Greek jar, works by Monet, Hopper, and Rodin, a dress by Christian Dior, and many others, thirty in all. Each right-hand page contains an activity relating to the work of art on the left - drawing, writing, coloring, and design. A wall fragment containing hieroglyphs inspires us to create our own language using symbols instead of letters. A mural that tells a story about a feathered serpent sparks us to write a story about magical beasts. A famous Japanese artwork serves as inspiration for our own picture displaying the power of nature. There is no 'right way' to do these activities, and the imaginative approach the book takes in using each featured artwork as an artistic launch pad serves as an exciting, liberating exercise in sheer creativity.

This guided activity book has the same great format as The I (Heart) Art activity book (above), except that here the focus is on historical and contemporary design rather than fine art. Each of the thirty or so activities in this book stems from accompanying photographs of exceptional design works, the result of a collaboration with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. The activities are highly varied and imaginative. Given a photograph of a beautiful vase, we draw an arrangement of flowers into the picture and write a poem inspired by the vase. Three exotic-looking radios from the 1950s inspire us to draw what we imagine radios will look like 25 years from now. Given a photograph of a beautiful Tiffany lamp, we design our own lampshade for it. There are many other equally stimulating activities and stunning photos, the breadth and variety of which spark young people to new ways of appreciating, imagining, and creating the world in which we live.

Playing dress up is a staple of childhood, and for good reason. It allows children to enrich their knowledge of the world through imaginative exploration while innocently trying out some of the many possibilities life has to offer. Little Adventures makes a specialty of providing high quality, affordable dress ups for just such a purpose, and Ice Princess is a prime example. Ice Princess is a light blue one-piece outfit consisting of a beautifully designed skirt and stretch-knit bodice that provide a perfect fit for a wide variety of sizes. Glittering patterns along the sleeves and front of the bodice are matched by a more detailed and expansive silvery design on the skirt. An attached sheer blue cape hangs from the back, draping around the sides to create a royal, flowing effect. The decorative lining along the neckline leads to a sparkling gem that sits front and center. Circling the bottom of the dress along the hemline is a silver sequin detail. There are no buttons or ties to fiddle with, just a lovely, comfortable gown to slip on and enjoy in regal play.

The most striking thing about this kit is that the results - the rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces you'll be making quickly and easily - are so astonishingly attractive and wearable. By easy, we don't mean mindless - there's plenty of creative license you'll bring to bear with respect to size, design and color. But the actual 'how to' of using the brightly colored silicone 'O' rings to make striking, funky, fashionable jewelry is a simple step-by-step. It's just a matter of folding, turning, twisting, and connecting. The flexible, bendable ingredients (90 'O' rings of various sizes and colors, 110 jump rings, 2 earring hooks, 2 yards of elastic cord) are inherently hip-looking. The tools (your hands) are naturally easy to use. And even a glimpse at the illustrated instructions will have you salivating to jump in and start making things and showing them off, which you will in no time at all.

There is something uniquely satisfying about building with K'NEX. It's not just the ease and secureness with which the pieces glide and snap together. Nor is it their versatility, although the huge range of things you can create with them is immensely gratifying. It's got more to do with their distinctive look and feel, the way whatever you're building with them seems to almost magically take shape under your hands. This particular kit gives you a great deal to enjoy and explore - over 600 colorful K'NEX rods and connectors, with instructions and ideas for 52 unique models ranging from small and fairly simple to larger, more elaborate structures. You'll build animals, insects, planes, trains, automobiles, boats, sea creatures, and all manner of contraptions and machinery. There are enough models to do a different one a week for a year. But why stop there? With the almost limitless possibilities K'NEX puts at your fingertips, you'll find yourself modifying and enhancing existing models and authoring quite a few of your own as well. Comes packaged in a convenient plastic storage tub.

Portal Masters and sports fans will be thrilled with the arrival of Kickoff Countdown, a tech element character and new member of the SWAP Force team of heroes. His head, both on the physical toy and in-game, is a soccer ball, and a rather ferocious-looking one at that. In addition to his unique soccer-themed appearance, Kickoff Countdown is fast, fierce, and can fire in multiple directions in the blink of an eye, making him a stalwart ally when confronting Chompies and Trolls in the battlefield. Placing the figure on the Portal of Power catapults Kickoff Countdown into the game, where he brings his powers to bear running, jumping, and blasting away at the forces of Kaos. Endlessly exciting action fun for Nintendo Wii, WiiU, 3DS, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation3 and PlayStation4.

Laser Pegs construction toys have the unique quality of enabling you to create models that light up from within. This particular set contains 59 transparent construction parts, a triangular power base, and 13 Laser Pegs. It is the Laser Pegs that send various colors of light streaming through your creations, toggling on and off with the push of a button. Instructions provide a step by step on how to construct six different models. Five of these have as their central component a baseball player figure in various action poses - Home Run, Called Shot, High Cheese, Baseball Catcher, and Bench Press. This is where the sheet of 30 MLB team decal stickers (included) comes in handy, letting you decorate the player's cap with your favorite team logo. The sixth model is of a blimp, the sort you might see floating by as it illuminates the night sky. Because of the ease with which the pieces slide together, it's a snap to experiment and explore other creative possibilities as well. Requires 3 AA batteries.

Build 6 different lighted construction models from this single set and immerse yourself in a world of undersea adventure. Create Lanternfish, Tiger Shark, Hammerhead, Clownfish, Manta Ray, and Deep Sea Explorer using 62 Construction Parts and 10 Laser Pegs that assemble with varying degrees of intricacy. Each and every model becomes luminously beautiful when you press the button in the Power Base, sending rays of colored light pulsing through them. Instructions take you through the building of each model step by step. The only thing you need are your own two hands - no tools, no mess. The pieces hold together sturdily but connect and disassemble easily, making exploration and creativity simple to execute. You can even combine and connect the parts with other construction kits. Endless fascinating fun for curious minds.

This entry in the LEGO City series brings high-speed cops and robbers action to the realm of imaginative build 'n play. The 196 pieces assemble into two vehicles and three minifigures, with lots of fine touches included. There's an armored prisoner transporter with POLICE emblazoned on the sides and a lawman at the wheel. There's a bad guy on a souped-up ATV rigged specially to break his buddy out of the transporter. There are bars, handcuffs, a ball and chain, helmets, gear, and other accessories. The intensity, care, and enjoyment kids display while putting this all together sets the stage for the unbridled play that is unleashed once assembly is finished. At every phase of the fun, LEGO City Prisoner Transporter stimulates creative and logical thinking while keeping kids actively engaged and thoroughly entertained.

LEGO DUPLO building toys are specially designed for pre-school ages 1-1/2 to 5 years old. My First Train Set is a fine example of how wonderfully LEGO DUPLO products serve that age set, both in terms of providing joyful play and in developing the skills and thought processes coming to bloom during those years. Its pieces are large and chunky - sized perfectly for small hands. The ways in which those pieces can easily but firmly be put together to create larger structures (such as the track, train, station with ticket window, fuel pump, and stop-and-go signal) stimulates creative thinking and problem-solving while building essential motor skills. And for sheer glee, few things will measure up to the look on your child's face when he or she puts the train on the track and presses the green button. The locomotive lets out an authentic train whistle sound as it begins chug-chugging around the track. The set comes with 51 sturdy, colorful pieces (including train driver and child DUPLO figures) and requires 3 AA batteries to power the engine.

With LEGO there are two phases to the fun, building and playing, and LEGO Friends Dolphin Cruiser shines in both areas. Building, of course, is a form of play, and the pride and excitement children feel as their efforts quickly take shape under their own hand are palpable. One of the many play benefits to building the Dolphin Cruiser is the way the steady sense of accomplishment fuels an often unprecedented combination of focus, concentration, and enjoyment. When finished, there's such a jaw-dropping level of detail, parents will wish they could shrink themselves down and take a several-month cruise on the vessel. Which is exactly what kids do, through imaginative play. The ship's multiple levels, cabins, and decks are beautifully laid out with colorful, fashionable furniture for the Mia, Maya, and Andrew mini-doll figures to enjoy. The water slide, water scooter, picnic table, snack bar, and dozens of other fine features create a festive air that inspires one adventure after another to spring forth freely from young minds. Paradise at your fingertips!

Stephanie's Beach House puts on full display LEGO's renowned penchant for detail. That attention to the little things creates a level of nuance that makes this a world any girl (or boy) would be thrilled to inhabit. Assembling it is a very big part of the fun. The illustrated instructions are easy to follow, and the patience and care taken in putting it all together are rewarded by feelings of excitement and pride every step of the way. When it's finished, Stephanie's Beach House provides a fertile playground for the imagination. The miniature Stephanie and Kate figures, decked out in bright summer gear, fit perfectly into the attractive surroundings, and it's a joy watching kids conjure up endless adventures populated with unique personalities and back-stories. There are 369 pieces, including all sorts of accoutrements - a windsurfer, radio, TV, telescope, decorative flowerpots, a sofa/bed, even a bathroom with a toilet. From the enviably beautiful multi-room decor to the well-stocked kitchen and open decks, Stephanie's Beach House provides a wellspring for the imagination.

Each LEGO Friends sets provides a little world all its own, to be assembled, treasured, and enlivened by the imaginations they so actively inspire. The Sunshine Harvest set reminds us that there's nothing quite like a day in the sun, where a balance of work and play yields many rewards. The 233 piece set assembles into a colorful, detailed, rustic setting in which the mini-doll figure Olivia, with her companion dog Charlie, harvest fruit and vegetables from her garden and apple tree. Olivia knows that it pays to be enterprising. Her tractor-trailer makes it fun and easy to haul the ripe bounty to her pretty market stall, where they can be placed on display among the myriad items for sale there. A cash register, Charlie's dog house, and many other accessories (even a little cash) flesh out the details and fuel countless hours of imaginative play.

This kit provides the immense satisfaction of assembling 505 pieces into a universe of fierce mini-figures and futuristic weaponry, a world whose astonishing detail and functionality inspires countless hours of imaginative play. Those pieces come tidily packaged in 4 separate bags within the box, making it easy to follow the step-by-step illustrations. The kit's centerpiece is the Gorilla Striker, an impressively fierce robot-like machine with pose-able joints in which the Gorzan figure sits top-and-center, the brains of this mammoth battle station. A panel in the striker's chest swings open to reveal six flick missiles that can be launched from controls in the rear. A powerful banana launcher on the striker's shoulder sends a missile flying through the air, and a mechanism in back allows you to swing its massive gorilla-like arms and hands (with giant articulated fingers) in a wide arc. This feature is handy in knocking Rizzo's flying machine (with the Rizzo figure aboard) from the raven nest tower, a stronghold with a functional fruit catapult in its base. The other two figures, both exclusives, are G'Loona and Grumlo, and all 4 figures come equipped with weaponry, armor, and head gear. Out of this world!

Kids might think they've stepped directly into a movie when they experience the wild mash-up of mini-figures, places, and out-of-this-world things in this building set. Help Sudds Backwash rebuild his Wild West saloon into a crazily impressive flying machine with twin cannons mounted on the wings and a built-in piano. The flying kebab stand, with Kebab Bob at the helm, is equally impressive, with control levers, jet wheels, boosters, kebab flick missiles, and - our favorite - meat on a rotating spit. And, of course, there's the ever-ominous Micro Manager on the rampage, claws dramatically extended on the end of robotic arms. The Micro Manger's limbs have such extreme pose-ability, you'll find yourself forever positioning him in newly fierce and comical ways. Two other mini-figures, Rootbeer Belle and Executive Ellen, add to the fun. There are 473 pieces in total, and the creative focus expended putting them together morphs into dynamic action and interactive fun once assembly is complete.

