Portable Puppets™ Lilypad Pals™ (Manhattan Toy Co) Ages 3+, $20.00
"These are a great pretend play toy" reports our teacher reviewer. "Our testers aged 3+ just had a blast playing with these cute little finger puppets. Although they are great for school, they are also perfect for traveling!" The soft lily pad case holds three frog finger puppets.

Pirate Quilted Kids Backpack (Chocolate Cake Club) Ages 2+, $24.00
"I love this knapsack," raves our mom reviewer, "not only because the Pirate is absolutely adorable, but also because it is all cotton so it is easily thrown in the wash. It has adjustable straps (so it should last for the next few years), has an easy closure (so children can put stuff in and out themselves), and it is so fashionable that I want to use it for myself! We've been taking it to the library to fill with books as well as to the park to carry our trucks and balls. My son even wears it around the house! This is a sweet knapsack that will definitely stand the test of time."

Duck Suitcase (Sassafras Enterprises) $20.00
"This is SUCH a cute suitcase!" raves our mom tester.  "Both of my children now have them.  I had to buy the frog for my son after my other son got the duck to review! My older son uses it to bring his stuff back and forth to pre-school and my youngest carries it around on his back filled with toys.  (He likes to be just like his big brother).  All of the animals are beautiful, made out of rainproof gear (so easily cleaned)  and just the right size for a road trip or an overnight trip.  Plus, they easily transfer from a backpack to a suitcase, which is great for when children feel the need to bring "one more toy" to Grandma's house and the pack gets too heavy to carry.  Definitely going to buy more of these as gifts."
 

Moonlight Bears & Bunnies (Kaloo) Newborns+, $60.00
"This soft and cuddly bear is a great gift for a infant or toddler.  My son is afraid of the dark so this was great for him! This ultra soft bear has a removable, rechargeable light in his belly which allows my son to see  at night.  It has definitely given him some comfort.  The light is much more pleasing than a bright night light!  This is a great gift to give -- or receive! If you're giving it as a gift it comes in a really nice gift box so it doesn't require much wrapping!"

Bing Ding – The Original Balancing Clowns (Back To Basics Toys) Ages 5+, $13.99
"What fun, so much better than the boring old blocks we played with" reports our mom tester.  "Both my sons, ages 5 and 3, loved this toy. The set includes 9 colorful wooden clowns that you can stack and balance in many different and gravity defying ways. The toy held their attention and even inspired them to take turns! Our only suggestion would be to make the set larger to include more clowns so we can build even bigger clown towers!"
 

Alphabet Flash Cards (Back To Basics Toys) Ages 12months+, $19.99
"These flashcards are so beautiful that I didn't want to take them out of the box!" reports our mom tester.  "They are extra thick with a big vintage style letter on one side and beautiful illustrations on the back. My son is currently learning a different letter a week at his pre-school so these are perfect for him. I take one card out every Monday and leave it out on the counter so that he can practice his letter sounds, tracing and letter recognition. At the end of the week we add the last letter to the row we have hung up in his playroom so that he can remember the alphabet and I can enjoy the illustrations. A beautiful gift for any preschooler."
 

Picnic Game (eeBoo) $14.95
"I love eeBoo!" raves our mom tester.  "They come out with such beautifully illustrated and imaginative toys for children and this is one is no exception. It comes with punch out cards for a main course, vegetable, dessert, utensils, plates and beverages for four players and a little picnic blanket upon which to set your meal. Children spin the dial to see what part of the picnic they can add to their plate and allows them to change their mind about their choices (as we all know children do every day in real life), as well as watch out to make sure ants don't eat their lunch. My child played this with his friends in his pop-up tent while "camping out" in our living room. A very sweet game that appeals to both boys and girls who like imaginative play."  Note: This is an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award Winner!   Ages 3+

123 Maxi Patapouf Bear Chair (Kaloo) Ages 1+, $70.00
If your toddler grandchild is looking for a soft chair to call their own you won't go wrong with this one!  The Patapouf chairs are extra soft, perfectly sized and cute as can be!  "This adorable little beanbag chair was perfectly sized for my 2-year-old," commented our mom-tester.  "It's his favorite place to sit and read.  I just love the colors, the sweetness and I love the fact that there isn't anything 'commercial' in the design.  It's a great gift!"  Dimensions: D 20 x W 20 x H 17 in.

