(eeBoo $18.99) A perfect holiday puzzle to work on together. Our tester loved that it came in a box that looked like a house. The puzzle features a house with Santa, Mrs. Claus, elves, reindeer and tons of presents! The joyful illustration by Kaly Quarles are a treat. While the box has a pointed top (like a roof), the puzzle itself is rectangular (14" x 10"). which makes it easier to put together. Ages: Early School Years Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2026

(Vango $59.99) Here's the perfect summer outdoor game for mixed ages. The idea is to land your cone in the center spot (for which you get three points). All other placements are worth 1 point. But here's the fun -- you can steal your opponent's point by capturing the same spot. First player or team to get to 11 points wins the round. We love that this game can be played in teams and by everyone. Our younger players just stood closer when tossing. You can also play this gam

(RAZOR $118) Here's a really fun new ride-on from RAZOR -- no batteries required. You make it go by moving your feet on the bar that sits in front of the single large wheel that takes you forward. There are two smaller back wheels on the cart. It does come with a safety flag since the cart rides very low to the ground. It's still very important that this toy only be used in a safe "no car" area. You'll also want to be sure that your child has a helmet. Marked 4 and up but

(weesprout $59.98) A beautiful set for beginning cooks. This set needs adult supervision since there are real tools including a child's knife. The materials are all top-quality wood, silicone and stainless steel. Our young chef also appreciated that there was a child-sized apron and oven mitts. Marked 3 & up. Weesprout also makes a 38 piece Little Chef's Baking Set that is marked 8 & jp. Ages: Early School Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2026

(Creativity for Kids $18) A new headband set that will be a sure-fire hit with the 6 & up crowd. The set comes with a satisfying number of headbands (five different colors), charms, letters and glitter. There are two glitter-filled headband opportunities here that will require some adult assistance to put in the funnel into the plastic sleeve. They included a wooden tool for getting the glitter down the tube. Once the glitter is in place -- the sleeve fits up and over the hea

(Creativity for Kids $23) We love Water Globes and Creativity for Kids makes sets that come with 2 which is a plus. This year's latest is Sweets - featuring an ice cream cone and a piece of cake. You'll also find that they included plastic clay tools, non-dry clay in five colors in addition to the premade figurines. Marked 6 & up -- but will need adult involvement. Last year's Mermaid set won our Platinum Award. Ages: Early School Years Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Awar

(Connetix $75) If you're in the magnetic tiles zone, you'll want to check out this new 50-piece set that comes with three wheeled bases. One is longer than the other two - all three can be hooked together to create a very satisfying moving tiled vehicle. Our testers also loved that there was a variety of pieces in this set including 2 windows, open-frames, various triangles, rectangles and squares. These are pricey sets for sure, but will have lasting play value. There is a

(Super Smalls $36) The latest in the amazing glasses kit --that comes with a red set of heart-shaped sunglasses that you "bedazzle with jewels" -- it also comes with a pink case with small red handles that our tester loved to decorate. 3 & up. They also have pre-made Super Goggles ($32) that are already embellished. They come Heartfelt (pink hearts with pearls) or Lavender Haze (purple round shaped with gems). We wanted a pair! Still recommended: Mermaid Splash & Sparkle

(Learning Resources $35.99) Learning Resource's Gears! Gears! Gears! collection has been on our award list for years and remains one of the best STEM toys. This is the latest set that features the original plastic gear pieces with the added fun of flowers to layer up your creations. Comes with 5 bases, 35 gears as well as flowers, flower stems and bases for building vertically. The set comes with one handle which puts the whole gear set into motion (you can also use your h

( Educational Insights $15.99 ) We love this set of binoculars that are designed for younger kids. They have soft plastic where you place the binoculars to your face - making them more comfortable to use. They are scaled for kids and also come with a break-away neck strap. And while it seems weird to say, these really work. Many that we have tested really don't work that well. A STEM toy at it's best. Marked 3 & up, will be most enjoyed by older preschoolers and early schoo