This comprehensive children's tablet provides a great deal of technology and content at a very reasonable price, including an Android operating system, 7-inch touch screen, 4 GB of internal memory (expandable to 32 GB), a Wi-Fi internet connection, built-in speaker, and front and rear cameras. The Tablet Ultra also comes packed with educational content - $220 worth of applications and services altogether. Activities like drawing, coloring, letters, numbers, animals & nature, songs (and much more) entertain while building essential skills. Exercises help children develop language and math skills. Hundreds of interactive lessons and quizzes build and reinforce the knowledge as it's learned. An interactive library contains 200 pre-loaded e-books to be read in English and other languages, including classics by authors like Mark Twain and Rudyard Kipling. There's even a language translator to aid in developing foreign language abilities. There are 53 games pre-loaded, with additional games and applications available for download. And if that isn't enough, it comes with 8 GB flash built-in memory and 100 GB free cloud storage. See Lexibook at 2014 New York Toy Fair in booth #3227, Hall 3A.

Lexibook XL is a great tablet for the entire family to use and share, with features and apps that satisfy the yearnings of both children and adults. Individual profiles can be easily personalized for each family member to access separately. A time management feature allows parents to manage tablet usage for each and every profile, and the Wi-Fi connection and internet access is made secure through parental controls. The large, 10-inch HD screen is a boon to the eyes, and a built-in front and rear camera is excellent for video-connecting with friends. Lexibook Tablet XL comes loaded with services and applications valued at over $440.00. Younger children can access interactive educational applications and learn fundamentals such as shapes, letters, words, and more, while older kids can work through more than 500 lessons and quizzes in math, history, geography and languages. The tablet is pre-loaded with dozens of digital books, games, and creative activities, while thousands of additional applications and games can be securely downloaded using parental controls. The Android operating system is extremely easy to navigate, and an HDMI port makes connecting to a television a snap. See Lexibook at 2014 New York Toy Fair in booth #3227, Hall 3A.

Given the dazzling appeal of these colorful new multipurpose silicon bands, somebody behind them must be a bit of a product design genius. They come packaged 5 to a lollipop. That is, there are 5 brightly colored bands wrapped around a lollipop-like display on a stick that looks good enough to eat. Each of the 5 is a different color and each has a different shape (teddy bears, flowers, hearts, happy faces, piggies, dinosaurs, fish, . . .) recurring along its length. The adjustable Lolli Clasp lets you affix them to just about anything - your wrist, fingers, hair, backpack, shoelaces - anywhere you want to add style and color. Just pull the Lollipop Ball at one end of the band through the Lolliloop at the other and keep pulling until it's snug. Mix, match, collect, stack, braid, trade, it's a color parade!

This magnetic sketch book has an inspiring magic all its own. The pen looks like a regular pen, but there's no ink or lead inside it. And yet it draws quite beautifully. That's because the sketchpad has metal particles inside, and the pen, magnets. Wherever you glide the pen along the pad's surface, those particles become visible, creating artwork with textures and an appearance similar to charcoal drawings. One end of the pen is for drawing finer lines, the other for broader strokes. When you want to start over, tap the bottom of the pad a few times and the image disappears. The sketch book itself has a colorful, appealing design, with playful artwork front and back. The inside back cover is the actual sketchpad. Each of the pages has its own beautiful, playful artwork with a large circular cutout in the middle. That cutout shows through to the sketchpad and allows you to fill in the center of the existing artworks, blending your drawing with that of the page's. Or you can turn directly to the sketchpad and work from scratch. Either way, your creativity gets a delicious workout.

One of the wonderful things about kits from the The Orb Factory is the ease with which they produce great results. That means children of all ages get to experience the thrill of making something with their hands and feeling excited and proud of the results. Make Your Own Glitter Chalk is a prime example. It comes with everything you need to make up to 16 glitter chalks. Just combine 4 scoops of water and plaster mixture, one or two drops of color, a sprinkle of glitter, and stir. Pour the mixture into one of the molds and let it sit overnight. A variety of shapes in two different mold platforms make it possible for a number of kids to get in on the fun, making up to 8 pieces of chalk at a time. Experiment with layers of mixture to make chalk with blended colors and cool patterns. The finished chalk pieces have finely detailed shapes (flowers, butterflies) and display a rich, vivid color when used to write or draw. First rate fun every step of the way.

Even those already charmed by the popular Nick Jr. program may be surprised at just how adorable these 13-inch tall plush versions of Max & Ruby turn out to be. Their big, bright eyes, cheerful expressions, and huggably-plump bunny bodies captivate toddlers for hours on end. With feet that are gently weighted, Max and Ruby stand at attention all by themselves, with arms out to the sides as if eager for play. Max comes wearing a striped shirt and blue overalls, Ruby a pink shirt and pink overalls dress. And every inch of them is so soft, kids just can't help nuzzling and petting them as they play. Young children take comfort in the presence of this bunny duo (each sold separately) and find in them a source of stimulation for exploring both the physical world and the realm of make-believe.

The Micro Balance G-Bike is a fine example of why Micro Kickboard's bikes, scooters, and accessories are so popular. The G-Bike's high quality craftsmanship, durability, and strongly appealing visual style are an excellent way to get your child moving on two wheels right from the start. This ultra-lightweight (6.4 lbs.) two-wheel bike is designed for two- to four-year-olds. There are no pedals or chains. Propelling themselves forward with feet making contact with the ground (or intermittently gliding by lifting the feet), kids learn to steer, balance, and maneuver at quite a young age. Their excitement and pride are palpable. More importantly, there is a continual sense of confidence that makes the transition to a two-wheel pedal bike easier and more natural when the time comes. In the meantime there's a great deal of fun and mobility to be had. The adjustability of the seat and handlebar height make it easy to get just the right fit for your child, even as he grows, and the wheels are non-marking, perfect for indoor or outdoor use.

The world is filled with a wide range of vehicles for grownups and big kids, but this sweet scooter is just right for toddlers. It puts a smile on their faces while helping them build a host of motor skills. Lightweight and durable, it's made of strong, supple plastic and can even be safely cleaned in the dishwasher. The oval O-bar is sized perfectly for little hands to hold onto while standing, and the three wheels provide enough support for even those just beginning to get their feet under them. Leaning to the left or right causes the front wheels to turn in that direction, making steering intuitive while aiding in building balance and coordination. The Lean-o is little brother to the Mini Micro 3in1 (see separate review below), and both are high quality children's fare that yield countless hours of fun and developmental benefits.

Are Microbes Attack puzzles fun? Let us count the ways . . . first, there's the cleverness of the concept. Puzzles are solved by placing colored microbes in a petri dish (not a real one, of course, but still way cool), and the colored microbe pieces and dish are so ingeniously designed and shaped that merely arranging them when you've been told exactly where they go is pretty big fun. In fact, it's hard not to feel proud of yourself, even when solving puzzles from levels 1, 2, or 3 (out of 8 levels of difficulty), where you're filling in a fairly small area of empty space. That's how it works. The puzzle book shows you where to put some of the pieces and your job is to fill in the empty space with the remaining pieces so that there are no gaps. Doing so is made trickier by the oddness of the shapes and the fact that 6 of the 12 microbes are quite different in terms of where they'll fit depending on which side is face up. But that's actually a big part of the gratification - the twisting and turning and visualizing and fitting. These microbes are fun to touch, and when they slide snugly into place, well, it's a darn good feeling. There are well over 100 puzzles to solve, and for those of you whose brains have gotten really big from playing with the microbes, just keep working your way up through the levels - those challenge problems are nothing to sneeze at!

MimiQ is fast, fun, easy to learn, and plays well across a broad range of ages, making it an ideal party and family game. There's some memory skill involved, but the primary pleasure lies in the array of funny faces players make in order to advance their cause. Every card in the deck displays a kooky illustration of a character making a silly face. The deck contains 3 of each, with 11 different faces in all. The goal is to collect as many 3-of-a-kinds as possible before the deck runs out. After drawing 3 cards apiece, players take turns requesting a card they need from a specific opponent by making the face shown on that card. If the player has it, he hands it over. If not, he sticks his tongue out to signal no, the asker draws another card, and play passes to the left. The skill resides in remembering who asked whom for what so that when a card previously requested lands in your hand, you'll know who has it for the asking. The result is unabashed silliness, frequent movement of cards between players, and an abundance of laughter. For 2 to 6 players.

This finely crafted 3-wheel scooter is lightweight, durable, and attractive, well-suited for both boys and girls and easy to store in surprisingly small spaces when not in use. In addition to being the first indoor scooter for toddlers, the Mini Micro 3in1 is designed to grow with your child, a versatile approach that allows you and your children to get the most out of this delightful ride. For the youngest users (roughly age 1-1/2) there is an O-bar that's easy for little hands to hold onto and a seat attachment for added stability and security. At around age 2, it's time for the seat to come off (accomplished in mere seconds), creating a stand-on scooter, while 3 to 5 year olds will find the taller T-bar more suitable. (Again, swapping the T-bar for the O-bar is done in seconds). The kickboard, seat, and brake fender are made of strong but soft and supple plastic, making it particularly home- and kid-friendly. It glides whisper-smooth across all kinds of surfaces. Kids steer by shifting body weight to either side, moving hither and yon while building balance, coordination, and confidence along the way. For children up to 44 lbs.

This onboard video camera, designed specifically with young users in mind, is some serious fun. Super compact and weighing a mere 2.6 ounces, it's loaded with attachments and features that let you shoot high definition video in just about any imaginable situation or location. Underwater or in the snow? No problem, it's got a nifty waterproof case for just such shoots. On a bike or playing sports? Easy, it comes with bike and helmet mounts, even adhesive mounts for tailoring to extra tricky situations. The wide angle lens helps you catch it all - photos up to 5 megapixels by interpolation, HD video up to 1080 pixels - and the built-in lithium battery provides up to 130 minutes of recording time on the go. A 1.5 inch screen lets you see immediately if you're capturing everything you need, and the USB 2.0 cable makes transferring files to long-term storage or other play media easy as pie. After downloading the Lexibook Move Cam app, you can even remote-control the camera from your device. The best thing about Move Cam just might be how easy it is to use. With simple menus, intuitive controls, ingenious attachments, and a sleek, highly appealing exterior, Move Cam enables complete novices to record brilliant video.

This is a delightful concept, one that encourages children to tap into their creativity and story-telling abilities by making their own book. The end result, a professionally printed hardcover version of the child's creation, is highly empowering, teaching kids that the path to big results is a matter of taking concrete steps. My Awesome Book! is very accessible, starting with its unusually appealing packaging. Inside, the equally inviting Quick Start Guide is just a few pages long and immediately moves young authors into the 'doing' phase of creativity, where inspiration thrives. Kids can do the entire book by hand - cover art and page-by-page illustrations and text - using the 20 book pages, 2 cover pages, and 10 washable markers included in the kit. Or they can design and create the book online at the manufacturer's website, using drawing tools, templates, backgrounds, and stickers to illustrate and write their story. A postage-paid envelope is included for submitting projects done by hand. Following completed submission, books are typically printed in a couple of weeks and delivered within 3 to 5 business days thereafter.

