Snapo Snap & Play Blocks are geared towards a slightly older audience than the Dream & Play blocks (see review above). The various-colored blocks in the Snap & Play set are smaller, more plentiful (over 275 pieces), and include pieces with specific functions such as a human figure, small and large wheels, a propeller, and a variety of special blocks suited to creating and connecting vehicles. The Snap & Play blocks use th...Read more

It's been a long time since we said, 'Wow!' about a puzzle, but this one earns that exclamation in so many ways. The packaging alone (a nifty, see-through paint-can-style bucket for easy travel and storage) is entertaining enough to want to have around the house. But the real prize is the puzzle itself, geared towards young puzzlers. The 24 large, chunky pieces are made of highly durable waterproof soft foam, so take it t...Read more

Sphero is the robotic ball you control with your smartphone or tablet. Make Sphero zig, zag, spin, change color, follow any path you desire. Sphero will do your bidding. You can instantly create a pattern for Sphero to follow using your fingertip on the screen, or choose tilt mode and have your device become a multi-directional steering wheel, with Sphero following every subtle angle of your wrists and hands in real time....Read more

This edge-of-your-seat fun is a blend of intense competition and silliness that makes for a rollicking good time. Regardless of which of the 6 Spot it! Party mini-games you're playing at any given moment, the goal is always to be the fastest player to spot the matching symbol between 2 cards and call it out. Each card bears 8 (out of more than 50) symbols, and only one matching symbol exists between any two cards. Spottin...Read more

You might just forget how much fun stencils can be until you see kids having a blast with Starter Stencils from Mudpuppy. It's a fabulous introduction to tracing and drawing, perfectly designed with preschool kids in mind. There are a variety of Starter Stencil kits available, each with a different theme (On the Farm, Pretty Princess, Retro Robots, and several others). Each kit consists of 10 colorful stencils related to ...Read more

A lot of care and thought clearly went into devising these playful, educational, teacher-created, child-tested cards. There's an abundance of information on each of the 56 cards in the deck, organized in a way that makes it fun and easy to absorb and retain. Each of the 50 state cards (plus one for the District of Columbia) shows, on one side, the name of the state, its capital, its major cities, nicknames, the state bird...Read more

This mosaic by numbers kit allows children to create a lovely three-level palace to use for imaginative play and as storage for their most treasured possessions. Each level consists of a cylindrical treasure box, illustrated with a colorful fairytale motif. These can be used individually or stacked in decreasing sizes into a palace that narrows as it goes up. The glamour and beauty of the boxes and palace further comes to...Read more

The STRIDER ST-3 No-Pedal Balance Bike proves that not all balance bikes are created equal. Rugged, lightweight, (only 6.4 lbs.) and portable, it was developed specifically to help children learn balance before pedaling. No training wheels for your budding bicyclist, just two wheels right from the start on a bike so handsomely sporty that many adult models pale by comparison. Assembling it takes seconds and requires no to...Read more

Stuffies are big, soft, lovable plush animals with seven secret pockets in which kids can carry all their favorite things. Stuffies make fantastic travel companions and all-around cuddle-buddies, perfect to snuggle and play with or use as a pillow. Each Stuffie comes with a full-sized 33-page illustrated storybook that tells a tale featuring that particular Stuffie. The stories help children learn to be their best - helpf...Read more

Suds & Shine Carwash has several distinctly wonderful things going for it. The imaginative play it inspires and stimulates is, of course, one of its finest features. Kids will be enthralled by the little world they have created. That the playset is made of soft foam (no sharp edges, no breakable pieces) adds to its safety and makes it light enough that even very young children can easily lift and carry it. The design of t...Read more

Here we have another great game from Edustic that's full of action, with all players in on the fun from start to finish. In a head-to-head race, players use simple geometric shapes to create an animal, object, or number shown on a flipchart. The shapes come from the famous seven-piece Chinese tangram puzzle. That these simple geometric shapes can be used to form such a vast variety of creatures and objects is astonishing....Read more

Tapple is easy-to-learn, fast-paced, involves outside-the-box thinking, and generates loads of laughter. It also has a Tapple wheel, an ingenious gizmo with 20 letters of the alphabet displayed on keys encircling the device's outer perimeter. When you press a letter, it stays down until you reset the wheel for a new round. In the center of the wheel is a timer button that, when pressed, beeps and begins making a harrowing...Read more

The very name, 'Tinkertoy,' conjures joyful feelings and warm memories, such is its place in the lives of so many families over so many years. This new Tinkertoy release includes the most familiar parts (spools, rods, flags, washers, four-way connectors, and more) updated in simple, yet striking, ways. The colors are richer, pieces smoother, and the now-plastic components snap together with unprecedented ease. One glace a...Read more

This hands-free headset is designed to attach to all Toobaloos. The Toobaloo, also produced by the headset's manufacturer, Learning Loft, Inc., is a device that allows children to hear themselves clearly, even when speaking at a soft volume. The Toobaloo is hollow, shaped a bit like the handle on a suitcase, and is open at both ends. The student speaks with their mouth at one end and ear at the other. Despite there being ...Read more