Corn Popper
(Fisher-Price $20 Score:)

Push comes before pull. Instead of holding someone's hand, young toddlers often find sheer joy in the independence of walking while holding on to a push toy. You probably started walking with Fisher-Price's Corn Popper or Melody Push Chime ($8). They are still great choices! We don't especially like the new electronic versions that have added sounds and lights. One recites the alphabet and the other counts-nothing in particular. We think walking is a big enough deal for tots who are not even talking yet!

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

Melody Push Chime
(Fisher-Price $12 Score:)

Push comes before pull. Instead of holding someone's hand, young toddlers often find sheer joy in the independence of walking while holding on to a push toy. You probably started walking with Fisher-Price's Corn Popper or Melody Push Chime. They are still great choices! We don't especially like the new electronic versions that have added sounds and lights. One recites the alphabet and the other counts-nothing in particular. We think walking is a big enough deal for tots who are not even talking yet!

Age: Toddlers. Award Year: . 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.

Beads on Wire Toys
(Educo $16 Score:) This company makes beads on wire toys in many sizes and shapes. You have probably seen them in your pediatrician's office and toy shops. Children of mixed ages enjoy them simply as a manipulative or for open-ended pretend games. If the beads were loose, of course they would be a choking hazard. Yet toddlers love to handle the little beads and sliding them up and over. You'll find some platforms with suction cups that fit on a high chair- that will buy you some time. Or some that are lightweight enough for baby to pass from hand to hand. Big and pricey are the floor or table models with lots of beads and pathways. These abstract toys develop pretending, eye-hand, language, and counting skills.

Age: Toddlers. Award Year: .

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.

Brio Waterway
(Brio $40 Score:) Learn how locks lift ships with this wet and entertaining hands-on waterway. We've seen waterways before, but this system goes together with greater ease and no leaks. New for 2001 (and very pricey), Waterway Waterslide set ($90), designed for younger kids, was not ready for testing. Adult help needed.

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

Little Tikes Playground
(Little Tikes $480 Score:) This top-of-the-line climber is part playhouse, part climber. It does not provide the kind of big-muscle climbing, dangling, and jumping that classic monkey bars do, but kids had no complaints. They loved the multiple play areas with mini-tunnel, slides, and platforms for imaginative play. Expensive but a solid investment.

Age: Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 1995.

Double Easel
(Little Tikes $50 Score:)

This bright red easel has a chalkboard on one side and a large clip that holds a pad of 17" x 20" paper.

Age: Toddlers, Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2000. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.