Not all children like the same toys, however. It all depends on their temperament, their talents, their dexterity and even their sex.
Little presents
Whether you’re giving small Hanukkah gifts to your children or stuffing their stockings on Christmas Eve, consider
Zibits
, the remote-controlled robots that can do everything but the laundry (Senario, $15-$17); a
harmonica
(First Note, $13) or
Energy Sticks
, which teach basic electricity so well (Be Amazing Toys, $8).
Books
Toys are terrific, but every child should get at least one book, too, so you can read to him each day. Good stories have the rhythms and cadences he’ll need when he starts to read and write.
Begin with “Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes,” the board book for babies by Mem Fox (HMH Books, $12). Work up to “When Life Gives You O.J.” by Erica S. Perl, author of the beloved “Chicken Butt” series (Knopf, $16), and “The Flint Heart,” an old story made new by Katherine Paterson, who is surely the Louisa May Alcott of our time. She wrote it with her husband, John Paterson (Candlewick, $20).
For kids age 10 and older, consider “Wonderstruck” by Brian Selznick (Scholastic, $30); “Dead End at Norvelt,” a funny, touching story by Jack Gantos (Farrar Straus Giroux, $20); or “Okay for Now” by Gary Schmidt, whose hero learns to count on his town, rather than his family (Clarion, $17). Give “Secrets at Sea” by Richard Peck (Dial, $17) to someone who wants good laughs and good writing, and “Big Nate on a Roll” by Lincoln Peirce (Harper, $13) to the child who likes to laugh more than read.
Pre-K
If your pre-kindergartner wants to be as daring as her big brother, look for a sled called the
Arctic Flyer
(Flexible Flyer, $30) or the
Spooner Board
, which will teach her the balancing tricks she’ll need for skateboarding or snowboarding someday (Spooner, $40). Another good choice: a mini-luge called the
Zipfy
, which is safe enough for a 5-year-old and fast enough for a 12-year-old (Zipfy, $40).
Grade school
Your third-grader may think she’s too old for a doll, or your son may say, “Puh-leeze,” but they’ll both love Squishables
(Purple Gallinule, $20-$40). Even though they’re soft and round-as-a-ball and look (more or less) like kiwis, manatees or narwhals, any stuffed animal is really just a dolly in disguise.
Guns present a different problem. If your fourth-grader is gun-crazy and you’re not, the
Punisher Gatling Dart Blaster
may be a good compromise; it shoots 30 darts in 20 seconds without hurting anyone (Buzz Bee Toys, $58).
A gun won’t soothe an anxious 6-year-old, but the
Fireworks Light Show in My Room
(Uncle Milton, $35) may calm him a little when he points this toy at the ceiling and produces a fine fireworks display. With sound effects.
A shy but dexterous grade-schooler would much rather have a
Legends of Magic
set, however, because it teaches children to perform magic tricks and can give them enough courage to do it in front of an audience (Fantasma, three versions for $40, $55 and $100).
Games
Games like
Madeline at the White House
should interest boys and girls in Washington (Briarpatch, $20), and
Bag-o-Loot
, a wild card game, will delight them wherever they’re from (LB Toys, $10).
Apples to Apples
(Mattel, $25) remains the favorite game of all.
Puzzles and media
A math whiz will love the collection of puzzles in “Math Perplexors,” (Mindware, $13). Music lovers will want the CD-DVD set “Jim Gill Presents Music Play for Folks of All Stripes” (Jim Gill Music, $17) and the CD “The Soldier’s Tale” by the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Maestro Classics, $17).
There is also a charming new picture-book app for the iPad called
Van Gogh and the Sunflowers
(Auryn, $1 through Dec. 31, $2 after), which introduces children to van Gogh and to art. It’s based on Laurence Anholt's book of the same name. If you also give the Nomad Play paintbrush stylus to your child, she can use it to draw on any art app, or any touchscreen device (Nomad Brush, $18).
Questions? Send them to advice@margueritekelly.com.
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