Furby
Furby is a modern classic. I confess that I grew quite attached to our first Furby. My daughter and her friends like to get their Furbies together. I have to chuckle when we go on a girls' outing, and I see Furbies buckled up in the back seat for a car ride.
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Discovery Whodunit? Forensics Lab
Older kids can still play crimefighter with the sophisticated forensics lab from Discovery Channel Toys. Learn science while investigating six crime cases; the lab has all the tools you need to solve the case. We hope that Discovery publishes additional cases for the toy.
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Prodikeys Musical Keyboard
You and your child will have a blast with this computer keyboard that doubles as a piano keyboard. Of course, it comes with great software to turn your computer into a tool for piano learning and fun.
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Settlers of Catan
Introduce your older child to the new classic in board games. Older board game fans popularized Settlers of Catan and began a wave of European board games to the U.S. Learning to play Settlers of Catan is easy, and game time is perfect for older kids (about 90 minutes). About Board Games says, 'If you've never tried Settlers of Catan, you're missing a stellar gaming experience.' Perfect for a winter evening with family or friends.
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Backyard Camping Tent Set
A backyard camping tent is such an inexpensive gift for the hours of pretend fun it provides your older child. The tent set we found has a sleeping bag, chair, flashlight, and other camping accessories included in the price. During the winter months, it's just as fun to play with inside. Girls and boys love to spend time in their tents; they'll be delighted to get this set.
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Magnetix
Rose Art makes an affordable magnet rod and ball construction set, so you can afford to buy the large set. Older kids will also enjoy the Magnacity set. This is the kind of construction toy that fascinates kids and adults. You'll certainly enjoy playing with it together.
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Nintendo DS
DS for dual screen, this is a new generation of handheld video game that is perfect for elementary-age kids. Get the set that includes Nintendogs and you'll have an electronic pet that is far beyond the simple first generation of Tamagotchi. The DS does play Game Boy Advance games and more games are arriving all the time.
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Only Hearts Club Dolls
For age-appropriate doll play in early elementary school, we like the Only Hearts Dolls much more than Barbie. These dolls are very cute and still have a cool factor with stylish clothes and accessories. Go ahead and get several pieces and your little girl will have hours of pretend play fun.
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Chimalong
Musical toys are some of our favorites. These chimes make pounding out music a bit more bearable for mom and dad. This is a very high quality toy and will probably still be around when you have grandchildren coming to your home.
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Create Anything with Clay
Klutz books are irrestible because of their kid-accessible creative projects, and they include all of the supplies you need. Klutz' first clay-making book was a big hit, and the sequel includes many more creative projects that even a younger child can make.
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