Kid-Tested, Kid-Approved

Those worried about finding the perfect gift for little ones should try looking off the beaten path in museum stores. They feature toys that encourage fun, family learning and are not often found in big box stores.

During the annual Kid-Tested, Kid-Approved event, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis opened up boxes to let kids play with toys and games and vote on their favorites. The top choices are added to a list for grownups to conveniently reference just in time for the holiday season.

Buckle up for number one — a tiny toy with big excitement. The Micro Slot Racing Set features two 1:87 scale slot cars with headlights and remote controls with turbo buttons and speed control. It provides a fun way for little ones to learn how STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) affects the speed of cars and how they can make predictions of who might win.

Dinosaur lovers will be fascinated by RoboRaptor. The small remote controlled velociraptor ranked number two. It walks forward and backward, lights up and roars with the touch of a button. Third place was a literal surprise to those who placed a card inside the Pancake Monster. The pop-up game is triggered by a spring mechanism. The monster pops up unexpectedly to ‘swallow’ a player’s arm after a random number of button presses. If this happens, that player has to collect all the cards – a major bummer since the first player to get rid of all their cards wins!

Number four goes to Mag Pad Pictures. Children hold the power of art in their hands with a magnetic pen as they trace pictures to make beads appear on the surface. Soothing clicking sounds happen when the magnetic balls are moved around the board.

Wrapping up the top five is Tongues Out! In this game, the pug puppies eat lollipops. Their tongues are dyed the color of the lollipop they had. So, with each turn, players try to match two lollipops on the dice with two squishy puppies that they think licked them. Gently squeeze the little pups and their tongues pop out. The first player to match six Pugs with the corresponding lollipops’ color wins. Parents will no doubt enjoy this unique way of teaching counting skills, memory and social play. Sometimes the best gift is time shared together. Consider purchasing a membership to your favorite museum and ring in the new year during Countdown to Noon, which allows families to celebrate at a family-friendly time on New Year’s Eve.