Ages 4 - 8
 Mr.
Potato Head Darth Tater (Hasbro)
Ages 3-5 ($8.99) If you loved Mr. Potato Head you and your grandchildren
will just love Darth Tater. Darth Tater is fun to play with and the kids
love him. Older kids will know who the character is, younger ones won't --
yet, but they will soon. Parents seemed to enjoy this one as much as the
kids - perhaps it is because they are Star Wars fans. Not sure whether to
give it or save it - go ahead and save it - it's sure to be collectible one day!
 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Combat Warriors
(Playmates) Ages
4+, $9.99 The Turtles are still around and they are still hot!
Based on the new animated series, these 5" figures are poseable, come with
weapons and provide hours of pretend play. Our testers a group of boys
aged 4 and up had a blast with their "Turtles" playing outside doing Ninja
moves, fighting and punching.
 Clickits
Cool Room Décor (Lego)
Ages 6+, $9.99 Our testers just love
Clickits. They had fun creating their own picture frames, jewelry and
boxes. Our testers thought that they were really fun and enjoyed making
what they wore. These sets make for great rainy/snowy day activities.
Fantastic Four Series II 6" Figure: Mr. Fantastic
(Toy Biz) Ages 6-8 $8.99 Our testers
had a blast bringing these 6" figures to life replicating the action of the Fantastic 4 movie.
They come in all the characters including: The Thing, Invisible Girl, and the Human Torch.
Most figures have some type of additional feature and they are well designed for
the rigors of play. They are a great value and provided our testers with
hours of fun!
 Magic
Washcloths (BasicFun)
All Ages, $3.00
These washcloths make bathtime and cleaning fun! They
start out small (perfect size for mailing, stockings or hiding) and when dropped
in the tub expand to full 12" x 12" washcloth size. They come in
a couple of fun styles including Build-A-Bear, Tonka, Hello Kitty (pictured) and
My Little Pony.
X-Pod Aqua (Lego) Ages 6+,
$3.49 The X-Pods make great stocking stuffers. They are small enough
to ship, portable and our testers loved them. They liked the satisfaction
of creating something quickly that could then be played with or displayed.
Our testers like that there are so many choices to build and all of those selections are very easy to build. It also goes into a small carrying Pod.
Also, at $3.49 it won't break the bank - you can get all the
varieties.
  Rescue
Heroes Micro Adventures: Underwater
Nightmare & Deluxe
Avalanche Playsets (Fisher
Price) Ages 3-9 $9.99 - $14.99)
Do you have a grandson that loves
Rescue Heroes? Well these new playsets are just the perfect size to bring
to grandma & grandpa's house. Our testers, three boys ages 4 &5
just love these sets. Some of our testers packed them in a backpacks with
all the figures and vehicles and brought them everywhere. In fact,
according to one tester her son even brings them to bed. They are a little
bigger then your normal travel toy, but considering the hours of play they have
been getting they are well worth a little extra effort. Some of the sets
even come with DVD's that tell the stories of the sets.
 American Girl
Talk to Me™ Lip Balms: $4.00 These are probably the best lip balms to soothe
chapped lips. They come in delicious flavors like tropical, raspberry, watermelon, and vanilla
and they are smooth and creamy. They make great gifts -- especially during
the harsh winter months. The girls will feel grown up, but there's no
color. Our testers ranging in age from 6-10 loved them!
Madagascar
- Marty Aqua Pets (Wild
Planet) Ages 6-12, $9.99 Don't let the name fool you - these aren't
real pets, but your kids will treat them like they are. Our 7-year-old
tester had a blast with her Madagascar Aqua Pet. They come to life as you
interact with them. You can "feed" them "talk" to them
etc. Our tester said she'd like to collect them.
 Color
Explosion (Crayola)
(Ages 6+) $7.99 Our testers (and parents) just LOVE this product.
First it's really cool and secondly there's no mess! Our testers, who
loved scratch art, really love this because it's easy and fun. They could
make a variety of designs or use the enclosed stencils. Each pack comes
with tons of paper and three markers so you won't run out. Just be careful
not to touch the paper with wet hands it will ruin the paper. The sets
should be stored in the enclosed ziploc bag. It's a really great, creative
gift -- that will of course will keep giving since we're sure that Grandparents
will receive more refrigerator art as a result!
 Crayola
Electronic Coloring Book (Techno
Source) Ages 3 -5, $9.99
This is a great gift for any child who loves coloring, puzzles or just watching
TV. It connects directly to your television so it is very easy to install and
mastering the controller took our four year old tester no time at all. You can
choose from puzzles, connecting the dots, or just coloring and each choice
provides at least a dozen different images to choose from. In addition there are
at least ten different color "paints" to use, plus an eraser in case
your child changes his mind about whether to paint his whole picture pink or
just the whale that is in the middle. It's so nice to have a child be creative
while sitting in front of the television. In fact, according to the mother of
our tester, her son has been asking in the mornings if he could "color on
the TV" instead of watching a show and that tells our mom-tester it's a
good investment by far.
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