With My Chord Friendship Bracelet Maker, it's easier than ever to make paracord bracelets. The unique, guitar-shaped work station has a built-in storage tray so that everything you need is right at your fingertips, whether at home or on the go. The easy-to-follow instructions make it a snap for kids of all ages to learn, and the professional-looking results are remarkable by anyone's standards. Because the process consists of a small number of looping, tucking, and pulling motions executed repeatedly from alternating directions, the mind and fingers get into grooves all their own, and a high level of manual dexterity develops. Repetition and muscle memory bring about increasing ease of execution to the point where the hands start to move, and bracelets grow, at rather dazzling speeds. Meanwhile, the brain slips into a very relaxed but alert state. The storage drawer includes 10 cords in 10 colors, and the instructions show techniques for creating two distinct types of bracelets. A bonanza of fun.

Many adults who have yet to experience the joys of gardening attribute that fact to a lack of self-confidence in the garden, a belief that a green thumb is something you either have or you don't. But confidence often comes from experience. A product like My First Garden, whose function is to introduce children to the simple magic of growing plants, herbs, and vegetables is, therefore, something of a godsend. The raised garden bed assembles in about two minutes (with no tools needed) and is comprised of four corrugated steel panels held quite solidly together by PVC posts that form the corners of the enclosure. Fill it with soil, get yourself some seeds, and you're good to go. Preparing the earth, planting, harvesting - these are things everyone should be comfortable with. It is not complicated, and familiarity with it opens the door to a world of knowledge and pleasure. Kids learn about nature, gain lots of great motor skill experience, have the benefit of observing a microcosm of the circle of life, and are exposed to healthy eating options in the process.

Ah, the sandbox, that familiar outdoor play environment revered by generations, and for good reason. And yet, how many people do you know who have one? My First Sandpit, which is quite affordable and assembles in minutes (with no tools needed) makes it very easy to turn your back yard into a unique play haven. Four corrugated steel panels slide easily into the PVC posts that make up the corners of the pit and hold everything securely together. It's extremely sturdy, with rolled safety edges and a 5 year warranty. A weed-proof liner (included) is placed inside the base and filled with sand, and voila! Your children have a highly stimulating, creative play environment par excellence - a veritable beach in the back yard. Decorate the sandpit's panels with colorful alphabet magnets (included). Break out the pail and shovel. Build sandcastles. Let your imagination run wild. And when not in use, cover it with the included waterproof tarp.

The appearance and feel of My Friend Huggles Dolls makes them seem like imaginary friends come to life. That's due in part to their life-like size (34 inches tall), but more so to their bright, smiling faces, cheerful outfits, and big, expressive eyes. And every bit of them is soft and plush, perfect for holding and hugging. In addition to being a treat for the senses, each Huggles Doll comes with her own name and virtues, aiming to inspire character and the building of core values in young children. For example, Sweet Rubi is always grateful, Lily the ballerina is forever kind, and music-loving Kira is irrepressibly cheerful. Each handmade doll has embroidered facial features, glorious yarn hair, and comes with removable, interchangeable clothing. With such vivid, varied colors and personalities, Huggles Dolls are full of life, as if animated girls had somehow stepped right out of a movie screen to play with us in the three-dimensional world. New York Toy Fair 2014 Booth No. 1058.

Just place the mermaid in water and she comes alive. Then observe the glee on your little one's face as she watches the mesmerizing movements of her very own mermaid friend swimming gracefully. The set includes a tall, cylindrical water tank, a beautifully designed undersea environment with built-in LED lighting that illuminates the setting and changes color while the mermaid swims. With lifelike motions of her tail, she changes speed and direction, ascending and descending in her water wonderland. Changing her arm positions and adding and removing weighted tail rings alters the ways in which she moves through the water. An extendable magic wand lets you easily remove her from the tank without getting wet. The set includes one mermaid, but there are others available separately, each with a different look and name - Shelly, Marina, Corissa, and Pearl. Collect them all and have an undersea party!

Imagine creating your own color fashion designs in a sketchbook and then seeing them worn by models at a fashion show. That is what this jaw-dropping combination of physical product and virtual reality app does for you. The 40-page sketchbook lets you create the front and back of 20 designs, with additional printable templates available online to let you go on creating long after the first 20 are finished. Each page shows a model wearing a blank outfit, making it easy to create something striking just by staying between the lines. The front and back can be wildly different in terms of colors and patterns. It still comes together beautifully. As soon as you snap photos of your designs, a model appears onscreen, walking and turning, showing off both sides of your creation. The app allows you to choose from several models, hairstyles, even locations for your shows. Hip runway music plays as you watch several models displaying any number of your designs in the same show. Includes sketchbook, colored pencils, and portfolio case for carrying your artwork and tools, just like a professional! The app is downloadable free.

For such a graceful game, vigilance and cold-hearted stealth go a long way towards winning. You and your opponent each represents one of two clans competing for power at court in Classical Japan. The playing field consists of 16 garden tiles in a 4 X 4 grid. Each player has 8 clan tokens and takes turns replacing one garden tile with one of their tokens. A player is limited to replacing a tile that shares a symbol in common (each garden tile contains two symbols) with the tile that was just removed. Thus, where you place your token determines your opponent's options on their next move. Any of the following will win you the game: 1) get 4 of your tokens in a row 2) create a 2 X 2 square of your tokens, or 3) block your opponent from making any legal moves. For example, if you remove a garden tile whose two elements are both the last of their kind on the board, your opponent has nowhere to go and loses. By assessing the playing field carefully, it is possible to steer your opponent towards such a demise without them seeing it coming. But always watch your back. Otherwise, it is you who may find yourself surprised! For 2 players.

OgoSport is a maker of great outdoor play products that just seem to keep getting better with time. Aero Zipp is a prime example, a hand-held ball launcher that propels specially designed balls great distances at often dazzling speeds. The launcher is a lightweight hinged instrument with a comfortable handle at one end, a claw that holds the ball at the other, and a hinge in the middle. That hinge is key, because the launcher starts out folded back, ball in place, then swings open in a fluid motion as you swing your arm forward. The launcher hits full extension somewhere mid-swing, at which point the Zipp Ball exits the launcher with a velocity sometimes faster than the eye can track. The backspin of the the Zipp Ball causes air above it to move faster, resulting in something called the Magnus effect (creating lift), while dimples in the ball reduce drag. The net effect is a ball that covers great distances. Play Zipp Catch, Aero Golf, Throw the Distance, or make up your own games. Comes with 2 Aero Zipp launchers, 2 holsters, 4 Zipp Balls, and 2 Sonic Zipp Balls. Great fun for the entire family.

Any notion that camping out (or any other form of travel sleeping) means a rough night's sleep is dispelled by the Tuckaire Travel Bed. Its unique design is a major factor in its high level of comfort. The air mattress is really two connected mattresses. The outer air mattress (within which the inner mattress is nestled) extends an inch or two higher all around the edge, forming a soft, supportive layer surrounding the sleeping child. The luxurious, fleece-lined sleeping bag attaches to the inner mattress by tucking over its corners much the way a fitted sheet tucks snugly onto a bed. This means no slipping or sliding around, just comfort and stability. The sleeping bag's exterior is made from water-resistant nylon, and its top zippered layer is removable, adaptable to a variety of weather conditions and preferences. A powerful rapid bellows pump is included, making inflation quick and easy, as is a carrying bag for compact, portable transportation from one location to another.

Picked-On Poindexter is a cute, cuddly, 13-inch plush frog whose story is told in a companion app (available for 99 cents). On Poindexter's first day of school, he makes new friends, but is also confronted by bullies. The makers of Picked-on Poindexter are long-time educators with a focus on fostering emotional expression and self-confidence in children, and their experience and commitment is evident in the ways bullying is handled in the story. Poindexter's mother acknowledges and affirms his different-ness (he has red knees, blue feet, and a diddly on his face) but also coaches him on what to do if he ever finds himself in a situation where someone is picking on him. The fruit of that practical parenting is seen in the effective, realistic ways Poindexter and his new friends respond to the bullies, including bringing a teacher into the mix when appropriate. Both the app (which includes a read-to-me feature with professional narration) and plush toy are well-suited to young children and create a healthy framework within which to understand the dynamics of bullying. The app features five upbeat, original songs, each placed so that the lyrics tie into, and expand on, the storyline.

While retaining the best qualities of traditional color by number, Pixel Pictures introduces features that make it a new and different experience. For one thing, each page consists of a cleverly designed grid containing 616 little numbered squares (pixels) to be filled in according to the color key. One of the side effects of this pixelated approach is that it does not become clear to the artist what he or she is drawing until the picture is almost finished. That suspense factor adds intrigue and interest to the process, while the coloring in of many small spaces brings color sense and hand-eye coordination to a whole new level. Add to that the fact that the artist himself decides which colors go with which numbers by filling in the blank color key at the bottom of each page before starting to draw. Each Pixel Pictures book has a different theme (Retro Robots, Pretty Princess, Funny Faces, . . . ) and contains 18 sheets, including 6 'create your own' pages in which the artist also determines up front exactly what the image to be colored in will be.

PlayTape lets kids build roads in the blink of an eye on any flat surface - floors, walls, concrete, even carpeting and upholstery. PlayTape comes in colored rolls of various widths and lengths, with a two-lane road printed along the length of one side and adhesive on the other. Regardless of your roll's size, the easy-tear nature of PlayTape means you can whip out one length of road after another from a single roll to suit your creative needs. The wide variety of surfaces on which you can build is a consequence of how easily PlayTape adheres and how quickly it can be removed or repositioned without leaving any mess or residue. PlayTape is highly portable and easy to store just about anywhere. When you're finished with a piece, it's not only disposable, it's recyclable. PlayTape also works exceedingly well as a way to enhance other imaginative toys - vehicles, construction blocks, dolls, action figures - by expanding the play possibilities and the look, size, and shape of the play environment. Different size rolls range in price from $1.99 to 12.99.

Here's a craft kit everybody can do and love. The Owl Pal Pillow starts off adorable and becomes ever more so as kids use a plastic stylus to anchor one colored fabric piece after another, with just a gentle push for each. When finished, the Owl Pal Pillow appears so lively, with ruffled, colorful wings and body, it looks as it had been done by a professional. There are over 200 pieces of fabric included in five different colors. Numbers on the front of the pillow indicate which colors go where, making the process intuitive and simple to follow. The focus involved, as well as the precision of the repetitive motion, make this product an excellent activity for enhancing concentration and fine motor skills. The calm pleasure of the process and the fine, pride-inducing results build confidence and a love of working with the hands.

The creative exhilaration unleashed by playing with Qvolution is akin to the giddiness one might feel upon suddenly developing superpowers. Qvolution's colored cubes and rails contain strong imbedded magnets that allow them to freely connect to one another, resulting in the ability to assemble a wide variety of 3-dimensional structures that act as a transportation system for marbles. The walls of each cube are open, with straight or curved rails lining their interior that direct the marbles from one cube to another. Exterior rails create pathways between structures, so that marbles can alternate between riding the interior of cubes and bursting into open view. Two booklets contain easy step-by-step visuals for building structures ranging from simple to elaborate ones in which marbles criss cross multiple towers or follow circular and labyrinthine descents. The cubes (2.5 inches per side) and rails are very strongly built, visually quite appealing, and of the highest quality. Qvolution provides aural, tactile, visual, and intellectual stimulation, and the creative exploration and problem-solving kids experience while using the set are invaluable. Just as important, it's incredibly fun.

