(Mudpuppy $7.99) Need small gift that will be fun to play for a party or family gathering with all the cousins? Try this memory game. Kids draw a card and imitate the action the creatures on the card is doing. Now the next player draws a card and does the action on her card AND the action the previous player did. The game continues as players do the action on the cards they draw followed by the actions of the previous players. It’s a cumulative memory game that gets harder as

(Green Toys $19.99) For beach, pool or bathtub, this set of water toys will keep little scientists exploring the nature of water and sand with the starfish, scallop, abalone, snail, squid and jellyfish in this clever set of sprinklers that turn and shells shapes that can dig. It even comes with a seaweed patterned carrier with sprinkle opening at the bottom and hold all the pieces when play is done. Take it to the beach now and use it in the tub all year round. 6 months-6 yea

(Mudpuppy $14.99) A charming woodland scene with highly stylized images of woodland creatures. Kids will like the novelty of the soft fuzzy pieces as they put this puzzle together. Although marked 3+ we think the 42-piece puzzle will be a challenge for all but the most experienced preschoolers. Beginners will need some strategies for finding the straight edges for building the frame and hints on how to match up body parts of the creatures. Ages: Older Preschoolers Oppenheim

(Cuddle + Kind $60-$80) Once again, we applaud the charming dolls handcrafted by talented women in Peru, who make their living with these lovable creations. This year’s beauties are once again winning choices for gift giving. It will be hard to choose just one favorite; each is special in its own way. Perhaps the standout is a pink ballerina Penelope, a 20” tall knitted flamingo with a floral crown above her tiny black eyes, pink delicately rouged cheeks, and pronounced black

(Cuddle + Kind $ 60 each for 13” or $80 for 20” size ) Once again, we applaud the charming dolls handcrafted by talented women in Peru, who make their living with these lovable creations. This year’s beauties are once again winning choices for gift giving. It will be hard to choose just one favorite; each is special in its own way. Good luck choosing between Violet and Elliot Fawn. Like all fawns they have still got their white spots and their antlers are just budding. It see

(Lego $39.99) No doubt the firetruck with light and sound will be the favorite part of this Firehouse Construction Set with 76 pieces. Two firefighters, one of each gender are also in the set, along with a spotted black and white Dalmatian pup with its own personal needs— a hydrant that shots a forever frozen spray of water. Marked 2 and up although no 2, 3, or even 4 could build this without tons of adult help. This is one of those building sets that older preschoolers can d

(Mudpuppy $16.99) Good fun! Your get two Animal Kingdoms for the price of one with this double-sided 100-piece puzzle. The pale green background pieces feature colorful animals, mostly from jungle and tropical regions: a parrot, peacock, tiger, crocodile, toucan, flamingo, tropical fish, insects and more. The lavender backed side features black and white creatures from all over the world—zebra, panda, penguin, cow, raccoon, skunk, and more. First things first, turn all the p

(Steiff $29.95) Put your hand inside this plush starfish puppet! It’s peachy and velour-like on one side and silky plush on the back. It has a sweet embroidered face that baby will like gazing at as you sing or talk and play tracking games. Baby is likely to smile as you touch her little hands, feet or face with the silky plush side. A lap toy for new parents to use as they get acquainted…they supply the music, action and words…baby supplies the smiles and amazement. A great

(Mudpuppy $14.99) Based on art from Jimmy Fallon’s book, Your Baby’s First Word Will Be Dada!, this big floor puzzle has 25 pieces and many Dada and child pairs. The images are not realistic or scientific and in fact, may be a bit puzzling to little children. Still, with help, they can put the pairs together and perhaps enjoy making the animal sounds each pair would make. Also nice, Jimmy Fallon’s Puzzle Pairs ($12.99) with ten two piece puzzles—each pair has a Dada an child

(Mudpuppy $14.99) With four different puzzles in one box, the first job at hand is to sort the puzzle pieces by color. Each puzzle has a distinctive color on the back of the pieces. Together, you can count the pieces after they are sorted. There should be 4 brown pieces, 6 red ones, 9 blue, and 12 green. Obviously the 4-piece Brown Bear will be the first and easiest. After that, the 6-piece Red Cardinal Bird, then the 9-piece Blue Horse, and finally the 12-piece Green Frog. S