(Mindware $199.95) Last year we showed you the Q-Ba Maze Extreme with tubes and rails and a separate Starter Set with lights that could be added to the fun. Now the Q-Ba-Maze Colossal Set combines lights, tubes and stunt pieces in a huge 270-piece set that is going to inspire fantastic constructions. Like all Q-Ba-Mazes, this is an open-ended construction set to challenge their creative thinking, predicting outcomes, problem solving and eye-hand skills. It’s a STEM toy— or ha

(Horizon $19.99) Who doesn’t love the surprise of a vending machine and waiting to see what you're going to get when you pull the lever? This is one of a group of Vendees, a novelty gift that is packaged to keep on giving—at least for a while. Take off the wrap on the box to read the instructions. In fact, you might actually consider this a good beginning reader’s activity. It’s a read and find-out set of directions, done up in a box with treats as they read. Call it motivat

(Thinkfun $29.99) You get your own UFO to play this challenging and very original game, subtitled Mooove the Magnets Logic Game. It's a brainteaser that involves using your magnetic UFO to beam up cows as you maneuver around and over farm fences. You'll find that you need to internalize the varying heights of those fence barriers, since you have to pick up all the cows at the same time and get them over the obstacles, picking up the red cow last. It’s not easy! In fact, there

(Semper Smart Games $39.99) A winning combination to help kids (and adults) understand the way the electoral college works, while they also improve their math facts, geography, and strategy skills. Depending on the age of players and math skills, use the two-sided board, with adding on one side or multiplying on the other. Players collect electoral votes from the color-coded map and soon learn the facts about smaller states with dense populations that may have more electoral

(Corolle $29.99 Dolly's sick? Call the doctor! This little doctor makes house calls. Forget the black bag. She keeps everything in a very sweet pink and white printed bag. There’s a heart shaped pink and white stethoscope that has heartbeat sound effects, a blood pressure meter, thermometer, otoscope (for checking earaches), a syringe, a dropper bottle, even a little cast, if baby has a break. Classic play for nurturing and trying on roles through dramatic play. This kind of

(Hape $17.99) Hit the lever and boom! The yellow wooden ball races up, hits a bell and runs back down. Young toddlers will like the repetitive action of this and get a sense of mastery as they make it happen again and again. It’s not a toy that will hold them for long—few toys do that for toddlers. But it is one they will like returning to from time to time. After that you can put it on your desk and hit the lever whenever the need arises. 18 months and up. Ages: Toddlers Opp

(Djeco $57.99) Best children’s keyboard/synthesizer we’ve had in years! It’s an octave plus three with sharps and flats that are really in tune! Push a button and play in one of four modes: make it sound like an organ, saxophone, piano or vibraphone. There's a volume control and the sounding board is wooden, with decorative images and color coding above the keys for children who are not yet reading notes. Four color coded tunes come on a card with a clever little wooden holde

(Magformers $59.99) Firefighters to the rescue with this fifty-piece set of magnetic pieces for building a fire station, a firetruck with wheels and other emergency accessories. As in all Magformer sets, the magnets are totally safe for play since they are totally inside the sleek plastic shapes. They come with clear instructions, making them easy enough for school aged children to follow. These are STEM toys for beginners that introduce children to the polarity of magnets an

(Manhattan Toy $14.88) A six-inch fabric cube done in high contrast black and white patterns that will grab baby's attention even before he can grab hold of it. Studies show that very young babies find these kinds of high contrast visuals are most interesting, especially those with eyes. This six-sided cube has many sensory features for baby to explore with eyes, hands, ears and even mouth. There are crinkle flaps for peek-a-boo games with big eyes under the flaps and polka d

(Ann Williams $16.99-$29.99) They'll find the fixings for making 5 charm bracelets, a charm filled necklace, pencil toppers, and 16 shoe charms for their shoe laces! Crafty fingers with plenty of fine motor tuning will be busy sticking two matching puffy stickers together in order to make 105 little puffy charms. After the charms are made, they need to be hung on the small metal rings. The latter takes some finger power, but it’s totally do-able. The colorful little charms wi