A great combination of two favorite play modes for learning about cause and effect and making things happen. There’s an easy to activate ball drop with two balls that roll down a chute and best of all, there is a set of colorful gears that twirl and play music. Tots can activate the gears by moving them directly or by pressing the red happy face button. The gears on the side of the toy are locked in, but the ones at the base can be lifted off and stacked on each other. This is a wonderful floor toy for sitting up babies and young toddlers. It has musical sounds, but they can be turned off. Depends on your baby and your own tolerance for electronic sound effects. This will be enjoyed with parental help by sitting up babies and independently by toddlers. 9 months & up.

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

SNAP: There are good-sized pieces in this two-way cause and effect toy. The two balls are the right size for grasping with the whole hand and learning to release them from the hand is the second part of the trick. Unlike so many ball drops, this is uncomplicated and yet satisfying. The colorful gears can be used for reinforcing color names. They are usable for stacking as well as fitting together like a puzzle that moves. Best of all, the big red button allows them to make the gears spin…allowing a direct kind of lesson in cause and effect. Adaptation: This is an engaging toy that may need to be taped down for stability. That means leaving the sound off or using a tape that can be lifted and replaced with ease since the sound button is on the bottom of the toy.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Although many toys are supposed to "grow" with your child, most tend to fit one stage better than another. This one really is a keeper for babies as well as toddlers. For the sitting up baby, this is an ideal floor toy with six Stack ‘n Surprise blocks under the peg back of the Croc. It's an ideal put and take toy with places to stack the blocks that pop up as they are put on the big pegs. The green Croc's mouth opens and when you put the blocks in its mouth they reappear with peek-a-boo magic inside the Croc. The rolling eyes of the croc move with a swipe of a hand. Put a block on the back and it will rise. All of these activities are meant for babies even before they can walk about. But, now, open the long handle that locks under the body of the Croc and your toddler will use this for a pull along or push along toy as they begin to walk about. All the stacking blocks with jolly faces can ride along or stay inside. There is sound and a volume control, but happily it can be turned off and is the least important part of the toy. Although this will be enjoyed by infants who are sitting up, it will also be a great treat for a 1st birthday gift. 6 months & up.

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

SNAP:  A fun way to play peek-a-boo games that teach children about object permanence. Put the block inside of the Crocs mouth and abra-ca-dabra they reappear under the Croc's back. There are easy to activate cause and effect games here with a swipe of the hand they can make the Croc's eye’s roll or pop up action in the blocks when they are sacked. For children with locomotion delays, this is a good-sized rolling toy that can convert into a push or pull toy. The sounds can be turned off, but they too have a lot to do with cause and effect since the music plays when you open the Croc’s mouth or roll it along. Happily, it can be enjoyed with or without sound.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Perfect for tummy time games and or lying back and watching the world, this big 30" X 32" mat has a bright red velour-like border that is lovely to the touch, as well as rings to finger. The bold contrast black and white squares have eye-catching graphics that are perfect for newborns and beyond. The images include a cat, a fish, a butterfly with crinkle wings among others. Three lift-up panels provide peek-a-boo surprises, one hides a mirror that lifts off and another has a big car that lifts to reveal a smaller auto, and the third has three-color petals that open to reveal an eye-catching black and white target. It's machine washable and an ideal, uncomplicated choice for babies from 3 months & up. Great shower gift!

