Few toys have more play value than blocks. Blocks are versatile. Unlike a toy garage or farm setting, a set of blocks can become whatever your child wishes them to be— a farm one day or a skyscraper the next. They can be enjoyed alone or with a friend. They're also raw material for many kind of hands-on learning that build language and math concepts. As they play with blocks they also play around with symbolic thinking, making one thing stand for something else. This kind of

(Hape $17.49) Our preschool tester loves brewing up cups of coffee when his mommy and daddy get home from work. His pretend play is a real picker upper after a long day at the office. The wooden drip style coffee maker is a lot like the one in the kitchen. It comes with a container of milk/cream, a coffee mug, and sugar bowl. Ages: Preschoolers Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2018 Click here to purchase the product from Amazon.com

(eeBoo $19.99) Unlike a lot of making-change-money-games that deal only with coins, this game goes for dollars and cents and is a lot more challenging. Cards are drawn that tell what was purchased and the price and the amount of money paid. Players race to be the first to put up the change one would get with the toy money each player has for shopping. Be the first to get the amount right and you get the card. Winner is the one with most cards at the end of play. The subtitle

(Petit Collage $18.00) Four chunky little cardboard books featuring four different construction trucks, that are standard favorites of toddlers. Which one will be your child’s favorite? The Bulldozer, Mixer, Digger, or Dump Truck? These are nice to share and sturdy enough for toddlers to examine independently. Handsome images and appealing size for little hands. Ages: Toddlers Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award 2018 Click here to purchase the product from Amazon.com

(Creativity for Kids $15.99) They're going to have great fun with the 6 sparkling paints, 1 outliner, and 40 plus designs for making window art. Kids paint, dry and then peel their emojis off the plastic pattern sheet before sticking them onto the windows. This kit is extra special since the six brightly colored paints have sparkle in them and the kit also has googlie eyes to add for extra dimension. We love window art designs to put up on holiday windows for Halloween and al

(Petit Collage $20.00) A clever two-sided puzzle board gives kids double the fun. One side features daytime; the other reverses to night. Flip the five chunky puzzle pieces and fit them into the colorful puzzle boards of day or night. Instead of abstract geometric shapes, these puzzle pieces introduce shape concepts with images to talk about. Ages: Older toddlers Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award 2018 Click here to purchase the product from Amazon.com

(Petit Collage $36.00) Nine jungle animals in natural beech wood come in a puzzle tray with images so pieces can be turned to match and fit into their space. That's just the puzzle part of this versatile toy. Preschoolers will use them with their blocks for pretend play or find ways to stack or line them up. A handsome set of props. Ages: Preschoolers Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2018 Click here to purchase the product from Amazon.com

(Selma’s Dolls $39.99) We’ve had dolls from many cultures and ethnicities. Ameena, is a first! She is a fabric doll wearing a hijab, in the tradition of Muslim women. Like the other dolls in the collection she comes with a little book about differences and friendship. The book is a bit older in concept than the doll that looks like a doll for toddlers. We should note that the hijab, the traditional head covering is not generally worn by very young children. The age for wearin

(Green Toys $39.99) Ready for dramatic play, this white ambulance can rush to an ailing teddy bear. Instead of the traditional doctor’s bag, the ambulance also carries all the doctor’s tools for your pretend doctor to use. Also, included, a memo pad for patient info. and stickers to make patients feel “all better!” Having medical pretend toys available can be a comforting way to work through anxiety over a real doctor’s visit. Ages: Older Toddlers, Preschoolers Oppenheim Toy

(Michael Neugebauer $11.99) Who says woof woof? Who says Me-Ow? Each page of this cleverly designed cardboard book gives an animal sound. Lift the triangular flaps to reveal the full face or total animal that makes the sound. Ham up the sounds as you turn the the unusual triangular pages. Fun to share with a lap sitting baby and sturdy enough for toddlers to flip through on their own. A delightful novelty book by Elsa Mroziewicz. Ages: Infants, Toddlers Oppenheim Toy Portfoli