The Shopping Guide
Special Gifts
2006 Children’s Gift Guide
Compiled by Janice Hands
If you’re looking for children’s gift suggestions beyond the lists your kids
have provided you, you’ve come to the right place. A host of the latest in
children’s toys, books and electronics is described below. Take a moment to
look them over and select something totally new and unexpected for the lucky
youngsters in your life.
Be sure to scroll down and check out “Ways to Save” for the word on websites
that will help save you bucks. Nearby you’ll find “Smart Holiday Spending” full
of shopping advice from Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, Inc.
Have a great holiday!
Prices listed are manufacturers’ suggested retail prices, provided several
months prior to the publication of this guide. Baltimore’s Child cannot be responsible for price or
availability changes.
Babies/Toddlers
Have some seasonal fun with your little one reading Scholastic’s Merry
Christmas: A Hand-Puppet Board Book ($12.99).
This is a colorful felt “glove” for your hand with a small Christmas-themed
board book in the palm. Your tot will be delighted as the story of Santa’s
visit unfolds, and the elf, reindeer, Christmas tree, Santa and snowman on your
fingertips dance merrily with the movement of your hand. Ages infant-up.
Available at http://www.scholasticstore.com/.
Beautiful music soothes and entertains even the youngest among us, and experts
agree that exposure to tunes from classical to popular at an early age can
foster a lifelong appreciation and love of music. This holiday season introduce
your littlest ones to Juno Baby, a collection of DVDs and CDs featuring
original music by Dr. Belinda Takahashi, as well as classical selections by
Mozart, Brahms and more. Tots will discover rhythm in everyday things with the
colorful Juno puppets in the interactive video Juno’s Rhythm
Adventure ($20). Along with great
entertainment, Juno videos offer tracks in English, Spanish and French,
interactive features and language flash cards. The CD Juno Baby—The
Original Music, Volume 1 ($18) introduces
children to classical music through playful and imaginative stories sung by the
Juno Baby cast of characters. Kids and parents will be humming and toe-tapping
along with such imaginative tracks as “Broccoli,” “Don’t Cut My Hair,” “I Can
Do Almost Anything,” “Cool Cat” and more. You can dress your youngster in
colorful shirts with favorite Juno Baby characters in sizes infant-4T ($20-22).
And huggable plush character dolls are also available ($18). Ages infant-5.
Available at http://www.junobaby.com/.
Preschool
Here is great fun for little ones and a
godsend for many parents. If bedtime is sometimes a battle-time at your house, Haydenburri
Lane’s Bedtime Safari Storybook ($14.95)
can help solve your nighttime skirmishes. This attractive hardcover book,
written by Hillary Hayden Burri and illustrated by K. Michael Crawford, will
introduce your youngster to a charming assortment of creative animal characters
that will lead him or her on a bedtime adventure. As the children in the story
travel Bedtime Jungle Road, they encounter the Toothbrush Crocodile Band, the
Double Bubble Path to a suds-filled bath time, Pajama Tree Place filled with
all sorts of colorful pjs and Storytime Street where bedtime stories help carry
them off to dreamland. As engaging as the story is, it is made more exciting
when your youngster dons his special Bumper and Chassie Light-Up
Safari Slippers ($29.95, batteries
included), with real working headlights that shine from the front of the
slippers. Slippers are available in pink and green, sizes small (7-8) through
X-Large (13-1). Ages 2-5. Available at Nordstrom and at www.haydenburrilane.com
or http://www.bedtimesafari.com/.
Sesame Street friends introduce tools to tots with the Fisher-Price Giggle
Tool Belt ($14.99) and the Sing
‘N Giggle Tool Bench ($49.99). The
child-sized tool belt contains an 8-inch Elmo measuring tape that features
favorite Elmo phrases when his nose is pressed and silly sound effects when the
tape is pulled. Also included are an Oscar the Grouch hammer, Ernie
screwdriver, Big Bird needle-nose pliers and a Cookie Monster monkey wrench.
