Christmas Puzzle Game Ideas

When holiday time rolls around, it's always fun to find great puzzle games for stockings, gift exchanges, and party prizes.  Christmas puzzle games provide brain puzzle fun in a small package, and aren't strictly holiday oriented, making for great diversion on a rainy day, or a road trip.  There are varying types of brain puzzles for young people, with some trending more toward game, while others trend more toward the manipulating of pieces, together, and apart.

Wire Brain Puzzle Games




Wire brain puzzle games involve figuring out how to separate, and re-connect wire shapes.  You can find individual wire brain puzzles, or sets.  Perfect as stocking stuffer gifts, or as an entertainment device for rainy days and road trips.

Brain Bogglers Sets
Images are clickable, for current Amazon pricing.

Wood Brain Puzzle Gift Ideas

Interlocking wood puzzles make striking and interesting small gifts, but can be very challenging to re-assemble.  Great for the visual or kinesthetic learner.  Additional wood puzzles include those with gameboard style play, moving pieces about.






Maze Puzzles

Perplexus Puzzle Balls are interactive brain puzzles, which involve guiding a metal ball through a series of paths inside a clear plastic ball.


ThinkFun Brain Puzzle Games

Strategy and logic are challenged and stretched with popular ThinkFun Brain Games, including Rush Hour, River Crossing, and others.

Cards and Facts Brain Puzzle Games:  MindTrap

MindTrap is an interesting game, suited to older (upper elementary and above) children.  Interesting questions challenge thinking.  Mind Trap questions dare you to examine the question for the potential clues, and to think beyond those drill and kill facts that are memorized and forgotten in a traditional school setting.  My tweens and teens love MindTrap, and are endlessly catching me unable to answer.

Perplexus Puzzle Ball Toys

Challenge the spatial thinking of your tween, teen, or elementary aged child.

There are several Perplexus Maze Balls, ranging from the Rookie version, to the latest release, Perplexus Epic.  Similar in nature to the familiar carnival toys in which a youngster guides a ball through a maze, this brings the endeavor into a round environment.  The 3D puzzle ball provides a really big challenge for the older child, and can be an interesting diversion for the younger.

Top Tech Toys of 2011: LeapPad Explorer Tablet Toy by LeapFrog

LeapPad Explorer Tablet Toy for Kids
Available in Green, or Pink
Compatible with Leapster Explorer Games and Cartridges

LeapPad was originally available for preorder, and due for shipment beginning Aug. 25, 2011;  however, the allotment of the touchscreen tablet toys for pre-order was quickly exhausted...keep your eyes out for the release in stores, and online, when the tablet toy is sure to be a hot and hard to find item! 

The LeapPad Explorer is a touchscreen tablet toy for kids, particularly aimed at ages 4-9.  If your child has overtaken your iPad, you will appreciate age appropriate technology with a durable casing, and enjoy being able to use your own tablet PC again! 

LeapPad's Touchscreen Tablet curriculum extends beyond school learning, and adapts to the skill level of the child using it.  With more than 100 games and activities, the LeapPad Explorer is compatible with Leapster Explorer games and apps.  Additionally, built in are camera and video camera, which provides great creative fun for your youngster.  As with many LeapFrog products, online support for the product includes tracking of your child's progress. 

Read about more LeapFrog electronic learning toys for kids.

You may also be interested in Pre-Ereaders for kids by Fisher Price, and in Vtech's InnoTab Touchscreen Tablet for kids, or in the VTech Pre-Ereader, the V-Reader.



***LeapPad Explorer is an Amazon Mom qualified item, which counts toward your Amazon Mom Prime Shipping benefits.

Cars 2 Educational Gift Ideas for Kids

With the release of Cars 2, youngsters everywhere will be enjoying the fun of the new Disney film, and observing every tie-in product under the sun.  For some educational fun, you may want to consider interactive software for electronic learning systems.  For example, LeapFrog has a Cars 2 learning cartridge which works with the Leapster Explorer, and which will also be compatible with the iPad type electronic learning tablet for kids, the LeapPad Explorer (pre-orders begin June 29, 2011). 

Other educational tie-ins to Cars 2 include Cars 2 watches.  The age range of children who will especially appreciate the movie are those in the pre-school and early elementary school levels, and learning to tell time is an important skill that is broached in these early learning years.  A fun watch is a great way to practice.

Cars 2 Back to School supplies which highlight the fun Cars 2 characters will be a fun way to encourage your youngster in preparing for the coming school season.

