gift guide

BY ELENA EPSTEIN, DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL PARENTING PRODUCT AWARDS TOP HOLIDAY GIFTS

NPPA BUILDS, TESTS AND PLAYS WITH SCORES OF TOYS AND FAMILY PRODUCTS TO FIND THE BEST.

f you’re going to plunk down serious dough, or any dough, for your little ones’ holiday joy, you want to know that the gifts you’re buying are worth it. That they aren’t a struggle for mom or dad to put together. And that they’re fun. The National Parenting Product Awards does all the work for you. Their staff finds lots and lots of toys, opens them up, assembles them when required, tests them and asks kids and families to play with them. Then they make their recommendations. Here are their top holiday gifts. Find more all year long at nappaawards.com.

GIFTS THAT LIGHT THE WORLD

Kindness Cards for Kids: 52 Ways to Make Every Day a Little Better • An insightful and timely deck that shares different ways kids can practice being kind to themselves, their families, their communities and the planet. Offers a simple reflection or activity that helps develop compassion, empathy, courage and responsibility. $18.95, ages 5-9 and parents, shambhala.com.

'All the Ladies' • Singersongwriter Joanie Leeds’ ninth album features a new collection of songs focused on gender equality, female empowerment and breaking glass ceilings. $10, ages 5-8, joanieleeds.com. Healthy Roots Dolls • Meet Zoe, who has learned to love her hair, specially designed with curl power that allows it to be washed and styled with real products. She wants all kids to love their curls, too. $79.99, ages 6+, healthyrootsdolls.com.

Accordionly: Abuelo and Opa Make Music • When both grandpas visit at the same time, they can’t understand each other’s language and there is a lot of silence. The grandson’s clever thinking helps find a way for everyone to share the day together as two cultures become one family. $14.99, ages 4-8, apa.org/pubs/ magination.

UNBOX THE SURPRISE

Rainbow Jellies • Create your own collection of squishy characters. Inside the cloud full of surprises, reveal and select a sweet face, tuft of floofy hair and magic goo. $19.99, ages 6+, spinmaster.com. The Animal • An unboxing truck where The Animal can claw and climb over anything in its way — including its own box. The Animal transforms from powerful 4×4 truck to beast. The Animal can be placed back inside its box and the entire unboxing can be repeated over and over again. $39.99, ages 4+, spinmaster.com.

Go! Go! Cory Carson Cory’s Stay & Play Home • Explore every room with Cory, Mama and Chrissy Carson mini characters in this 360-degree playset. Built just for cars with a pretend bathtub car wash complete with scrub brush, ramps and more. Place any SmartPoint character (sold separately) on the SmartPoint location to hear them talk, play music and light up. $39.99, ages 2+, vtechkids.com.

Hatchimals Pixies Riders • These figures feature fluttery wings, poseable heads and legs, and come with a matching Glider they can really ride! $14.99, ages 5+, hatchimals.com. Blue’s Clues & You!

Dance-Along Blue

Plush • This plush includes

Josh’s Handy Dandy Guitar as a controller. Press the button on the guitar for sounds and motion. Blue dances along to the music, moving her head and lifting her ears and paw up and down. $49.99, ages 3+, justplayproducts.com.

Ryan’s World Mystery spy mission with this large surprise-filled vault and discover “Ryan’s World” inspired surprises inside. $39.99, ages 3+, justplayproducts.com.

FUN FRIENDS WITH

Pets Alive Fifi the Flossing Sloth • Get ready to floss like a boss. Mimicking one of the most iconic dances of the decade, Fifi’s hilarious floss movements, cute blinking eyes and butt wiggle are sure to get everyone up dancing. $24.99, ages 3+,

Spy Vault • Go on a secret target.com.

MAKE THEM LAUGH

Artsy Fartsy potty-trained flamingo sings, dances, chats back, eats and poops. Feed Sherbert his flamingo food and he wiggles his neck. When he sings a signature “Uh Oh, Gotta Go!” jingle, grab the included potty to catch his squishy, neon poop, which is reusable, so you can “do-do” it again. $29.99, ages 4+, walmart.com

• From dragons to dog farts, not much is off limits in this fastpaced, hilarious game where you draw, guess and steal clues. $24.99, ages 10+, artsyfartsygame.

Little Live Pets Gotta Go Flamingo • This com. Cool Maker Hollywood Hair • DIY studio that lets you design your own hair extensions. Load the hair ribbon, press the button and watch as it magically transforms into a cute hair extension. Comes with curler and spray bottle. $24.99, ages 8+, spinmaster.com.

Kinetic Sand Sandwhirlz Playset • Use the Sandwhirlz tool to reveal a surprise shape and flow of Kinetic Sand. Inspired by the drop and squish play pattern, reload the cylinders again and again for endless play. $19.99, for all ages, kineticsand.com.

Octobo, The Tech Toy That Teaches • Storytelling meets creative technology with this characterbased play platform that transforms screen time into customized, active play time with lovable interactive plush toys. Filled with games, stories and learning adventures. $139, birth-age 7, thinker-tinker.com.

Spirograph Scratch & Shimmer • Create amazing art in a whole new way. The glitter gears and wheels can be used with your own pens and markers on regular drawing paper as well. $19.99, ages 8+, playmonster.com.

GET CREATIVE

KidiZoom Creator Cam • Create awesome videos with this high-definition video camera kit. Use the included green screen and 20+ animated backgrounds to get chased by a T-Rex, go to outer space or make yourself disappear. Set up your shot with the tabletop tripod/selfie stick and built-in microphone, then use the easy on-screen editing and creativity tools to create trick shots and time-lapse video. $59.99, ages 5+, vtechkids.com.

FUN AND LEARNING

Roybi Robot • Sleek and adorable with over 500 lessons, including language learning, basic STEM, stories, games, and songs with the power of AI. $199.95, ages 3+, roybirobot. com Telly Jr. Teaching Time Clock • Learn to tell both analog and digital time using two learning modes. $27.99, ages 3+, thelearningjourney.com.

High Contrast Baby Pack • A whimsical collection of seven highcontrast cards and two books that support a child’s development from the earliest weeks of life. $16.99, ages birth+, bananapanda. com.

Real-Action Fire Engine • Features a ladder that extends to over 2 feet high and rotates a full 360 degrees, a retractable fire hose and more. The truck opens to reveal an exciting command center with all kinds of authentic details built right in — from a radio and a computer to tools and gear. $49.99, ages 3+, lakeshorelearning.com.

My Fairy Garden Fairy Light Garden • A toy that’s also a real, live garden.

It features a charming fairy house that lights up like magic and an area to grow plants and a small pond with a working water wheel. $29.99, ages 4+, playmonster. com. ON Disney Hocus Pocus: The Game • Work together to stop the Sanderson sisters from draining the lives of Salem’s children by ruining their potion before the sun rises. $19.99, ages 8+, amazon.com.

IMAGINATIVE PLAY

Squeakee the Balloon Dog • An interactive balloon pet that’s part dog, part balloon. Bursts with personality with over 60 sounds and movements — barking, sitting and scooting. Includes multiple touch sensors and responds to voice commands. $59.99, ages 5+, squeakeepets.

GAME

com. BUILDZI • A faststacking, nerve-racking, block-building game. $24.95, ages 6+, ilovetenzi. com.

Trailz • A lighthearted take on a strategy game where teams of shrooms and slugs face off to outsmart and out-maneuver each other. $14.99, ages 7+, playmonster.com.