Fans of Zuru Inc's Robo Fish will be thrilled with this new, remote-controlled version. Using a fully functioning radio control with two joysticks, kids can vary Robo Fish's speed, change its direction at will, even do tricks. The tail fin moves in a life-like fashion, propelling Robo Fish to swim in up to five directions, including submerging and resurfacing. Vary the speed between slow, medium, or fast. Robo Fish swims heartily in any body of water but comes with its own take-it-with-you tank so that you can enjoy fish play anywhere. The set also includes two interchangeable tail fins, one for normal swimming, one for stunt play. The radio control has multiple infrared modes so that you can play with more than one fish at a time. You can also set the device to auto mode, causing Robo Fish to engage in a variety of lifelike behaviors all on its own, even when you're not in the room. Comes in two different styles, Ocellaris Clown Fish and Venustus Chichlid.

Schmovie is the perfect party game. It takes seconds to learn, generates a high volume (both frequency and decibels) of laughs, and can accommodate anywhere from 3 to 24 players. Players or teams compete to collect the most Schquid Trophies by coming up with the best/funniest titles for make-believe movies. On each turn a die is rolled, and a What? card and Who? card flipped from the tops of two different decks. The die provides the genre and the two cards suggest a premise for the film. Players use dry erase markers to write down their made-up titles before submitting them to the designated Schmovie Producer (a different player on each turn), who then chooses the winner of that round. For example, on one turn the die showed Action genre, the What? card said 'undercover' and the Who? card said 'werewolf.' The hands-down winner was the made-up title Dirty, Hairy. The first player/team to collect 4 or 5 trophies wins the game. Schmovie isn't really about winning, though, it's about the fun. No stress, just good times! New York Toy Fair 2014 Booth No. 6356.

One of the most striking things about this 25-key piano is its exceptional level of quality, evident at a glance. This is a very handsome, sturdy, and functional toy piano with a playful, beautiful appearance on a par with many a full-sized instrument. It visually and sonorously enhances most any room in which it happens to reside. In other words, both parents and kids will be proud of it. It's not only built to last, it's designed to grow with your children. Initially the cabinet rests directly on the floor, ideal for toddlers' exploration. Later, the height can be substantially increased by attaching side pieces (included) so that the child can sit at the bench (also included). Unlike many toy pianos, the key width is comparable to that of a full-size piano, enabling an easier transition to full-scale size when the time is right. It also has excellent pitch, making it a fine means for developing the ear. Also included is a songbook containing 10 popular tunes that utilize Schoenhut's Play-By-Color Tri-Play learning system, an easy way to learn to play. Piano Pals comes in red Dog w/ Bench model, lavender Teddy Bear w/ Bench model and pink Horse w/ Bench model.

These laser-cut shadow puppets on sticks cast such vivid, lively shadows on the wall, it's almost like having your own animation studio. But in this case there's no high-tech learning curve. Just shine a light and bring them to life. Kids immediately tap into their dramatic and comic talents, doing voice-overs and acting out stories ranging from lofty to over-the-top. Parents find them so amusing they may find themselves wishing they were kids again. But fear not. Each kit contains 8 different shadow puppets from a given theme, enough so that the whole family can get in on the act. For example, the Pirate Adventures includes 4 distinct, rather kooky pirate characters, a parrot, a ship, a pirate flag (the skull and crossbones), and, of course, a sea-faring vessel. In addition to Pirate Adventures, there are currently 5 other titles in the series - Dinosaur Planet, Princess Paradise, Babar, The Little Prince, and Eric Carle The Very Hungry Caterpillar. With Shadow Puppets, you'll always know what time it is - it's show time!

This scientific model kit is not only a blast to build, play, and learn with, it's also extremely relevant. Each of the 6 different models this kit allows you to build are propelled by a motor that can alternately be powered by either the solar cell or battery power. In other words, it's a hybrid energy system. As long as you've got a strong beam of light or sunlight at your disposal, you can flip the switch and let solar power be your source. In the absence of those resources, flip the switch the other way and battery power takes over. The booklet, in addition to providing easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions, provides fascinating information about the technology behind the kit and its components. The Solar Catamaran Airboat, which moves sleekly across the surface of the water, is the kit's centerpiece. When you're ready for a change of pace, the parts can be easily disassembled by hand and reassembled as either the Off-Shore Windmill, Solar Propeller Airplane, Air Fan, Fan Rocket, or Air Blaster Speeder, each of which is detailed in the instructions.

Parents who have known the joy of reading to their children know how precious that period is, particularly in retrospect. One of the many pleasures of Sparkup is that it creates audio keepsakes of those moments, treasures that can be backed up to computer and enjoyed for years to come. Another is that it engages children in new and different ways, adding an interactive element to the magic and beauty of reading a physical book with honest-to-goodness pages. Sparkup not only records parents' and children's voices during the reading, it later recognizes books and plays back the correct words in the reader's voice as each page is turned. Easy to use, Sparkup simply clips onto a book's back cover, a position from which its tiny camera can record a view of each page and map it to the correct place in the audio file being created. Kids adore the experience. Those too young to read can listen to Mom or Dad's voice reading stories over and over again. Those already reading on their own are inspired to repeatedly pore over book after book making, and listening to, their own recordings. Burgeoning literary experiences are made all the more delightful and memorable by the added creative stimulation. Professional recordings of books can be purchased and downloaded from the company's website directly to your Sparkup.

Spot it! Freeze adds new dimensions of fun and excitement to a game that's already among the most enjoyable party and family games ever to hit the market. Each of the 55 Spot it! Freeze cards is decorated with 8 different temperature-themed symbols. There are more than 50 symbols throughout the deck, but only one matching symbol between any two cards. The goal is always to be the fastest player to spot a match and call it out. Spot It! Freeze introduces three new games, special Freeze symbols, and a unique timer to ramp up the thrills. In The Arctic Tower, players attempt to collect the most cards by spotting matches, while in The Frozen Well and Flash Freeze, the goal is to be first to rid oneself of all cards. In either of the first two games, if a player spots a match involving Freeze symbols and shouts 'Freeze,' he starts the timer and gets 10 adrenaline-filled seconds of solo play to try and collect, or rid himself of, as many cards as possible. In Flash Freeze, the timer is set to Randomizer and ticks nerve-wrackingly away as players take turns racing to spot a match. If the timer goes off during your turn, you must take 3 penalty cards from the table, a dreaded setback. Fast, wildly entertaining fun for 2 to 8 players.

Just when you thought Spot it! couldn't get any better, here comes a beach-themed waterproof version you can play anywhere your heart desires. The focus is often intense, the rivalry sometimes fierce, but the mood always turns seriously lighthearted when someone breaks out this exciting rapid-fire fun. Each of the 55 Spot it! cards is decorated with 8 different aquatic and beach themed symbols. There are more than 50 symbols throughout the deck, but only one matching symbol exists between any two cards. There are 5 easy to learn mini-games (play one or play them all) in Spot it!, but they all have the same fundamental goal - be the fastest player to spot the matching symbol between two cards and call it out. Which mini-game you're playing determines whether you collect or rid yourself of cards when you spot the match. For example, in The Poisoned Gift, one of our favorites, the first player to spot a match between a center card and any opponent's card gets to give that unwanted card (the player with the least cards at the end wins) to the opponent. The other mini-games include The Tower, The Well, Hot Potato, and Triple, and each is an ingenious variation of the others. The waterproof cards come with a waterproof travel bag, so there's nowhere this perfect fun for the entire family can't go. For 2 to 8 players.

Spy Alley Dice Game is a fast-moving game of mystery, risks, and educated guesses in which the right balance of knowledge and luck wins out. It's also great fun for the entire family. There are 5 special dice and 6 plastic Spy Identification Cards. The ID cards are divided equally among players and placed face-down on the table. Each ID card (French, American, Russian, Spanish, Italian, German) matches a picture on each of the dice. On your turn, you're allowed to roll up to 3 times (keeping the dice you like while rerolling the rest) in the hopes of accumulating 3 or more of a kind. 3 of a kind enables you to guess any opponent's identity as being that of the spy showing on the three dice. If you're correct, you get the card. Once a player runs out of identity cards, he's out of the game. Getting 5 of a kind allows you to either guess an opponent's identity as the spy of your choice or let other players risk a card by speculating that your identity is what's face up on the 5 dice. If no one takes that chance and it turns out to be your identity, you've won the game. The other way to win is to be the last player to still have an Identity Card. Highly portable contagious fun for 2 to 6 spies.

The Stepaire Bandit Nap Pad seems to beckon to you. Its soft, warm-colored appearance promises comfort and coziness, its all-in-one design, simplicity. Great qualities, these, in a product parents rely on to transport their children to the land of rest and sleep. The internal air mattress inflates in under a minute using the built-in Stepaire Pump, so-named because foot and body-weight do the inflating. The one-inch nap pad protects against cold floors, and the durable, water-resistant bottom layer provides insulation suitable to a wide variety of environments. The pillow, nap pad, and soft fleece blanket form a single unit for quick, portable comfort, nothing to get lost or left behind. Deflating it is just as easy, so that it rolls up quickly and compactly for easy transportation in its own convenient carrying bag. Whether used at home or at daycare, for overnights, camping, or an extended trip, kids bond with the Stepaire Bandit as if it were their new best friend.

With Sticky Mosaics Journal & Jewel Jewelry Box, kids experience the excitement and pride of creating something beautiful with their own hands. The set includes over 280 sparkling, self-adhesive jewels of varying shapes and colors, and a three-drawer jewelry box (already assembled) covered on all sides with lovely illustrations. Tucked into a secret side pocket of the jewelry box is an equally fetching journal for writing, drawing, and further self-expression. The real fun begins when, following a numbered legend, kids begin positioning the sticky jewels on the jewelry box in just the right places, transforming it into something truly special. The depth of pleasure children display while engaging in this activity is a joy to behold. And when they're finished, the result is something lasting - an enchanting jewelry box for storing personal treasures, and a matching journal in which to record thoughts, feelings, and moments that blossom amidst the swirl of childhood.

The Sweet Lollies is a line of 13.5-inch cloth rag dolls with style, personality, and a flair for fashion and friendship. The Sweet Lollies dolls fall into three distinct camps. There's the fashion-loving Punk Sweets, who design and make hip clothing at their fashion boutique, Punkita. Next up you have the Victorian Sweets, music-loving girls who formed a performing girl-band known as The Lollie Pops. And last, but not least, you've got the Sweet Lollies, talented bakers who prepare delicious sweet treats for themselves and others. Each of these groups contains several dolls, with distinct hair colors, clothing, and personality traits, a total of 12 unique dolls in all. What they have in common is friendship, talent, style, and a passion for life. Oh, and they are adorable, to boot.

Exuberant is a good way to describe these interactive motorized puppy and kitty plush pets. They love treats, do tricks, make lots of silly, happy sounds and scoot around as if they're just happy to be alive. (Psssst, they don't know they run on batteries.) Hold a treat in your hand - one is included with each pet - and press a button on it to make your Happy's pet come. When he gets to you, he does a special trick, such as beg, pounce, chase tail, and more, with each different treat prompting a different trick. There are three Happy's puppys available (Bentley, Sport, and Chance), and then there's a sweet kitty named Mittens. Playsets and several accessories are available separately to enhance and evolve your play experience over time. One thing is for sure, these little guys whirl, twirl, sit up, and zip around like the real thing, but they are a heck of a lot easier to care for.

