My little man loves cars. I think the Alex Squirters-Transportation would delight him at bathtime. My older son would likely get a kick out of them as well. In fun shapes and colors, it’s good to take anywhere, like the beach, or just to the tub for children 6 months and up. Only $9.99 at diapers.com, take them out of the bag individually and they make great stocking stuffers

Most young children enjoy pretending to cook like grown-ups, so pretend stoves make a wonderful toy.  Unfortunately, we don’t always have room for the bulkier versions of these toys in our homes.  This Wooden Cook Top from Alex is a great compromise.  Our family has had one of these for about a year now, and it has gotten a lot of use.  It doesn’t take up much space (we store it on top of the play fridge), plus, the convenient pegs on the top of the toy are great for hanging up some of the toy dish clutter.

Designed for children ages three and up, this toy features screenprinted graphics and rotating dials that will enhance your child’s play.  It folds down quite nicely and is very portable.  You can purchase one for $34.95 at Target.com It would make a wonderful holiday or birthday gift.

Here’s a fun bath time toy for your toddler: Dirty Dogs by Alex can be an enjoyable way for your toddler to learn about cleanliness. These Dirty Dogs spotted with “mud” can be washed clean in the bath along with your little one (the spots disappear with warm water).

Your child will have fun seeing his dirty spots come clean, and it will also be a good time to encourage your child in his own cleanliness. In case he resists bath time these Dirty Dogs might help to get him into the tub.  The set comes with 4 rubbery dirty dogs and one washcloth. The dogs can spit water out of holes in their mouths (for your child’s enjoyment).

Dirty Dogs are recommended for children ages 6 months and up. Visit bestdressedkids.com where you can buy your own Dirty Dogs for $14.

Here is a fun bath toy that I know would be a big hit at our house.  Made by ALEX Bath, this 3-in-1 Music Island allows your little musician to compose all kinds of delightful melodies while taking a bath.  This fish-shaped instrument is designed to float, and features a xylophone, a drum, and a shaker that is shaped like an octopus.  The set includes 2 mallets, sheet music, and a music holder.  This is sure to add some fun and creativity to bath time.

Recommended for ages 3 and up, you can purchase this tub toy for $24.99 at toygarden.com.  It would make a great holiday or birthday gift for a toddler.

If you need an excuse to get your toddler to stay in the bathtub longer (which is the opposite of my problem), Alex has created the Tub Tunes Symphony Set. This set includes a drum, flutes, and a xylophone, to make tub time a musical time. The set also comes with laminated sheet music (so it won’t get wet - they thought of everything!) and mallets for the drum and xylophone.

Children can also hear how the water changes the sounds of these immersible instruments. This musical gift is recommended for ages 3 and up, and is available at PeppyParents.com for $29.95. Although I love the idea of this musical set, I don’t think I’ll be purchasing it for my son, or I’d never get him out of the tub!

The Build a World See-Thru Stories consist of a series of transparent stacking boxes. Scenes inside the boxes include animals, buildings, farm, ocean, backyard, and jungle. Children can stack them together to practice stacking skills, but also to encourage stories. It’s a toy designed to spark your child’s imagination as she puts together various combinations to create her own stories.

This innovative toy by Alex would make a great Christmas gift for children ages 2 and up. You can purchase it at PeppyParents.com, where it sells for $14.95.

After spotting it on the Baby Earth site, I realized that the Jungle Bean Bag Toss by Alex could be incorporated nicely into nursery/play room décor. Take the lighter of the greens for wall color and you have yourself the beginnings of a vivid theme.

However, for outdoor play, the cute, happy looking, and colorful animals will delight children and the fun of throwing bean bags will keep them delighted. It’s made with strong wood to ease the fear of tipping over onto small children (though recommended for ages 3 and up) and includes 5 bean bags.

Good for hand/eye coordination but not too difficult, as the openings are large, it makes for active but not frustrating or overly competitive fun. Teach your children about numbers and adding while playing a round. Fun for parties or for anytime, the Jungle Bean Bag Toss costs $26.95 at babyearth.com, a site with some innovative play ideas.