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.

Family Fun Winner! 

VTech Electronics, 2008; $59.99; www.vtechkids.com; for ages 4 to 10. “Awesome fun!” say our kid testers, who unanimously agreed that this was one of the coolest toys they’d seen in a long time. This stand-alone, interactive music station lets kids create and record their own songs and music, and mix from 20 kid-themed songs. Kids experiment with multiple musical sounds, stylings and rhythms. A microphone enables kids to create voice effects; a detachable player lets them take their latest hits wherever they go.

 

Piano Made Easy
 

KinderKord, KinderKord; $19.99; www.kinderkord.com.

Keep your child close in crowded places without the embarrassment and stigma of using a harness. KinderKord was developed by TV co-host Joan Lunden and her husband to keep their two sets of young twins from running off, but without limiting their children’s natural curiosity. KinderKord allows three feet of freedom for both you and your child, and can connect up to two children per adult.

“It looks cool to my toddler and he was very excited to use KinderKord. It’s portable and nice to just keep in the diaper bag.”
– Mom Tester

“Although other products on the market have the same function, I do think this one is more attractive and less offensive than some of the others.”
– Mom Tester

“I like the self winding feature and that both parent and child have a wrist strap connecting them.”
– Mom Tester
 

Kahani Magazine, Kahani Media; $5 per issue, $20 1-year subscription (4 issues); $35 2-year subscription (8 issues); www.kahani.com. 

“Empower, Educate, and Entertain” are the focus of Kahani, a South Asian Literary Magazine for Children. The quarterly magazine illuminates the richness and diversity that South Asian cultures bring to North America by packing each issue with great stories, art, activities and fun facts. It is completely free of advertising and seeks to “empower and educate global citizens.” Its target audience is elementary school-aged students, and it is most appreciated by children ages 9-12. Read it along with your child and share the facts you both learn.
 

Family Fun Winner! 

KidSpirit Magazine; $25/year; www.kidspiritmagazine.com. This quarterly magazine, written by and for young people ages 11 to 15, is an unusual and fresh attempt to talk about spirituality, sans affiliation. Through thought-provoking articles, kids explore mankind’s search for meaning from all angles.

Kidizoom™ Digital Camera Plus, VTech Electronics, $59.99; www.vtechkids.com; ages 3 and up.

 

Kids can capture a moment 2000 times over! This rugged camera can take up to 2000 pictures and 10 minutes of video. On-camera features offer zoom and slideshow options, as well as photo embellishments including stamps, frames, special effects, voice messages and animation. Additional photo editing is available via software downloaded to your PC or MAC. 

 

Photos can be viewed on the LCD screen, on the computer via USB cable or on a television with the included AV cord. The 2.0 megapixel resolution is adequate for this age level and keeps file sizes manageable. Built-in games reinforce use of directional buttons on the camera. 

 

 

"My daughter LOVES it. She's been taking pictures of just about everything. She looks so cute when she squats down to take pictures of our dogs! CHEESE. The dogs aren't as amused but she's running around yelling I TAKE PICTURES!"

- mom of a child tester

Judge's Top Pick! 

Clifford Boro, 2008; free; www.kidzui.com; for ages 3 to 12. Requires: High-speed Internet connection and Adobe Flash Player 9+. This downloadable Web browser has prescreened, kid-oriented content so parents can allay concerns about their children surfing through unguarded and unprotected browsers. Kids register, create user names and avatars, and then surf, rate and share content from more than 800,000 sites, ranging from Disney to YouTube. They also earn points for the content they rate and share. For $5 per month, parents can upgrade their accounts to increase filtering and reporting features to monitor children’s online usage. KidZui aids parents in helping their offspring learn responsible online behaviors.

KidsGive, $99.99; www.KidsGive.com; for ages 6 and up. Piper is a 21-inch doll representing a fictional young environmentalist from Sydney, Australia. She is impeccably designed with exquisite hair to style and extraordinary facial features. She is accompanied by Sydney Scandal, a fictional book that introduces Piper, her Australian homeland and her characteristic goodwill. A portion of the purchase price is donated to charity.

The other five Karito Kids dolls - Gia, Lulu, Zoe, Wan Ling, and Pita won NAPPA Gold Awards in 2007. Check them out here!

$24.99; www.kingkagames.com; for ages 5 and up. It’s a game, a puzzle and a teaching tool all in one! Kingka can be played as a memory, matching or bingo game. Beyond fun and play value, players of varying ages can play together and begin learning Chinese, too.

Family Fun Winner! 

VTech Electronics, 2008; $79.99; www.vtechkids.com; for ages 4 to 7. Requires: Windows 2000, XP or Vista; Internet Explorer 6.0 or above; Adobe Flash Player 9; and a TV with audio and visual cable input jacks (A/V and USB connection cables are included).
This all-in-one art studio includes a small desk unit that connects to a TV or PC, a built-in digital camera and art palette. Billed as a “junior Photoshop,” little users snap photos, edit them and display their work on a TV or PC screen. This smart toy is all about “hands-on creativity,” ranging from basic drawing to photo stamps, from digital frames to “wacky” effects. Kids save, share and print their work when the unit is connected to a PC. One favorite feature is that users can send personalized e-cards. As our young testers evaluated other games, one tester entertained the group by creating a super-duper enhanced self-portrait on the TV screen.

 

For more artistic fun, check out: