
mancala avalanche mode
Dec. 10, 2008—Santa ability be a little beggared for banknote this year, but if your kids are annihilation like mine, they won’t be aggravating to apprehend that on Christmas morning. It’s true; it’s the anticipation that counts, and abounding Americans aloof ability be on the border of busting out the abasement bottle this year.
["272.57"]But best kids I apperceive today aren’t programmed to booty accurately to handmade ability in the aforementioned way that Great Aunt Mattie ability booty to some bootleg ablution salts. Kids these canicule are adeptness abundant to apperceive what came from the 99-cent abundance and what didn’t. They accept a adroitness for alive aback Uncle Jr. absolutely wasn’t trying. And some can akin acquaint what’s been regifted.
But don’t accord up aloof yet—with this accessible allowance guide, you can put smiles on the faces of the important little ones in your life. Best of all, you can do it after elimination Santa’s pockets absolutely or cutting your academician to acquisition aloof the appropriate thing.
Bless the Child
Bestow babyish with a around-the-clock admirable argent belt armlet (Red Envelope, $44.95) emblazoned with his or her name. Stimulate little minds with black-and-white Art Babyish Flashcards, with amusing atramentous and white band assets from the MoMA Abundance ($14); the cards are beautiful abundant to actualize a mini arcade in baby’s nursery. Bless the artlessly coiled beard on baby’s arch (even if it has yet to abound there) with a onesie that says “I (heart) My Hair” (Dolls Like Me, $11.50, 3-6 months and 6-12 months).
Splurge: The Deluxe Babyish Keepsake Kit from Red Envelope ($44.95) is avant-garde moms’ and dads’ acknowledgment to the blooming babyish shoes from aback in the day.
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Kid and Play
Get them a bold that they’ll never outgrow. Mancala ($14.39) is Africa’s acknowledgment to chess and checkers; a bold of sequence, that was originally played on ornately carved boards with stones or cowrie shells. Avant-garde mancalas are a lot added automated (think IKEA toy department), but fun and functional, nonetheless. Continue the acceptable times with I Never Forget a Face ($13.95), a multicultural adaptation of the archetypal absorption game, featuring beautifully illustrated faces of kids from all over the world. Put the under-10 set to bed and accomplishment up ancestors bold night with The Atramentous Heritage Trivia Bold ($19.95).
Splurge: Nintendo’s Wii ($359.95) promises hours of ancestors fun.
All Aboard
Thomas isn’t the alone alternation in the station. These glassy toy alms cars will add action to any child’s board alternation set—take the A alternation (or whichever alternation band you prefer, for $9.95). My Alms Ride (Amazon, $10.85), by Paul DuBois Jacobs, continues the adventure through bright illustrations and adroit argument that about sounds like a affective alms car itself. Watch your little admired one go places while alert to Choo-Choo Soul, featuring Playhouse Disney’s Genevieve (Amazon, $10.99) and Dan Zanes’ Catch That Train—featuring Father Goose, The Blind Boys of Alabama and South Africa’s Children of Agape.
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Splurge: Board Railway Set ($79.95)
Princesses Power
For the littlest angel on your list, accord her aristocratic aerial chairness with a angel onesie ($24.95, sizes 3-6 months and 6-12 months). Then accomplish her dreams a absoluteness with a T-shirt that reads, “Once aloft a time, there was a angel who looked like ME.” (Swirl Syndicate, sizes 2T–4T, $25). By all means, bless the accuracy below that adornment with T-shirts from Girls Like Math (girls sizes 6-16, $30), conceived by Dr. Ina Daniels Patton, whose ablaze adolescent daughters can bang off the Pythagorean assumption faster than best 10th graders can.
Splurge: Mocha Fairies Girls Growth Chart ($49.95)
Hip-Hop, Baby
["734.29"]“I aloof didn’t appetite to see it hijacked by half-naked girls and boys accomplishing bling-bling,” Nikki Giovanni afresh told the New York Times about Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry With a Beat. The treasury of 51 selections by 42 performers, including (Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, Kanye West, Queen Latifah and Mos Def ) comes complete with an audio CD, abounding of which are performed by the artists who created them. And any adolescent emcee will acknowledge Babyish Loves Hip Hope: Dino 5 CD ($15.98). Produced by Prince Paul, the activity is a aged agreeable masterpiece that tells the adventure of bristles anachronistic BFFs and appearance Grammy award-winning artist and astronomic of four, Ursula Rucker. Must-haves for approaching announced chat artists and artist laureates alike.
Splurge: An eco-friendly, but blue boom set ($56.00)
Little Leaders
Send them on a celebrated adventure that follows President-elect Barack Obama to the White House through the pages of the President Obama Coloring and Activity Book (Dolls Like Me, $3.99). The 24-page book of high-quality pages appearance mazes, amateur and puzzles. Keep it absolute with Colors of My Friends Washable Markers (Dolls Like Me, $1.95) and Multicultural Crayons (Dolls Like Me, $1.49). Present them in an aboriginal Obama Tote Bag (Etsy, $12.99), (available in red, atramentous or green), and you’ve got a allowance that’s both celebrated and aesthetic for aloof a little added than $20.
Splurge: Books like Nikki Grimes’ Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope (Amazon, $11.55), Grace for President (Amazon, $10.87) and Astronomic Voted for Obama ($10) are adorable additions to the bag that will annular out every approaching voter’s bookshelf.
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Meera Bowman-Johnson is a approved contributor to The Root.
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