(Hape $130.00) Wow! This is really an amazing combination train set with a two-level station that has all the excitement of arriving and departing from a big city terminal. It looks a lot like major new European Airports, like Frankfort. Passengers can buy a ticket, ride the lift, and rush to catch the fast train. There's even a recorder for station announcements, destination projector and light, perhaps somewhat beyond the younger preschooler, but fun for parent and older ch

(Fat Brain $49.99) A ball run with all the fun of a classic PLUS an extra step. When you pick up a ball after it lands at the bottom, that triggers the action of the other balls. It’s a new kind of lesson in cause and effect and involves more than dropping the balls into the top of the tower. The six brightly colored balls cascade down the multicolored ramps that you will have to put together. It has the kind of repetition that toddles love to do again and again. This makes a

(Calico Critters $129.88) Calico Critters continues to produce mini pretend settings with attention to details that make them special. This year's charming department store looks like something from a Victorian Department store from Ladies Row with a hand operated elevator and a gilded revolving door at the entrance. The setting comes with furnishings that would please the most discriminating shopper. It comes with elaborate accessories: Boutique Fashion Set with with a gorge

(Fisher-Price $149.99) Our testers loved this newest update of a classic toddler playhouse. It's a toddler-size setting with tons of activities to explore: a crawl-through door (always a favorite!), porch light to turn on and off, a mailbox to open and close, light-up house numbers, a drop-through rain gutter & balls, and a shape-sorter recycling bin. That's just the front side. Crawl through or walk around and the "inside" has a home office with light-up thermostat, office l

(Fisher-Price $20.99) Percy teaches the color green and Harold Helicopter teaches the color white, and there's a cargo car, too. All three have light-up bumpers that make sounds when activated. These three Railway Pals sing and make 40 sounds, 20 songs, and lots of phrases. They come without track but will run on the floor. They hook together with ease and when added to the interactive Thomas and Friends set they make even more sounds when they roll over the activation point

(eeBoo $16.99) Instead of numbers, these Bingo games are played with picture cards that are labeled with the word and must match the playing boards. You don’t need to be a reader to play this, but it reinforces sight words with the labels. The game comes with a red draw bag for the picture cards to be stored in and drawn from during play. For children learning a second language, eeBoo has done this game in English, French, or Spanish (available on their website). Colorful il

(Hasbro/Disney $129.99) Talk to Han Solo’s loyal friend and co-pilot and he answers in Wookiee language. Scratch his head and he’ll thank-you in his own Chewie way. Lift his arms and he’ll roar some. He laughs, snores, grunts and roars. Like all the Fur Real dolls, 16" Chewie is loaded with 100 + sounds, actions and surprises, including facial expressions that make him a fun novelty item for Star Wars fans. This is a big ticket novelty item, one that may not hold interest lon

(eeBoo $17.99) We love this game that calls for making it up as you go along. Players get picture cards with familiar items on each card. At the start of play they turn up a large scene card with imagined obstacle pictured. Players take turns putting down a playing card and telling how the item pictured will help solve the problem at hand. The game comes with 25 obstacle cards and the 100 tool cards or “solutions” that are as endless as the players’ imaginations. It’s a game

(Fat Brain 29.99) An interesting toy for young toddlers to explore for early lessons in cause and effect. Push on one of the colorful textured balls and a another ball on the opposite side pops up; push again and it pops up. Push down on another ball and it makes a Klickity sound as it slips into the dome. Push on the opposite ball and it pups up with a Klickity sound. Push it again and it fits back into the dome. Swipe the ball in the middle and it rattles as it rolls. None

(eeBoo $19.99) Bird lovers will like putting this colorful picture of hummingbirds together during any season of the year. This is a challenging 500-piece puzzle that will take time and patience to do. Set it up on a table for the family to work on cooperatively over time. Ages: Tweens, Teens Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award 2018