Great Toy #3: Christmas Shopping Guide

The children in our family love to pretend. Truly, they spend about 85% of their playtime pretending they are someone else. So, whether they like to play superheroes, or become a cowboy, a princess or a gourmet chef, toys that help kids with pretend play are a great choice at Christmas.

Some of our best pretend toys are wearable. We have received many costumes from older cousins. My daughter got a box full of princess dresses from her cousin in Maryland earlier this year -- what a thrill! My boys have inherited superhero costumes complete with stuffed abs and biceps. If you don't have older cousins, garage sales are a great place to find costumes, especially now that Halloween is past.

A few years ago, Santa brought my five year old (then three) a whole box full of hats. He was so excited to become a race car driver, a cowboy, a viking, a pirate, or a fire fighter just by changing his hat! If you think Santa might want to do the same for your preschooler, I would recommend buying new rather than used. One website with a great assortment of hats and costumes for kids is Daddy's Toy Shop. Mastermind Toys also has a good selection.

Of course, there is more to pretend than just the clothes. My daughter loves the play kitchen she got last Christmas. I paid half price when Target was clearing the shelves to get ready for after-Thanksgiving shoppers. Now is the time to look for big items if your local stores haven't already stocked the shelves with Christmas toys. Many of the big-ticket toys may be on clearance.


We also enjoy classics like the Fisher-Price Cash Register and the Fischer-Price medical kit. The pieces of these toys are easy for young hands to hold and are the perfect tools for children to set up their own store or hospital. Because these classics are indestructible, they are easy to find at garage sales or on ebay.

Last year, my children got the Medical kit for Christmas. It comes off the shelf any time any of us are sick. I think they like giving pretend shots the best. At the time of this writing, I've been vaccinated about 6 thousand times.

To me, the best thing about pretend toys is that they give parents a chance to experience the way their child views the world. It is easy to have fun with your kids when they are pretending to be just like Daddy or their favorite superhero (or both... SuperDad!)

Admit it. Don't you like pretending sometimes, too?


-Midwest (Super)Mom

Great Toy #2: Christmas Shopping Guide

The second toy idea that we just love is games. By that I do not mean video games. I mean good old-fashioned no batteries required (okay, maybe one) turn off the television and spend time together games.

We have all the classics -- Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, Sorry, Connect Four. We have raucous games like Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots and Whack-A-Mole, too. We play card games like old maid and go fish and king's corner. And we play strategy games like Mastermind, Mancala, and Stratego. Our kids are still young, so Monopoly, Careers, and Life are still up on the shelf.

Two old favorites that we *hope* Santa will be bringing in his sleigh are Perfection and MouseTrap. (Santa's Illinois elf just has to find them at the store. Keep your fingers crossed.)

It is always a challenge, though, to find games that all three of my children can play together, especially because they are aged 3, 5, and 7. Last year, we were given a game gift that did the trick. Our whole family can play it and have fun in the process. It is Cranium Hullabaloo.

Hullabaloo is a direction-following game with fun music and a healthy dose of silliness. To me, it's a little like Simon Says meets Twister. We have a great time with it, whether just two of us are playing or all five.

In January of this year, Cranium, a Seattle-based company, was purchased by Hasbro, Inc. By March, Hasbro moved finance and logistics jobs to it's Rhode Island corporate headquarters. But Hasbro makes a point of emphasizing it's corporate citizenship efforts. I usually only recommend products from corporations I can really back. For me, the jury is still out on Hasbro's purchase of Cranium.

I will say, though, that the Hullabaloo product is exceptional. It encourages movement and teaches listening and following directions. Moreover, it is fun. Sometimes gut-busting fun -- especially when you see your kids "do a funky dance" at the end of the game.

Hullabaloo has received several awards, from Parenting Magazine Toy of the Year to the 2002 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval. For more information, be sure to visit the Cranium website.

Great Toy #1: Christmas Shopping Guide

Christmas is not far away, and just about every Mom I know has been setting aside a thing or two already.

From now until Christmas, I will showcase one toy idea per week to help inspire parents to make their best choices when they have a personal pow-wow with Santa.

There are a few guidelines I follow when choosing toys for my children. Great toys must:

• be Age-appropriate -- I don't get Barbies for a one year old. I don't get the Playschool telephone for a twelve year old. That's just common sense.


• Teach something -- I love toys that teach a concept or require intellectual input from a child. Problem-solving toys are a favorite, as are skill-building toys.


• Inspire creativity -- Imagination-building toys or toys that allow children to pretend are fantastic. They definitely have a place in my household.


• be Flexible -- The more flexible a toy is in its use (i.e. not a uni-task toy), the longer it will hold my children's attention. There is nothing worse than buying a toy only to have it fall into disuse. Toys that can be played with in many ways help children to be inventive, and that's just more fun.


• be Well-made -- I prefer toys made in the United States or Europe. Sometimes that can mean they are more expensive. But a toy that will hold together and take punishment (and one that is sure to follow good safety standards) can last through all THREE of my children. That's a good investment, in my book.

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The first toy on our list is:K'Nex building sets

K'Nex is a plastic building set that is available for a wide range of abilities, from preschool on up. The building set has plastic rods, gears, and connectors that allow children to create just about anything. My seven year old has made a motorized working car, a Ferris wheel, or even a grandfather clock with his set. My five-year-old makes hand-held snowmobiles, planes, and cars. My youngest fits pieces together to make fish or other animals for much simpler play.

K'nex sets are entirely manufactured in the United States. Their website has a place for kids to share designs or print off instructions for new projects.

K'nex is a toy that has engaged my children's minds and encouraged them to use their creativity. Playing with it helps them to develop fine motor skills and spatial thinking. It has been fun to see the little engineer come out in all of them, in entirely different ways. The sets we have are far more flexible than the Legos I played with as a child, and far more affordable.

-Midwest Mom