Household Tips

Need some ideas of top-rated toys for the kids this year? Check out this child-approved list:

Serpent’s Spiral Coaster (K’NEX)
Winner: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Lead Free Platinum Award, iParenting Outstanding Products, Parent’s Choice Foundation, and National Parenting Center

The newest addition to the K’NEX Thrill Rides Series, the Serpent’s Spiral Coaster is the biggest, baddest roller coaster ever. The giant coaster features K’NEX micro parts for bigger, more intricate building. Coaster cars travel up the motorized chain lift, enter the mouth of the serpent five feet above ground, and then go spiraling down more than 38 feet of winding track!

For ages 9+. $59.99

Pop Beads (Parents(R) Magazine)
Winner: Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products and National Parenting
Publications Awards (NAPPA)

Future fashionistas will have a blast making their wildest jewelry dreams a reality with the Pop Beads make-your-own jewelry set. Classic pop beads, which feature a knob at one end that fits into a corresponding hole on a neighboring bead to link them together, get a distinctively modern update with cool shapes, textured surfaces and funky colors and patterns, all in silky-to- the-touch rubberized matte plastic.

For ages 4+. $20

SEE Toys Dynafly (Zen Design Group)
Winner: Creative Child Magazine’s Seal of Excellence Kid-powered SEE (Safety, Ecology, and Economy) Toys Dynafly features a
unique power crank that kids use to convert their own energy into electricity. This means that they never require disposable batteries, and unlike electronic toys that use solar power, kids control when and for how long they play. Dynafly features a dynamo ‘giggle crank’ — kids turn the crank to hear Dynafly laugh and buzz as they power him up for playtime. Dynafly’s big, buggy eyes light up with six colorful LED lights, while his movable fiber optic wings burst with colorful lights and his tail glows
red.

For ages 5+. $29.99

Colored Blocks (Brio)
Winner: Parent’s Choice Foundation Silver Honor Award Brio brings a modern edge to classic wooden toys with the all-wood
Colored Blocks. Budding builders will spend hours constructing colorful creations with the variety of fun shapes and stylish colors such as red, white, lime green and black.

For ages 12 months+. $26.99 (50-pc set); $43.99 (100-pc set)

Kid K’NEX Zoomin Buddies (K’NEX)
Winner: Parent’s Choice Foundation and Creative Child Magazine’s Seal of Excellence

KID K’NEX Zoomin’ Buddies is a playful set filled with friendly creatures on the move. Build fun, kooky characters that are vehicles, too! The set includes lots of colorful KID K’NEX rods, connectors, wheels and big, blinking eyes to add charm and charisma to any creation — from clunky trucks to silly sailboats.

For ages 3+. $9.99

10 Model Speed Machine (K’NEX)
Winner: Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products Speed demons and construction aficionados are in for the ultimate building experience! Loaded with 150 parts, the 10 Model Speed Machine comes packaged in a handy storage case and contains ideas for 10 high-velocity models sure to satisfy any young builder’s need for speed, including a Rocket Ship, Hovercraft and Speed Boat.

For ages 5-7. $9.99

Double Ferris Wheel (K’NEX)
Winner: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Lead Free Platinum Award An exciting, high powered ride, the Double Ferris Wheel stands over 3 feet tall with 850+ K’NEX pieces creating two star shaped wheels that spin in opposite directions as a result of the battery-powered motor included.

For ages 9+. $29.99

Kid K’NEX Country Pals and Undersea Pals (K’NEX)
Winners: Creative Child Magazine’s Preferred Choice For the littlest builders in your home, Country Friends and Undersea Pals are filled with friendly, familiar creatures from land and sea. Little animal lovers will spend countless hours creating fanciful, far-fetched versions of their favorite country-dwelling creatures with the Country Friends Set, while young aqua-nauts will be bubbling with enthusiasm over the fun, friendly comrades they can create with the Undersea Pals Set.

For ages 3 +. $9.99

Water Works (Parents(R) Magazine)
Winner: BabyZone Amazing Toy Award and National Parenting Center Who needs paint to make great art, when water can be just as creative? The Water Works two-sided drawing tablet comes with four pens that easily fill with water. Both sides of the tablet board are covered by a special fabric that yields images when drawn upon with the water-filled pens. Images fade as the special cloth dries, meaning energetic young artists can quickly move on to creating countless new momentary masterpieces.

For ages 18+ months. $20

Kitty Keyboard (Parents(R) Magazine)
Winner: Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products Your toddler will feel like one groovy cat when he’s jamming on this sweet and silly feline-shaped instrument. Kitty Keyboard is chock full of purr-fectly fun features sure to keep active tots engaged and entertained. The keyboard lets kids choose from one of four different instrument sounds, including piano, bells, organ and banjo, or, they can embrace their inner kitten by activating the “Meow” button, turning the entire keyboard into a kitty concert-every note gets played in “meow”! Other entertaining functions include: automatic beat buttons, a record and play-back feature, a microphone with retractable cord and two prerecorded melody buttons that include fun favorites like “B-I-N-G-O” and “Hokey Pokey.”

For ages 2+. $30

Safari Figure 8 (Brio)
Winner: Creative Child Magazine’s Seal of Excellence The Safari Figure 8 set allows young adventure seekers to take the safari train to see animals in the wild. Safari guide figures are ready to lead you through the jungle expedition. Set also includes an engine and animal wagon to transport everyone, a decorated viaduct and jungle trees, and jungle friends like the zebra, leopard and rhinoceros.

For ages 3+. $34.99

Pull Along Duck (Brio)
Winner: National Parenting Center A traditional pull along toy, Brio’s Pull Along Duck is certainly eye catching, brightly painted in yellow, red, and blue. As a child pulls the duck along, the head shakes, the wings flap, and best of all the duck quacks! These fun, simple actions are sure to entertain a child for hours.

For ages 12+ months. $14.99

And for more ideas for kids and stockings, check out this post!