"Good toys have staying power; they engage," says Diana Huss Green, founder of Parents' Choice. "They help build attention spans, not fragment them. A good toy does not offer answers; it stimulates questions and presents problems for solving."

Here are some tips to guide your holiday shopping:

1. Don't be lured by the ads and hype for the "hottest toys." These toys may be advertised heavily, but they may not hold your child's attention for long. "The 'hot toys' are OK, but don't depend on them as the only gifts. There are so many excellent active, creative and educational products that offer more value," says Dr. Stevanne Auerbach (a.k.a. Dr. Toy), Director of the Institute for Childhood Resources, and author of Dr. Toy's Smart Play/Smart Toys. The editors of Toy Wishes magazine warn on their Web site: "The hot toy is only hot if it's hot for your child. Lists are great, but kids are the ones who make toys truly popular."

2. Follow your child's interests. "Some children may want to read about a certain culture or its art, while others may want to create art of their own, some of it inspired by the art in a museum," says Mike Norris, associate educator in charge of family programs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. "Most parents have a sense of which toy is effective in teaching something to their children, but because each child has her own way of learning, a toy that is great for one child may not be effective for another."

What are your child's interests? Is he passionate about dinosaurs, space or dogs? Why not shower him with a book, CD and game all around a theme to cultivate his curiosity? Check our related article, Bundles of Learning Gifts.

3. Make sure the toy, game or book is age-appropriate. Always check labels on boxes or read the full description when shopping by catalog or online, to see what age the toy is recommended for.

4. Pose the right questions to find out what your child will learn. Children learn from playing. You can try to understand what the toy you're selecting will teach. Dr. Toy suggests asking these questions: Does it help expand positive self-esteem, values, understanding and cultural awareness? Does it offer practice in skill building? Eye/hand coordination? Fine and large motor skills? Communication? Does it educate the child about the environment? Community? World? History? Computers? Other skills? Toy Wishes magazine offers these guidelines on its Web site: "Look for toys that help your kids express themselves, discover their world and develop their imaginations."

5. Check out the award-winners. Many organizations have annual awards for the best toys and educational products. A few noteworthy ones are:

• Parents' Choice Fall 2007 Toy and Audio Awards, from the nation's oldest nonprofit guide to quality children's media and toys;
• Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products for 2007
• The National Parenting Publication Awards (NAPPA), now in its 18th year, gives its award-winning designations based on judging by an independent team of industry experts who have professional experience working with children and parents.
• Toy Portfolio 2007 Platinum Awards is published by the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, an independent consumer review of children's media; all toys are tested by parents and kids, as well as judged by child-development experts; Oppenheim also publishes a quarterly ad-free, subscription-based newsletter on toy selection geared to parents.
• Toy Wishes Magazine's "Hot Dozen" has been cited in the media each year since the magazine's debut in 1999; also check its " Fab 5" (the ones with "no bells, no whistles, no batteries — they just guarantee incredible fun").
• National Parenting Center Seal of Approval winners for 2007, represent consumer-tested products from this organization whose aim is to "advise, support and guide parents with sound, responsible advice."

6. Check museum catalogs and visit museum gift shops, which often have an area devoted to products geared to children. These are excellent places to find toys that stimulate curiosity and creativity. A few to get you started:

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art; It also has 21 stores throughout the United States;
• The Exploratorium, a popular science museum in San Francisco, has a full online catalog.
• The San Francisco Museum of Art (SF MOMA) says its children's toys and books are "specially selected to be both educational and fun."
• The American Museum of Natural History in New York has an online catalog for its museum store with a section for kids, subdivided into categories by plush, apparel, toys and books, and also by subject, such as dinosaurs, space, African animals, sea life and butterflies.
• Check the Association of Children's Museums Web site to find a Children's Museum gift shop near you, or to locate one with an online catalog.

7. Ask for suggestions from teachers, other parents, childcare providers and knowledgeable toy retailers. Although you'll want to base your choice for learning gifts primarily on your child's interests, you can get some useful suggestions from others who have had firsthand experience with products you are considering.

