$19.99; www.blueorangegames.com; for ages 8 and up. Roll two dice, add them up and strategically flip down any combination of numbered tiles that total the roll. Don’t touch a tile on the second row unless the tile in front has been shut. Try to be the one to flip down the last tiles during your turn and shut the box! Play alone or with up to six players.

Numedeon, 1999; free; www.whyville.com; for ages 8 to 15. Requires: Web browser with Flash. Launched almost a decade ago, Whyville was among the first Web sites to get kids interacting with content that helped them in school. It helped establish “best practices” around virtual worlds, where kids take responsibility for different aspects of the community, which has its own government, newspaper, museum and currency. Players earn “money” through learning games that help them grasp such concepts as angular momentum, by exploring how a figure skater spins so fast; latitude, by playing with the rising and setting sun; and vector arithmetic, by choreographing a dance. Parents and teachers who haven’t discovered Whyville should see how it inspires kids to learn.

$24.99; www.educationalinsights.com; for ages 5 and up. Pictorial challenge puzzles show the starting positions of a knight and princess along with the building blocks needed to solve the puzzle and create the route to reunite the royal pair. Starter, junior, expert and master levels help children advance their logical thinking through skill-building fun.

For more advanced puzzle fun, try:

Lonpos 84T Braintelligent Pyramid Game

Aventura Collage, Mariana Iranzi, Mariana Iranzi Music, 2009; $8; www.marianairanzi.com; ages 2 to 10.

The smooth, Astrud Gilberto-infused voice of Argentine-born Mariana Iranzi masters melody in this bilingual CD. Spanish and English songs – from reggae and jazz to bossa nova and folk – create an eclectic mix of genres that gets everyone up and moving!
 

Appleseed Recordings, 2007; $15; www.sweethoney.com; for ages 5 to 15. This African-American a-cappella ensemble (with just a little percussion) from Washington, D.C., highlights indelible life lessons – a master’s class by a masterful group! Songs carry influences from gospel, traditional hymns and spirituals, African chants and modern hip-hop and jazz, and listeners will find themselves continually surprised by the vocal effects these incredible singers can create.

Backseat Drawing Junior, Out of the Box Publishing, $24.99; www.otb-games.com; ages 7 and up.

 

The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. Or in this case, the artist doesn’t know what he or she is drawing! An artist listens to a verbal description, given one line or shape at a time, and draws her understanding of the provided direction on the wipe-off board while everyone, including the artist, has to guess what it is. Hoots and hollers explode as interpretations of words are put to the board. The practice of listening and following directions are unexpected benefits of the game. Playing this game forces people to verbalize something very visual, which is more challenging than it sounds!

“This is a perfect game for multigenerational play.”
– Judge
 

A Little Princess, E1 Entertainment, 2009; 163 min; $17.98; www.kochvision.com; ages 8 to 12.

 

This is my favorite adaptation of the classic children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Produced for London Weekend Television, this played in the US on PBS Wonderworks. Amelia Shankley stars as the pampered, motherless daughter of a British Army captain who places her in an exclusive boarding school while he goes off to war. When her father dies and her fortune is lost, the school matron turns on the girl and treats her harshly.

 

From the beginning, Sara is sweet-natured and real, never taking advantage of her wealthy position or succumbing to pity when her status changes. She always acts with grace and style; even in the most dire of situations, her behavior remains steadfast. Although this production may be considered by some to be a bit slow by today’s standards, it tells a wonderful story and provides an enduring positive role model for young people. The cast is outstanding and the story brings a tear to your eye.

“… This film won a place in our family video library where book-based stories are a favorite.”
– Adult Juror and mother

“I like seeing how people lived in different times such as this story. Even though the girl was wealthy, she treated everyone nicely and when she lost her fortune, they remembered her kindness. That teaches kids a good lesson.”
– Child Jurors, girls ages 9 and 10.
 

The Peter Yarrow Songbook: Let’s Sing Together!, illustrated by Terry Widener; Sterling Publishing, 2009; $16.95; www.sterlingpublishing.com/kids. 

Kids can’t have too much music in their lives. This collection of folk songs is complied by Peter of Peter, Paul, and Mary and includes lyrics, guitar chords, background information and engaging acrylic paintings. Selections include traditional spirituals, plus “Home on the Range,” “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain,” and other songs for harmonizing. A 12-song CD accompanies the set.
 

Family Fun Winner! 

$24.99; www.briarpatch.com; for ages 5 and up. Shake up the nine picture dice and view them for 30 seconds. Then cover them up, recall as many objects as you can, and then find the matching pictures on your I Spy card.

LEGO® Mindstorms® NXT 2.0, LEGO Systems, Inc., $279.99; www.LEGO.com; ages 10 and up.

 

First seen in 2006, Mindstorms is a highly sophisticated toy that enables kids and adults to build and program robots. The robot’s “brain” is the NXT brick – an autonomous 32-bit microprocessor that can be programmed using a PC or Mac computer. Programming the robot is as easy as dragging and dropping specific command icons into the program. Then, programs can be transferred to the robot using a USB cable or Bluetooth technology, enabling the robot to be controlled remotely with a cell phone or PDA.

 

A quick-start model acquaints the user with various elements, by following simple step-by-step instructions to build the first of four robots. Each of the four is incrementally more advanced than the last and leads to a complete understanding and subsequent use of the kit to create your own one-of-a-kind robot. The kit includes sensors to enable the robot to pick up on elements; and touch sensors help the robot “feel” and react to touch. An ultrasonic sensor can be used to gauge distance and detect movement.

 

This new version of Mindstorms – the NXT 2.0 – includes a color sensor that allows the robot to distinguish between colors, detect light settings and intensities, and to serve as a color lamp. This new set also lets the user customize his or her robot by loading images and sounds into the robot’s memory and displaying them on the LCD screen. Three motors with rotation sensors heighten precise movements of the robot. For added value, this newest version of Mindstorms is compatible with its predecessor.