This highly entertaining game has humor, whimsy, strategy, and is tremendous fun. Players take turns rolling 5 dice with the goal of building houses with which to ward off the lurking wolf. Dice show either doors, windows, roofs, or a Wolf face. Players are allowed up to 3 rolls on each turn, putting aside those dice they like and re-rolling those they don't. Accumulating multiple dice showing the same house part can enable you to purchase straw, wood, or brick tiles at the end of your turn. In no time, players have numerous houses in various states of progress on the table. If a Wolf face rolls up on your turn, it can't be rerolled, and rerolling the other dice now carries the risk of a second Wolf ending your turn. The upside when this happens is that you get a parting shot at decimating an opponent's house using the Breath spinner. Only completed houses are worth points at the end of the game, so blowing away even a single tile from an opponent can change the game's outcome. Every inch of this game, from the hilarious packaging to its carefully constructed, playfully designed components, promises a good time. And it more than delivers. For 2 to 5 players. See The Three Little Pigs at 2014 New York Toy Fair in booth 137.

The classic game of Tic Tac Toe has been taken to another level. In TIC STAC TOE, play extends horizontally, vertically, and diagonally, and a win requires achieving 4-in-a-row in any of those 3 directions. The Xs and Os in this version stand upright and are stackable, with short pegs on their bottoms that fit snugly into holes in the board and the tops of other pieces. That means the board can be jostled heartily in the midst of a match without a single piece tumbling out of place. At the outset, the game proceeds with familiar simplicity. But as soon as the stacking starts, tracking all the possibilities while fending off an opponent's advances becomes quite a bit more challenging. When the win occurs, the loser usually didn't see it coming, either due to a lapse in concentration or an overly narrowed focus. In TIC STAC TOE, simplicity meets complexity, and those of us in search of fast, fun challenge get to have our cake and eat it, too! Includes 66 two-inch tall playing pieces.

Tiggly shapes are colorful, three-dimensional geometric shapes that interact with learning apps. The four brightly colored shapes - circle, star, square, and triangle, are engaging and stimulating in and of themselves. But when used in conjunction with the free apps, the magic really begins to fly. The Tiggly Safari app lets kids construct a series of onscreen animals by placing the correct shapes onto matching onscreen outlines. The graphics and functionality are top-notch, with a wide variety of entertaining farm, jungle, and aquatic animals cleverly formed from basic shapes. Sight and hearing are nicely brought into play through rich onscreen visuals, repetition of shape names each time a match is made, and ongoing animal sounds that match the as yet unseen animal being constructed. Another free app, Tiggly Draw, lets kids create their own art from basic shapes, producing musical sounds associated with each shape. A variety of details (eyes, nose, wings, tail, hat, etc.) can then be added by dragging choices from a menu, unleashing comical sound effects. There are other excellent apps as well, each combining the developmental benefits that come from holding and manipulating objects with the educational magic made possible through digital learning. New York Toy Fair 2014 Booth No. 3101.

Anyone who has ever been on a scavenger hunt knows the thrills it entails. Treasure Trax captures that excitement and gives you everything you need in one neat package to set up a full-blown adventure around the house in a matter of minutes. It all starts with a location card that displays an image and the name of the place to start your hunt (chair, for example). There you will find (and at each subsequent location) either another location card or a search clue. Search clues show a letter or color that hints at where to find a hidden animal card. Those animal cards are sought-after prizes, and the first player or team to find all their animal cards wins. The artwork and game design are perfectly suited to pre-schoolers, providing fast-moving, active fun. Playing Treasure Trax teaches colors, letters, image and word recognition, and thinking skills. Includes 30 Location Cards, 18 Search Clue Cards, 12 Animal Cards, Instructions (with game variations) and a handy purple Collection Pouch that can be used to hold a prize at the end of the search and acts as perfect storage for this highly portable game when not in use. For 1 or more players.

Tubby Table brings new ways to play to the land of fun-in-the-tub. This sturdy, portable, brightly-colored table stands on a pedestal that adheres to the bottom of the tub via a large suction cup, providing stability while helping to ensure the fun and water stay in the tub. Water passes easily through the perforated tabletop, and its rounded edges are designed with child safety in mind. Five openings in the tabletop house five cups of different shapes and colors, which, when face down, sit flush with the surface like pegs in holes, each displaying a number. Face up, they rest only a sixteenth of an inch or so into those same openings, like cups in a cup-holder. That peg-in-hole design, as well as the cups' stack-ability and use in transferring water from one place to another builds fine motor skills. Cognitive and developmental skills such as counting, sorting, and color differentiation are built and reinforced by the types of play naturally encouraged by the cups' unique, carefully thought-out design. Tubby Table works incredibly well in conjunction with other favorite bathtub toys and comes with its own non-slip bathmat. Bravo!

At first glance it doesn't seem you should be able to do as many things with Twiddle as you can. But as soon as you pick it up, it becomes evident that this chain of small, identical, interconnected pieces is filled with possibilities. Your brain starts telling you to do things with it, and your fingers comply. Its pieces can be easily taken apart and put back together. The firmness with which they hold allows you to twist, turn, knot, form angles, squares, cubes, stars, flowers, crumple it into a ball. Your fingers ask the questions and Twiddle gives the answers. It's hand candy, active relaxation for the mind. It seems like the sort of thing aerospace engineers would invent to help them invent bigger and better things while they're not thinking about them. It's absorbing fun that fits in the palm of your hand. Twiddle comes in five different mix-and-match colors.

Playing with Twinkle Top Treehouse is like having something from a children's animated movie magically pop off the screen and spring to life in three dimensions. Its colors are so vivid, its details so vibrant it seems almost unreal. Even more remarkable (and a huge part of the fun) is the fact that kids and parents assemble this 11.25-inch treehouse using nothing but their bare hands. No glue, no mess, just foam pieces (and a few finely crafted cardboards) that fit snugly together before being decorated with adhesive foam add-ons and dozens of beautifully illustrated stickers. Furniture that fits in the treehouse and a stand-up girl (and her pet cat) breathe added life into this extraordinary wonderland. The package, an exceptionally attractive reusable storage box (with pink rope handle), includes 274 pieces grouped into easy-to-put-together sections. Twinkle Top Treehouse inspires countless hours of creative play. Assembly desired! New York Toy Fair 2014 Booth No. 6055.

The TykeLight Animal Lamp is a brilliant asset for both children and parents, enhancing reading, playtime, crafts, schoolwork, and anything else on which you might like to shed some light. These fun, playful-looking animals brighten any room before you even turn them on. But tilt Monkey's head back (also available in Bunny or Giraffe) and you have a wonderfully effective light source made up of 12 bright white LEDs, cool and safe to the touch and easy to direct. It turns on and off silently with the merest touch. The LEDs are gentle on the eyes and incredibly easy to dim or brighten. Bedside, it can be a nightlight or a reading lamp. Mom and dad can use it at the changing table, an easy way to see what they're doing without over-stimulating a sleepy child. Take the TykeLight on camping trips, car rides, overnights, anywhere you want to go. Its portability, durability, and long-lasting rechargeable battery allow you to shed light where, when, and how you want it. Includes AC Adaptor/Charger.

The quality of these remarkably appealing new mini vehicle characters is evident at a glance. They bristle with the kind of distinctive personality that immediately captures a young child's imagination. They're so durable they come with a 10 year satisfaction guarantee. They're brilliantly colorful, loaded with fine detail, and sized just right for little hands to pick up or wheel along any surface. There are six different vehicles in the line (sold separately), each of which comes with a removable figure that rides in the car. Each has a different name and theme, and it's a lovely touch that the themes are paired amongst the six characters. There's Ace and Izzy, two race car drivers raring to go. Jax and Clay, with a dump truck and cement mixer at their disposal, have construction work down pat. And Jojo and Blaze have the niftiest little ambulance and fire truck you've likely ever lay eyes on. The affordable pricing and high quality of these toys presents a tremendous value that makes collecting all six a very attractive proposition.

yoMOTO stands out in the crowd of products designed to mobilize young children. For one thing, it is decidedly un-bike-like in appearance. Sharper, flashier, and with a contemporary look that includes the sort of sleek lines one might expect from a high-end sports car, yoMOTO catches your eye. That look appeals to kids of all ages, and yoMOTO's functional aspects are especially well-suited to getting the very young on wheels, fast. The low-to-the ground, four-wheeled design offers greater stability. Its narrow, lightweight frame creates a lean-and-learn experience that develops gross motor skills and the confidence kids need in order to progress to two-wheeled bikes. Kids can push off with either foot and glide along, feet perched in footholds on either side of the ride, feeling safe and secure. The only assembly required is to snap each of two handles into place (used for steering), a process that takes about 10 seconds. New York Toy Fair 2014 Booth No. 5534.

The offerings on this music CD, all of which are original, sing the praises of men and women (and one very remarkable young girl) whose deeds have had a positive impact on our lives and culture. Ten of the eleven songs highlight one hero apiece, with lyrics that capture the spirit of that individual's vision and temperament. The eleventh expresses appreciation for heroes everywhere, for the inspiration they provide and the sacrifices they make. The CD's booklet includes a brief, well-written history of each song's hero, along with dates of birth and death and a personal quote. Some of these are well-known historical figures, like Albert Einstein and Theodore Roosevelt. Others are less well-known, and their inclusion, along with the nearly equal division along gender lines, is laudable. There's a lot to be said for the earnestness of the songs on American Heroes # 4. In addition to the valuable knowledge kids glean while listening to the music, they are exposed to the positive, generous spirit Jonathan Sprout and his band bring to each and every song.

This compact disc packs an awful lot of fun into 15 deliciously danceable songs, putting its own indelible spin on a number of timeless children's favorites, pop songs, and even classical (an enlivened version of Pachelbel's Canon rocks). This collection of toe-tapping tunes delivers a wide range of tempos, beats, and styles. The album's bouncy opener, The Hug Song, with its insistent, upbeat refrain of "I want a hug," lets you know right off the bat you're in for a good time. Listeners of all stripes are sure to be enamored of Waltzing With Bears, a lighthearted song whose triple meter and natural instrumentation conjure the image and feel of hill country. The Jazz Age version of Rubber Duckie and a jazzy, Satchmo-esque Zip a Dee Doo Dah are two standouts that swing in an entirely different way, while the whirlwind lyrics of James, James, Morrison Morrison are sure to leave you breathless. Beatles fans will find Celeste's version of Octopus's Garden irresistible. The musicianship and production values are top-notch throughout, but what really stands out are the vocals, both lead and background. The singers' pitch-perfect clarity, exuberance, and knack for expertly capturing the feel of every song make this CD a favorite of parents and kids alike.

Having some of the most beautiful songs ever recorded at your fingertips, arranged as soothing jazz lullabies, would strike most parents as a godsend. And it is. Calm and serene can be precious commodities in households with young children, and each of the songs on the five albums in this set evokes a similar feeling of utter relaxation. Acoustic instrumentation, crystal-clear harmonies and melodies, slow, soothing tempos, and song selection all play a part in this. The Piano Album consists solely of acoustic piano and double bass, while each of the other four albums (The Guitar Album, The Trumpet Album, The Saxophone Album, The Vibraphone Album) adds a single acoustic instrument to the piano and double bass. The 75 tunes range from pop songs like John Lennon's 'Imagine' and the Jackson Five's 'I'll be There' to eternal standards such as 'Body and Soul' and 'God Bless the Child'. What you put in your children's ears will inform their musicality, creativity, and temperament for years to come. The music served up by Jazz For Babies takes that future into account while promoting a calm, satisfying atmosphere in the present.

