Rock Band 2 — $189.99 and Starpex Guitar — $159.99

Whether you harbor Partridge Family fantasies or you're looking for another justification for sitting in front of the video game console, Rock Band 2 (Xbox, PS3 and Nintendo Wii) is a guaranteed hit for the musically inclined. If you're serious about musical domination, you'll also want to pick up the Starpex, an adult-sized, bad-assed, ten-buttoned wood guitar controller for PlayStation 2 and 3. Let your kids roshambo for the mic or the drum kit and grab the axe — after all, you're the real guitar hero.

Ages 4 and up.

Get Rock Band 2 at Amazon in Nintendo Wii, Xbox or PS3.

Get the Starpex at Amazon.

We have a Starpex to give away! Drop us a line at babblecontest@gmail.com with the subject line Starpex to win.

Star Wars Millennium Falcon — $149.49

Chewbacca himself couldn't have dreamed up all the advancements to this latest edition of Star Wars' legendary rebel ship. Though you could spend a similar amount on eBay for a vintage 1979 Millennium Falcon, this year's model features an array of sounds (including more than twenty phrases from the films), light-up engine lights and cannons, and room for up to eighteen figures in its various holds, compartments and cockpit seats. Though a bit heavy for little ones to navigate, this is arguably the finest ship in Star Wars ' 2008 fleet. At nearly three feet long, it's certainly the biggest!

Ages 4 and up.

Get it at Amazon.

Nintendo Wii — $249.99 and Wii Fit — $118

How do you get your kids' eyes to light up like fireworks on the fourth of July? Give them a game system. Not just any game system, but the one that gets them off the couch, active and exercising. The Wii system with Wii Fit is an addictively fun way to play and get in shape, with games like Table Tilt and Hula Hoop (for them) and Yoga and Stretch Training (for you). You'll get all the kudos, and a lot of the benefits.

Ages 10 and up.

Get it at Amazon.

Kid-Tough DVD Player — $150

You're in the car, at the store, or in a waiting room and your kid has been possessed by a demon of Satan-like proportions. You need a distraction. When you give them the gift of the Fisher Price Kid Tough DVD Player with it's 3.2 LCD screen, anti-skip protection and stereo sound, they'll think they totally scored. But little do they know that this present is for you, so you can have a moment of peace and quiet. And not only is the player super easy to use, it's pert near indestructible. That's right, it's Kid-Tough.

Ages 3 and up.

Get it at Fisher Price.

Toasty Spa Friends by Sootheze — $29.95-$38.95

Sootheze makes a wide variety of huggable plush animals that your child will adore (our favorite is the manatee, but if you're a traditionalist, they do teddy bears). Here's the part that's for you: Once your child has collapsed for the night, pop their favorite critter in the microwave (no, really). The herbal interior will heat up, offering up to two hours of aromatherapy and pleasant warmth for your aching neck and back.

Get it at Sootheze.

Get the manatee at Table and Home.