Playmobil Ferrari 250 GTO, Porsche Carrera GT, Volkswagon T1 Camper ($19.99 each)
Something of a cross between a toy and a model, Playmobil’s line of cars have fewer pieces than a Lego and are better designed to be used in active pretend play.
LEGO Star Wars SMART Play Darth Vader's TIE Fighter ($55)
For decades now, LEGO has been trying to figure out how to incorporate hi-tech into its system of plastic bricks. The problem is that their Mindstorm robotic platform however good, is just priced beyond most consumers at $695. LEGO’s newest tech-enabled platform is the still evolving “Smart Play” system which bring lights and sound to enabled kits. Darth Vader’s Tie Fighter brings motion-activated sound and light effects to the model.
Connetix Magnetic Tiles Pastel Ball Run ($99)
If you have a magnetic tile builder in your family, you're going to want to take a look at this new ball maze from Connetix. It's a big set with 106 pieces and 8 wooden balls. The kit was a huge hit with our preschool testers -- but it does require adult participation for younger builders. The ramps need to be snapped into the tiles that have special round holes and grooves to receive them. Our builders also used their stash of tiles to build more robust structures. Everyone was excited with this new take on magnetic tiles -- making it a great parent-child toy. Safety note: The wooden balls are designed for 3 & up -- and need to be kept away from younger children.
Learning Resources Gears Garden Building Set ($39.95)
You probably have heard of STEM-toys; it stands for science, technology, engineering & math. Well, this is a STEM-toy with “stems”. Kids build a base of interconnected, chunky, gears that rotate in unison, like a clockwork. Then, they build flowers out of the brightly colored petals that attach to green stems and to the horizontal “ground” of gears. Once it all is together, cranking the handle makes the flowers spin. I haven’t seen so many “dancing flowers” since the Nutcracker’s famous waltz.
Creativity for Kids Shine Bright Prism Light Unicorn and Dragon ($24.99). Unlike most construction sets, the biggest piece here, the dragon, comes mostly pre-assembled. Kids decorate the dragon with glow-in-the-dark and colored stickers and scales. When done it turns into a night light when you plug it into a (not supplied) USB charger. Blurring the line between art project and construction set, it calls on many of the skills needed for both kinds of projects – fine motor and creativity. 6 & up.