Pirates of the Caribbean & Little Mermaid Snow Globes (Disney Store) Price range: $64.50-$114.50
Here's a great gift for either a snow globe collector, or a grandchild that you'd like to inspire to start collecting.  Our 10-year-old reviewer was thrilled to receive this fabulously detailed snow globe featuring the Black Pearl and Davy Jones.  She loved the fact that the song it plays ''Yo Ho; A Pirate's Life for Me'' and has a blower to move the "snow" so you don't have to turn it upside down.  Our 8-year-old reviewer loved the Little Mermaid Snow Globe which features 4 globes and plays "Under The Sea."  She loved the fact that it has so many different globes to view and swirl the snow around in.  Where to buy: Disney Store: For store locations in the U.S. and Canada, call 800-757-5933.

Canvases (Wee Galleries) $38.00
Here's a fun way to give a gift to your grandchild that they can enjoy for years.  Wee Galleries has beautiful canvases like this seahorse that you can give for a reasonable price to your grandchild.  Each canvas is 12x12” and printed on high-quality canvas with UV-resistant inks, so they’ll last for years. There's no glass -- so they are safe for kids rooms.  You can buy just one, or you can buy the whole sea life series.  Also from Wee Galleries are beautiful flash cards.  The boxed set includes boxed set includes a cat, an elephant, a fish, a giraffe, an owl and a snail. Each 5x7" card beautifully finished with matte lamination and rounded corners.
They retail for $12.95.
 

Glow E Bear (Cepia LLC) Ages 3+, $19.99
"This white fluffy, magical light show bear has made a previously challenging bedtime a breeze!" reports our mom tester.  "My 5 year old daughter is afraid of the dark: the hall light, bathroom light and overhead light in her room all need to be turned on at bedtime. I would sneak in and turn off the lights after she fell asleep, but would wake up in the morning to find she had turned them back on. This bear lights up when its paw is squeezed, and turns off after 15 minutes ... which is enough time for her to fall asleep. I couldn't be happier with her new found comfort in this special bear, and the fact we don't need all of the lights on anymore! The bear comes with a book about a little girl Lilly who is also afraid of the dark -- I really think this helped my daughter connect with the bear and feel like it was okay to be a little scared. I do think any child would enjoy this as a gift - my 3 year old daughter, who isn't afraid of the dark, loves it also!"

MummyMaze: The Tomb Treasures Maze Book (Mazeology Press) Ages 8+ , $19.99   
According to our mom tester, "the is a very clever concept and extremely imaginative."  We had two 3rd graders open this book and "attack".  The girls worked on it for an hour or so.  They loved the idea of needing to complete the mazes in order to begin the next one.  At the end of each maze there is a clue as to how to begin the next maze.  Secret codes and puzzles to solve along the way.  Only downfall is the answer key in the back of the book is too accessible!!  They cheated and took a peek much too often.  They should seal up the answers in an envelope or provide them online with secret codes along the way through the book.

Cars Storage Steps (Delta Enterprises) Ages 3+, $19.99
According to our mom reviewer, "this is a great item." She reports that "my kids use it to get into bed, wash their hands at the bathroom sink, and anything else that requires height! It has a cool design (and graphics) and we love t hat it allows for flip up storage under the top step.  Another great feature is the non-slip tread on both steps."
 

Table and Chair Set with Storage and Restickable Figures (Delta Enterprises) Ages 3+,  Prices for the “Cars” furniture collection range from $34.99 to $149.99
Our mother-of-three tester just loved this table and chairs set.  She commented, "I love things that assemble in 2 seconds!  The assembly on this was great.  You pretty much open the box and it's done.  My kids are having a blast with this table, and my 14-month-old thinks it's hers!  She keeps pushing away her older brothers.  My four-year-old who is a complete Cars fanataic absolutely loves it.  I love the hidden toy keep in the center of the table and the of restickable “Cars” figures.  It's a GREAT gift!"

AllyKats Have you ever had to fight with your daughter or granddaughter about brushing her hair?  Well weep no more!  AllyKats has invented a spectacular product that even the moms are using!  It's called Super Spritz and comes in two great scents:  Lily Grapefruit and Apple Blossom.  Hand-made by a mother in Maine, AllyKats is a new, exclusive line of children’s bath and body products sold only in high-end boutiques. Made with high-quality ingredients yet gentle enough for children.  The collection includes: Bubble Bash, a premium bubble bath free of SLS; Super Spritz, a versatile spray to detangle hair AND lightly moisturize tender skin; Squeaky Clean Wash, a body wash AND shampoo; Pixie Powder, a talc-free pink shimmer body powder; LipChick, a smooth tinted lip balm made with natural ingredients and SPF 15 Pearberry Lip Chick and our favorite Sparkling Powder Puffs. Click here to find out where to purchase.