Will it fire-up his aggression… or imagination?

I once told myself that no child of mine would ever play with toy guns. Then came my son and his fantasies of playing a Star Wars storm trooper and a “good guy soldier” fighting the “Jerries” – who he now understands to be the “bad Nazis” in World War 2.

Up until he was age 4, not a single toy gun was in sight at home. But my son hangs out regularly with some boys at our neighborhood playground. His good friend had an arsenal of toy guns – enough to arm my son and a few other friends who all got into elaborate military game play. Let’s just say, they are a troop of precocious 4 and 5-year-olds with knowledge of military rankings and strategy, plus World War 2 factoids.

I didn’t want to suppress their imaginations, nor did I want to stop them from learning some history. Then again, was I setting up my son for future aggressive behavior?

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A fool-proof guide to age-appropriate toys and gifts.

Gift shopping for kids entails some knowledge and research. Child development experts tell us, “play is the work of children” – and this makes toy shopping serious business. The wrong toy can bore your babe if it’s too easy. Too advanced, and it can frustrate him.

Give a child the right toy and you’ll be giving him hours of fun, exploration and learning. Before you start shopping, check out our age-by-age gift guide.

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Make sure you pack their activity bag!

With the holidays coming soon – from Thanksgiving to Christmas – there will be a lot of traveling going on. With two kids below age 5, I have learned a few good things to keep them happily busy on the road, for a few hours.

Read more to see how you can lessen the “are-we-there-yets” on the car, bus or plane.

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Surprising suggestions for Santa and you.

With Thanksgiving just ahead, Christmas isn’t far behind. If you have kids, you would probably want to get a headstart on shopping for holiday toys. I try to get this out of the way by December to ease up on last-minute holiday stress. The toy stores get pretty busy, and I don’t like getting caught in a Christmas stampede.

A doctor and professor has some good advice on what you should be getting those tots and toddlers on your list. If you’re shopping for your own preschoolers, now is the time to set the trend for a taste in quality toys that make them play, imagine and think. Read more for our good-toy guide.

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