8. Pick toys that fit your budget and your values. Sometimes that "gotta have" toy is out of line with your budget and/or your values. Don't be worn down or made to feel guilty if everyone else on the block is buying the latest expensive video game or the GI Joe doll that doesn't mesh with your anti-war stance. There are plenty of reasonably priced, high-quality alternatives that fit your values.

9. Consider safety. Avoid buying toys for younger children that have lots of small parts or sharp edges. If your school-age child must have that chemistry set to stimulate her interest in science, plan for a responsible adult to be available to supervise.

10. Make sure it's fun! "A toy or children's product is supposed to entertain the child. It should amuse, delight, excite and be enjoyable," notes Dr. Toy. No toy or game is going to keep your child's interest unless it is fun to play with, offers lasting play value and puts a smile on his face.

Here are some highlights from this year's award-winning lists and museum online catalogs:

From the San Francisco Museum of Art:

• Mini Animal Kits
  Laser-cut 3D animals. From a flat cardboard sheet, with detailed instructions, punch out and create a small dog, car or pig. Ages 7 and up. ($18.00)

• Snatch Word Game
  Players earn points by creating their own words or by snatching their opponent's letters. Take a word, make a word. A game the whole family can play. ($15.00)

• Magnetic Mosaics
  Children experience the age-old excitement and creativity of designing beautiful mosaics with this unique set. Contains 2000 non-toxic foam magnets, 12" steel playing surface, and project ideas. Ages 7 and up. ($24.00)

From the Exploratorium:

• Photon Solar Racer
  Build your own Solar Racer and tap into the power of the sun! This easy-to-assemble kit comes with everything you need including. Sleek transparent plastic body (made from recycled soda bottles) looks great as is, or add your own custom paint job. The Photon can travel 10 feet in three seconds on a smooth, flat surface, when exposed to full sun. ($34.90)

• Jiggly Gems and Crystal Creations
  This kit includes the materials to make three kinds of crystals and one jelly-like substance in a rainbow of colors and a variety of textures from faceted to rough to squishy. Adult supervision required. Ages 8 and up. ($19.90)

• Physics Workshop
  Sure, you've probably heard of a chemistry set. But how about a physics set? This kit by Thames and Kosmos gathers plastic building pieces, gears, pulleys, string, and a motor to provide all of the parts for 36 different models to demonstrate a range of physics concepts.

  Physics Workshop

  A well-illustrated and detailed experiment manual not only shows how to build experiments but also gives real-world examples and explanations. Ages 8 and up. ($49.90)

• Exploratopia
  This interactive hardbound book from the Exploratorium is filled with ideas, hands-on experiments, fascinating facts, detailed diagrams and eye-popping photos. Want to learn how to mummify something? Break secret codes? Launch a rocket? Detect counterfeit money? Build a motor? From physics to forensics, from clouds to ants, from Isaac Newton to elephant droppings, Exploratopia overflows with things to explore using the simplest everyday objects. It not only shows you how, but it explains the ideas and background behind each exploration. Ages 8 and up. ($29.99)

From Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products for 2007:

• MathMosis Music
  MathMosis is happy and energetic music that is fun for all ages. Children learn to count by multiples through repetition while enjoying MathMosis Music. MathMosis provides children with a strategy which aids in understanding and memorizing multiplication and division problems. The counting songs are in order from easiest to most difficult so each child can develop math skills at his/her own rate. The lyrics encompass a variety of topics and attract children as young as preschool through preteen. Designed by a teacher and parent, MathMosis is easy to implement both in the classroom and at home. MathMosis Music provides children with the skills necessary to excel in math at an early age! Ages 3 to 12. ($15.95)

• GeoSafari® Talking Microscope
  Kids get an up-close view of 12 fascinating bugs as they hear cool facts or test their knowledge of each critter in fun quiz games. Features 5x focusing magnifier and a light for easy viewing. Comes with Talking Microscope unit and 12 prepared interactive slides with storage box. Ages 5 to 12. ($29.99)

