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OCTOBER 2005

Smart Gifts for Learning and Fun

By Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D (Dr. Toy)

Looking for unique gifts anytime, especially for use in classroom or home, or for the holidays, is easier with this guide to products offering fun and extra value. These carefully selected gifts offer diversity and skill building plus plenty of playtime for the young at heart to last well into New Year.

Manatees Scramble Squares® helps player learn about endangered, highly social warm water sea mammals with colorful, easy to play, hard to solve nine 4”x4” piece brainteaser. Puzzles teach patience, perseverance plus thinking while keeping everyone entertained. 100 different styles of art work available. Ages 4 and up. $7.95 b.dazzle 800-809-4242 www.b-dazzle.com

Teddy, an innovative toy, helps child learn colors, shapes, visual discrimination and counting. Teddy is a teaching bear with 24 two-sided game cards that fit on Activity Pad. Place card on Activity Pad and turn color-coded dial to match the card. Look at question then place Teddy on answer square. If you are correct, Teddy lifts his flag. Complete with 200 questions and card inside card storage. Ages three to ten. $19.99.Educational Insights 800-995-4436 www.edin.com

Sequoia Tree Wildlife a colorful plush tree stands 17 inches tall with six realistic wildlife finger puppets who make it their home. Included are an owl, bear, blue jay, squirrel, hare, and fox that can be poked in and out of a variety of holes throughout the branches and around the tree’s base. This unique Sierra Club sponsored interactive play set will expand communication skills while learning about nature and conservation. Ages three to adult. $40.00 Folkmanis 800-654-8922 www.folkmanis.com

Reading Roadway USA™ is an excellent board game to strengthen reading and geography. Travel around the USA discovering fascinating facts while building reading comprehension skills. Players take turns spinning and moving their cars across the country reading aloud fun-filled facts based on state they land on. The first person to comprehend and correctly answer trivia question collects a souvenir. Watch out for the tornado; if that is what you spin, or you could go whirling! The first player back to their home state with 4 souvenirs wins the game. This colorful board game of the United States includes spinner, trivia cards and car pieces. Ages eight to adult. $19.95 Learning Resources 800-222-3909 www.learningresources.com

Lil’ Copter Enhance children’s problem solving and motor skills while having fun learning and building. Brightly colored helicopter with real working propeller enriches children’s imagination while allowing them to become an imaginary pilot. This set includes 15 Maxi Mega Bloks® pieces to build a heliport and one articulated Block BuddiesT figurine. Ages one to five years. $9.99 Mega Bloks 1800-465-MEGA (1800-465-6342) www.megabloks.com

Rescue Pets are battery-operated pets waiting to be adopted and nurtured. Children safely can play and take their new pets along wherever they go. Rescue Pets feature sounds and movement activated by motion sensor, so they respond when anyone is around. Each interactive pet comes with a collar, tag and adoption certificate. This dog is huggable with soulful eyes, wagging tail and moving head. Requires three “AA” batteries (not included). Ages three to adult. $19.99 MGA Entertainment 800-222-4685 www.rescue-pets.com

Toy Creator - Real Toy Maker is an innovative new product to encourage creativity as child makes their very own toy that really works. Invent new toys or modify existing toys with Flip Faze™ technology that allows the flexible materials to change shape and color by using warm tap water as child is amazed at magical transformations. Product comes with five ColorTwist strips and connectors, changing molding material in three colors, plastic mold for spinning tops, plastic mold for wheels, wooden rods, felt-tip marker and step-by-step workbook Ages six to twelve. $12.98. University Games 800-347-4818 www.ugames.com

V.Smile Pocket Learning System is a new learning system for language, math, vocabulary and problem solving skills. Hand-held video game system teaches skills like telling time and much more. It provides wireless play on a LCD screen. Game time turns into brain time with multi-curricular activities with exchangeable ‘Smartridges™’ with three to four Learning Zone activities. Navigate each game by using a hand-held joystick with oversized buttons easily adapted for right and left handed players. The pocket sized toy is easy to take along for on-the-go fun. Ages five to twelve. $89.99 VTech Electronics 800-521-2010 www.vtechkids.com#

Stevanne Auerbach, PhD/Dr. Toy is author of Dr. Toy’s Guide (www.drtoy.com) and Dr. Toy’s Smart Play/Smart Toys (www.educationalinsights.com).

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