One doesn't entirely expect an album intended to inspire and teach children about the mysteries of the universe to be drenched in the sort of high-level musicianship and first-rate songwriting found on The Mighty Sky. The lyrics alone are something to marvel at for the easy way they incorporate scientific concepts while sounding natural and catchy. The vocals and harmonies are exceptional throughout, and the songwriting encompasses a wide range of styles, from folk, bluegrass, and a cappella to full-out rock & roll and the blues. The energy and rhythms are often irresistibly danceable (try staying seated during Zodiacial Zydeco), and frequently interlaced with humor (check out the rousing Test, Re-test & Verify, a faux lofty paean to the scientific method). And therein lies one of the many keys to this album's success - taking a seemingly weighty subject and making it buoyant, playful, and wildly entertaining.

There are few things as essential as impressing upon young children the knowledge, guidelines, and behaviors that can help them keep safe as they navigate the world around them. This illustrated book, which follows 6-year-old Hugo Hippo and family during a day at the community pool, does an outstanding job of conveying that information in a way that kids can easily understand. Topics such as setting physical boundaries, interacting with strange adults, and what to do if you find yourself lost are addressed gently yet clearly. The highly engaging storyline, playful characters, and appealing artwork illustrate the sorts of situations children might find themselves in while demonstrating (through Hugo) what an appropriate safety-conscious response would be. Knowing a safe adult's phone number, staying within sight of your safe adult, saying no if something doesn't feel right (paying attention to your uh-oh feeling) are among the many topics and situations covered here with a light, often humorous, touch. Children and parents both will be the grateful beneficiaries of the wisdom contained in these pages.

This high quality, hardbound book is a gem. Higgledy Piggledy is the delightful tale of four little pigs, brothers who share an idyllic life in the town of Sudden. They get along with one another famously, with one exception. The three brothers with rhyming names, Curly, Twirly, and Whirly, sometimes make fun of their differently named brother - Higgledy Piggledy - simply because his name is unlike theirs. Even so, life is good, that is, until a new neighbor, Mr. Wolf, arrives in town and moves in next door. Mr. Wolf licks his lips and pats his stomach whenever he sees the four pigs, a nasty habit that rattles their nerves, and rightly so. In no time at all, Mr. Wolf captures them and plans to make a meal of them. The way in which Higgledy Piggledy's name saves him and leads to the rescue of his brothers makes for a clever story. It also shows that being different is not a bad thing, and in fact can be quite rewarding. The story has both an old-world and contemporary feel, with dazzling illustrations full of charm, warmth, and humor that captivate the reader. Inspired by the English Fairy Tale, 'The Three Little Pigs,' Higgledy Piggledy has the makings of a modern day classic.

Inspired by the collections of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, this guided activity book provides exceptional creative stimulation for young minds while simultaneously exposing them to the beauty of art history. Open the book anywhere, and on the left you'll find a photograph of a historical work of art with a short paragraph providing background information on it. There are masks from around the world, an ancient Greek jar, works by Monet, Hopper, and Rodin, a dress by Christian Dior, and many others, thirty in all. Each right-hand page contains an activity relating to the work of art on the left - drawing, writing, coloring, and design. A wall fragment containing hieroglyphs inspires us to create our own language using symbols instead of letters. A mural that tells a story about a feathered serpent sparks us to write a story about magical beasts. A famous Japanese artwork serves as inspiration for our own picture displaying the power of nature. There is no 'right way' to do these activities, and the imaginative approach the book takes in using each featured artwork as an artistic launch pad serves as an exciting, liberating exercise in sheer creativity.

This guided activity book has the same great format as The I (Heart) Art activity book (above), except that here the focus is on historical and contemporary design rather than fine art. Each of the thirty or so activities in this book stems from accompanying photographs of exceptional design works, the result of a collaboration with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. The activities are highly varied and imaginative. Given a photograph of a beautiful vase, we draw an arrangement of flowers into the picture and write a poem inspired by the vase. Three exotic-looking radios from the 1950s inspire us to draw what we imagine radios will look like 25 years from now. Given a photograph of a beautiful Tiffany lamp, we design our own lampshade for it. There are many other equally stimulating activities and stunning photos, the breadth and variety of which spark young people to new ways of appreciating, imagining, and creating the world in which we live.

The internet is an invaluable resource for research and education, but skill in its use requires experience and guidance. This book is filled with science activities carefully designed to help students in Grades 3-6 use critical thinking skills to selectively locate and use information on the web. Activities span several dozen topics, including Animal Cells, Weather Forecasts, Plate Tectonics, Electromagnetism, and our Solar System. Each activity begins with a search of key words followed by questions that direct students to specific URLs to mine for answers. The author is careful to include only sites that contain age-appropriate research-based information, with an emphasis on making learning fun. Students gather information from text, videos, charts, and images to define and describe a topic, then fill in a graphic organizer to help them analyze and absorb the information. They learn to dig deeper, gathering information about specific areas of a topic, and how to form their own questions before seeking further answers. Surfing the Net: Science is organized around science standards found in most states and works exceedingly well as a supplement to teacher instruction or as student-guided instruction.

Clever simplicity of the sort that speaks to a young child's imagination is hard to come by, even more so when it tickles a child's funny bone. That's why really good children's books are rare, and why What Not to do at the Zoo is so refreshing. The title alone arouses curiosity, and each 2-page illustration and accompanying line of text delivers humorous guidance on exactly what to avoid doing while at the zoo. 'Do not tell a hyena knock-knock jokes,' says one page, as we see a hyena at a microphone, his companions rolling around in laughter while humans look on. 'Do not share your homework with a warthog,' says another, while a bespectacled warthog pores studiously over a math book, an abacus and blackboard at hand amidst the grass and foliage. There are over a dozen such 'Do nots,' each accompanied by a sprawling illustration filled with humorous detail. That intentional, gentle repetitiveness, coupled with the sheer silliness of the suggestions, is utterly captivating to young ones. They'll want you to read it to them, or will read it to themselves, over and over again.

Alphabet DVD is true to its name, providing animated segments and playful songs and games that teach children the letters of the alphabet while building word awareness and phonic familiarity. Alphabet Al is the animated host who leads us through the fun and learning, starting with the New Alphabet Song, a sing-a-long that takes us through all the letters of the alphabet, first in upper case, then in lower. Next, each letter gets its very own sing-a-long, each of which introduces us to several words that start with the given letter. Reinforcement through repetition is used to excellent effect throughout the entire DVD. The highly entertaining Funny-Looking Letters Game conveys that letters don't always look exactly the same, and helps children recognize familiar letters regardless of color, font, or typeface. The Name Game is also great fun, with kids jumping up when the first letter of their name is called and sitting back down when a bell rings. Alphabet DVD closes out with all letters (upper and lower case) traced on a virtual blackboard one after another, as well as the numbers 0 through 9.

CWIST is a free website parents use as a means of providing high quality activities (both physical and educational) for their children to do and, more importantly, the motivation to do them. Kids use CWIST because it's fun. In the dashboard, parents add to their account the children who will be participating and then can assign to any of those kids a cwist. A cwist is, among other things, an educational, community service, or outdoor activity to be completed. There is quite a library of cwists to choose from on the website, as well as a library of rewards (called wishes), and parents can create their own cwists and wishes. Indeed, those libraries are a growing crowd-sourced collaboration between parents and educators, to the benefit of all. Typically the parent chooses the cwist, the child the accompanying wish that will be received upon completion of the cwist. Having a system of rewards that can range from purchasable items to something as simple as a sleepover or dinner out can work wonders in motivating a child. Having them laid out prettily onscreen adds more than a bit of magic to the equation, and using the website itself becomes a form of constructive entertainment for both parents and children. Kids' challenges with a twist - a brilliant way to engage children in a positive fashion.

Kiddy Read is a 14-month long early reading program that uses short (2 - 10 minutes long), preplanned daily sessions, six days a week. The structured curriculum encompasses four 3.5-month terms, starting with single words in the first term and then progressing through couplets, phrases, and sentences/stories. The bite-sized brevity of the lessons makes them easy to digest and an excellent fit for families on the go. One of the brilliant things about Kiddy Read is the way each lesson can be viewed in a variety of modes - Word, Picture, Word & Picture, Multisensory, and Quickflash. By changing modes a child can be exposed to the same set of words repeatedly, with accompanying images and narration varying from mode to mode. This both holds the child's interest and enhances comprehension, as does the fact that each lesson's words are presented in categories (my family, my body, nature, colors, etc.). Your child ultimately progresses to reading complete stories whose words, couplets, phrases and sentences he or she will by then be quite familiar with. Kiddy Read's systematic approach enables kids to get the most out of their daily lessons, and their website is extraordinarily well-organized and easy to use, creating an excellent experience for both children and parents. Kiddy Read is $24.90 for a single term (84 lessons), $39.90 for 2 terms, or only $74.90 for all 4 terms purchased together.

Little Champion Reader is a comprehensive reading program that combines three proven reading approaches - Phonics, Sight Word Memorization, and Whole Language, into a single system. The system is broken into three levels within which your child moves from reading words, to phrases, and then to complete sentences. While progressing through the levels, your child uses all 3 reading techniques simultaneously, so that he or she can reap the unique benefits of each approach along the way. The system includes 9 DVDs (3 at each level) that form the core of the learning system and present lessons and stories that are visually engaging, entertaining, and contain a wealth of key words and phrases. The set also includes 15 sliding flashcards, 15 phonics books, and a CD with 150 printable worksheets. These components are labeled as to level and lesson order, making them easy to coordinate into lessons rich in content and variety. Suggested lesson plans are clearly laid out in the instruction manual and require only 20 minutes of active learning daily. The program can be completed in 15 weeks, but is designed to be flexible so that parents can customize according to their child's needs.

This DVD does an exceptional job of communicating to children specific ways to stay safe. These serious topics are presented as such, but in a way that is quite entertaining and non-threatening. Both the content and presentation are utterly age-appropriate. Live-action footage of Ruby (the bright, cheerful host) interacting with viewers and several adorable onscreen children is intermingled with original songs and animated segments. The production values here are very high, comparable to those of a scripted television series. The topics include staying aware of your surroundings, understanding physical boundaries, saying no when something makes you uncomfortable, checking in with a safe adult before doing something new, and what to do when approached by an adult stranger. Ruby and the kids play the Safety Game, using the UhOh! meter to help them understand clues our bodies give us (butterflies in the stomach) when something is not okay. Kids come away from even a single viewing empowered by the clarity and accessibility of the message, but typically want to watch it again and again. It's that entertaining.

Young children sometimes have a hard time winding down, but they can rarely resist an opportunity to watch the GiggleBellies. And this time out the adventure is soothing, relaxing, and carefully designed to put kids on a gentle path towards quiet time or sleep. This mix of original and classic children's tunes is done with typically inimitable GiggleBellies style - fresh-sounding arrangements and captivating animation that features the lovable GiggleBellies characters. The colorful imagery has a magical quality perfectly suited to preschoolers, and the mesmerizing visuals project a cozy peacefulness that has a remarkably calming effect. 10 animated songs take kids into an increasingly relaxed state, with the final selection being a remarkably beautiful instrumental version of Rock A Bye Baby. All three of the GiggleBellies DVDs reviewed here (see below) include special downloads and printables on the discs - coloring pages, Illustrated lyric sheets, and, in this case, 9 MP3s so that you can create your own music CD.

