Cows, ducks, hens, tractors and farmer's hat and boots are easy to match on these wooden dominos. Turn them over and play a traditional match the dots domino game. Finished in smooth natural wood these are basic gear that will be used for naming and knowing as well as for matching, stacking, or collapsing games. 28 pieces. 

SNAP: Introduce the playing pieces by finding all the cows as a first game, finding all the sheep as another game...etc. Playing a traditional game of dominoes can wait. Knowing and naming and matching builds the readiness for the old-fashioined game. These are nice for stacking and lining up, too.

Age: Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: 2013.

Our testers spent several happy afternoons driving around in this new kiddie car that runs on foot power. It has a front castor wheel for added maneuver-ability. With a working horn and ignition key there are miles of pretend fun with the easy Turn Coup. As an added bonus, it can be used with younger riders that an adult can push along, however, there is no safety belt. There's a removable floorboard to protect little feet when they are being pushed. Also nice, this has a front trunk storage area and cup holders for both child and adult. 1 ˝ & up.

Age: Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

For your youngest garden assistant, here's small wagon with plastic garden tools and a few mega bloks. This is more of a pretend toy for outdoor carting fun and comes in the traditional John Deere green and yellow colors. Or use it indoors for storing blocks that can be built up on the handle, which serves as a base. Also fun in this line, a Mega Bloks Dump Truck that will work in the sand box or at the beach. 2 & up.

Age: Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: 2013.

A light and easy to take along plastic dump truck that has a working dumper and big plastic wheels that will work well on the beach or in the park. It comes with a few blocks and a construction worker. Good choice for pretend play. Also available in a bright blue and yellow version. They say 1-5, we'd say more like 2 & up.

Age: Toddlers. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

A wow-ee of a gift with hours of open-ended play possibilities. A 44-pieces building set with oversized pink and white plastic bocks, a working gate, and fabric trim that can become play settings big enough to inhabit. The big blocks are easy to clean and will be used in ever-more complex ways as children's pretend play changes. Be forewarned, it takes up a fair amount of space so may not be ideal in a small apartment; the door does fall off easily and the stickers do not stick. That said, our testing family feels the positives outweighed the negatives and this is a toy with miles of good play. Also available in a less gender specific red, white and blue version. They are marked 1-5. We think 2's and up will be more on target.

Age: Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

A wow-ee of a gift with hours of open-ended play possibilities. A 44-pieces building set with oversized red, white and blue plastic bocks, a working gate, and fabric trim that can become play settings big enough to inhabit. The big blocks are easy to clean and will be used in ever-more complex ways as children's pretend play changes. Be forewarned, it takes up a fair amount of space so may not be ideal in a small apartment; the door does fall off easily and the stickers do not stick. That said, our testing family feels the positives outweighed the negatives and this is a toy with miles of good play. Also available in a pink and white Princess version. They are marked 1-5. We think 2's-3's and up will be more on target.

Age: Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Play-doh has been updated to make it softer and smoother than ever. It has an almost silky feel and will stay that way if stored in air-tight containers. This set has eight different vibrant colors that can also be used with special tools that are sold separately. The package indicates that it is non-toxic, but does contain wheat. 2 & up.

SNAP : A classic model material that is even more pliable now. Excellent for developing hand and fingers. Also good for shaping snakes to form letters, giving children a sensory feel of forming letters.

Age: Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Choose from four distinctive little racers or collect them all in their jolly two tone colors and sleek styles. With pull-back action these little vehicles scoot across the floor. They are made of smooth plastic with chubby wheels and patterned hubcaps. Nothing complicated here. Easy enough for toddlers to use with delight. 1 and up.

Age: Toddlers. Award Year: 2013.

A two-sided seven-piece puzzle for beginners. It's all about matching colors and learning to fit the big sturdy pieces together. A central gear-shaped piece has opening with a bright color space to fit the pie shaped color pieces in. Flip it over and there are construction vehicles each on a single colored background. Again, the player matches colors while learning the names of these vehicles. This is part of a series of circular puzzles in the same format. There are also zoo, dinosaur, and farm versions that will interest your toddler and be useful for knowing and naming games that develop language as well as dexterity. Marked for 2's and up, you’ll want to use this for parent and child time together. 2 & up.

Age: Toddlers. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Smooth, solid wood vehicle that is stained in part with light and dark greens, this is a handsome little ride-on for beginners. It has two small front wheels for stability and steers left and right with little effort. Low to the ground for young toddlers, it runs on foot power rather than pedals. For tots who are steady on their feet and walking. Built to last and be passed along to cousins or friends. Assembly required along with some patience, a flat-head screwdriver and pliers. They say 12 months and up, but we'd say more like 16-18 months.

Age: Toddlers. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.