(Creativity for Kids $13.99)

Do this fun craft kit outside, while the weather is good. Pouring paint is a novel way to decorate the 10 natural river rocks that come clean and ready. Use a little of two or more of the 4 bottles of paint to create a marble like finish.  Once they dry add on of the metallic galaxy transfers for a starry finishing touch. Our tester was thrilled with the final look. Use them for a scavenger hunt or...

(Mindware $17.99)

Designed for toddlers, Duck, Duck, Dance is an active cooperative game for parents and child. There are no winners or losers, only lots of shared giggles, wiggles, and turn taking. There are several ways to play the game, all involving gross motor activities—and each slightly more complex than the last. In the simplest game, player have a turn to roll the pictorial dice and then do the dance move shown by the...

(Fat Brain $19.99)

We’ve written about other Fat Brain dimpl toys. This newest variation has smaller dimples and no doubt require little fingers, rather than the whole hand to push and press the silicone bubbles to move. So this calls for finer motor skills. It also has some academic add-ons. On one side the bubbles are embossed with the numerals form 1-10 plus the word for the matching numeral. Flip it and the words are writte...

(Mindware $16.95)

For a sitting up baby, this is a hefty mirror in a wooden frame with pieces of colorful crinkle fabric around its edges. Mirrors are fascinating to babies who study the motions and images they see in a mirror. Unlike so many infant safety mirrors, this one is both safe and doesn’t distort. Listen in the morning and you will likely hear your baby talking to the face reflected back to her in the mirror. 6 months...

(Osmo $19.99)

Fans of Frozen II are going to love this new game for their Osmo platform (not included with the game).  Kids use a sketchpad with wipe-off markers to draw details that are then animated on the screen. Its coloring book, too, with buttons that fill in color to the player’s drawings. Of course, you need your own tablet and the Osmo base to play. We generally prefer art materials that allow children to draw from the...

(Mattel $9.99)

It’s a safe bet that you played Uno when you were growing up. It’s a Blue ChIp classic family matching game. Players must keep two attributes in mind-matching color and or number as cards come up. And don’t forget, the special action cards like skip, reverse, draw two, and color changing Wild cards as well as Draw Four Wild Cards. Oh, one more thing...you have to shout “Uno!” the first to get rid of all her cards...

(Jakks Pacific $24.99)

You probably had the original Corn Popper, a favorite push toy for generations. Now the familiar look and sound of the Corn Popper has been added to a ride-on for the 21st century toddler. Low to the ground with easy on-off action, this four-wheel drive ride-on for toddlers has a popper up front in a see through dome. As toddlers ride the balls pop up and down making a fun sound. (Unless you find the ratt...

(Magformers $19.99)

A fistful of sensory play to entertain baby! A soft fabric dragonfly has wings with many different textures to touch and grasp. The patterned wings have patterns to explore visually and little ribbons and textures for little fingers to touch. One wing has a teether with bumps to chomp on and there’s a bigger bright orange teether with texture hanging on the end of the bug’s body. This easy to grab bug body h...

(Sassy $9.99)

We showed you this toy as part of a set. It's also available as a stand alone and good fun for under ten dollars. This is one bath toy that can double as a tabletop toy, 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...

(Sassy $14.99)

Cleverly designed panels with high contrast images on one side and touchy-feely panels on the back, these four fabric panels can be used as a kind of fabric book. But it works best when the panels are taken apart. Separate the Velcro edging and explore the panels one at a time for lap time play. For tummy time, connect two panels can stand up for baby’s visual stimulation. There’s a panda with big eyes, that will...