Playing this DVD has the near instantaneous effect of making children joyful. That's because each of the 9 music videos on it are filled with audiovisual details that trigger smiles and laughs, one after another. Among those magical ingredients is the GiggleBellies crew itself, a cast of happy-go-lucky, silly animated characters who sing, dance, bounce, and clap their way across the screen. Young viewers tend to either immediately follow suit - get up on their feet, wiggling and giggling - or watch, transfixed, a look of happy awe on their little faces. There's a mix of children's classics (Old MacDonald, Wheels On the Bus . . .) and several fine originals. Even the familiar songs display great originality, with twists and turns and fresh-sounding arrangements that parents will enjoy hearing as well. The videos are short and energetic, with clever animation that blends seamlessly with the music and lyrics, stimulating children's minds and bodies in the best possible way.

Volume #2 of The GiggleBellies Musical Adventures picks up where Volume #1 left off. This time there are even more fully animated songs (13 in all) to enjoy. A huge part of the pleasure comes from watching and listening to the wildly creative animated arrangements of songs. Some are originals, some you'll know (classics like Itsy Bitsy Spider), but even those you're familiar with have a fresh spin that will knock your socks off. And of course, the GiggleBellies crew, which consists of dozens of happy, zany characters, is featured heavily throughout. Each of them (like Kissy Moo the cow, Peanut the elephant, a duck named Kwacka . . .) , has its own loveable look and uniquely endearing qualities. What they share in common is friendship, song and dance, and a happy silliness that is utterly contagious. The level of detail with which the visuals tie into the music would be hypnotic if it weren't so enlivening. In other words, kids remain engrossed and captivated while using their bodies to feel the music - dancing, wiggling, and singing along.

Each of the 3 animated educational apps in this trilogy costs $1.99 and covers a different period - Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Triassic. In all three, we start out with a present-day fossil dig, after which Ansel & Clair (our beloved guides) use their spaceship, Marley Peterson, to take us back in time. There we see and learn all about the creatures of the period and the environment in which they lived. Kids take photographs of the things they learn and arrange them in a travel log, solve puzzles, make their own dinosaurs, and are exposed to a host of fascinating creatures. Dynamic sound and visual effects make the experiences visceral, exciting, and fun, while the high level of interactivity rivets kids' attention. There is never a dull moment, and the detail and interactivity is finely tuned towards having kids fully absorb and understand what they're learning. Don't be surprised to hear your children happily discussing the differences between sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. Just enjoy their newfound enthusiasm for learning, awakened by these apps. It's a beautiful thing.

Ansel and Clair are back with another fine app loaded with fun and learning. This time they help kids explore the ways we humans can impact our environment for better or worse. Each player gets his very own island. By picking up trash, sowing seeds, and moving a rain cloud around to water them, players earn Greenbucks with which they purchase a variety of items beneficial to the environment. In doing so, they transform their island from a barren place to one full of greenery, combating a host of environmental threats along the way. Methane, pesticides, pollutants, and other eco-challenges pop up, sometimes in the form of menacing little creatures singing and skittering about onscreen. Solutions for dealing with them are presented, and players take action and see the benefits of doing so. That's the brilliance of this app - the investment children feel in the onscreen environment and the tangible payoffs they experience in taking actions reflective of those needed in the real world. In addition to knowledge absorbed while playing the exciting games, kids also view images and text on topics ranging from the amount of garbage a single human generates over a lifetime to the beneficial impact recycling and the growth of trees have on the environment.

This app brings Paul Revere and the American Revolution to life in ways that keep the details fresh in a child's mind long after their device has been turned off. It's an animated journey loaded with fun, interactive features, and, as always, having Ansel and Clair as our travel companions keeps us coming back for more. Players see and hear events, circumstances, and locations from the American Revolution, while mini-games specific to each topic reinforce and bind that information with a playful touch. From Paul Revere himself we learn about the Boston Tea Party, No Taxation, The Boston Massacre, and other key events. Each of these events triggers a mini-game (like tossing tea chests to feed a shark) and an opportunity to take a photograph relating to the event, followed by a pop-up quiz review. Children can touch and drag a locator to visit key locations, reenact historical events, trace Paul Revere's route, decipher coded messages, and of course, witness his famous ride. These and many other exciting activities within the app result in countless hours of fun and learning.

CUBEBooks is a great way to learn the Chinese language playfully, through games, stories, and several kinds of interactive fun. The Vocabulary Series explores common vocabulary, letting you tap on images and use interactive tools to slice and splice common Chinese words, phrases, and sentences to gain deeper insight into their meanings. Hear authentic mother-tongue pronunciation whenever desired by tapping the speaker symbol. See animation of how to write a particular Chinese character stroke by stroke by tapping the pen symbol (or write them yourself by tracing numbered, directional symbols onscreen). Play several categories of games to reinforce associations and absorb meaning in a relaxed, lighthearted way. Create, maintain, and expand your own library from dozens of storybooks (some free, many as an in-app purchases). These storybooks have considerable visual charm and offer three viewing modes - picture only, read to me, or learn by myself, the last of which, in addition to displaying and reading the Chinese text, contains the same kinds of interactivity described above. Learning levels range from novice to advanced, and various features and options are available ranging in cost from free to $7.99.

Frozen: Storybook Deluxe is packed with extraordinary interactive features, gorgeous illustrations, and page after page of magical moments. Read the pages on your own or let the app narrate them to you. Unleash dramatic or humorous animated scenes with the tap of a finger. Record and play back your own voice reading the story or even record your own dialogue. Flipping your device has the unique effect of letting you hear and see scenes from both sisters, Anna and Elsa's, points of view, adding hugely to the fun. The musical soundtrack and sound effects blend with the visuals to create a dramatic, exciting experience. In addition to putting the epic story at your fingertips, the app provides games and puzzles. Kids can choose from special 'ice craft' tools that let their fingers unfurl beautiful icy patterns while they draw their own crystalline art. Each of the six puzzles included start out hidden by ice puzzle-pieces that kids can remove by sliding them onto a matching piece to the side. Frozen: Storybook Deluxe provides non-stop entertainment while stimulating children's brains in all the right ways.

This outstanding activity tracker for kids is both a fitness monitor and a game, a combination that proves to be a powerful motivator when it comes to keeping children active and fit. The wireless device ($34.99) is worn on the child's hip or shoe and syncs to a free app in which kids see their onscreen character blast off on a space adventure. Those galactic destinations map to real-life activity goals set by parents and monitored via the device. Parents log in to set goals and create rewards the child will earn by achieving them. The rewards can be whatever the parent chooses to enter - one-on-one time with Dad, a trip to Kiddie-land, a sleepover, a desired toy. Kids can also earn coins and exclusive content through Disney's Club Penguin. A parent can assign multiple goals at one time. When the child logs into the app, each goal appears as a planet on the galactic path. By tapping the screen, the child can view each planet and the goal (number of steps) associated with reaching the planet. Tap again and the reward to be earned upon completion of the goal is shown as well as the current progress made towards achieving that goal. By forming a direct link in the child's mind between physical activity and tangible benefits (rewards, fun and games), Ibitz Kids PowerKey helps establish healthy habits that can last a lifetime. See iBitz Kids PowerKey Acitivity Tracker at 2014 New York Toy Fair in Booth No. 3021.

Here you have a kingdom's worth of art tools and an abundance of Disney themes and characters at your disposal. Real Disney artists provide step-by-step tutorials on how to draw Disney characters. The smart stylus becomes an extension of your hand and morphs from one tool to another (pencil, crayon, marker, brush, and many others) with a tap, allowing for a dazzling range of nuance and detail. The app has three modes: Learn to Draw, in which one traceable line after another appears on screen, Activities (coloring, tracing, connect the dots), and Draw your Own. Learn to Draw and Activities each provides an array of Disney images, your choice of which determines what you'll be drawing. A separate menu broadens those choices considerably by letting you select from a number of Disney themes - Mickey or Minnie Mouse, Monsters University, Sofia the First, and several others. This setting changes the characters and images that appear in the Learn to Draw and Activities Modes. Among the many other exciting features, one of our favorites is a tool that unleashes spinning tops across the screen that spray color when touched with the tip of the stylus.

As its name implies, this set includes a smart stylus - a handy tool about the size and shape of a thick pen, but much cooler looking - and an app you download to your device. The stylus comes with a protective, snazzy-looking carrying case that sports the Marvel logo. The stylus interacts wirelessly with the app and gives you full access to all deluxe tools and character packs for free. With it, you can draw, color, and animate classic Marvel superheroes such as Spider Man, the Hulk, and many others, and you're given a wide variety of scenes and backgrounds to choose from. At your whim, the stylus functions as any number of tools - pencil, marker, crayon, spray, brush, chisel, chalk, eraser. A button on the stylus allows you to increase or decrease the size of those tools, making possible a great variety of nuance and detail in your artwork. Draw freehand or trace outlines you can make appear and disappear from the screen with a tap. The stickers feature allows you to add pre-made superheroes and villains to your creations, and is particularly useful when using the feature that enables you to record and playback exciting action scenes, including sound effects. Honing your art skills has never been this much fun!

This interactive ebook is just one in a series about a boy named Luca whose magical eyelashes give him courage when dealing with new and unexpected situations. A key ingredient and strength of the series is that it is geared towards helping children deal with common, but sometimes stressful, occurrences that are a natural part of childhood. The stories, along with suggestions and talking points for parents at the end, are designed to help parents guide children through these experiences in an emotionally healthy way. Each page is loaded with a variety of playful sound effects and animations triggered by the reader tapping or swiping the screen, and has a feature called Screen Tilt animation. The illustrations are lush and hand drawn. The app can either be set to 'Read to me' mode, in which individual words are highlighted as they're read, forming an associative bond, or it can be set to 'By myself' mode. The narration can be set to any of several languages. This particular story has a gentle, loving quality that eases the anxiety around visiting a family member in the hospital (in this case Mommy), a situation for which parents and children alike could use all the support they can get.

This free app may just be a mom's best friend. Lullabytes helps create a well-rested child by playing soothing lullabies, tracking baby's sleep patterns, and providing tips and tools for mom and dad that help establish healthy bedtime routines and create an environment conducive to a good night's sleep for all. At bedtime, twelve of the world's most beautiful classical lullabies are played for baby in a sequence totaling 25 minutes. The music stops when baby falls asleep, and starts again if baby cries. Sleep patterns are tracked by the app and stored (with the tap of a finger) in an easily accessible sleep diary. The diary makes it easy to zero in on the details of specific days, or to view, at a glance, two-week summaries that reveal key facts such as Longest Sleep Session, Most Common Bed Time, Average Nap Length, and Average Sleep Per Day. These are good facts to have at your fingertips, giving you the knowledge to make adjustments where needed or to stay the course when things are going smooth as silk. The lullabies are specially arranged to have a soothing effect on young ears.

Picked-On Poindexter is the companion app to a cute, cuddly, 13-inch plush frog (available separately for $19.99). On Poindexter's first day of school, he makes new friends, but is also confronted by bullies. The makers of Picked-on Poindexter are long-time educators with a focus on fostering emotional expression and self-confidence in children, and their experience and commitment is evident in the ways bullying is handled in the story. Poindexter's mother acknowledges and affirms his different-ness (he has red knees, blue feet, and a diddly on his face) but also coaches him on what to do if he ever finds himself in a situation where someone is picking on him. The fruit of that practical parenting is seen in the effective, realistic ways Poindexter and his new friends respond to the bullies, including bringing a teacher into the mix when appropriate. Both the app (which includes a read-to-me feature with professional narration) and plush toy are well-suited to young children and create a healthy framework within which to understand the dynamics of bullying. The app features five upbeat, original songs, each placed so that the lyrics tie into, and expand on, the storyline.