• Desert Hothouse
  Grow exotic plants from around the world in beautiful windowsill greenhouses. The design of this greenhouse is inspired from famous conservatories. Create your own sandy, dusty desert scene with the Desert Hothouse. This windowsill greenhouse comes complete with a variety of cacti and succulents including the Giant Sagauro, Prickly Pear, Golden Barrel Cactus, Joshua Tree, Century Plant, and many more! Design a desert landscape with the included gravel, sand, boulders, and desert friends! Easy-to-grow plants will start sprouting in a week and will last for years. The plants in the Desert Hothouse also naturally mimic the art of Japanese Bonsai. A comprehensive instruction and care manual is included in this all-inclusive, educational product. It contains a plethora of information on the seeds contained in the kit, as well as the history of terrariums, information on succulents and cacti, and much more. Children can learn all about water conservation and how certain plants are more adept with it, and why. This exciting terrarium also shows how desert plants have adapted to life over numerous generations. This terrarium is created in a way that is very easy for children to use and learn from. Ages 4 to 12. ($14.99)

From National Parenting Center, Seal of Approval winners, 2007:

• Curious DragonBonz
  Curious Toys elected not to include a guidebook of designs that you can make with your DragonBonz because that's not what these Bonz are all about. Curious wants you to let your imagination take over and, freed from any illustrated constraints, let your creativity guide you as you construct creatures that you can really call your own. Almost as fun to take apart as it is to put together, our child testers were tickled with their creative combinations and eager to show them off. What was really fun was hearing their descriptions of each "Dragon" and its various features, likes, dislikes and of course their names. Ages 4 to 7. ($34)

• Cotton Clay-tivity
  The first question many testers asked about this craft kit was "What is Cotton Clay"? A good question and one we asked ourselves. Simply put it is a very lightweight clay that is very easy to work with. Cotton Clay is much more forgiving and much less messy than traditional clay. Inside the box you will find 6 different colors of cotton clay along with assorted other material such as pipe cleaners, straws, key chains and the like. The packaging left a little to be desired, but the most important element here is the clay. At first you may want to create a project together with your child but you will find that in no time they will be dreaming up and creating projects all by themselves. Ages 6 and Up. ($14.99)

• Travel Trivia Challenge
  When Imagination International elected to use the word "challenge" in the title of their new game they weren't kidding. You have got to be on your geography game to shine here and you will be put to the test. Families told us that after they got over the initial shock discovering how much they didn't know, they were able to relax and enjoy learning and expanding their geographic knowledge. The game board is very attractive as are the little airplane game pieces. The reusable timetable, as opposed to throwaway paper, also caught the approving eye of more than one tester. Ages 12 and up. ($29.99)

MetKids section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Call 1-800-662-3397 for customer service.):

• Can You Hear It?
  A bustling cityscape full of cars and people; the interior of a circus teeming with wild animals; ice-skaters gliding on a frozen pond in winter; a fascinating underwater world swimming with fish and sea creatures?classical music can inspire the imagination to envision scenes within melodies. This book includes 13 pictures that set the stage for the music on the CD. A Japanese print by Ando Hiroshige of a hovering bee illuminates the trilling flutes in "The Flight of the Bumblebee," while a Jazz Age painting by Kees van Dongen of a traffic jam at the Arc de Triomphe captures the rousing opening of "An American in Paris," and a gilded Mughal watercolor of an elaborately costumed elephant by an unknown artist gives life to the majestic creature from "The Carnival of the Animals." Accompanying each image are guided questions and a CD track number that prime readers to listen for specific sounds.

  When the track is played, readers will look and listen as never before. The CD includes American and European orchestras playing 13 short works or excerpts of longer works by various composers like Rimsky-Korsakov, Vivaldi, Saint-Saëns, Gershwin and others. Also included in the book is an introduction to musical instruments, illustrated with beautiful and historically significant examples from the museum's collection, including a Stradivarius violin, a crystal flute, the oldest piano in the world and one of Segovia's guitars. Following this section are notes on each artist and composer, and information on the visual and musical works presented both in the book and on the CD.

  40 pages, color illustrations throughout. 10 in. square. Hardcover, with jacket. Includes CD with 13 tracks. Ages 4 to 10. (Member price: $17.05. Non-member price: $18.95)

Updated October 2007