The tool bench features more than 40 sound effects, phrases, giggles and songs,
a Cookie Monster drill, Bert & Ernie circular saw, turning gears with
Oscar, pounding nails with Zoe, a hammer, wrench, screwdriver and more. There
is even a hook for the young builder to hang up his or her Giggle Tool Belt.
Truly all the bells and whistles for the young construction supervisor! Tool
belt, ages 2-up. Tool bench, ages 18 mos.-up. Available at Toys R Us, WalMart,
Target and Sears.
Kids can take the popular Nick Jr. character, Diego, on 70 different animal
rescue missions with the Fisher-Price Diego’s Talking Rescue Center ($39.99, batteries included). Diego and his five
friends, Mommy and Baby Jaguar, Spider Monkey, Green Tree Boa and the Macaw, go
as far as your child’s imagination can take them. Ages 2-up. Available at Toys
R Us, WalMart, Target and Sears.
Your child’s favorite TV friend, Dora, comes alive as Fisher-Price presents Sing
Around the World Dora ($19.99, batteries
included). Kids can touch one of the four patches on Dora’s jacket and hear “hello”
and “goodbye” in the languages of China, France, Tanzania and Russia. When they
squeeze Dora’s hand, she’ll sing the “Friendship Song.” Little girls will love
the four bracelets especially for them, styled from each of the four countries.
Ages 3-up. Available at Toys R Us, WalMart, Target and Sears.
This year Fisher-Price introduces the Dora Knows Your Name doll ($39.99, batteries included). Mom and Dad use a
simple USB cable and a CD-Rom to download key information into Dora, including
their child’s name, birthday, favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner foods, names
of three friends or family members and more. Dora sings several songs, tells
stories and plays games, all incorporating the child’s personal info. She even
has an internal clock that enables her to refer to the time of day—morning,
afternoon and night. Best of all, parents can download personal info while Dora
is still inside her packaging, so that their child can interact with her
immediately upon unwrapping. Ages 3-up. Available at Toys R Us, WalMart, Target
and Sears.
One doll is good—two dolls are even better! Especially when they’re twins. New
Adventures introduces Too Cute Twins ($34.99), a charming boy/girl duo. These two little tots can talk,
sing, giggle, joke and rhyme together and will even interact with your child.
Using infrared technology, the twins will say “night, night” after 30 seconds
of inactivity and power off until the button on their chest is pressed again.
Ages 3-up. Available at J.C. Penney.
If you’re looking for a quiet play alternative for your preschooler, take a
look at FeltTales ($16.95 per
set) by Babalu, Inc. These are colorful, themed sets containing a felt display
board and more than 20 felt story pieces per set. Your child can create stories
around “A Busy Day on the Farm,” “A Busy Day at the Zoo,” a “Pretty Princess,”
“Dinosaur Days” and more. Each set comes in a clear, vinyl carrying bag,
perfect for take-along play. Encourage your child’s imagination, creativity,
communication and storytelling skills. Ages 3-up. Available at Etoys.com.
If you want to develop both sides of your preschooler’s brain, check out Fat
Brain Toys’ Dado Cubes ($24.95).
Far from your standard blocks, these colorful stacking cubes feature slits on
all sides that invite kids to create three-dimensional sculptures by
“fastening” them together. Play with these cubes appeals to the artistic side
of youngsters’ brains, as well as the analytical side, as they determine for
themselves how things stack up and create an endless array of structures. The
set features 10 cubes of durable plastic, ranging in size from one to five
inches. Ages 3-up. Available at http://www.fatbraintoys.com/.
You can help preserve the natural habitats of chimpanzees and keep them off the
endangered species list by purchasing one of Play Visions’ adorable Stretch
Zoo gorillas, chimps, gibbons and orangutans ($9.99). Made of plush material, these cuddly
animals feature Hyperflex arms that will stretch up to ten times their original
length. That’s quite a hug! Ages 3-up. Available at Rainforest Café, KB Toys
and Discovery Stores.