Disney Publishing continues the adventures of Sofia the First with this brand-new Story Theater app, which includes the very popular Puppet Theater feature. Sofia and her family are on a royal vacation when Sofia not only discovers a real mermaid, she becomes one herself through the powers of her magical amulet! Among the mermaids she meets underwater is Princess Ariel from 'The Little Mermaid,' who arrives just in time to help Sofia save her friend Oona from a sea monster. Watery sound-effects and finger-tap triggered animated bursts add interactive excitement to the story. Puppet Theater lets kids record their own onscreen action story, choosing from a variety of backgrounds, characters, and music before hitting the record button. By controlling the characters' movements with a finger and supplying the dialogue, it's surprisingly easy to make creative, exciting, often hysterically funny, adventure videos of your own to play back for friends and family. A wonderful addition to the ongoing story of Sofia the First!

Tiggly shapes are colorful, three-dimensional geometric shapes that interact with learning apps. The four brightly colored shapes - circle, star, square, and triangle, are engaging and stimulating in and of themselves. But when used in conjunction with the free apps, the magic really begins to fly. The Tiggly Safari app lets kids construct a series of onscreen animals by placing the correct shapes onto matching onscreen outlines. The graphics and functionality are top-notch, with a wide variety of entertaining farm, jungle, and aquatic animals cleverly formed from basic shapes. Sight and hearing are nicely brought into play through rich onscreen visuals, repetition of shape names each time a match is made, and ongoing animal sounds that match the as yet unseen animal being constructed. Another free app, Tiggly Draw, lets kids create their own art from basic shapes, producing musical sounds associated with each shape. A variety of details (eyes, nose, wings, tail, hat, etc.) can then be added by dragging choices from a menu, unleashing comical sound effects. There are other excellent apps as well, each combining the developmental benefits that come from holding and manipulating objects with the educational magic made possible through digital learning. New York Toy Fair 2014 Booth No. 3101.

Touchtronic Letters employs a mix of physical and digital play as a means of teaching letter recognition, phonemic awareness, and word building to children. The set includes 26 plastic letters designed to interact with a free iPad app that contains 3 different word and letter games. In Mystery Door, placing any letter on the onscreen scanner reveals an object whose name starts with that letter. In Letter Bubbles, players pop a bubble by placing on it the letter that matches the beginning sound of the object held within. Word Machine spins letters the way a slot machine spins symbols, resulting in a word with one letter missing. Placing the correct letter triggers a new spin and a new word. The app is very easy to use. There are excellent spoken communications throughout that let you know if you've placed the wrong letter or placed one upside down, and the app verbalizes enthusiastic support with each success, speaking the word aloud and repeating its beginning sound. Touchtronic Letters provides a potent combination of tactile and digital learning that helps students absorb and retain what they learn, enjoying themselves all the while.

There are few things as essential as impressing upon young children the knowledge, guidelines, and behaviors that can help them keep safe as they navigate the world around them. This illustrated book, which follows 6-year-old Hugo Hippo and family during a day at the community pool, does an outstanding job of conveying that information in a way that kids can easily understand. Topics such as setting physical boundaries, interacting with strange adults, and what to do if you find yourself lost are addressed gently yet clearly. The highly engaging storyline, playful characters, and appealing artwork illustrate the sorts of situations children might find themselves in while demonstrating (through Hugo) what an appropriate safety-conscious response would be. Knowing a safe adult's phone number, staying within sight of your safe adult, saying no if something doesn't feel right (paying attention to your uh-oh feeling) are among the many topics and situations covered here with a light, often humorous, touch. Children and parents both will be the grateful beneficiaries of the wisdom contained in these pages.

If ever there was a handy, dandy, multi-purpose thermometer, this is it. It's quick and easy to use, with a compact design that's simple, attractive, and straightforward. Press any button to turn it on. The backlit display makes it easy to read. Need to take a human being's temperature? Press the forehead button or ear button (little pictures indicate which is which) depending on whether you prefer to take the temperature from the forehead or from the ear. Both work in mere seconds, and when dealing with a sick child, options and swiftness come in handy. Need to take the temperature of food or a bottle? Press the forehead button and ear button at the same time to enter food/object mode. Want to know the temperature of the room you're in? Check the room temperature display. The device also tracks date and time and has a memory that stores the most recent nine temperature readings and when they were taken. Sleep mode causes the thermometer to turn off automatically after one to three minutes of non-use, saving the energy of the two AAA batteries on which it runs. Speed, accuracy, reliability, and ease of use, all in the palm of your hand.

This outstanding activity tracker for kids is both a fitness monitor and a game, a combination that proves to be a powerful motivator when it comes to keeping children active and fit. The wireless device is worn on the child's hip or shoe and syncs to a free app in which kids see their onscreen character blast off on a space adventure. Those galactic destinations map to real-life activity goals set by parents and monitored via the device. Parents log in to set goals and create rewards the child will earn by achieving them. The rewards can be whatever the parent chooses to enter - one-on-one time with Dad, a trip to Kiddie-land, a sleepover, a desired toy. Kids can also earn coins and exclusive content through Disney's Club Penguin. A parent can assign multiple goals at one time. When the child logs into the app, each goal appears as a planet on the galactic path. By tapping the screen, the child can view each planet and the goal (number of steps) associated with reaching the planet. Tap again and the reward to be earned upon completion of the goal is shown as well as the current progress made towards achieving that goal. By forming a direct link in the child's mind between physical activity and tangible benefits (rewards, fun and games), Ibitz Kids PowerKey helps establish healthy habits that can last a lifetime. See iBitz Kids PowerKey Acitivity Tracker at 2014 New York Toy Fair in Booth No. 3021.

Many adults who have yet to experience the joys of gardening attribute that fact to a lack of self-confidence in the garden, a belief that a green thumb is something you either have or you don't. But confidence often comes from experience. A product like My First Garden, whose function is to introduce children to the simple magic of growing plants, herbs, and vegetables is, therefore, something of a godsend. The raised garden bed assembles in about two minutes (with no tools needed) and is comprised of four corrugated steel panels held quite solidly together by PVC posts that form the corners of the enclosure. Fill it with soil, get yourself some seeds, and you're good to go. Preparing the earth, planting, harvesting - these are things everyone should be comfortable with. It is not complicated, and familiarity with it opens the door to a world of knowledge and pleasure. Kids learn about nature, gain lots of great motor skill experience, have the benefit of observing a microcosm of the circle of life, and are exposed to healthy eating options in the process.

Any notion that camping out (or any other form of travel sleeping) means a rough night's sleep is dispelled by the Tuckaire Travel Bed. Its unique design is a major factor in its high level of comfort. The air mattress is really two connected mattresses. The outer air mattress (within which the inner mattress is nestled) extends an inch or two higher all around the edge, forming a soft, supportive layer surrounding the sleeping child. The luxurious, fleece-lined sleeping bag attaches to the inner mattress by tucking over its corners much the way a fitted sheet tucks snugly onto a bed. This means no slipping or sliding around, just comfort and stability. The sleeping bag's exterior is made from water-resistant nylon, and its top zippered layer is removable, adaptable to a variety of weather conditions and preferences. A powerful rapid bellows pump is included, making inflation quick and easy, as is a carrying bag for compact, portable transportation from one location to another.

The Stepaire Bandit Nap Pad seems to beckon to you. Its soft, warm-colored appearance promises comfort and coziness, its all-in-one design, simplicity. Great qualities, these, in a product parents rely on to transport their children to the land of rest and sleep. The internal air mattress inflates in under a minute using the built-in Stepaire Pump, so-named because foot and body-weight do the inflating. The one-inch nap pad protects against cold floors, and the durable, water-resistant bottom layer provides insulation suitable to a wide variety of environments. The pillow, nap pad, and soft fleece blanket form a single unit for quick, portable comfort, nothing to get lost or left behind. Deflating it is just as easy, so that it rolls up quickly and compactly for easy transportation in its own convenient carrying bag. Whether used at home or at daycare, for overnights, camping, or an extended trip, kids bond with the Stepaire Bandit as if it were their new best friend.

ChineseCubes is a fun, game-like system for learning the Chinese language. It combines the use of physical elements with computer technology and augmented reality (AR) in such a way that key aspects of speaking, writing, and translating the Chinese language are made easy and enjoyable. By placing one or more of the Chinese Character Cubes with the AR marker facing the webcam, you can select from onscreen buttons to either hear the Chinese word perfectly spoken, see its English translation appear onscreen above the cube, or view an easy-to-follow animation of the specific stroke order to use when writing out the Chinese characters. There are two primary onscreen modes. Learning Mode follows a specific progression through the Chinese characters while tracking your progress. Freestyle Mode is a looser, creative approach in which one freely combines cubes in order to see, hear, translate, and understand the results. Playing with ChineseCubes allows you to master 200 commonly used Chinese characters, the combination of which generates up to 64,000 words and conversational phrases. The set includes everything you need - 40 Chinese Character Cubes, 5 Tutor Cubes, Webcam, Software Disc, Quickstart Guide, Writing Pad and Pen, and Learning Pad.

This interactive software for kids is as educational as it is fun. The games included employ problem-solving, logic, sequence, classification, pattern recognition, and more, yet children may notice only the great fun they are having playing them. That entertainment value is an integral part of what makes InnoTab such an effective learning tool. The fun keeps kids coming back for more. In Royal Prep, kids help Sofia find classrooms whose locations have been mixed up on Jumble Day by steering her towards clue-giving classmates and away from marching suits of armor. Each classroom unlocks a different game. Kids use colors, shapes, and logic to choose items to complete table setting patterns. Number sequence and memory help Sofia learn step patterns in Dance Class. Rhyming, creativity, and pattern recognition come into play in Magic Class, Art Class, Riding Class and others - 8 games in all. There's also an interactive Sofia the First e-book through which reading and comprehension blossom, and creative Photo Fun is included for those using InnoTab devices with cameras.

One of InnoTab Doc McStuffins' greatest strengths, in addition to being chock full of educational fun, is that kids are magnetically drawn to playing with it again and again. That ongoing attraction may stem from the wide variety of fun and games or the high level of interactivity. Regardless, young players keep learning and growing every step of the way, utilizing skills such as memorization, letter and word recognition, matching, visual discrimination, manual dexterity, critical thinking, creativity, and more. The chief entry point to the educational games is through the Doc's Playtime menu icon. There are 9 marvelous games, including Hide-and-Seek, Marble Rolling, Matching Pairs, and Stack Those Blocks, to name a few. There are also games in which kids help Doc diagnose and fix toys, and in doing so unlock health tips and pages in Doc's Big Book of Boo-Boos. Kids can then use a variety of tools to draw and color those pages. There is also a Doc McStuffins e-book which kids can read at their own pace or touch words and images to hear definitions, voices, and sounds. The interface is marvelous throughout - easy-to-use, entertaining, and full of surprises.

There's plenty of fun, action, and learning to be had with Mike and Sully on this InnoTab software cartridge. Games and activities that develop logic, observational skills, reading, memory, addition, counting, beginning letters, and much more are at your fingertips when you pop the cartridge into any InnoTab System. There are four over-arching categories on the main menu - Free Play, Adventure, E-Book, and Photo Fun (for systems with a camera). In Free Play, kids follow Mike's calendar and train in 9 different games, each of which is cleverly designed to promote fun and learning. Scary Faces, for example, lets kids view two nearly identical monster photos and tap the screen wherever differences between the two images occur, scoring points as they go. The Adventure category includes Scare Games events that test reflexes and improve motor skills. Or select E-Book, where kids can choose to read the entire Monsters University e-book, select individual pages, or visit the Story Dictionary to explore the meaning of specific words. A learning extravaganza!