Smart Cycle
Even if your preschooler can't yet ride a bike, he can score big points pedaling the Smart Cycle. Connect the stationary bike to a TV, pop in the game cartridge and, and he can pedal through the courses, learning about numbers, letters and shapes.
Best for Ages: 3 to 6 years
Suggested Retail Price: $100, $20 for additional game cartridges
Carnival Clubhouse
Perfect for rainy days or at-home parties, this do-it-yourself funhouse comes with more than 100 tubes, clips, panels, and other pieces. You can quickly create an arcade where children can pose as a lion or hippo, take aim at targets with a stomp launcher, throw a ball at numbered targets, and toss a ring onto a hook. And just like the circus, the midway can easily be dismantled at a moment's notice.
Tag Tails Zoo Chase
Children can chase and grab the tail of a tiger, a monkey, a zebra, or a lion in this whimsical take on the classic game of tag. The kit includes four kid-sized "belts" and four snap-on-and-off puffy animal tails.
Matchbox Mega-Rig Shark Ship
By land or sea, preschoolers can chase sharks and treasure with a ship that rolls on land and floats on water. It's loaded with 28 water-friendly pieces, including a chomping shark and vehicles that can be built dozens of different ways.
Whac-a-Mole Tower
Plastic mallet in hand, preschoolers get to make noise as they pound on a toy mole at the base of an arcade-like tower. When a child bangs on the mole, another mole shoots up the tower. Players score points by sending the mole to different zones on the tower, or they can compete to be the first to ring the bell at the very top.
Planet Heroes
Preschoolers can set their sights on the stars as they play with easy-to-grasp action heroes named after the planets. Choose from Mercury Zip, Venus Dazzle, Earth Ace, Mars Digger, Jupiter Gustus, Saturn Rings, Uranus Yuri, Neptune Tune, and Pluto Shiver. Each figure comes with a DVD that sets up the mission, a space-facts trading card, and a vehicle and/or a tool to help protect the galaxy from the sinister Black Hole "The Professor of Darkness."
Jeep Jerrycan Tricycle
Tough-minded riders hit the sidewalk with a tricycle sporting its very own Jeep grille, fenders, working lights, and revved-up sound effects. Rubberized pedals and a handlebar pad give young riders a comfortable trip while knobby wheels provide extra traction. Plus, kids can store essential gear on a Jerrycan mounted on the rear.
Baby Alive Wets ‘N Wiggles
Available as a newborn boy or girl, this doll is sure to keep pretend mommies and daddies on their toes. Press the baby's bracelet and he'll cry, laugh, and babble just like a real baby. Give him a bottle and before you know it, he'll wiggle and squirm to let you know it's time for a change. Be careful: This little one is full of unexpected "surprises."
Easy-Link Internet Launch Pad
With this PC pad, preschoolers have the power to safely navigate the Web on their own. To access the Sesame Street site, a child just places Elmo in his launching slot. The child can then play games on the site but can't access other parts of the Web or files on your PC. The pad comes with two more figures for access to a Fisher-Price game area and PBS's "Dragon Tales" site. Other characters, including The Wiggles, Barney, and Clifford, can be purchased for access to more sites.
Best for Ages: 3 to 7 years
Suggested Retail Price: $30 for system, $7 for pair of figures
LEGO Mosaic
Boys and girls explore their creative side creating three-dimensional LEGO pictures on a clear plastic plate. Like painting by numbers, children follow detailed instructions to create specific designs, or they can create their own masterpieces. Either way, the frame is small enough to fit on a lap, making it a good choice to take on the road.
Listed prices were quoted as of November 14, 2007, and may, depending on vendor, be subject to change. If an item is temporarily out of stock from a vendor we recommend through a Buy link, you can wait for the vendor to restock or you can do an online search for other vendors to find that particular item.
