(Creativity for Kids $19.99) A big round loom that is like your old horse rein spool loom...only so much better! Instead of the long and almost useless rope of knitted wool, this giant loom produces a "tube" shaped piece of knitting that can be turned into a hat kids can knit and wear! This is one of those new twists on a classic craft. The kit comes with rainbow colored yarn and two soft fuzzy pom-poms that can be attached. This is one of those projects that takes days of wo

(eeBoo $19.95) On this 100th anniversary of the suffragette’s victory, it seems appropriate to celebrate women’s right to vote. The diverse faces and names of some of those who led the struggle are illustrated on this handsome 500-piece round puzzle. It’s not easy, but a good choice for a family project. Set up a table where family members can stop and do a bit now and then until you gradually complete the task. Those faces might spark curiosity. How about looking up a few o

(eeBoo $19.99) Kids can often say their numbers by rote, but giving meaning to number values and seeing the relationship between the word and one for one value takes time and repeated experiences. Counting out cookies so everyone at the table to have one, or counting how many spoons are needed for everyone’s ice cream are the way to make concrete and meaningful connections. Games like Puppy Fuffle also give beginners practice with simple counting. Kids take turns hitting the

(eeBoo $19.99) Players reach into the bag to feel the cut-out candy pieces, trying to find a candy that matches the picture of the one on the card they picked. There are three levels of play. At the first level, players may need to pull three candies of the same shape in every color to win one point. At level two, they will need to find different shaped candies and some may have to be the same color. At level three, the shapes and colors are even more difficult and if the can

(eeBoo $9.99 each set) Sometimes the best things come in small packages! This would be one of those times. Who doesn’t love stickers to put on notebooks or a package or your lunch pack or whatever? Enter these Scratch Art meets Paper Stickers. With the Space Adventure Set you get six sheets of stickers and a bamboo stick to rub and reveal the many colors below. There are precut planets, stars, rockets, moons, and UFOs—138 stickers to use as you choose. Or, look for the Rainbo

(Sassy $24.99) Sassy's Whirling Wheel Waterfall is one bath toy that can double for tabletop fun, as well. With a sturdy suction cup it attaches to tub or table and a swipe of a hand sends the many little colorful cups spinning. Standing in the tub, water will help power the motion and spill as the cups reach the top. Standing on a table, the rainbow of colors will blur as it turns. If you want a triple winner, choose Sassy's Whirling Wheel Waterfall with the Double Dip Funne

(Quercetti $28.59) A sleek light up peg toy that comes with 120 pegs in green, blue, yellow, orange, red and clear. Kids can do their own designs or copy the images of the 12 pictures in the design booklet. We like the lidded basket to store the pegs and the design of the pegboard itself that has rubbery openings that grab the pegs. You’ll need to preload the pegboard with three AA batteries so that when the pegs are in place, they light up. Although no reading or writing are

(Creativity for Kids $35.00) For the ballerina or fan of fairy magic, this is a kit for designing a wardrobe of winged fashions. It comes with a Flower Fairy Mannequin, yards of netting for tutus, felt cut out bodices and sequins to add to make them glitter, flowers, ribbons, wings, and everything needed to assemble gossamer fairy dresses. These outfits will fit an 11” fashion doll. Although the directions are clear, younger girls will probably need some help with some of the

(Creativity for Kids $16.99) We usually don’t suggest clay kits that are in part pre-made. However, this kit’s plastic creatures look a lot like the kind of armatures that sculptors build as a base for their creations. The kit comes with three mythical creatures: a winged dragon, a unicorn and a phoenix with wings. It includes five colors of non-drying clay, tools, wiggly eyes, feathers and instructions for making unique and brightly colored creatures. How detailed they will

(Fisher-Price $54.99) Here it is a Batbot of their dreams! When it comes to toys that move, bigger is usually better and this is one big transforming toy! Enemies of Gotham are going to run for their lives when this Batbot with Batman inside transforms into a Crime Fighting Machine. With sounds that add to the drama, it rises up into action and moves forward, sideways and backwards with speed. There are discs projectiles that fire low to the ground and not likely to hurt anyo