$36.99; www.intplay.com; for ages 6 months and up. This friendly snail rolls to a toe-tappin’ tune while beads spin and clank with every wheel rotation. Two interchangeable snail shells can be played with independently or placed on the snail’s back: one has beads that spin and the other has pieces that can be taken apart and re-stacked. Press down on the snail’s tail and he begins a happy tune and slowly rolls, encouraging babies to crawl after him. 

The Angel’s Wings and Other Stories from The Diamond Tree: Jewish Tales from Around the World, Susan Stone, 1991; $16; www.storytelling.org/Stone. These tales from folklore, the Talmud and the Midrash are as old as the world with themes as current as today. Whether or not your background is Jewish, you’ll enjoy these well-told stories that feature themes of kindness, charity, family relationships, keeping promises and more.

For more stories with a Jewish bent, check out:

Pass It On

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

 

Make Your Own Animal Puppets, Creativity for Kids, $17.99, www.creativityforkids.com; ages 3 and up.

 

Three chenille-soft socks are waiting to be dressed in accoutrements of self-adhesive felt shapes, wiggly eyes and fuzzy fur. The animal body parts, including ears, snouts, and other accessories all stick extraordinarily well and don’t fall off during the puppet show that’s sure to follow. Just peel and stick, but make sure the destination of the pieces is your final decision because they cannot be repositioned once placed. The kit supplies enough materials to make a cow, pig, and elephant, or to create your own animal menagerie. Parents will appreciate that his art kit leaves little mess to clean up and sparks imaginative play even after the activity of creating is done.
 

Alphabet Train Floor Puzzle & CD, Twin Sisters Productions, $14.99; www.twinsisters.com; ages 4 and up.

 

All aboard this train for a ride of fun and learning! The lateral puzzle helps children learn the alphabet with self-correcting order pieces. Each puzzle piece is a separate train car that is occupied by an animal friend depicting that letter. Separate pieces help children learn at their own pace and can be used a few at a time. 

 

An included CD provides many songs relating to the alphabet and has 52 well-designed print-out pages full of activities to help children practice writing letters. Each page includes activity ideas that families can try at to emphasize each letter.   

by Mary Hogan; Delacorte Press/Random House Children’s Books, 2008; $8.99; www.randomhouse.com/kids. Susanna, a teen intern and celebrity reporter, is off to Hollywood for the Academy Awards.

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.

B-books; $7.95/issue, $26/year; www.kikimag.com. This quarterly journal for ’tween girls features grooming tips and articles that empower readers to develop their own personal styles and gain self-confidence. Each issue highlights a different international destination, from fashion capitals to countries with fascinating cultures, customs and dress.

$19.99; www.intplay.com; for newborns and up. This ultrasoft, stuffed plush bunny doubles as a puppet and encourages tactile and auditory exploration through crinkle ears, a squeaky tail, a rattle head and teether paws.