Holiday Gift Guide: Gift Ideas from Education Insights

Looking for some great toys for the younger kids on your list? Here are some that really caught my eye from Education Insights as well as some others.

Dino Construction Company

Can you dig it?  Each Dino Construction Company kid-powered vehicles are built tough for rugged play—indoors or out. Built kid-tough and designed to last for years. Dino track treads leave footprints in sand, dirt or snow. No batteries required. Each individual vehicle is roaring fun! Enhances imagination; encourages creative play; promotes outdoor discovery; develops fine and gross motor skills. Gigantic pieces perfect for small hands to maneuver.The four Dino Construction vehicles are: Wrecker the T-Rex Skid Loader, T-Top the Triceratops Bulldozer, Spike the Ankylosaurus Steam Roller, and Boom the Brachiosaurus Backhoe. For ages 3 and up. SRP: $39.99.

Diggity Dogs and Kitten Caboodle™ games (Sold separately)

We have just the games for cat lovers or dog enthusiasts. The game play is the same for both games: draw from the stack or “go fish” from another player’s hand to collect cards that match all of the pet necessities and accessories of the cat or do you want to adopt. Collect everything the animal needs and adopt it! Adopt the most dogs (or cats) and you win these preschool matching games. Develops matching skills, practice of counting skills, encourages social skills, turn taking and good sportsmanship. Games feature pets crowdsourced from Educational Insights fans. For 2 to 4 players. Ages 4 and up. SRP: $14.99 each.

Some other great ideas:

FOR AGES 3+

GeoSafari® Jr. My First Microscope

A fully functional microscope designed just for little ones! Children learn what a microscope is used for and how to use one while they explore magnified “hidden” worlds. This is not just a toy; it’s a real tool that kids can use to view leaves, rocks, grass blades and more at up to 8x magnification.  The microscope has extra-large eyepieces with no need for adjustment; one size fits all! The two eyepieces maximize 3D effect and eliminate need to close one eye. It has a right-side up and left-right correct, along with simple focusing and it’s a dissecting microscope allowing views of anything in 3D, such as a rock, penny, stamp, leaf, etc.  Introduces kids to a key scientific tool and encourages scientific exploration. For ages 3 and up.  SRP: $21.99. 

Dinosaur Puppet-on-a-Stick (a terrific stocking stuffer)

Meet Buster, Stomper and Crusher! Add this Cretaceous-era trio to your creative puppet shows and your audiences will roar. Two handy ways for little hands to make puppet mouth move: use lever on the back or knob at the bottom of the stick. For and 3 and up. SRP: $29.99 for set of three or $8.99 for individual puppets.

FOR AGES 4+

Design & Drill Socket to Me

Little contractors create their own robot, race car, boat and rocket designs using rugged bolts and a working socket wrench with real ratchet sound and action. Nicely merging early construction with creative play, this Design & Drill set becomes a perfect pretend play set once children have finished their designs. Plus, the bolts are removable for new creative designs to be developed again and again. For ages 4 and up. SRP: $21.99 

Magic Moves® Jammin’ Gym

Magic Moves Jammin’ Gym motivates kids to get moving with fun commands, flashing lights and groovin’ music! Shaped like a standard free weight, Jammin’ Gym includes traditional exercises like jumping jacks and arm curls as well as active breaks with its “Let’s Surf” and “Dance Party” commands. Includes 65 randomly-generated exercises with corresponding tunes. It’s 8"H x 3" (diameter) with rubber grip and tether. Comes with instruction guide and requires 3 AAA batteries (included). For ages 4 and up.  SRP: $21.99 

Robot Face Race Game

A crazy inventor has built dozens of robot bodies and he needs your help finding the perfect heads. Shake the Robot Randomizer to reveal a robot’s features. Scan the robot heads on the board until you find the match. Find it first and collect a robot scoring token. The first player with five tokens wins. For 2 to 4 players. Ages 4 and up. SRP: $19.99. 

Frida’s Fruit Fiesta™ Game

Alphabet & Letter Practice Never Tasted So Sweet! It’s lunchtime in the rainforest and Frida is collecting letters for her little ones. Spin, find, squeeze, and set four letters in a row and be the first to win this fruity preschool letter game. Teaches letters and the alphabet, develops fine motor skills, develops strategic thinking skills and encourages socials skills & turn-taking. For 2-4 players, ages 4 and up. SRP: $21.99. 

Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Card Game

Your furry forest friends are hungry and they need your help! Race the other players to squirrel away the most acorn cards and you win this nutty, fast-action, color-matching game for preschoolers. For 3-6 players. Reinforces color learning; develops matching, sorting, and strategic thinking skills; encourages social skills and turn-taking; and, practices memory and attention skills. Based on The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel, the best-selling, award-winning preschool game. For ages 4 and up. SRP: $9.99.

For Ages 6, 7 & 8

The Riddle Show

Knock, knock. Who’s there? You, hosting your very own comedy show! Friends and family will laugh, giggle, snort, and guffaw as children share more than 145 jokes, riddles and tongue twisters with this talking electronic microphone featuring pre-rec0orded content, music and sound effects. Press a button for a joke or riddle then another for the answer, or try a tricky tongue twister. Also doubles as a working microphone so children can perform their own Riddle Show™. Increases listening comprehension skills, enhances critical thinking skills, builds vocabulary and increased self-confidence & self-esteem. Requires 3 AAA batteries (included). For ages 6 and up. SRP: $21.99 

Kanoodle (the original)

Construct caboodles of 2-D and 3-D puzzles with this brain-twisting solitaire game. Pick a puzzle from the book, set up the challenge, and then place the remaining pieces to solve the puzzle. Hundreds of possible combinations, but only one completes the puzzle! Challenges spatial reasoning skills and enhances critical thinking skills with 101 Brain-building puzzles. Tricky 2-D rectangular and mind-boggling 3-D pyramid puzzles at multiple levels of difficulty. All pieces store inside portable, pocket-size case for easy cleanup and play anywhere.  Includes 12 puzzle pieces and 48-page illustrated puzzle book. For one player, ages 7 and up. SRP: $12.99. 

Kanoodle® Genius (new)

If you’ve mastered the original Kanoodle, it’s time for Kanoodle Genius! Pick a puzzle from the book, set up the challenge, and place the remaining pieces onto the board to solve 200 more mind-bending puzzles.  Both 2-D and 3-D puzzles included. Perfectly portable for brain-building on the go. Develops spatial reasoning skills and exercises critical thinking skills. For one player, ages 8 to adult. SRP: $12.99. 

Buy it:
You can purchase these toys at www.educationalinsights.com, Amazon.com and specialty toy stores.