As your youngsters look forward to the season’s first snowfall, they’ll be
delighted by There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow ($5.95), a Scholastic book by Lucille Colandro,
illustrated by Jared Lee. In a raucous twist on the classic poem, this old lady
swallows a crazy collection of objects, including a pipe, coal, tree branches
and more. Kids will love the surprise ending as they discover just why she has
such a peculiar diet. Ages preschool-grade 2. Available at amazon.com.
The Wooden Wagon, a New York company, now offers the entire range of Fagus
wooden cars and trucks (prices vary).
These are German-made wooden toys that until recently enjoyed only limited
availability in the U.S. There is a wide variety of vehicles including cars,
farm machinery, trucks, construction equipment and lots of accessories. The
vehicles are made from varnished beech wood and have distinctive red wheels.
The company also produces smaller, brightly colored “Minis” for younger
children. Ages preschool-up. Available at http://www.thewoodenwagon.com/.
As you celebrate Hanukkah, you’ll want to share Scholastic’s I Have a
Little Dreidel ($9.99) by Maxie Baum with
your preschooler. The rich illustrations by Julie Paschkis portray a family
celebrating the holiday. You’ll feel the love and almost taste the latkes and
applesauce through Baum’s text. The Dreidel song is woven throughout. On the
last several pages there is a recipe for potato latkes, instructions for
playing Dreidel and words and music to the Dreidel Song. This is a charming
book for your child’s library.
Ages 3-5. Available at http://www.scholasticstore.com/.
As much fun as Matchbox cars have been for generations of kids, now youngsters
can build unique play environments with Mattel’s Matchbox Compact
& Deluxe Pop-Up Playsets ($11.99 and
$16.99). Easy to take along on a play date, set up in seconds and store in a
snap, the playsets come in sturdy book-shaped cases that pop open to display a
colorful, multi-level play setting. The Compact assortment includes Auto
Center, Coastguard Patrol and Snake Jungle; the Deluxe assortment includes
Construction Zone and DragonCastle. All playsets come with a Matchbox vehicle.
Ages 3-up. Available at WalMart, Toys R Us and at amazon.com.
Elementary
Just about every little girl dreams of being a princess. Even if she can’t
become a fairy-tale heroine, she can enjoy some delicious royal delicacies
straight from the Pink Princess Cookbook ($14.95), by elementary educator and children’s culinary school
founder Barbara Beery. This unique children’s cookbook is chock-full of
delectable tea party-type snacks, fit for royalty. Your young cook will find
such delights as angel cloud cakes, cotton candy cupcakes, classic cucumber
sandwiches, fairy-tale fondue, chocolate chip-peppermint scones, flowerpot ice
cream, fancy fruit tarts, lemonade floats, mini-marshmallow smoothies and fairy
berry tea. The full-color illustrations look good enough to eat, and recipes
are simple to make with just a few ingredients. Step-by-step instructions teach
kids valuable kitchen skills. Ages 3-up. Published by Gibbs Smith, Publisher,
the hardcover, spiral-bound cookbook is available at http://www.gibbs-smith.com/or amazon.com.
Some kids are just fascinated by dinosaurs. If you have a prehistoric era fan
in your family, here are two gift suggestions.
With My First Dino Kit ($19.95)
your young paleontologist can learn about how real-life paleontologists dig up
dinosaurs. Your child can explore a dinosaur excavation block using special
tools and unearth a skeleton. He will learn about applying scientific methods,
and uncover fascinating facts about all things prehistoric. He can even build a
glow-in-the-dark dinosaur model. Ages 4-8. Available at http://www.scholasticstore.com/.
Using I Dig Dinosaurs ($24.95),
kids can chisel away to excavate the remains of a dinosaur encased in earthlike
Dinostone. You or she can choose between tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops,
brachiosaurus, stegosaurus or velociraptor skeleton kits. After the bones have
been uncovered, they snap together to form a favorite dinosaur. Kits include
steel hammer and chisel, goggles, brush, paints, a fact book and instructions.
Ages 6-12. Available from the Museum Tour catalog, 800-360-9116, http://www.museumtour.com/.
