Once kids see the images of the fully assembled Techno Gears Wacky Robot displayed on the product's packaging, they can't wait to start building one of their own. That intense desire to get to the end result (a colorful, big-eyed robot that incorporates rotating gears, spring-coil arms and legs, and a power motor) significantly boosts the fun factor while fueling youngsters' drive and focus. The various colors, patterns, ...Read more

This is a hugely entertaining way for children to learn, one that holds the prospect of cultivating a lifelong love of knowledge and learning. The Anatomy Adventure Series delivers a brand new adventure every month ($35.00/month, cancelable at any time) in which kids explore a different system of the human body over the course of an entire year. The Five Senses (the first month's adventure) comes chock full of food for th...Read more

The clever design of these numeric bricks provides a fantastic way for kids to learn about numbers while having fun. The bricks have physical and tactile properties that intuitively convey characteristics of the decimal number system and are conducive to a variety of games and exercises. Kids easily learn counting, relationships, basic math, and all around numeracy skills. There are 4 sets of 9 bricks apiece included, eac...Read more

It's not easy to look so adorable and ferocious at the same time, but Thunder Stompers do, and to great effect. Each of the cuddly, vibrantly-colored plush dinosaurs in this collection has a name (an Apatosaurus named Mash, a T-Rex named Slash, and so on) and a distinct personality that shines through. Children invariably sprout a smile at the mere sight of them, but there's more to Thunder Stompers than meets the eye. Th...Read more

Even without the considerable electronic features with which it comes equipped, Touch & Learn Activity Desk Deluxe would be an impressive play and learning station. As it is, its electronic and physical features merge to form one of the most exciting learning environments we've seen to date. The Activity Desk's surface raises to reveal an easel and chalkboard along with ample storage space for art supplies. Lower the desk...Read more

This set of 30 different two-card puzzles is a fantastic educational tool for introducing young children to first words in three different languages. Each puzzle consists of two pieces, one of which is a colorful illustration of an object. The second piece displays the name of that object in English, Spanish, and French and is cut to fit perfectly with the first. At the outset, all 60 pieces are randomly laid out, a visua...Read more

Children are such physical creatures, bristling with restless vitality. Turasa provides a lovely and enjoyable outlet through which kids can express that energy constructively and playfully. Players move a single piece (the Unity Rock) along the board's path, performing poses found on cards drawn from four different colored decks (River, Ocean, City, and Jungle). The fun, adventurous artwork and playfully descriptive pos...Read more

Ultra 7 is a fast, fun card game with plenty of twists and turns. After being dealt 7 cards each, players take turns playing cards face up onto one of two play piles. The card being played must match the top card in terms of color, number, or suit, and the first player to rid their hand of cards wins. However, the deck also contains an abundance of special cards. For example, the Flip card requires a coin toss, the resul...Read more

Each of the two foam-dart blasters in this set has a futuristic appeal. Their design, identical accept in color (one is blue, the other gray) gives them the appearance of something a character in a Star Wars movie might use as a side arm. But instead of firing laser beams, these blasters send long distance darts with suction-cup tips flying through the air. Six lightweight darts are included (3 gray, 3 orange), enough to ...Read more

Everyone has, at one time or another, wanted to change their identity. This activity kit, with its multitude of mix-and-match disguise tools (fake teeth, temporary tattoos, beards, eyebrows, glasses, 'staches, eye patches, and lots more), lets kids go deep undercover into a world of exciting fun and downright wackiness. In addition to more than thirty disguise components, the kit includes a hilarious 'Field Guide To Going...Read more

Under the Sea Magnetic Pixels is a wonderful play activity that holds children's attention for hours at a time, at home or on the road. The set contains over 500 flat, square, colored magnets. These small, magnetic pixels are placed, one at a time, on any of the grid cards included in the set. Numbered squares dictate what colors to place where, and as a card's squares fill up, a surprise sea creature begins to emerge. Th...Read more

While each of these two Virtual Design Pro kits (Disney Princess and Star Wars) offers a distinctly different artistic focus, both provide the same quality of fun and creativity. The physical kits alone are a treasure trove of physical design tools and creative possibilities. Each includes an assortment of colorful pencils and markers along with a portfolio book of professional artwork (familiar beautiful Disney princesse...Read more

YOXO ('yock-so') continues to release remarkably fun construction kits whose play value extends well beyond that of most building toys. Kids find them to be utterly compelling. This robot multi-pack is a fine case in point. The box's sleeve includes trading cards that highlight the back stories of Amp, Volt, Watt, and Zip (the kit's four robot builds) and also provides several of their dazzlingly illustrated body parts. I...Read more

Available as either backpack clips or in larger, cuddlier sizes, each of the fun and appealing characters in this collectible line of scented plush toys offers up a distinctly recognizable smell. Bitsy Berry gives off a delicious strawberry scent. Freddy Frosted looks like a chocolate donut brought to life and smells like one, too. Part of Whiffer Sniffers' appeal stems from the way various characters' kooky, colorful vis...Read more