All mySimon Kids and Family Shopping Picks

By the time their kids hit middle school, most parents have a misshapen clay bowl or figurine somewhere at home that was made in crafts class or at summer camp. If, however, your little genius brought home a piece of art you show to all your friends, you can help the budding artist further explore his or her creative side with the Curiosity Kits Pottery Wheel. It has clay, paint, and brushes in addition... more

Not everyone's home is baby-proof, and you don't want a visit to a friend's house to end up in tears (your baby's or your friend's). Take along the Graco Pack N Play and you'll keep baby safe and entertained. The colorful playpen has four interactive toys and mesh walls so baby can see everything that's going on. When it's time to go, you just pack up the playpen in its own carrier.

You may not be able to find Star Trek action figures for the young crew of the new movie, but you can get them for the originals. Get Kirk in his captain's chair, or with his first officer, Spock, in the bonus two-pack. All of your favorite's are here: Uhuru, Sulu, Bones, Scotty, and more. The costumes vary, and some even come with a Klingon warrior, or other Federation nemesis.

Even if you are not sure why Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Mexico, you know that in America, the emphasis is on sipping beverages that end in "a" (margarita, tequila, cerveza, etc.) at a party with salsa and chips. These colorful Tropical Maracas are the perfect addition to your Cinco de Mayo celebration. You can use them as inexpensive party decorations. Or to spice up the conga line forms after the third... more

If you have a little one who's not old enough for school yet, but can't wait to start, Mega Blocks Dora's School Time Backpack is the perfect solution. The colorful plastic backpack is made for kids three years or older and comes packed with a set of Mega Blocks so kids can build their own school room. It includes a blackboard, desks, and Dora herself, along with other familiar figures from the Dora the... more

Adult 80's Glam Girl Costume Do you look back on '80s fashion with nostalgia? If so, and you don't want to trawl through second-hand or vintage stores, you can recapture the look (somewhat) with this Glam Girl Costume drawn from the over-the-top outfits of Cyndi Lauper and other '80s icons. You'll have to get your own big-hair wig and glam accessories, but the costume includes the skirt, top, and oh-so-80s fingerless mesh gloves... more

You can avoid the pesky task of testing the water in your shower before you step in with this interesting shower light. Yes, that's right. No more sticking your hand under water that's too cold or too hot. The shower light will tell you when the water turns warm with a light that turns from blue to red. The LED light also makes the water appear to have color as well as it streams... more

Moms and dads know how indispensable the simple baby wipe can be. What we didn't know is how cold they can be right out of the box. You can stop shocking baby with a chilly wipe using the Munchkin Wipe Warmer. It holds all standard-sized wipes, and even has a light so you can see the box easily without turning on the lights in the middle of the night. While changing diapers is never... more

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center opens March 6, and admission will be free to the public for the opening weekend. In one of the museum's many exhibits you can plan your own Mars expedition, while another shows a large-scale model of a spaceship. If you can't make it to the opening in New Hampshire, you can do some space exploration of your own with the Discover Magazine: The Solar System... more

Even when you play the airplane game, vegetables can be a tough sell to the kids. You can make eating more fun with colorful plates, cups, and utensils from The First Years. They won't break if (when) they hit the floor, and they have all of the characters kids love. If that isn't enough, you can take a tip from a recent LiveScience.com article on a study that showed kids ate twice as many... more

We were shopping for a friend's baby shower recently and nearly fainted when we found out that some strollers cost more than the first car we bought on our own. A little research and we found that you don't have to mortgage your house to put baby on wheels. The Graco MetroLite is a lightweight, affordable stroller that doesn't make you sacrifice safety, style, or comfort either. And we haven't heard any reports of... more

Quite possibly, the last jigsaw puzzle you put together had very large pieces and taught you the alphabet or U.S. states. You'll need to think a bit harder on the Murder On the Titanic Jigsaw Puzzle. First, it's a 1000 pieces. Second, there's no picture to follow as you assemble it. Third, it's a mystery that you can solve once the picture is revealed. The puzzle comes with a short outline of the crime... more

Get your mind out of the gutter when you play Dirty Minds: The Game of Naughty Clues. The trick here is that the clues, though seemingly dirty, all have answers that are perfectly innocent. Getting there may be hard for some of your friends, but it is funny to see them try. This is a perfect game for some close friends (only those who won't be offended by their own dirty minds!), shared bottles... more

Strollers are great in city settings, but a walk on the beach or in the woods won't last long if you have to carry the baby. Enter the Kelty Wallaby Baby Sling/Wrap. Baby snuggles close to your chest, can face in or out, and you keep your arms free and get back support. And, as any new parent will tell you, it's surprising just how heavy a little bundle of joy can be and... more

If your kids liked the Wall-E movie, they will love the Ultimate Wall-E robot. Designed for children ages 8 and up, the robot stands 16" tall and uses 10 motors and 2 microprocessors to play music, dance, talk to you, follow you around, explore, and more, all using the programmable remote control. If it also ran errands and washed dishes, we'd buy one in a heartbeat.

What's hot for kids this holiday season and doesn't cost much money? One word: Bakugan (pronounced "bah-koo-gahn"). Bakugan is an anime series on the Cartoon Network, and the toys are the hottest things since Pokemon. Our friends' 9 year-old son and 6 year-old daughter are obsessed with them. Each toy is the size of a golf ball or large marble when closed. Inside is a magnet, so when you touch the Bakugan to metal,... more

Last week, our coworkers' parents (both of whom are reserved, academic types) were awakened at 4am by a flying squirrel in their bedroom. The mental image of them trying to rid their house of a flying squirrel had us laughing all day. (They eventually trapped it in a bathroom and had someone come rescue it.) So, for Christmas, our coworker is giving her parents this flying squirrel plush toy. It just arrived today. It's... more

What's even better than a 1980s Homecoming Queen costume for Halloween? Prom Date Ken. The costume comes with a powder blue tuxedo jacket (the pocket square has "Ken" printed on it), matching cummerbund, white ruffle dickie with attached bowtie, Ken doll arm tag, and - the best part - a yellow plastic wig. Get your wife/girlfriend to dress up as Barbie (or else tell other people at the party that you're looking for her)... more

You know, as far as political masks go, this one of John McCain isn't half bad (compared to the Palin one, which looks like it bypassed the QA department entirely). Sometimes these masks are so bad you can't even tell who they're supposed to be. Anyway, if you're looking for the easiest, cheapest way out of a Halloween costume this year, you can go with a political mask (we've also got more

We knew it wouldn't take long for them to make Sarah Palin products. For $35 you can order this life-sized poster of Sarah Palin dressed in a republican-red suit. We're guessing it's a bit larger than life, since it's nearly 6 feet tall. (How tall is the governor, anyway?). Mounted on heavy cardboard, you can either hang her on a wall or a door, or use the easel to display her in the middle... more