Top 10 Gifts for Children Ages 8 and Under 

Together Tunes (Neurosmith) Tested at our local Montessori School this soft musical block is a huge hit!  Each side features a classic childhood song like "Pop Goes The Weasel" and "Five Little Monkeys" and is accompanied by surprise activities to explore.  Our testers happen to love "Pop Goes The Weasel" the best.  It is played with over and over again and is hands down a classroom favorite.  It's also won the Oppenheim Platinum Award!  Ages 6 months - 5 years.  $59.95.

 Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set (LeapFrog)  Our testers ages 3 and 5 just love this since it was stuck to their fridge.  They loved pressing the buttons to hear the sounds each letter makes and the fact that music note button plays the Alphabet Song! Their mom loves the fact that it's helping with letter recognition.  Our tester things this is a must-have for any toddler/preschool aged child. Ages 2+, $17.99

Haba Marble Track Construction Set (Haba) This takes building blocks to a whole new level.  The set which comes complete with 42 pieces and 6 glass marbles.  One of the pieces has a little bell on it, that when set up properly rings when the marble goes underneath.  "We never seem to set the track up the same way" said the mother of our 5-year-old tester.  "It was so much fun to try and find new ways to make it work!"  Our testers parents reported that the "nicest thing about this toy was that it was just good old fashioned fun.  No batteries, no complex instructions and the toy wasn't attached to the box with a million different zip ties!  Just open and go!  Ages 3+, $72.99

 Leappad Plus Writing Learning System (LeapFrog) According to our testers mother, her daughter is a bit of a perfectionist.  She loved the fact that she could practice writing and that there was an eraser on the end of the pencil!  What they loved about this was that it was fun and educational.  There are also over 60 books, you are not just stuck with the "new" system books, you can use the Leappad books from the previous systems.  This is a fabulous learning tool that both kids and parents love!  Leap Pad Accessories & Books  Ages 4-8, $59.99

Zingo (ThinkFun)  According to our 4-year-old and 5 1/2-year-old testers, this game is a winner. The concept is easy -- it's a fast-paced bingo game with pictures instead of numbers. Zingo teaches shape and pattern recognition, as well as improving short-term memory skills. Ages 4-8, $14.99

Elefun (Milton Bradley) This game has brought a ton of laughs to all our testers.  They played it outside when it was windy and inside (after all the furniture had been moved!)  They just love the blue trunk that expels dozens of bright colored "butterflies"! The player who catches the most wins, but our testers just had fun chasing them.  Afterwards our testers marched around the room wearing the nets on their heads declaring that they were "Jelly Spotters from SpongeBob"  who knew this game could have two uses!  $20.00

Bug Bingo (Lucy Hammett Games) This classic game of Bingo was given to me a while ago to test and it has been a family favorite ever since.  My daughter has played with Bug Bingo at least once or twice a week since we got it. She says, "it's the best game she has."  Not only has she learned all about insects, but she has also learned what complex words like entomology and metamorphosis mean!  There are also great games like Dog Bingo, Christmas Bingo and more.  These are a great gifts and fun for all!  Ages 3-12. $13.95

Best dolls (and playset)

Formal Funk Runway Disco (MGA Entertainment)  If you want to be the "cool" grandparent this holiday season - get your grandchild a Bratz doll!  Ask any girl between the ages of say 5 and 12 what they want and I'll be shocked if they don't say Bratz dolls.  These dolls are hip, fun and most of all the thing to have this holiday season!  This play set is a disco with real working lights, motorized runway and more! $99.99, Ages 5 and up.  Find everything in the Bratz Store
 

Tie Dye Kit (Francis Family Toys) Without a doubt this is the most fun we have had with a craft kit.  My husband pulled out every white shirt he could find, plus we went to target and bought more for the kids.  Then he set it up in the back yard.  This is definitely a parent/child activity - but oh the reactions!  My kids had such a blast making their tie dyes and they were so proud when they wore them to school.  This is a messy project - but it is wonderful!  We can't wait to do it again!  Kits includes enough dye for 15 adult shirts. For all ages with adult supervision. $20.00  Click here to purchase.

Best Electronic Gadget

Game Boy Advance SP - Cobalt (Nintendo) Although we didn't get to test this, my niece -- and all her friends own them.  She never travels without it.  It goes to restaurants for the wait, long car rides and she plays with it in the evening when her homework is done.  It's her #1 toy! Game Boy Accessories $99.99

Finding Nemo (Walt Disney Home Video) How can you not love Finding Nemo?  I picked this up for my kids the day it was released and they have been GLUED to it every night.   The voices of Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres are really wonderful.  The animation is spectacular, and the story is great.  Note: If your grandchild has issues about death and separation you may want to make sure that they can handle it.  This DVD packed with two CD, DISC 1 Wide Screen, DISC 2 Full Screen. My kids like to watch Full Screen, but my husband and I like Wide Screen and this movie is not just for kids.  The sound is great too! $29.99

Polly Pockets Groovy Getaway Jet (Mattel)  If you have a granddaughter in this age range and they haven't been introduced to Polly Pockets yet they might love them.  

Our tester, a six-year-old, just loved this Getaway jet.  She loved the fact that this Polly has a pet  along with the fun and flexible clothes.  The airplane has an upper and lower deck with places to sit and sleep and plenty of space to store items. Our tester had fun pretending to be jetting to far off lands.  Polly Pockets make excellent travel toys.  What our tester did was use a backpack and extra zip lock bags to hold Polly's little wardrobe bits.  Ages 3 and up, $14.99

Bratz Stylin' Portable CD Player: White (MGA Entertainment) If you are going on long trips and you don't want arguing this is a great bet.  Our testers two sisters listened to music in the car while their mom drove.  Bonus - she got to listen to her own music!  According to her mom, it's a bit pricey at $59.99, but it has everything you'd expect from a portable CD player, including earphones, anti-skip and more.  It also is rhinestone studded for your fashion conscious kid!  The biggest bonus is the 3 headphone jacks which allows 3 to listen at the same time!