Someone got us these sound balls as a baby shower gift, and nine months later my twins are still playing with them. The three colorful balls each make a different sound: the black and white one crinkles, the orange one jingles, and the multicolored one chimes. When I went online to read more about this toy, I wasn’t surprised to learn that it was named an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award Winner in 2007.

This set is great for babies at all different stages. When ours were newborns, they loved to look at the different colors and patterns as well as listen to us crunch and shake them. Now that they are older, they enjoy shaking and squeezing the balls themselves. I feel like we’ve gotten a lot of use from this set of sound balls and know that our twins will continue to enjoy them in different ways; I look forward to them being able to soon roll them to one another.

These sound balls are also great to take when you’re on the road. We made sure to bring these with us when we were doing some international travel this past summer. They come in their own carrying case and don’t take up much room in the suitcase. They sell on Amazon.com for $17.00 and are one of those items eligible for Free Super Saving Shipping.

Does your daughter already have a purse-addiction?  Or, does she need a small bag to carry around her treasures or her hard-earned allowance?  If so, you might want to take a look at this cute dolphin purse from Kids Preferred. Perfectly-sized for little hands, this 10 inch purse is just big enough to hold the necessities without being burdensome.  The cute dolphin which forms the body  of the purse also makes a cheerful playmate.

This would make a great gift for a toddler or other young child. You can one for the very reasonable price of $14.95 at FatBrainToys.com.

Smart E Bear is a computerized learning toy, but much more than that. Made by Kids Preferred, this bear not only is computerized, but you can customize the lesson plan to your child’s needs. You just plug the Smart E Bear into your computer’s USB port and choose age-appropriate downloads of songs, stories, and games, and the bear is ready to teach and entertain your child.

Smart E Bear speaks English and Spanish, and will call your child by name. It is recommended for ages 2-6, and is made of soft polyester (over electronics). He measures 7″ L x 11″ W x 12″ H. If you’d like to purchase one for your child as a Christmas gift, visit SensationalBeginnings.com, where Smart E Bear costs $89.95.