The holidays bring with them the excitement of gift-giving and for youngsters
the excitement of gift-receiving. If writing thank you notes is a chore at your
house, Little Letters ($9.95)
may offer you a solution. This kit encourages kids to have fun as they
correspond, and includes custom-designed stickers, an easy to construct
doorknob mailbox, a collection of postcards and a plastic template to help kids
fashion a plain piece of paper into a personalized envelope. Ages 4-8.
Available at http://www.scholasticstore.com/.
Kids don’t just sit and watch but rather interact as they choose between 11
possible stories, plot twists and endings for the Choose Your Own
Adventure interactive, animated movie The Abominable Snowman ($13.47). Youngsters learn about
making choices and dealing with consequences as they enjoy the Himalayan
adventure they help to create. Ages 5-up. Available at http://www.ChooseMovie.com/with a link
to amazon.com.
You may itch allover, but your child is likely to be crazy about the Ant
Farm Gel Colony ($24.95). In this “new age”
colony, ants make tunnels in a non-toxic, green-tinted gel. The farm, 9”H x 6
½”W, is escape-proof, and the gel contains all the nutrients the ants
need to survive—no feeding required. The set includes instructions and a
mail-in coupon for live ants. Ages 6-up. Available from the Museum Tour
catalog, 800-360-9116, http://www.museumtour.com/.
An exciting geography lesson is in store for your youngster when she puzzles
together Giant USA Map ($29.95),
a large colorful map of the U.S., crafted of lightweight, durable Wonderfoam
and suitable for a floor play “walk across America.” The map is 2’6”H x 4’W and
contains 73 pieces, including 16 punch-out state landmarks, a book of fun facts
and informative guide. Ages 6-up. Available from the Museum Tour catalog, 800-360-9116,
http://www.museumtour.com/.
Your child will hop to it when he or she straps on a pair of Moon
Shoes ($39.95). These anti-gravity
sandals, made of high-density plastic with non-skid soles and adjustable shoe
straps, help develop balance and coordination while providing a bouncing good
time. Shoes fit up to a men’s size 9 and can hold up to 180 pounds. Ages 7-up.
Available from the Museum Tour catalog, 800-360-9116, http://www.museumtour.com/.
If you’re looking for something to keep the kids busy during a long wait
anywhere from the doctor’s office to the airport, be sure to look into Penny
& Drew’s Penciltips activity books
($4.95). There are actually four different Penciltips books, each containing 40
prompts for kids to use to create original drawings, expand their imaginations
and pass the time. “Draw This!” features drawing tips suggesting animals,
people, activities, vehicles, food and funny thoughts to illustrate, such as
“reading by the light of the moon.” “Animal Alliteration” presents alliterative
prompts to get kids’ pencils going, such as “lions leaning on little ladders.”
“Idioms” asks kids to illustrate such expressions as “raining cats and dogs”
and “opening a can of worms.” And finally, “Transportation” suggests drawing
cars, trucks, space shuttles and more, including a “dump truck unloading
cupcakes.” Purchase all four volumes ($19.95) and receive a set of mini colored
pencils, a sharpener and a handy carrying case. Ages 7-12. Available on http://www.thoughtrockets.com/.
Ahoy, maties! There’re pirate adventures on the high seas with this creative,
crafty book for would-be treasure hunters. Every Kid Needs a Treasure
Hunt ($19.95) by Richard and Candice Elton
gives kids everything they need to set up their own treasure hunt, including
pre-printed treasure hunt cards, blank clue cards to customize for their
special adventure, paper for making maps, a miniature chest to hide the booty,
ideas on making a time capsule, even information on handheld GPS units and how
to use them. Just for fun there are fascinating facts about pirates, maps,
satellites and other treasure hunting lore. Great for kids, of course, this
book will also appeal to teachers and to parents searching for unique birthday
party ideas. Ages 8-12. Published by Gibbs Smith, Publisher, the hardcover, spiral-bound
book is available at http://www.gibbs-smith.com/or
amazon.com.
