( Connetix $59.99) Magnetic building sets are all the rage with preschoolers. Connetix entered the market in 2019 when two families came together to "build" on this type of play. Our testers really loved their new Bright Portal Packs which give you three different size portals or windows to work with. The oversized portal can contain the two smaller sizes which makes them great fun. This set includes 48 pieces - the kit and the company's website has building suggestions -- b

( eeBoo $23.99) If you have a dinosaur fan in your house, you're going to want to consider this giant puzzle that features an alphabet of dinos. Thankfully, there's also a pronunciation guide included because many of the names are really challenging. The pieces are oversized to produce a satisfyingly giant puzzle. Each dinosaur is also shown with the capital and lowercase letter that it represents. There is also a 20 piece version of this puzzle as well. If dinosaurs are not

( Playmobil $99.99) Our testers loved this new two level hospital setting from Playmobil. It's a two level hospital complete with an operating room, a patient's room and bathroom. We love that there's a reception desk at the entrance of the hospital. And as with all Playmobil settings, the attention to detail is unmatched. You'll find flowers in the patient's room as well as an IV drip. The operating room has all the special lighting, surgical table and equipment for prete

( Play Monster $17 & up) It's the 60th Anniversary of Spirograph and to celebrate the company has introduced many new versions. We love the Spirograph Junior the best. The set comes with a frame that holds the bigger gear in place which makes it easier to use the smaller gears inside to make your spirograph art. The original Spirograph came with pins (can you believe it?) to hold the big gear in place. Now the sets come with putty -- which is fine. None of them include a boar

( Luki Lab $29.99) Pure fun! Our parents liked how easy it was to set up the play area with plastic pieces that click together to form a circle. The plastic tree is filled with all the nuts. On your turn, you press down the top of the tree which release many nuts and this is where the fun begins. Each player has a chimpunk on a stick -- the idea is to capture as many nuts as possible. At the end of all of the rounds, the chipmunk with the most nuts wins. The rounds are fast

( Foros $39.99) One of our favorite new board games of the year! Foros is a beautifully crafted board game. Think tic-tac-toe mashed up with Connect Four. The game play is to get four pieces in a row. You can play with two players or in teams. The game pieces are well finished (there are natural wood cubes and dark wood cylinders. Our testers found the more they played, the more they learned about strategies for moves. The game is marked 6 & up and can be played at this a

( Luki Labs $ 10.99 each) One of our favorite toys of the season. To make it work, you flatten the car and insert it in to the slim plastic launcher "card". Once loaded- you push the button and the car comes speeding out! Would be fun to have two so you can races. It's important to use the toy on a flat surface. The cars come in a variety of models and colors. 5 & up. They also have Pets 2 Love which are cats and dogs that work the same way. Ages: Preschool, Early School Y

( Mag na-Tiles $69.95) A wow-wee set of Magna-Tiles that our testers loved because of the different variety of pieces. The tall triangles, the balconies, the tall door - were all fun to build. This is a 48 piece set that also includes a dragon (another plus with our testers). We still think if you're just starting out with Magna-Tiles an open-ended set is a great idea. We also recommend the Magna-Tiles DLX Classic Set ($119). Ages: Preschool, Early School Years Oppenheim

(Mindware $26.95) Here's a fun craft project that includes everything you need to make this butterfly wooden stool. The set comes with two paint brushes, a rainbow of colors and glue (for securing the wooden legs). The image of butterfly is pre-printed on the top which will give kids a guide. There is a paint guide full of info about color mixing. Remind your child that they don't have to do what's on the box (most likely done by a professional adult artist). We were very im

( Super Smalls $32) Hands down the jazziest swim goggles we have ever seen. Everyone wanted a pair (including all of the adults). They...