(Fisher-Price $24.99) Our tester loved the new Peek a Blocks, those round blocks with peek-a-boo arms that pop open with a push of a button on top. With help, toddlers will love making those funny round blocks slide down the chutes. Or put one of the Peek-a-Blocks on the rolling school bus. The set comes with 2 Peek A Blocks, 35 big building blocks, a yellow school bus, 3 slides and 1 launcher. Marked for 1 and up. We think 18 months and up will have the dexterity for this ki

(Kid Made Modern $29.99) Working on learning shapes? Here's a playful set of six stampers that includes a circle, triangle, square, star, and for decorative fun, a cloud and rainbow. These are designed with chunky handles that fit little hands. It comes with three stamping pads with red, orange and bluish ink plus a set of bright fat easy to grasp crayons. Preschoolers will use this for open-ended stamping creations. Use old newspaper and other paper scraps. For parent -chi

(Gamewright $9.99) Think fast! Name something sweet with one syllable! Not candy...not ice cream...how about Jam? Right! You get the card. Can you name a song that ends with "e"? How about an animal with five letters? Players draw a pink card and read the challenge, then turn the card to the black side for the rest of the challenge. First player to shout the answer keeps the card. Or play a two person game. Play until all the cards are gone or for shorter rounds, set a goal o

(Djeco $9.99-10.99) Our tester loved these glittery patches (not just stickers) that kids add to the 12 colorful cards included in the kit. These foiled, glittered, or velvety patches might also be nice on a notebook or backpack. You’ll find other textured patches in different kits. However, our experienced craft tester thinks sixes might have trouble pulling the patches off without some adult or an older sib’s help. Or...if you prefer, choose the velour velvety stickers tha

(eeBoo $16.99) It's a puzzle within a puzzle! First things first—kids put together the 100 pieces featuring zany robots with bodies made of cans, batteries, pipes and assorted stuff often found on workbenches and garage junk. Just getting the images together would be fun enough...but once it's done, turn the box over. Now, here's a new challenge. Get a marker and check off the gizmos shown by searching the puzzle. The good sized pieces will be perfect for fives and up who

(eeBoo $21.99 each ) Short of a dive in the deep, the whole family can dive into putting this 1000 piece puzzle together. Like so many of eeBoo's beautiful puzzles, this one will challenge everyone's problem solving skills, visual discrimination and patience...but doing it together will make for shared fun that takes thinking that's more than one and done. Or if you prefer a jungle scene, send for the Amazon Rainforest puzzle...another handsome challenge for these days and n

(eeBoo $16.99-21.99) Making kids aware of how what we do effects the endangered and vulnerable species of the world can’t be taught too early. Bring home the 100 piece version for the family to work on together or for younger kids choose the 100 piece version. Recently, my five-year old Great Grandson came home from the beach talking about a family that left plastic bottles behind and how bad that is for the birds who nest on the beach and the fish in the sea. I was stunned (

(Cuddle+Kind $60 and up) Featured this season, 13” Eloise the Elephant, a huggable armful in soft grey knit with pink accents on her big ears and cheeks that match her romper with a gathered top. Her long legs and arms make her easy to grab. A larger 20” version ($80) is currently sold out, but you can put your name on the waiting list. Like other Cuddle and Kind dolls, Eloise is handmade by artisans in Peru, who are paid fair sustainable trade wages and the company donates 1

(Playmonster $39.99) A versatile nine-piece set of squishable, chewable, stackable, tossable, Oibo shapes— 3 Hix Cones, 3 Oibos, 3 Mox Balls. These shapes have been available in separate sets but now they are combined in one wonderful set that is sure to provide hours of play time in the tub, on the floor and even in your lap for early interactions. Squeeze the balls and they open like a mouth, push the cone and it flattens, smush the cubes, pull them or stack them with cones

(Djeco $18.99) Hey maties! Ship ahoy! Our five-year old tester and his mom gave high ratings to this Pirate Ship. They especially loved the little extra—a small cut out model of the puzzle that they used as a "cue ship" to put this floor puzzle together. Looking at the model helped him locate where the objects and people below and above should go. Of course the pirate theme was appealing and held his attention as they assembled the three-foot tall ship with pirates above and