Once this 222-piece construction set is put together it really can be played with on water. It floats! Kids can build smaller sub-sets for quick builds. It includes a pontoon as well as a power-boat and action figures for dramatic play. 5-12

Age: Early School Years, Later School Years. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

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 Coupe. 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 ½ & 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.

Just in time for the travel season, this 14 piece bingo set has four sturdy playing boards with eight double sided playing cards that slide in and out of the frames and wipe off markers for keeping track of items that players must spot as you travel along. Check off the bridge, train, gas pump, bus, etc. Play a quick game to find four items in a row or play to find everything on your board. There are two levels of play; one side has 16 smaller images the reverse has 12.  All the pieces are stored in a sturdy box with magnetic closure and fabric handle. A good time chaser for the back seat and the eternal question--are we there yet.4-8

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2013.

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.

We're always looking for add-on props to enliven train play. Action figures can climb up the side of this Adventure Tunnel with a lift up walking bridge on top. Figures can slide down one side or use the stone steps on the other side. Meanwhile, the train can go right under them. However, there are no figures in the package. 3 & up.

Age: Preschool. Award Year: 2013.

Newest of the innovative augmented reality puzzles, Times Square comes to life with a 360 degree animated scene or for geographers, check out the new amazing World Map Puzzle with a quiz game built into the fun. Like the original 2012 Platinum winners, once again, technology meets the jigsaw puzzle and wow! Put these1,000 piece puzzles together and then use an iPhone or iPad to see your puzzle come to life! You get a free app download to activate the amazing video that asks you to find the image on your puzzle of the active animal or object moving on your screen. Of course, doing a 1,000 piece puzzle makes a great cooperative project for the whole family to do. Activity idea: Put the pieces on a table in a room the family uses and display the box cover as an invitation for 'getting it together' when anyone in the family has some free time. Once these big puzzles are done the whole family can enjoy this new dimension by clicking on an iPhone or iPad. A fun novelty for older kids and their parents. Still great, the original four puzzles: Underwater, Animals in Africa, Paris, and Norway. 

Age: Tweens, Teens, Adult. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.