for children

at Wentworth Wooden Puzzles

In addition to the puzzle pieces, the 14 stand-up animals come with flashcards with information and trivia about the featured friends to help your little ones learn. Curator: Phyllis  

at HarperIman Dolls

A mother-daughter team makes 12 different keepsake dolls and will make others to order. Clothes are made specifically for each individual doll from new and vintage fabrics. Astro Lulu suit comes with 3 patches on the suit. These beautiful dolls are intended for light imaginative play. Accessories are also available.  Curator: Phyllis 

at Melissa & Doug

This six-piece play set gives kids all the housekeeping tools they need to clean around the house - which they actually love! It helps them fulfill their natural desire to care for their environment. Curator: Phyllis 

at Norman & Jules

It sings! The young child will be captivated when the tree sprouts soothing tones and mesmerizing movement. Great for hand-eye coordination. Curator: Phyllis 

at Baby Child

It's such fun to use locks like adults do! Your child will learn how to match colors while using fine motor skills to open the locks. Curator: Phyllis  

at Piccolina

GIVES BACK 

Trailblazer Tees, illustrated by noteworthy female artists from across the globe, feature portraits of female visionaries, leaders, and pioneers in their fields. This Mae Jemison tee is just one of many. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the shirts go back to support non-profit organizations that support girls, like Girls Write Now. Happily, the shirts are available in adult sizes too! Curator: Laural

at Eureka Puzzles

Can you help the rabbits jump to safety? Use other rabbits, mushrooms, and even the foxes to hop around and hide the rabbits in their holes. A great travel game that features 60 challenges and a portable carrying case. For ages 7+. Curator: Phyllis

at Maisonette 

Putting together this 80-piece jigsaw puzzle is a blast! The pieces form the shape of a rocket measuring 23x15 inches. Both the rocket shaped box and the individual pieces feature foiling detail that give this gift an extra special touch. And the box looks great on a shelf. For ages 3+. Curator: Laural

by TruBalance

at The Grommet

It takes concentration and coordination to get the unpredictable, rotating magnetic bamboo discs to line up just right. This is the Junior Rainbow edition. Curator: Phyllis  

at National Gallery of Art

Help an interest in birds take flight as young players delight in this fun and educational memory game that matches pairs of beautifully illustrated birds from around the world. To play, place cards face down, try to remember where the match is located, and collect the most pairs to win. For ages 6+. Curator: Laural

at National Gallery of Art

Help an interest in birds take flight as young players delight in this fun and educational memory game that matches pairs of beautifully illustrated birds from around the world. To play, place cards face down, try to remember where the match is located, and collect the most pairs to win. For ages 6+. Curator: Laural

at Magic Beans

Shift blocking cars and trucks out of your way to clear a path to the exit - a fun way to build problem-solving skills. Curator: Phyllis 

at Maxima

The classic game of Crazy Eights is even better with smiling mushrooms and bedheaded scallions. The adorable and inventive fruit and vegetable faces were created by Saxon Freymann (check out his books, too!). Curator: Phyllis  

at Henry Bear’s Park

Roar! Assemble 58 pieces to reveal a giant fire-breathing dragon stretching over 4 feet long. The oversized, durable, glare-free cardboard pieces are designed for small hands and big imaginations. Curator: Phyllis

at Maisonette  

Build your own motorized vehicles and machines, then control them with a wireless remote control unit. The kit comes with three motors, remote control unit, battery holder and 182 building pieces. Once you’ve built the 10 models in the instructions, you are on your way to designing your own remote control creations! For ages 8+. Curator: Laural

at Gamewright

Let the good times roll … sushi roll that is! Immediately approachable, easy to learn, quick to play - all ages will love this unique and delicious sushi-themed card game. It's an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award winner and is Parents Choice recommended. For 2 to 5 players, ages 8 and up. A party version is available for up to 8 players. Curator: Laural

at Eureka Puzzles

A stegosaurus AND volcanoes? How can you go wrong? Crocodile Creek’s Let’s Play puzzles have chunky wooden pieces that are perfect for both early learning and imaginative play. The puzzle also doubles as a wonderful playset with 6 stand-up pieces. Curator: Phyllis

at Magic Beans

Did you know that the Spirograph was invented in the 1880s? The toy has come and gone through the years, but it's back with a simplified design that helps little ones get started on their designs. Psychedelic! Curator: Phyllis

at Eugene Toy & Hobby

Remember this classic? Get ready to  watch, REMEMBER, repeat! Simon is the exciting electronic game of lights and sounds in which players must repeat random sequences of lights by pressing the colored pads in the correct order. The suspense builds as sequences get longer. Curator: Tina  

at Amazon (sorry)

