droolicious : gifts for kids

The Double-Daring Book for Girls

Meredith Broussard — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:45:00 GMT

I just picked up a copy of the Double-Daring Book for Girls, and already I’m high on nostalgia, remembering insanely fun childhood adventures. This follow-up to the NY Times bestselling Daring Book for Girls picks up where its predecessor left off, with tons more information and adventures for girls young and old.

Double-Daring is organized into short chapters about things to do and things to know. My current favorites: “How to Balance a Spoon on Your Nose,” “How to Conduct an Orchestra,” “How to Run Away and Join the Circus,” and “Dangerous Volcanoes.”

I’m also blown away by the book’s array obscure and fascinating facts. For example: remember making gimp (aka lanyards) at summer camp? Turns out that there’s a proper name for the practice of weaving brightly-colored plastic string: Scoubidou. It’s pronounced just like Scooby-Doo. I’m tempted to go to the craft store and pick up some gimp just to see if I still know how to do a box stitch, or a barrel, or my all-time favorite, the butterfly. (Butterfly was the easiest stitch, natch.)

I originally intended to give the Double-Daring Book to my pre-tween niece for her birthday, but now I’m pretty sure I’ll have to get another copy to give to her. Instructions like “How to Make a Rope Ladder” and “How to Turn Your Backyard Into A Farm” are going to come in handy for outdoor adventures with my toddler this summer.

The Double-Daring Book for Girls, $17 at Amazon.

The Answer to Lost Sock Frustration

SunnyChanel — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:34:00 GMT

You know what I hate? Trying to find a pair of matching socks for my kid. One of a set always seems to go missing by disappearing under the couch, being lost at a playdate or simply by being mysteriously consumed by the dryer. LittleMissMatched has the answer to my lost sock frustration. They sell sets like this one that includes nine single crew socks each one slightly different. These 100% super soft cotton socks make 36 different combinations.

You can get a set like this one in the “Fabulous” pattern which includes stripes, stars and polka dolls in blue, purple and red directly from LittleMissMatched here for $20.

Amazon's Complete List of Frustration-Free Toy Packaging Options

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:30:00 GMT

Amazon's Frustration-Free Packaging Option, offered on a wide selection of toys this season, lets you opt to have your gifts shipped in a "recyclable, easy-to-open box that eliminates 4-color printing and minimizes the use of PVC windows, blister packs, fasteners, and 4-color inserts found in traditional packaging."

Sounds great, but where does all that excess packaging -- such as the colorful box, blister pack and fasteners normally found in the Matchbox Mega Rig Space Shuttle shown here -- go?

Matchbox Mega Rig Space Shuttle as boxed (left) and unboxed (right) with Frustration-Free Packaging.

According to Amazon's Frustration-Free Packaging FAQ, the company works directly with manufacturers to have toys shipped in the scaled-down, eco-friendly packages right off the assembly line. Sounds like a pretty cool feature, provided you're willing to give up the magic of presenting a gift in its obviously kid-appealing original box. Having shredded my hands on countless fasteners and plastic bubbles, I say bring on Frustration-Free Packaging for everything.

Complete List of Toys Shipped in Frustration-Free Packaging (Amazon.com)

Matchbox Mega Rig Space Shuttle in Frustration-Free Packaging ($34.99; normally $44.99)

Photoshop for Juniors: vTech KidiArt Studio

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:04:00 GMT

The vTech KidiArt Studio includes a digital camera so kids can grab still photos, but where true junior-shutterbug appeal is concerned, the toy's really cool features don't show themselves until post-production.

The studio connects to your TV (for general editing fun) and PC (where you can also print and email your creations), and includes software that lets kids draw and color on their photos, make stop-motion movies, and customize cards and posters.

Normally $80, it's on sale now for just under $60 (with free shipping) at Amazon.

Explore Space From the Comfort of Your Home PC

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:04:00 GMT

Hubba-Hubble: The Slooh Explore's remote-telescope interface.

If the kids or your budget can't yet handle a real working telescope, the Slooh Explore Space Prepaid Telescope Card lets you bypass both obstacles while still nurturing the whole family's inner astronomer. The card gives you a year's worth of connectivity (via your Web browser) to a high-powered observatory in the Canary Islands, virtually guaranteeing incredible, pristine-quality access to the night sky anytime you log in. And, unlike what you might run into with a real telescope, Slooh Explore answers the kids' tough questions, with audio segments, narration and alerts to upcoming space missions all being part of the interface.

$49.95 from Amazon.