Hot Potato Game
(Parker Brothers $14.99 Score:) Squeeze this soft electronic musical talking spud to turn on his sound. Pass him around fast! If you are holding him when he yells "Yahoo!" you take a hot card. Three cards and you're out. A fast, fun game for two or more players. May be hard for preschoolers to deal with-especially the hot cards. SNAP INFO: Squeeze this soft electronic musical talking spud to turn on his sound. Pass him around fast! If you're holding him when he yells "Yahoo!" you take a hot card. Three cards and you're out. A fast, fun game for two or more players. May be hard for preschoolers to deal with-especially the hot cards.

Age: Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 1997.

Rainbow Play Systems
(Rainbow Play Systems $1100 Score:) Steel parts are vinyl dipped, the wood is chemical free, built of redwood and cedar. This is the Cadillac of gym sets. You'll need to buy a toddler swing for the under three set. Also, avoid tall climber attachments with toddlers and young preschoolers who may climb higher without understanding how to get down. Also, avoid frames with climbers that run across the top of the swings.

Age: Toddlers,Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 1998.

Tuggy Sandbox & Splasher
(Step 2 $100 Score:)

There's room for several kids to play side by side and together in this tugboat shaped sandbox. Of course, this takes lots of sand but there's built-in pretend power with a captain's wheel for steering the jolly boat anywhere! They say this converts to a wading pool, but hardly something you can fill and dump with ease. 2 & up.

THIS PRODUCT HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED AND PARTS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE!

TOO BAD.

Age: Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: .

Littlel Tikes Shopping Cart
(Little Tikes $30 Score:)

This bright yellow cart with baby seat is more gender free than most doll carriers. Lends itself to more open-ended pretend shopping and simply carting treasures about games. Room for a doll or teddy bear simply makes it more like the real thing.

SNAP INFO: Solidly built for lots of pretend, this shopping cart has a seat for doll or teddy when kids need a shopping spree play time.

Age: Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: 1995. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Lego Duplo
(Lego Systems, Inc. $29.99 Score:)

You can't go wrong with chunky plastic Lego Duplo building blocks to fill and dump, snap together, and take apart are basic gear for older toddlers and preschoolers. Small sets are good for add-ons, but be sure to start with a large enough set. 1 & up. There are also themed licensed sets that can be fun additions-but are not as open ended as a basic bucket.

SNAP INFO: Open ended Duplo blocks are ideal for stacking and building, but they are also fun for classifying games. ACTIVITY: Play a sorting game by putting all the red pieces together, then the yellow pieces and so on. These are ideal for developing fine motor skills as well as language, counting and color concepts.

Age: Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: 1995. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Windows & Doors
(Haba $25 Score:)

We're always on the look out for props to add to building blocks and these are good fun. Add these working doors and windows that are scaled to unit blocks. Fitting them in place takes some problem solving.

Age: Toddlers, Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 1995. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Green Turtle Sandbox
(Little Tikes $49.95 Score:)

This has become a classic. A small beginners sandbox for tight spaces. This won't accommodate lots of tots and is apt to be outgrown quickly. But if it is all the space you have-go with it. For bigger spaces consider the Dinosaur Sandbox.

Age: Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: 2001. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Bitty Baby Doll and book
(Pleasant Company $50 Score:)

15" soft-bodied dolls with vinyl heads, arms and legs available in five different skin tones with various hair and eye colors. Beautiful clothes and accessories available. Each doll comes with a 5" Bitty Bear. The additional outfits also come with a book and a coordinating outfit for Bitty Bear. We also recommend the Bitty Baby Twins. New for this season, extra outfits and pj's for the baby and matching clothes for the child. Though they are not anatomically correct, there are boy dolls available in the collection for big brothers as well as big sisters.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2012.

Alex's Puppet Theatre
(Alex $80 Score:) An updated version, this puppet theatre has a clock for show time and new eye-appealing graphics! This stable floor model is 48" high, with painted trim on one side and a chalk surface for messages. Their small tabletop model is also available ($27).

Age: Preschool,Early School Years,Later School Years. Award Year: .

Jumbo Stringing Beads
(T.C. Timber $20 Score:) 31 large wooden beads in different colors and shapes. A great way to develop the fine motor skills they'll need for writing. While stringing beads, they can also sort by color and make patterns, learning to see likes and differences.

Age: Preschool. Award Year: 1995.