Reviews for $250 and up
Whimsmoore, a start-up company that sends toys-of-the-month and sells “pretend play” products and related children’s books, evolved from a family wanting to share their cherished tradition with new generations of young children and their grandparents, aunts & uncles, etc. It all started as a relationship between an aunt and her young niece a thousand miles away. When Rachel would visit Aunt Linda, she would rush to the secret magical play house under Aunt Linda’s stairs, deemed the “Elfery,” to see if there were any signs of the “Elves of Glimmer Glen.” When not visiting, Aunt Linda would send monthly gifts to Rachel on behalf of the Elves. A special bond developed between Rachel and her little imaginary friends, and more importantly, between Rachel and Aunt Linda. Many years later, with the bond still strong between them, Rachel and Aunt Linda decided to start a business together, reviving the Elves and sharing them with other families. Should you purchase the gift-of-the-month, Whimsmoore will send enchanting little gifts to your grandchild each month for up to 12 months (monthly gifts can also be purchased separately). Elfish gifts include a Lavender Eggling Plant (just crack the top of the “egg,” water, and watch it grow!), Mini Valentine’s Mailbox, Mini Bake Set, to name a few. Each monthly gift comes with an original Elfery Storybook written by Aunt Linda. Whimsmoore features a nice selection of related imaginary play products, which can be purchased from their website. The toy-of-the-month gift is suggested for children age 5-7, and the “Elves” are a unique and playful way for distant relatives to connect with the young children in their lives.
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Recently my kids and I have had the pleasure of playing with some of the wooden toys handcrafted by Tom Seal, of Bearded Seal Woodcrafts. We especially appreciate fine handcrafted wooden toys, and these are some of the finest we’ve seen. Tom custom-makes each product entirely by hand. He received his earliest inspiration as a child wandering the forests of his native Pacific Northwest. By high school he was crafting wood, and then honed his skills studying fine arts in college. He applies this appreciation of wood, as well as his knowledge of how to expertly craft it, into each of his products — from vintage wooden cars to classic wooden tangram puzzles. My kids have been vroom vroom’ing around non-stop with a gorgeous classic Ford mustang crafted from Makore & Bolivian Rosewood ($32). The tangrams set is crafted using American Black Walnut, and comes packaged in a decorative silk travel pouch, along with plenty of suggested tangram puzzles ($17 for domestic wood or $22 for exotic). We love tangrams, and what a treat it is to be able to play on such a beautiful set. If you and your grandchild enjoy logic puzzles (and also have some pretty good fine motor skills!), Tom also sells several other logic puzzles, such as a Sword puzzle and 2 Ring puzzle (both $7), as well as games, such as Marble Solitaire ($18). Tom’s signature pieces are his line of beautiful handcrafted wooden rocking horses. The Rocking Thoroughbred can be custom-ordered and made with any of the woods Tom uses (average price is $460). Or choose from various designs crafted from Pine and stained as light Golden Pecan to dark Walnut colors ($134). For a small fee, Tom can add a personalized inscription on many of his pieces. All of Tom’s wooden creations make fantastic kids gifts and, incidentally, are sure to delight all of us grownups, too!
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Project Table Two Stool Set$375 at Ecotots |
We’re always looking for children’s products that are made here in the U.S. using eco-friendly materials and practices. Ecotots kids furniture, including this table and stool set, are all that and more! First, every one of this company’s pieces are beautifully designed for aesthetics, function, and ease of assembly. The parts are made from 100% formaldehyde-free renewable birch Smartwood, and fit together in minutes without any hardware, tools or glue. Ecotots’ patented Lip & Groove and Slide Lock assembly system also makes disassembly, storage and transport easy. We love the clean, modern look of the furniture, as well as the colors to choose from (fire, leaf, cocoa and clear) — each derived from non-toxic water-based stains with U.V. cured finishes to minimize greenhouse gases. Ecotots takes their environmental practices seriously, and are Forest Stewardship Council accredited, Rainforest Alliance certified, and a member of the Sustainable Furniture Council. The pieces also come with a lifetime construction guarantee. Ecotots produces upscale and stylish children’s furniture that is also practical and environmentally responsible — this is a gift you can feel great about giving!
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iPod Touch (8 GB 2nd Generation)$220 at Amazon.com |
By now you probably know about the iPod revolution. Your grandkids (12 and older) long for this new iPod that incorporates Apple’s “touch” technology introduced earlier this year in their beloved iPhone. Of course, the iPod Touch plays and stores music and photos, as Apple’s other iPod models do, and also plays video (tv and movies), as is featured in the latest iPod Nano (see our review). But the iPod Touch also allows you to browse the internet comfortably and in style! The iPod Touch’s “multi-touch interface” allows you to control everything using your fingers on the touch-sensitive screen (there’s no physical keypad). And it is so intuitive that, for example, if you turn the device horizontally, the display will automatically switch to “wide-screen” mode. We could describe its features in much greater detail (Amazon’s product description and the Apple website can fill in the blanks). Just know that any grandchild who receives this gift will be one very thrilled person, because the Touch is truly magical and highly prized! We’re featuring the iPod Touch 8 GB second generation model.
