My favorite kid's catalogs

I've been so busy since I started my series on catalogs, and of course this is the year we keep bumping into the right gifts without the catalog. Anywho, just to spread the love for those who may not have discovered these fine retailers, let's take a spin through the kid's gift Christmas catalog "Hall of Fame."

Fisher-Price
The toys are classics, but the catalog has "exclusives" like actual shepherds for the Little People manger scene. I really enjoy the Shop-at-Home catalog, though I usually buy whatever we decide on at a store--unless it's an exclusive catalog item.

Toys to Grow On
This is an off-shoot of the venerable Lakeshore Learning catalog for early childhood educators. The toys in this catalog are more geared to home use rather than classroom use, and they have some interesting toys. This year I was impressed with the Step by Step sculpting kits, though we've decided to satisy our artsy kido's yen another way. We've occassionally been unhappy with the longevity of some of the items we've bought from this catalog, which surprised us since we've always had good luck with Lakeshore. Maybe they're still working the bugs out.

Delta Education
OK, so it's not a toy catalog, but if you have a kid who's oriented toward maths and sciences this is the catalog. It has everything from serious hardware, such as microscopes and telescopes to ant farms and Quarto. Buying a gift from Delta feels like an investment not an indulgence.

Hearth Song
This catalog comes at the toy business from it's own unique direction. I find lots of interesting little projects and throw back toys in this catalog. The emphasis is on imaginative play with such intersting gift ideas as "silkies" dress up cloths and wonderful puppets. A word of caution about the puppets, wait until your puppeteer is at least 10 before buying the Storytelling Hand Puppets, as they require tender loving care. Other products also have proved less than hearty, but still this catalog deserves a look, if only for it's pleasantly different appeal.

Oriental Trading Company
The teacher's best friend, this catalog is loaded with great craft ideas and projects, not to mention a nativity scene manned by rubber ducks. Oh yeah, I'm all over that one! Prices are good here too, but be sure and check the size and quantity.

Young Explorers
No surprise, this is an educational toy company as well, but this one has some really exciting games, such as a kind of Twister game with World Geography instead of circles. Spy kits, RC Stealth Bombers, pottery wheels, phonics laptops, lots of great stuff.

Chinaberry
Sometimes this catalog gets a little goddess heavy for my taste, but nevertheless, they do find interesting books, games and ways of showing love. Sometimes different is good, and this catalog comes at spirituality from an admittedly new-age angle. I've found that they are freer to appreciate the more mystical sides of Christianity and so they find books that would never cross my radar otherwise. Approach with caution, but do give them a look over.

American Girl
All right, I admit it. We love American Girl dolls. When one of our girls turns nine, she gets to choose one of the American Girl dolls and we begin the slow process of collecting the items a little at a time over birthdays and Christmas. The girls really get excited about history when they are thinking about the period in terms of whichever doll they are most excited about. The movies are wholesome and full of period detail. These dolls are a splurge. The items are over-priced, but we've decided that in the end they are worth it for us. We are all looking forward to Molly's movie. This catalog is definitely a girl thing.

Discovery Channel Store
Once again, a treasure trove of educational toys and products that are also a lot of fun. From the plastic frog for dissecting to the Paz Art projector this is a great place to look for unique gifts for the brainy kids in your life.

CRICKET
Don't miss Cricket or Ladybug or Spider or any of the other offerings from this terrific publisher. They also have a catalog with interesting gifts and books. I have loved Cricket for years. My parents gave me a subscription after the librarian pointed out that I'd read every back issue the library had. These guys are pricey as well, but I believe they are worth every penny. It made a difference for me.

Mindware
This catalog has received the Parent's Choice award three years running. It's another great source for truly entertaining educational games.

That's the list so far. Happy shopping