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

There is not a better quality safety mirror for babies than this one. Recently updated with all new graphics, this is pretty much distortion-free and baby will enjoy gazing at his own moving images long before he recognizes who he is seeing in the reflection. However, even before baby can use the mirror side, the high contrast black and white graphics on the reverse side will be interesting for baby to gaze at. Hang this in the crib or beside the changing table. Keep in mind, that the black and white graphics are visually stimulating, so for quiet time, you may want to take this out of visual range. The graphics include among others a pinwheel with target, a cat’s face, and a baby’s face. Research shows that newborns do not see colors in the first weeks and these black and white images, especially the faces, are the ones they latch onto visually. Newborns & up.
The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Like a fabric activity book with lift up flaps and peek a boo surprises, this can be used as a long panel that you can tie on to the side of the changing table or look at it together flat on the floor for tummy time. You can also turn the “accordion” pages and enjoy the images while baby is in your lap. Done with high contrast black and white images, the illustrations are eye appealing for very young babies who are especially attracted to faces, targets and bold graphics. There are also ribbons to touch, crinkle noises to touch and a safety mirror for seeing their own little hands and face. So, this is a toy loaded with sensory learning possibilities. A parent intensive lap toy for the early weeks and beyond.
The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Learning to use a pair of scissors to cut along a line is not an instantaneous skill. Doing so, just got easier with these cleverly designed plastic scissors that can be used by both righties and lefties. No little fingers have to slip into place, you grip them with the whole hand and snip away. You can buy the scissors separately or in a kit with cut out creatures that kids cut, assemble and glue into place. The sturdy patterned paper has guide lines for beginners and the kit everything (glue stick, wiggly eyes, animal print paper, frames, and scissors) they need for making a menagerie of ten animals. There are no sharp points and the scissors cut through thick paper without a problem. There are simple directions as well as yarn to hang their finished creature creations. Be forewarned: these marvelous safety scissors are capable of cutting hair, so be on the look-out for small barbers in training. They say 4 & up...we'd say 5's are likely to have more success.
         The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

The design of these scissors will make cutting a lot easier for children who would have difficulty with the finger holds in classic scissors. Don't get caught up with cutting on the lines for beginners. Just the act of cutting a line or a curve is a big deal. The scissors are sold without the kit and are a good craft item to introduce--without the structure of the kit. Use them for cutting scrap paper and making colorful collages.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

If you are looking for an anatomically correct doll for big sisters or brothers, Paul is your guy. He's a 14" vinyl doll that can go in the tub, drink from a toy bottle and wet. He comes with his own potty chair as well as diapers. This is also a useful prop for kids who are in the potty training stage. Also available: Emma, a bath and potty training doll with a "small difference. "

Age: . Award Year: 2005. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Soft enough to grasp, this fabric photo cube is covered in colorful patterns that reflect the palette of illustrator Eric Carle. Only the featured players here are pictures of family that you can insert and change form time to time on the sides of the cube. Baby will like looking at familiar faces and the cube can also be fun for rolling or tossing. It has a quiet rattle inside for added sensory interest. 6 months and up.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2010.

Kids pick up the 12 ice cream scoop pieces one at a time with a special dandy ice cream scooper. You just put the scooper on the ice cream and place it on the ice cream cone (that's in a stand) and press the little button to release the ice cream. The object of the game is to pile up the biggest stack of ice cream before it tumbles over. Players are to count each piece as they go along and keep a tally of how many they stacked. Now the next player takes a turn. The round ends when each player has had a turn and the winner is the one who "scooped" and stacked the largest number of ice cream scoops. An alternative game, players take turns adding one scoop and winner of round is the one who does not caused the ice cream to tumble. This is a good game for developing dexterity and balancing skills. The rounds are fast with lots of opportunities to win and lose. 4 & up.  We compared this ice cream scooping game to Sky High Scoops from Learning Resources--with very different results from our testers.  One group preferred the audio prompts of hte Sky High Scoops (it asks you to pile up the plastic ice cream scoops by number or color)--our slightly older group of testers did not like the prompts and preferred the scooper mechanism in the Scoop 'em Up set.  Both are fun and really depends on whether your child likes to listen for prompts.  One parent did not that the larger scoops in the Sky High Scoops make it easier for younger players to handle.

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

SNAP: Another good matching game can be played without the ice cream cone. Use the flavor chart and have kids take turns matching the ice cream scoops to the images on the card. DO this by picking them up by hand first and then introduce the scooper. Learning how the release button works may take some time, but it is a fun learning tool that involves finger action as well as eye hand coordination.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

If you're in the painting zone with your older preschooler or early school age child, this set is fun to expand their painting experience. The set comes with five different "brushes" that will create different patterns with the tempra paint (5 colors are included).  This type of set is right on target for talking about layering colors, changing colors based on combining them and the types of patterns they can create with the brushes. The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

For kids who may not like getting their hands in the paint, these brushes give them another opportunity for exploring applying paint to paper in interesting ways. The handles are wide but you can also add a foam hair curler to make them easier to grasp.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.