Best Bang for the Buck Winner!   

Hudson Entertainment, 2008; $29.99; www.hudsonent.com; for ages 6 to 14. Requires: Wii console. This great party game leverages the new kinds of gameplay and interactivity afforded by the Wii. Deca Sports features 10 different athletic events, including basketball, soccer, badminton, archery, kart racing, motocross, beach volleyball, figure skating, curling and snowboarding. 

 

For more fun with the Nintendo Wii, check out:

$24.99; www.hasbrotoyshop.com; for ages 7 and up. Players simulate a baseball game by bouncing metal balls on a mini trampoline into target holes that represent bases, outs, strikes and home runs. Unit keeps score and builds excitement with lights and sound.

Judge's Top Pick! 

$99-$119; www.ezyroller.com; for ages 3 and up. Children sit low to the ground in the sling seat of this unique ride-on and propel forward by alternating left and right leg extensions on the push bar. The movement is snake-like: quick, smooth and silent. A simple brake lever makes it easy to stop.

For more active fun, try:

Triker Rocker
Slider, the UNscooter

Half Moon – Songs for Sleepy Beings, Gretchen Eichberger, Sleepybeings, 2008; $15; www.sleepybeings.com; for all ages. This bluegrass-infused collection digs deep into folk traditions including the American South and Midwest, Germany and the Manx Islands. Played mostly on banjo and piano, these songs gradually grow quieter as the album progresses to ease your little ones into the Land of Nod.

 

Razor® Rip Rider™ 360; Razor USA, LLC; $129.99; www.razor.com; ages 5 and up.

 

Picture an evolved Big Wheel ride-on. The Rip Rider feels like an adrenaline pumping roller coaster ride that zips, swings and swirls using highly responsive back caster wheels. The steel framed ride-on sits low to the ground and has a back support seat, handle bars and pedals. The handlebars have rubber grips for a firm grasp and the “flat free” front tire is made of molded rubber for a smooth ride.

 

A child can propel forward by pedaling and when he turns quickly, the Rip Rider does a 360, spinning the child effortlessly. Weight limit is 160 pounds and the use of a helmet (sold separately) is strongly recommended – and a smart habit to develop early on.

“This ride-on created quite a stir from kids and parents alike. Every child who rode it wanted it, and every adult who watched needed to know where to get it and wished they were small enough to take a turn! It is hands-down one of the best ride-on toys we’ve seen.”
- Judge
 

Family Fun Winner! 

Beatrice Bowles, Harmony Hill, 2007; $18; www.harmonyhill.com. Lively, original piano music enhances five well-crafted, traditional stories from England, Russia and Greece. Subsequent tracks repeat the music without the spoken word so kids can re-tell the stories – or tell ones of their own.

Parent Tester Quote: “Our kids loved seeing if they could tell the stories along with the music.” – Father of four, N.Y.
 

Meltdown, Lanny Sherwin, Sandman Records, 2009; $10.98; www.sandmanrecords.com; ages 4 to 12.

Good songs with a great sense of humor make this album stand out from the pack. Sherwin is a gifted songwriter with musical roots in Nashville. All his songs are original takes. The title song tells us that everyone has a “Meltdown” sometimes, and offers tips on how to cope. “This is Not a Guitar” uses the instrument as a portal to the imagination; “Granny’s Got a Guitar” has everybody wondering why she can’t take up the electric guitar. Sherwin has even cloned himself for an eight-part vocal piece titled “A Cappella, Part 3” that’s hard to top.
 

Family Fun Winner! 

The Secret Mountain, 2007; $12.98 CD, $16.95 Book/CD; www.thesecretmountain.com; for all ages. Songs by beloved contemporary artists ranging from Mary Chapin Carpenter and Carole King to Neil Young and Tom Waits are given new folk arrangements and woven into a warm musical security blanket that will grow with each child. A beautifully illustrated picture book is included.

Science Buddies, Science Buddies, 2001; free; www.sciencebuddies.org; ages 5 to 18.

 

Requires: Web browser and Flash. This incredibly rich, Web-based resource for K-12 science education was created in partnership with National Science Teachers Association. Designed to complement classroom instruction by helping students build literacy in science and technology, the site inspires students to explore and try experiments in a wide variety of science areas, including Astronomy, Biotechnology, Music, Physics, Environmental Engineering, and Energy and Power, among others.

 

The Science Fair “Topic Selection Wizard” is a powerful tool that asks students to share information about their interests and strengths before offering a slate of possible project ideas. Parents and teachers find Science Budddies to be extremely successful in helping kids make connections between classroom reading and lab activities, and real-world experience. 

Ether Saga Online, Perfect World Entertainment, 2009; Free; http://eso.perfectworld.com; ages 12 and up.

 

Requires: PC download; large memory footprint needed to download and install, but extracted files can be deleted. Ether Saga Online is a prequel to the ever-popular Chinese classic “Journey to the West.” Players can create a character from one of the three races central to the epic adventure that features the mischievous Monkey King and his traveling companions. As players progress through the game, they meet characters from the novel and eventually can become an emissary on the Journey to the West. This is a great interactive way to introduce young people to a world literature classic.