This warm or cool adjustable light comes in 4 sizes. With a USB port and touch control brightness, it's outta this world! Curator: Phyllis  

by Mary Westerhaus 

at Uncommon Goods

Make bath time a science experiment with this volcano that erupts with nontoxic, colorful fizzies. With every splish and splash, your little ones (over 4) will get a little lesson in plate tectonics! ;-) Curator: Phyllis

at Magic Beans

What would a toy selection be without this classic game? Set is a card game of visual perception in which players create sets of cards based on certain features on the cards. Whether you are considering color, number, shading, or shape, the cards will present you with a challenge to create groupings of three. Warning: Adults don’t have the upper hand in this game! Curator: Tina

at Uncommon Goods

H is for hydrogen, C is for carbon, and AU is for gold—which is what you’ll strike when you give this set as a gift. Flipping through the entertaining 16-page book, your favorite budding scientist will meet each of the 118 elements that make up everything in the universe. Curator: Phyllis 

by Möbi 

at The Grommet

Möbi is a fun, fast-paced tile game that helps kids (and grown-ups) learn and apply basic math skills.  Curator: Phyllis  

at The Toy Box

This imaginative design play set includes a corkboard, hammer, templates and 100 wooden tiles. Curator: Phyllis  

at Maisonette

This fun kit introduces curious kids to the world of physics and engineering using the STEM concepts of energy conservation and kinetic energy. Construct the balsa wood coaster and then let the marbles loose! For ages 9+. Curator: Laural 

by Vashti Harrison

at Frugal Bookstore

This beautifully illustrated book introduces readers of all ages to 40 women who changed the world.  Featuring forty trailblazing black women in American history, Little Leaders educates and inspires as it relates true stories of breaking boundaries and achieving beyond expectations. Curator: Phyllis 

by Roger Hargreaves

at Writer's Block Bookstore 

It's been 40 years since Adam Hargreaves asked his father, "What does a tickle look like?" That question inspired Roger Hargreaves to invent Mr. Tickle and all his friends in Mr. Men Land, and those quirky characters have sold millions of copies worldwide since. Mr. Topsy-Turvy and Mr. Silly are 2 of my family's favorites! Curator: Phyllis 

by Roger Hargreaves

at Writer's Block Bookstore  

Little Miss Sunshine is just one of the Little Miss characters who live in Mr. Men Land with a whole lot of charming and zany characters. Printed in small take-along formats, these books are easy enough for young readers, witty enough for humor-prone adults, and highly collectible for one and all. Curator: Phyllis 

by Saxton Freymann, Joost Elffers 

at Writer's Block Bookstore

Who hasn't looked at a fruit or vegetable and seen a funny face? In How Are You Peeling? the "natural personalities" of produce are enhanced with black-eyed pea eyes and a carved mouth, and then photographed in vivid colors. Parents can use these whimsical images to talk about different emotions or to help children to identify and articulate their moods. Adults will just plain be amused. Curator: Phyllis 

by Christie Matheson

at Writer's Block Bookstore

Introduce young children to the delights of birding through author and artist Christie Matheson’s beautifully illustrated picture book. A playful counting text and engaging search-and-find theme provide something new to discover on every page and lead readers to a satisfying surprise. Children will be inspired to return to Bird Watch again and again. Also available at your local independent bookseller. Curator: Laural

by Ellen Jackson 

at Writer's Block Bookstore

See what Cinder Edna can do without the help of a fairy godmother! Like Cinderella, who lives next door, Edna is forced to work for her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. She learns a thing or two from doing all that housework, such as how to make tuna casserole 16 different ways and how to get spots off everything from rugs to ladybugs. Then, the king announces that he will be giving a ball.... Curator: Phyllis

by Jessica Young 

at Writer's Block Bookstore

Follow one girl’s journey through her neighborhood as she explores what colors mean to different people. ls red angry, like a dragon’s burning breath? Or brave like a fire truck and a superhero cape? ls pink pretty or annoying? Brazilian-born artist Catia Chien provides her visual interpretation in this ode to colors and the unique ways we experience them. Curator: Tina