The art projects decoupage and collage go way beyond the ordinary in Every
Kid Needs Mod Podge ($19.95) by Richard
and Candice Elton. This book shows kids how to decoupage and make a collage,
gives them suggestions for a host of projects and provides most of the supplies
they will need. Included are two bottles of Mod Podge glue, a brush and craft
stick, chipboard shapes, animal print papers and lots of cool patterned papers,
symbols and pictures for kids to clip and use in their one-of-a-kind artworks.
Kids are given instructions in how to decoupage notebook covers, a travel
“memory” box, a nature journal, their sneakers (!), and even a light switch
plate (included in the kit). Other suggestions are included as well, and kids
are encouraged to let their imaginations lead the way. A great rainy day
activity book. Ages 8-12. Published by Gibbs Smith, Publisher, the hardcover,
spiral-bound book is available at http://www.gibbs-smith.com/or
amazon.com.
If you have an aspiring writer in your household, check into Knowledge
Adventure Books by You ($19.99), a
make-your-own-book program online, featuring four engaging, original chapter
books that can be customized based on your child’s personal experiences. Kids
will exercise their imaginations as author/actor John Lithgow asks them
interesting questions and leads them through the process of making a book.
Kids’ answers are woven into the stories to make reading an adventure. Young
authors can print their book at home, save it as a PDF file to email, or have
it printed and published professionally in a bound version. To further
personalize their book they can add an “About the Author” section, include
their own photos, dedicate the book to someone special and help design the book
cover. A great way to encourage reading and writing in your child. Ages 8-up.
Available at http://www.knowledgeadventure.com/booksbyyou.
Kids and chemistry—the Museum Tour catalog offers three kits that will foster
the perfect chemistry between your child and the science of chemistry and
experimentation. Kitchen Chemistry
($29.95) features a CD-ROM that shows kids how to concoct invisible ink,
flowing volcanic “lava” and more. The kit includes beakers, test tubes and a
plastic volcano. Using Smithsonian Institution’s Super Bounce Balls
Kit ($29.95), kids combine water and
non-toxic polymer powder to make up to ten bouncing balls. Kit includes a work
station, molds and all materials. The Smithsonian also offers Gummy
Bug Lab ($29.95) that includes gummy candy
mixture, food color, mixing trays, bug molds and instructions for making their
favorite gummy “bugs,” “worms” and other edible creepy crawlies. Ages 8-up. All
three of these kits are available from the Museum Tour catalog, 800-360-9116, http://www.museumtour.com/
It’s elementary! Your youngster can become an amateur detective when she delves
into the Undercover Super Sleuth Kit ($32.95). She’ll discover all she needs to know to create composite
IDs, dust for prints, decipher codes and ask the right questions. Included in
the kit are a hand-held metal sensor, rearview glasses, fingerprint kit,
magnifying glass, secret code wheel, agent ID card and a spy guide book. Ages
8-up. Available from the Museum Tour catalog, 800-360-9116, http://www.museumtour.com/.
Here’s an unusual craft kit sure to please your older, artistic youngster.
Shure’s Leather Stamping Creations
($29.95) contains all the materials for stamping, staining and stitching a
leather wallet, coin purse and keychain, along with several other interesting
projects. The kit includes metal stamps, a wooden mallet, pre-punched leather
pieces, stain and illustrated instructions. Ages 8-up. Available from the
Museum Tour catalog, 800-360-9116, http://www.museumtour.com/.
Sababa Toys has created a game inspired by the New York Times best-selling book
Dragonology The Complete Book of Dragons. Dragonology: The
Game ($34.99) is for the entire family.
Kids and parents travel the world by air, land, sea, hot air balloon, steamboat
and even elephant, collecting information about dragons and mastering them not
by slaying them but with facts. The game includes nine collectible mini
dragons. Ages 8-up. Available at Borders and amazon.com.
You’ve never seen a flower like this one. iflower in motion from Takara ($14.99), a posey in blue, pink or
white, will play your child’s favorite music, display lights that flash to the
beat and wave its “leaves” in time to the music. As it responds to any sound,
this is a terrific interactive nightlight for kids. Ages 8-up. Available at
Discovery Store.
