5 Great Gifts for Your 3-Year-Old

Here are our top picks — 1. Fisher-Price Classic Doodler (Magna Doodle) – Here’s a toy that will satisfy your child’s creative side, as well as keep you (the parent) happy due to its portability and the fact that it’s noise-free. 2. Mega Bloks 200-Piece Duffle Bag – While some 3-year-olds are ready for the smaller sized Legos, many younger 3’s will have an easier time building with the larger Mega Blocks. They’re similar to Lego’s Duplos, but cheaper! 3. Pretend Food – There are dozens of companies that offer make-believe food of varying quality, but you really can’t go wrong with any of the Melissa & Doug products. There are wooden fruit cutting sets, pizza sets, an ice cream parlor, and more. Some are wooden, some are plastic, all are high quality and loads of fun for the 3-year-old who loves to play in the kitchen. 4. A Tricycle – Most 3-year-olds aren’t quite ready for a bike, but have long lost interest in the ride-on toys of their youth. A tricycle is an excellent transitional bike and come in various sizes. We like the Radio Flyer Classic Red Trike. 5. Classic Board Games – Congratulations! Your child is finally

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Toy for Life: Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Classic Doodler with 2 Stampers

Are you looking for the perfect gift for your kid that will last for years? The Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Classic Doodler (also known as a Magna Doodle) is a sure-thing kid-pleaser for children between the ages of 2 and 7. (If you are new to the world of toys, then I will just tell you that this is a good thing; many toys will only appeal to your kid for a year or two, if even that long.) The Classic Doodler is portable, with convenient carrying handles. Your kid will use this magnetic doodling tablet on the couch, in bed, in the car, at a restaurant, in the doctor’s waiting room, on an airplane, on the toilet — have I made my point yet? The Classic Doodler comes with a magnetic pen and 2 stamps — a circle and a triangle. Your kid doodles and then erases his/her creation by sliding the eraser along the bottom of the doodler. And then the fun begins again.  My kid can sit for about 30 minutes uninterrupted drawing on her Magna Doodle. That’s a long time in the life of an attention-span-challenged 3-year-old!

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Top 10 Gifts for a 0-6 Month Old

Your friend/sister/neighbor/co-worker just had a baby. Stop giving yourself a headache thinking about what to buy. These 10 items are sure-things — baby, as well as mom and dad, will love them! 1. Sophie the Giraffe – A classic, must-have, 100% rubber teething toy. She squeaks, she’s cute, and she always makes an excellent gift. (Plus, at a whopping $22, any parent would be crazy to buy this on their own at a time when they’ve got so many other new expenses.) 2. Fisher-Price Precious Planet Kick and Play Piano – This, as well as other “crib toys,” are excellent gifts for new babies. All parents want their babies to love their cribs, and what better way to help them along than to transform the crib into a fun (yet not overstimulating) space? This one safely secures to the crib and will continue to please your baby throughout her crib years. (I also highly recommend getting a crib mirror, like the Sassy Baby Sweet Dreams Crib Mirror. 3. Lamaze Playhouse Gym – Here is a baby gym that will grow with your child. It comes with 5 removable toys, folds up into a playhouse (that an older baby would enjoy

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Kid Puzzles: The Good, the Bad, and the In-Between

First, let’s talk about what makes a good puzzle and what makes a bad puzzle.  A good puzzle must have 2 things to fall into the “good” category: It must have pieces that are neither too thick not too thin so that they interlock nicely and then stay interlocked as you slide them across the floor or table. Pieces that are too thick make for clunky interlocking; you don’t want to have to exert force when doing a jigsaw puzzle. If the pieces are too thin, then they won’t stay put after you’ve put them together.  Second, the pieces must be cut well. There should be no pieces that are cut the same as another (or worse, as 1/2 the puzzle). Each should have a unique cut so that when it’s put together you know that the piece is right — not just because the picture matches up, but because it fits snugly into place.  Which leads to the third criteria: The puzzle should be cut in a way that the picture can be made. In other words (and this just applies to kid puzzles, whereas the first two criteria apply to all puzzles), the puzzle should be cut so

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Sophie the Giraffe: What’s the Big Deal?

I couldn’t resist. I needed to see what all the hype was about. I’d seen Sophie the Giraffe at other people’s houses, and didn’t get what the big deal was. But, I thought, maybe you had to OWN a Sophie to truly understand. Sophie the Giraffe Okay, so now I own one. And I still don’t get it. I mean, it’s a cute rubber toy, but it’s really nothing special. In fact, it doesn’t seem much more impressive than any cheap dog chew toy…and Sophie isn’t cheap. I finally snagged my Sophie the Giraffe because I saw it on sale on Amazon for $17. $17 for a chew toy! (Usually it’s at least $22.) Some very lucky Frenchman hit the jackpot when his silly little teether became trendy. Now, here’s the embarrassing part: After making it very clear that I am not impressed with Sophie, I do have to admit that owning Sophie makes me feel like part of some posh club. Here’s a guess: I bet that among the people who own Sophie the Giraffes, there are more Bugaboo owners than there are Graco owners. Or, put another way, I’ll bet that Bugaboo owners are much more likely to

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Playskool Step Start Walk ‘n Ride: The Real Deal

Sit… My mother-in-law recently bought the Playskool Step Start Walk ‘n Ride (bought used for like $5), and while it’s too small for my 2.5 year old, I do still think it’s a good product and look forward to using it next time we’re here, when Meira starts to walk. …or stand! It’s a great option for those who like to get the most product for the least amount of money. For $20 you get a ride-on toy + a pushing toy + a developmental toy with lots of fun things to push, turn, spin, and rattle. With just the squeeze of a level, the toy converts from something to sit on into something to walk with. It’s colorful, it’s durable, and it’s the perfect size for a first ride-on. The Playskool Step Start Walk ‘n Ride gets my vote!

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Step2 Easel for 2: The Real Deal

This truly is a deal. When searching for the *perfect* easel, I had two things in mind — cost (of course) and versatility. In other words, I wanted an easel that was had a lot to offer at a low price. Step2 Easel for Two The Step2 Easel for Two is a two-sided easel, with a chalkboard on one side, a white board/magnetic board on the other, clips for holding paper on the top of both sides, and a tray that extends from one side to the other (which means that there’s storage space in the middle, underneath the easel, too).It also comes with a package of foam alphabet and number letters for use on the white/magnetic board. And price-wise, I think $40 is reasonable. (Note: The pink easel is cheaper than the blue one.) Most importantly, Hila loves it.

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Baby Things I Want: SKIP*HOP Baby Products

Skip Hop Mud Dot Bedding I have never been one for “cutesy” baby things.  I think frogs are kind of neat in ponds, but not on crib bedding.  I adore ducklings, but I don’t see where they have a place in fashion.  Most people probably disagree with me, as evidenced by the overwhelming majority of mainstream baby products being “cutesy.”  For those of us who just can’t stomach the clowns and bunnies; however, there are very few options. This is especially true with boy products, for which I am currently shopping.  With my daughters I could get away with floral or more traditional fabrics and décor.  But, I am finding it much harder to shop for my baby boy, due in two months.  Unless I want to spend five times more money on couture baby products than those found inmainstream stores, I am left with frogs, ducks, choo choo trains, sports themes and  cartoon characters. Which is why I was ecstatic to come across SKIP*HOP baby products.  They feature fresh, modern concepts that are great for boys and girls.  While there are some Skip Hot Playspot Interlocking Tiles animals, they are a lot more hip than other brands (i.e., a

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