Don’t you love it when you can find a gift for the kids on your list that’s educational, unique, AND something you know they’ll love?

This holiday season, I have already seen a number of gift catalogs and sites with unusual, enriching gifts. Here are 3 standouts:

Young Explorers
I order from this catalog just about every holiday season. This site and catalog offers thoughtful toys that engage, educate, and entertain with award-winning science kits, challenging games, outdoor activities, musical instruments, beach and bathtub toys, unicycles and pogo sticks, table games, bouncing shoes, and riding toys. All products emphasize mind, body, and skill development. Visit Young Explorers: Creative Educational Products
Momscape publishes Young Explorers Coupons and Discounts, when available, here >

Mindware: Brainy toys for kids of all ages
From books and brainteasers to classroom resources and creative activities, Mindware.com also has a fantastic collection of award-winning games and mind-boggling puzzles. This site and catalog regularly adds new and web-only products to its collection, and finding just the right gift is easy because you can shop by age or category, or just browse the best-sellers. This site always guarantees 100% satisfaction on all its products. Coupon codes for MindWare are seldom available, it seems, but you can find great buys in their clearance and sale section on the Mindware site.

Back to Basics Toys
BackToBasicsToys.com is a great source for classic toys, educational toys and products with quality craftsmanship and great value. The BackToBasicsToys.com collection always starts with fun, and includes time-honored classics such as the Radio Flyer Wagon, Vibrating Football Game, Flexible Flyer, Lincoln Logs, Raggedy Ann Doll, Slinky, Erector Sets and much more!
Momscape publishes Back to Basics coupons and specials, when available, here.

The Back to Basics toy catalog has been a favorite in my household for years. Founded in 1988, Back to Basics specializes in vintage and educational toys. These are games, puzzles, and toys that you are bound to remember with fondness from your own childhood. The collection includes the Radio Flyer All-Terrain Wagon, Collector’s Edition Candy Land, Old Century Baseball, Krazy Kar, Slinky, Wood Garage, Flexible Flyer Sled, Mrs. Beasley Doll, Erector and more.

Just in time for some early holiday shopping, Back to Basics Toys has just released two new coupon codes, which you can use when shopping online

Get 12% Off All Purchases
Click link above and use Promo Code: EDISC82
Ends November 15, 2008

Save 50% Off Ground Shipping
Click lin kabove and use Promo Code: EDISC81
Ends November 15, 2008All Back to Basics Coupons and Special Offers are here > 

2008 Hot Toy List

ToysRUs has just released its annual Hot Toys List. This is, as ToysRus says “THE ultimate list of items certain to bring big smiles to kids’ faces” for the holiday season – and these are the toys that ToysRUs predicts will be on lots of wish lists. Of course, if you shop early, you have a better chance of finding these items in stock. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. 50′s Diner from Step2

2. Bakubelt Action Kit from Spin Master

3. Circus Ring from Playmobil

4. Classic Lights and Sounds Trike from Radio Flyer

5. ImaginextSpike the Ultra Dinosaur from Fisher-Price

6. Little Mommy Sweet As Me Baby Knows Dolls from Mattel

7. Sesame Street® Elmo Live! from Fisher-Price®

8. Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Twilight from LEGO Systems, Inc.

9. Wii Fit from Nintendo

10. Pink Tag Reading System from LeapFrog

11. Laugh & Learn Shop & Learn Walker from Fisher-Price

12. FURREAL FRIENDS BISCUIT, MY LOVIN’ PUP from Hasbro

13. EyeClops® Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles from JAKKS Pacific®

14. Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker from JAKKS Pacific

15. Pink 8GB iPod® nano from Apple®

We have compiled ToysRUs promotions and coupon codes when available, here.

The Namits Travel Game was invented by a mother of seven children who wanted to find a way to entertain and teach her kids while they were waiting. Her game has now won several parenting awards and is a great game for kids to play everywhere. It’s especially perfect for the car.

Namits is a set of 20 double-sided laminated cards (on a ring) that presents 165 word games. For ages 4 and up.

For older children (6 and up), try the Namits Challenge.

Read more about the Namits Travel Toy at HearthSong