Best Preschool Toy Gifts for the Holidays

These offbeat characters won us over and delighted kids, both young and old, with their harmonized notes. 3 years+; $13 each; fisher-price.com

One player hides any household object inside the hat, while the other players have to figure out what's in the hat with the help of yes-or-no cards (think 20 Questions). 3 years+; $20; icandothatgames.com

Pop long-lasting wheelies with this motorcycle -- no expertise necessary. The big buttons are great for remote-control beginners. 3 years+; $25; kidgalaxy.com

Ahoy mateys! Kids take turns balancing cargo on Stormy Seas's artfully designed moving game board. But be careful not to rock the boat, or you'll dump the pieces. 3 years+; $40; hapetoys.com

Crayola's ingenious mess-free-marker formula has found its next niche: stamps. These sea creature stampers only work on the special paper so you don't have to worry about ink stains on your kid's clothes or the couch. 3 years+; $12; crayolastore.com

Proving that video games can be fun and educational, this handheld system is a high-tech tutor that uses amusing activities and graphics to help your child with early reading, math, logic and other skills. And parents can even get an online progress report. 4-9 years; $70; leapfrog.com

Preschoolers spin the wheel to see which animal the arrow lands on. The first kid to find the matching critter card in the room gets to jump on the stomper and launch the frog into the sky. 4 years+; $18; hasbro.com

Everyone's favorite Sesame Street character is teaming up with Play-Doh to teach kids how to recognize different shapes and colors. Press Elmo's hands down to make a dough model and hear what he has to say about your creation. 3 years+; $20; playdoh.com

Our preschool toy testers got super excited trying to stack all the scoops in the order called out by this electronic game. The winner gets the cherry on top. 3 years+; $25; learningresources.com

Forget huge doll houses! This fold-up stage allows your kid to put on Broadway-worthy shows with a variety of back-drops and props. It also includes a sound-effects box to add music, laughter, and applause to his productions. 4 years+; $50; playmobilusa.com

If your child has her eye on your Kindle, she'll dig this sleek gadget, which lets her read interactive stories and play games on its large touch-screen display. 3-7 years; $60; vtechkids.com

Puppy love is guaranteed when your child meets these hip, huggable hounds. 3 years+; $9-16; douglascuddletoy.com

Get your kids to run over to the neighbor's for a cup of sugar in this eco-trendy two-seater: It's Power Wheels' longest running (and possibly coolest) car ever, thanks to its innovative battery. 3 years+; $250; fisher-price.com

Kids sort the clothes hidden inside the dryer with just their sense of touch. Find the most matching pieces to win. 4 years+; $30; educationalinsights.com

Your child can cook you dinner tonight with this portable grill that comes with play hamburgers and hot dogs. 3 years+; $40; littletikes.com

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