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Unbelievably true-to-form, this Lego Eiffel Tower kit is for serious Lego fans — they recommend 16 years or older, but a younger teen could probably take the project on with some help. The idea for replicating this monumental Parisian landmark came from requests from Lego enthusiasts, and is based on the original blueprints of the Tower. Built to 1:300 scale, it measures 20.1″ wide and 42.5″ tall! Once built, it can be separated into three sections, so it can be easily stored or transported. Of course, it’s a challenge to build, with 3,428 pieces to be secured just so. But once it’s complete, it’s an amazing showpiece that your grandchild will boast about and admire for years to come. If you’re not ready to commit to this set, but still want to treat your grandchild to a Lego building kit, simply click “Click Here,” and search under “Toys & Games” for “LEGO.” C’est magnifique!
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Nintendo Wii is the ultimate gaming system according to our young experts (both boys and girls) in the field — even though it’s not nearly the most expensive. It’s different from the others because it uses a handheld device called the “Wii Remote” that you move around, sometimes a lot, meaning that kids are active and not just moving a few fingers or flicking a wrist. The Wii Remote motivates you to move your whole body! For example, one of the games that comes with the system is tennis (it also includes golf which is completely addictive for us older folks). To swing the tennis racket, you simply swing the cordless Wii Remote and the tennis racket on the screen swings along with you. It’s quite brilliant and unique among game systems. Perfect for the entire family, even young children who love to create avatars (if you don’t know what these are, we suggest that you ask your grandchild). So if you have a gamer in your life that is in need of some new challenges and exercise, this could be it.
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Stokke Xplory Complete Stroller$1099.00 at Amazon.com |
As with their multi-stage chair (see our review), Stokke designed this Xplory Complete Baby Stroller with both children and parents in mind, maximizing its comfort and usability. The main advantage this has over most other strollers is that baby is positioned higher than usual, so they can be closer to you while they walk. Yes, it may take a while to get used to the non-traditional appearance, but this is the beauty of scandinavian design — what we consider to be, shall we say, a “breath of fresh air.” When babies are in the bassinet stage (this model includes the bassinet), they can make eye-contact, and when they’re upright, it lets them enjoy the view from a normal vantage point. The adjustable, three-position seat can be faced forward or toward you, and an adjustable footrest keeps the child’s feet from dangling. The diagonal frame makes it easy to pull up to a table, or it can be readily folded and stored. The components are wonderfully maneuverable for parents, and the ride (equipped with shock absorbers) is as smooth as its passenger’s behind! We should note that this stoller is compatible with the Graco Snugride and Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP carseats, should parents want this type of system. The carseats, as well as the chosen carseat’s adaptor (made by Stokke to click the carseat into the stroller), will need to be purchased separately. Choose from different colors and packages by clicking on “Click Here,” and searching under “Stokke Xplory.”
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Amazon.com Gift Certificate$5.00 - $5,000.00 at Amazon.com |
Still can’t decide what to get your grandchild? Sometimes the best gift is allowing kids the freedom to shop online for their own special something. Amazon.com has more products to choose from than any other online retailer. Kids can spend hours, even days if they want, shopping for toys, books, clothes, electronics… almost anything they can think of! Trust us. So when in doubt give them an Amazon.com gift certificate. They’ll be in shopping heaven!
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Club Med for Families$varies at Club Med |
It’s wonderful when families go on vacation together — grandparents, parents and siblings, and the kids, of course — all convening to spend quality time together. Club Med makes these kinds of gatherings easy. There are loads of activities for kids, including a real circus school (with trapeze flying lessons) at four locations, including Sandpiper, its U.S. location in Port St. Lucie, Florida. What’s nice about Club Med Sandpiper, aside from it being easy to get to, is that it has programs for children of all ages — Baby Club Med, for 4 to 23 months; Petit Club Med for 2-3 years; Mini Club Med for 4-10 years; and Juniors’ Club Med for 11-17 years. The baby program is unusual for resorts, and is especially nice for parents who really need to re-energize after having a child… or another… or another! And don’t worry — there’s also plenty of grown-up things to do, including just plain old napping by the pool, or walking on the beach. There are many Club Med Villages to choose from, most in beautiful and even exotic locations. This is certainly the type of gift that will create lasting memories.
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Magical Oxford: From the Narnia Chronicles to Harry Potter$vary at Elder Hostel |
My mother-in-law took our niece and nephew on this Elder Hostel intergenerational travel program, and although it was several years ago, they still reminisce about the fantastic, or should I say, “phantasmal” time they had! Kids 9-11 years old (and their grandparents) delve into the magical worlds of Narnia, Alice’s Wonderland, Middle Earth and Harry Potter’s Hogwarts through this journey of enchanted Oxford (a town also known for other things). Over 18 nights, they visit locations and meet characters made famous by Lewis Carroll, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Roald Dahl and Philip Pullman. Also included are discussions with local experts who tell tales of elves and hobbits, wizards and muggles. Elderhostel is a top-notch nonprofit organization that coordinates educational and adventurous travel programs for elders. This trip is one of their intergenerational programs that give grandparents a chance to travel with grandkids in a safe, well-supported environment — and where kids have a ball meeting friends their own ages. Elderhostel’s programs are perfectly conceived and executed. If your grandkids love Harry Potter and this type of literature, this would be a trip of a lifetime!