Your child is in for some amusing biology lessons from two sets of colorful
books that feature scientific facts mingled with funny anecdotes and hands-on
activities about how the human body works. Achoo!, Aha!, Wow! and Squirt! ($31.80 the set) delve into the facts on germs, intelligence, the
circulatory system and the five senses. Or choose Baa!, Burp!, Hmmm? and Zzzz… ($31.80 the set) for the skinny on human genetics, digestion, memory
and sleep. Ages 9-14. Available from the Museum Tour catalog, 800-360-9116, http://www.museumtour.com/.
Here’s a twist on our old friend, Mr. Potato Head. Check out the Artoo
Potatoo kit ($9.99). Kids (and adults) can
transform an ordinary potato into an intergalactic hero. Also available—Darth
Tater and Spud Trooper kits. All ages. Available on ThinkGeek.com.
Any child would be thrilled with a Storyopolis Book Bushel ($125). These colorful gift baskets of books are
created just for kids, from newborn through teen. Some featured baskets include
the works of David Kirk, creator of the Miss Spider series; stories by David
Shannon, author of No, David! and Duck On A Bike; and board books depicting the whimsical critters
created by Sandra Boynton for the toddler set. You may also select generic gift baskets based on the
age of the recipient. All ages. Available at http://www.storyopolis.com/.
Electronics
The Kid-Tough FP3 Player ($69.99) from
Fisher-Price is a real digital media player for the younger set. The player
comes with preloaded preschool appropriate songs and stories. Additionally
parents may upload music of their choosing or visit the Fisher-Price Song &
Story Online Store to download songs and stories from popular children’s
artists and authors. The unit features simple controls; a durable,
drop-resistant design; a backlit LCD screen that displays the song/story
titles, plus an icon for pre-readers to identify their favorites; expandable
memory; software; headphones; and a breakaway neck strap for easy portability.
Ages 3-up. Available at WalMart and Toys R Us.
The Kid-Tough Digital Camera
($69.99) from Fisher-Price is a real digital camera designed especially for
little hands. It features a durable, drop-resistant design; a backlit color LCD
preview screen; dual handle grips; two-eye viewing; auto flash; rubberized
outer shell; 8 MB built-in memory for more than 50 pictures; SD card slot for
increased storage capacity; easy navigation menu; USB cord to connect to your
computer for downloading/printing; CD of digital camera software; and wrist
strap. Ages 3-up. Available at WalMart and Toys R Us.
You’ve never seen stick figures like this before. Pick up Cube World ($22.99, set of 2), Radica USA’s hand-held
electronic game cubes, set them next to one another and watch as the stick
figures “living” in each cube interact with figures in neighboring cubes.
Series I houses Dodger and a ball, Scoop with his dog, Slim with a stick or
Whip with a rope. Series II houses Dusty the Clean Freak, Handy the Handyman,
Mic the Musician and Hans the Fitness Freak. Figures may climb into one
another’s cubes for a game of baseball or to play fetch with the dog. Players
who “Play with One!” can play games with the individual stick players. Ages
8-up. Available at WalMart, Target, Toys R Us and on amazon.com.
Remember the long car rides of your childhood and the game 20 Questions? Radica
USA remembers and has gone one better with 20Q ($9.99), a hand-held electronic “artificial
intelligence” that will play 20 Questions with you or your child. Just think of
something, and answer 20 questions until 20Q guesses your thoughts. See if you
can stump 20Q. Ages 8-up. Available at WalMart, Target, Toys R Us and on amazon.com.
It was only a matter of time before an electronic Sudoku game arrived on the market. Radica USA has produced
a hand-held version. Select from thousands of puzzles at four levels of
difficulty. Includes a doodle pen to mark possible answers, an undo button and
a hint button. Set the timer for more challenging play. The perfect gift for
the Sudoku fan on your list. Ages 8-up. Available at WalMart, Target, Toys R Us
and on amazon.com.
