Small Miracle Let's Dress Up Costumes
(Small Miracles $ Score:)

Well known for their fantasy "pink" costumes,  Small Miracles has ventured into more gender-free choices including: astronaut, firefighter, postal worker and wizard. We especially like the terrific Safari hat and vest.

Also look at Kid Galaxy's Just Pretend Role Play Costumes (Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2001) for other quality gender-free costume selections.

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

Very Busy Cook & Baker Sets
(Alex $30 Score:) Young chefs will love these realistic child-sized baking pans, metal pots, colander, ladle, wooden spoon, and chef's hat! Unlike some metal utensils these are beautifully finished with rolled edges. Will appeal to both boys and girls. Unfortunately, there is only a girl on the box. 4 & up. New for 2002, a smaller Compleater Cook Set($20) wiih eight pieces.

Age: Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 2001.

Pretend & Play Teaching Telephone
(Learning Resources $39.95 Score:) You can program in any phone number and leave a message. When your child calls that number they hear your message. A great way to teach important phone numbers and the concept of 911. Even the concept of taking messages is built into the pretend. 4 & up. PLATINUM AWARD '00. SNAP INFO: For learning functional use of a phone, important numbers, and the concept of 911, this is a gem! Even the concept of taking messages is built into the play. You can program in any phone number and leave a message. When your child calls that number she hears your message.

Age: Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 2000.

Emergency Rescue Squad Puppets
(Learning Resources $19.95 Score:) Multicultural worker puppets include a doctor, paramedic, police officer, and firefighter. They have vinyl heads and cloth bodies and are ready for dramatic play. The same company makes multicultural families. 4 & up.

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

Playmobil Grand Mansion
(Playmobil $139.99 Score:)

We got an email from our nine year old tester about this multi-level mansion.  She put the mansion together with her mom - and she really wanted me to know that she loved all the details included (Playmobil's signature) and would highly recommend it to other kids.  Her mom wanted to let us know that putting this together took longer than she anticipated (also true of Playmobil).  Most of our testers over the years comment that the instructions could be a bit clearer- but they always come back to the level of detail. While this is marked for kids 4 & up, you should know that the construction of the dollhouse is really a parent/child project.  Putting it together is part of the fun. Kids need fine motor dexterity to put the little pieces together and to truly enjoy this toy. This is not a dollhouse for preschoolers. 

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Stethoscope
(Constructive Playthings $7.95 Score:) For young doctors in training- here's a working stethoscope. Many of the kits say they have working scopes-this one really does work.

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

Small Miracles Lets Pretend Careers Costumes
(RC2 Learning Curve $35 Score:) Handsome enough to wear as real clothes, this collection includes: Firefighter's jacket, hat, and pretend extinguisher; Construction worker's vest, hard hat, flag, and tools; Police Officer's blue jacket, hat, police radio, whistle, and tickets (ouch!); and Chef's and Train Engineer's outfits. Platinum Award '02. New for 2003, Race Car Driver, Cowboy & Cowgirl, & Storybook Princess. This company also makes wonderful Tutus ($15 & up) and Capes for Kings, Knights, and Wizards. Platinum Award '01. 3–8.

Age: Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 2003.

Plan Toys Parking Garage
(Plan Toys $65.99 Score:)

If you are looking for a non-electronic, old-fashioned garage, look no further. Here's a handsome three-level parking garage with working elevator, ramps, heliport and space for many small cars. Comes with figure, gas station and car washing machine and one car.  It will work with your child's other Matchbox or Hotwheel cars.  3 and up.

The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2008. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Plan Toys Fruit Play Set
(Brio $15 Score:) Like a real knife, there's a right and wrong side of the wooden "knife" that kids use to cut apart Velcroed halves of three wooden fruits. Veggies set also available. SNAP: Wooden fruits and veggies can be “cut” apart with wooden knife that seems to cut the Velcro-ed segments. Comes with lemon, orange, pear, mushroom, carrot, and tomato, plus board and wooden knife. Activity: Use fraction words when you ask child to cut you a half of one fruit or a quarter of something else. (888) 274-6869.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: .

FurReal Friends Kitten
(Hasbro $35 Score:) If you have a child who is allergic to cats but wants one madly, this might do the trick! Our tester loved the way this big white furry angora type cat responded with motion and sounds to the touch. Looks a lot like Snowbell in the Stuart Little movie. With sensors in its cheeks, head, back, shoulder and tail this is the most life-like cat we've ever tested. But it doesn't always do what's expected. It purrs, meows, moves its head and tail. The problem is it also seems to roar with some very un-cat like sounds! Comes with a brush for grooming and an adoption certificate. 6 & up. (800) 752-9755.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2002.