Jess's Holiday Gift Giving Guide Part 4

Let me just say I was *floored* by the amount of cool stuff out there. And I hardly left Target's website. Pull up a chair. This is going to be a long one…

Kids

I've felt for a long time that digital cameras were perfect for kids. You get all the fun of a film camera but with instant gratification and no cost developing. They can, of course, use the family's camera, but it may be nice for them to have their own. The one pictured here is $110 at Target and shoots movies as well as 3 MP digital photos. Hello Kitty, Barbie, Bratz, and Scooby Doo also have lower cost digital camera options.

I thought this Buddha Bank was a very charming alternative to the classic piggy bank. $14 at Wishing Fish.

In our pre tricycle and bicycle phase, my sister and I had little cars like this. Hers was a fire engine and mine was a lion. Times have certainly changed. I found this cool vespa and futuristic car both on Target.com and for $50 and $65 respectively, they're a pretty good deals for such fun toys.

Get the kiddies interested in science early with this fun chemistry set ($24)! This set contains experiments to give hands-on demonstrations of scientific principles. Plenty of other kits are available for learning fun in earth sciences, physics, eletronics, solar power, and life sciences.

I'll be banging on about the board games s'more. Seriously. I think they're great. They're a very social toy and they teach lots of important skills like memorization and logic. They're a great bargain too, most under $30. Clue is one of my favorites. This 1949 revival edition is going for $32 at Target. Cranium games are another good choice as well as Sorry.

This art desk especially designed and sized for little kids sells for $80 at Target. It has tons of space to hold art supplies and art projects and even has a built in lamp for task lighting. I would have gone mad for something like this when I was little.

If you haven't seen the commercials for the Fly Pentop Computer ($130 for a bundled pen and charger), then you must not watch Degrassi (or any other shows aimed at tweens). This little device is somewhat of a marvel. You can, for example, draw a drumset with your pen and then play it … and it has different drumming sounds. Need a calculator? Draw one and then use it. It works with special paper and has a bunch of expansion software. Look at the website. Definitely interesting.

This is the baby line of the very cool Leapster series. This is the LeapStart Learning Table ($40). It is set up to grow with a child from age six months through 2 years. The legs come off it so a baby can play with it and then they can pull themselves up on it as they get older. Lots of 5 star ratings on Target.com.

What is this strange-looking object, you're asking me? Well. I'll tell you. It's a fake camp fire. Because it's Hershey's S'more Maker ($17). This kid-safe camp fire melts marshmallows with a light bulb (much like an easy-bake oven cooks with one). No peeing in the woods required.

There are tons of kid-friendly DIY kits on the market. I thought this gross soap (soap with plastic creepy crawlies in the middle – $15) was an innovative one. Other kits include pottery wheels, make your own calendar, ceramics painting, beading, and the list just goes on and on.

A dozen socks will cover 10 baby toes for a few days anyhow. Uncommon Goods has bundled lovely little sockies for baby in an egg carton. I thought $30 for a pair of socks was a might steep, but it's a great idea, eh?

Target is selling Trading Spaces doll houses! That's right! Houses and rooms with removable, repositionable, reversible pieces so that the decorating fun can go on and on. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $12 for a room set to $70 for a large house (which you can add on to!). Loving it!

He's so ugly he's cute. He's an UGLY Doll. These are soft, snuggly, ugly hand-made dolls that are sure to please just about anyone.

Who can forget the little red wagon? Radio flyer is still flying high with wagons, off-road wagons, tricycles, scooters, and even a pedal plane. Now the wagons have accessories too, including a seat (for good lumbar support), an umbrella to shade, and a cooler attachment. Travel in style.