Your child becomes an animated movie maker with Marvel Heroes
Ani-Movie studio ($60) from Jazwares, Inc. Using the latest stop
motion, digital technology, kids can select from four backgrounds, set up
two-dimensional characters like Spiderman, the Hulk and others, and move the
figures through their own story scenes. The series of still shots is then
transformed into a fluid movie for all to view on any TV. Ages 8-up. Available
at Toys R Us.
Your youngster will become a movie maker with any one of these Digital Blue
cameras and camcorders: the Pix Click Micro, an ultra-small camera; the Pix-Click
Digital camera with a one-inch color view
screen; the Pix-Max camera with
a 1.5-inch color view screen; and the Disney Princess Digital Movie
Maker digital camcorder. All of these
items come with Disney Pix editing software that invites youngsters to
customize their photos with Disney characters, stamps, frames and more. Prices
range from $19.99-$99.99. Ages tweens-up. Available at Best Buy.
Science has become high-tech with the new Smithsonian Computer
Microscope ($79.99) by Digital Blue. This
microscope connects directly to your PC and displays the magnified image right
on your computer screen. It comes with software that allows your youngster to
view, edit, animate and measure samples, as well as create slideshows or
videos. Ages tweens-up. Available at Best Buy.
Video Games
Backyard Sports 2007 by Humongous, Inc.
has marketed all new versions of its baseball, football and basketball video
games. Backyard Baseball 2007, Backyard
Football 2007 and Backyard
Basketball 2007 feature major league and
professional players as kids. Backyard Sports is the only video game brand to
hold all major league sports licenses, and therefore, you’ll find the players
outfitted in authentic uniforms with actual logos. Highlight players include
St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols (Baseball), Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben
Roethlisberger (Football) and NBA All-Star Paul Pierce (Basketball). Sports and
video game fans on your list are sure to enjoy these kid-friendly, non-violent
and challenging games. All ages. Available for the holiday season at WalMart,
Target and Toys R Us. For more information, visit http://www.backyardsports.com/.
Buena Vista Games has introduced a number of video games this fall featuring
favorite Disney characters. Here are a few:
·Inspired by the Disney Channel program, Disney’s Little Einsteins for Game Boy Advance ($19.99) takes youngsters
through six different types of game play with their friends from the show. Kids
can steer Rocket to avoid obstacles in the air, match pieces of music, dance
over flower buds and bring art to life at two different difficulty level
settings. Ages 4-5. Available at buenavistagames.go.com.
·Kids can join Ariel on two adventures based on the movie The Little
Mermaid. Disney’s The Little Mermaid: Magic in Two Kingdoms for Game Boy Advance ($19.99) invites youngsters to
unlock and solve eight games. Challenges include playing music with Sebastian,
racing with Flotsom and Jetsam and saving Prince Eric from the sinking ship.
Ages 4-6. Or they can uncover a fun mystery with Ariel and her friends in Disney’s
The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure for Nintendo DS ($29.99). Thirteen levels of game play include singing
into the DS mike to unlock clues and using the DS stylus to dig up and polish
sunken treasure. Ages 6-9. Available at http://www.buenavistagames.go.com/.
·Disney’s hit film Chicken Little gives rise to Disney’s
Chicken Little: Ace in Action ($29.99) for
PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS and Wii. Ace, the superhero alter ego of Chicken
Little, and his misfit band of buddies take on Foxy Loxy and her Amazonian
sidekick, Goosey Loosey, who have an evil plan to take over the Earth. Three
game play modes lead players on a thrill ride across the solar system. Ages
6-11 and up. Available at http://www.buenavistagames.go.com/.
NAPPA Looks Out for the Best Buys for Kids
If you haven’t seen just the right gift in our 2006 Gift Guide, check out the
National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) downloadable Shopping List of
the Best Gifts for Kids online. NAPPA is one of the oldest and most
comprehensive awards programs for children’s products, helping parents make the
best play choices for their children. You’ll find the best age-appropriate
toys, books, DVDs, CDs and tech toys to help round out your holiday shopping
list. Visit http://www.NAPPA.Parenthood.com/.
One-of-a-Kind Holiday Card
You know Grandmom and Grandpop are longing
to hear the voices of their far-away grandchildren. Here’s the perfect holiday
card for you to send them and any others on your list who might be missing a
personal connection with your family. Log onto TalkingPix.com and follow the instructions for creating a personalized greeting card
complete with a digital photo that you provide, an audio message that you and
your kids record and a written message especially from you to the lucky
recipient. The price of the card is $6.95 plus shipping. Best of all, the
message can be played over and over again. This is a holiday card that is truly
a gift.
Ways to Save: Bargain Hunter’s Websites
Barry Boone, creator of http://www.DealHunting.com/, has scoured
online and retail outlets across the country for coupons and great deals, and
he shares them on this website. You’ll find savings on clothing for the whole
family, toys, electronics, sporting goods and much more, from scores of
companies, including Children’s Place, Fashion Bug, The Gap, J.C. Penney,
Nordstrom, Old Navy, Toys R Us, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Linens n Things and many
more. Carve out a half hour or more, grab something warm to drink, and sit down
to browse this comprehensive website loaded with bargains.
Also visit the following websites for coupons and other promotions:
http://www.currentcodes.com/
http://www.valpak.com/
http://www.dealcoupon.com/
http://www.gottadeal.com/
Savings on Video Games
If you’re shopping for a gift for a video
game fan, or you are one yourself, don’t miss all that www.sayswap.com has to offer. Here you can buy or trade games at
greatly reduced prices. Post your list of games to sell or trade and the list
of new-to-you games you’re looking for. Sit back and await an offer. Gamers of
all ages can also write blogs and share tips with, or read hints from, other
players.
Smart Holiday Spending
Having looked over this vast array of
gifts, is your head spinning? Are you wondering where to begin?
The folks at Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, Inc., a nonprofit
educational credit counseling and debt management organization, have some
practical advice in their Holiday Survival Guide.
You can download a free copy of the guide online at www.ConsolidatedCredit.org.
Here is just a brief summary with a few tips, hints and warnings from CCCS to
keep in mind.
·Begin your shopping by making a holiday giving budget, and do your best to
stick to it. You may want to ask adult family members to set spending limits on
gifts or to consider drawing names for giving. Let your youngsters know that
there is a budget for their gifts, and ask them to prioritize their wish list.
You might want to give them gift cards for some of the items on their lists and
hit the mall after the holiday for great bargains.
·Before setting out to shop, make a list of those you are buying for, with
possible gift purchases, each marked with a dollar limit. Check newspapers,
catalogs and ads to determine where you need to go to buy and which stores have
the best prices on the items on your list. Start your shopping early enough so
that there is plenty of time to comparison shop.
·Keep track of how much you’ve spent. And remember, things such as taxes, gift
wrap, postage and shipping all add up—budget for them also.
·Consider using cash in lieu of credit. Decide how much you want to spend and
take just that amount of money with you shopping. Or use debit cards or your
checkbook.
·If you decide to use plastic, use no more than two credit cards—one with a low
rate for any purchases that you may need to pay for over a period of time. CCCS
recommends that you keep in mind “…you are the best judge of what you can
comfortably manage. Just because you have a certain amount of credit available,
doesn’t mean you should use all of it between Thanksgiving and New Years.
Remember: Never borrow more than you can reasonably pay off. Giving gifts should
be a gesture, not a sacrifice.”
·If you are shopping online, use credit cards. If you’re scammed, you generally
are not responsible for any more than $50. Shop at companies you’re familiar
with. And, most importantly, when you enter the shopping cart or the e-commerce
area of a site, remember that secure servers show “https” instead of “http” at
the beginning of their website’s address or URL. Don’t include credit card
information or personal information such as social security numbers in an
email—legitimate shopping websites use special forms. Stay away from
unsolicited email offers as they are often scams.
With a lot of planning and a little common sense, your holiday shopping can be
a pleasurable prelude to the delight of the season.