One of the best educational activities for kids is pretend play.  Children can narrate, or re-tell, the story, create their own variations, and spend hours of creative time.  Sets of Cars 2 vehicles can provide plenty of creative fun.  Find fun Cars 2 diecast cars for hours of pretend play fun!

Cars 2 Cartridges for Leapster Explorer and LeapPad Explorer

Cars 2 releases June 24, 2011, and there are many educational tie-ins to provide your youngsters with fun learning!

LeapFrog has released its Cars 2 cartridge for Leapster Explorer, which will also be compatible with the coming iPad type product for kids, LeapPad Explorer.  LeapPad Explorer will be available for pre-order beginning June 29, 2011, and is a great way to provide a hands on tech experience for your 4-8 year olds, without having to give up your iPad.

You can find a full line of LeapFrog products available for purchase through Amazon.  LeapFrog products are outstanding tools for learning reinforcement, and educational play.

Bead Bazaar Kits: Beading Supplies for Girls

Papillon Mini Bead Chest by Bead Bazaar

One of the best informal activities for developing math number sense is sorting, and beads lend themselves perfectly to sorting, grouping, and re-grouping.  More fun, beading kits allow an informal environment for children to experiment with creating their own patterns.  I love this sort of informal play for my children, and there are many types of kids' toys that facilitate this sort of manipulative work.  Beading kits developed for girls are great, and Bead Bazaar Kits are varied enough that you will have years' worth of gift ideas to equip your daughters with crafting projects that serve an educational purpose, as well.

Bead Box Kits by Bead Bazaar

Bead box kits include several types of beads, and materials for stringing.

***Images are clickable, for current Amazon pricing and availability.

Alpha Bead Kit by Bead Bazaar

Bead Bazaar Mini and Medium Bead Box Kits

Bead Bazaar Bead Barrel Kits for Girls

Bead Bazaar Bead Barrel Kits for Girls

Bead Bazaar "Just for Fun" Barrel Kit

Bead Bazaar Sweet Treats Bead Barrel for Girls

Bead Chests by Bead Bazaar

BeJeweled Bead Chest by Bead Bazaar

Le Petit Mini Bead Chest, Butterfly Garden by Bead Bazaar

Bead Bazaar Bead Medley Kits for Girls



Bead Bazaar Kits are fun, and cute, a great choice in gifts for your own daughters, nieces, or granddaughters, or perfect for your daughter to take as a gift for a friend's birthday party.

Computer Gifts for Children: Netbook vs. Laptop for Kids

Laptop computers used to be the ideal of young, and old, alike.  A decade ago, the prices seemed preclusive for average families, and madness ensued at the hint of a deep discount sale.  Since, though, prices on both laptop computers and desktops have dropped significantly, and have made computers a terrific birthday and holiday gift choice for children.  Netbooks have really climbed in popularity in the last 3 years, and are an affordable for gifting to children.  Further, the quality of netbooks have improved greatly, meaning that today, you get more for less.

If you are deciding on a laptop for a kid, vs. a netbook for a kid, there are some considerations to weigh, as both can be quite affordable, but management will not be completely equal.  Since a netbook doesn't have a DVD drive, any supplemental DVD software will require an external DVD drive.  This isn't a difficulty, but it does mean that your child won't be able to operate those programs on the go.  For a homeschooling family using Switched on Schoolhouse software, the DVD drive is necessary.  For the child who will use a netbook in more of a research and recreation capacity, this isn't a problem.  A laptop incorporates a DVD drive, and may be a better choice in a kid's PC, if DVD's are to be used.

Size can be a problem with some laptop computers.  A large laptop provides the most screen space, which is nice from an eyesight consideration.  However, even adults have a tough time keeping a 17 inch laptop well balanced, when using it in a portable setting.  I've experienced some serious close calls when my children (teens included) try to work with my laptop.  14-15" laptop computers reduce the screen size, but are a little more manageable for young computer owners. 

A netbook tends to be in the 10 to 11 inch size range, which means much smaller area of vision.  However, given many handheld devices children use today, this is still better by far than handheld video game sizes.  The size is much easier to manage, and easier for stowing in a tote or backpack when  you are on the road.

Whichever type of computer you select as a gift for your child, be sure to establish strong ground rules about where the computer is used, and where it shouldn't be taken.  Kids like to do the unexpected, and it wouldn't be difficult to sneak a netbook into a school bag.  Oversight is important for any type of computer for kid.

Read more about Tween Computer Choices. 

Research the current bestselling netbooks at Amazon.