Holiday gift suggestions for tots to teens

Holiday gift suggestions for tots to teens

Do you have a wide range of ages to shop for this holiday season? Consider the following suggestions spanning the spectrum of grandkid ages and stages—all sampled and savored by my grandsons and me.

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Kids get cooking with iPlay, iLearn Kids Cooking Playset

Kids get cooking with iPlay, iLearn Kids Cooking Playset

My grandson Benjamin, who will be three in October, has shown an interest in cooking ever since he was capable of showing an interest in anything. Pots, pans, cooking utensils, dishes, doodads he could pretend were for cooking, serving, eating—Benjamin has forever enjoyed playing chef to anyone willing to nibble on his fine faux food offerings. He has a tub full of play food and dishes at my house, a full kitchen set up at his, yet he never tires of pretend cooking.

So when I was offered the opportunity to review the Kids Play Kitchen Pretend Play Cooking Toys Accessories Set from iPlay, iLearn, I knew Benjamin would be up for the task.

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Fat Brain fun: Trio for tots to pre-teens (and beyond)

Fat Brain fun: Trio for tots to pre-teens (and beyond)

The holiday gift-giving season will soon be upon us, and Fat Brain Toys is among the tops spots for grandmothers and others seeking screen-free fun to give the grands.

Fat Brain Toys sent me a special trio of toys to try out with my favorite boys — two ideal for my tiniest grandson plus one that’s fun for the bigger kids (and grownups, too).

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Holiday gift ideas for grandkids: Toy time!

Holiday gift ideas for grandkids: Toy time!

Seeking unique screen-free toys for the girls and boys on your holiday list?

Check out these five fun gift ideas for your grandkids, all reviewed and recommended by my grandkids.

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Summer six pack: While away dog days with Pressman Toy and Goliath Games

Summer six pack: While away dog days with Pressman Toy and Goliath Games

Though school bells beckon in the distance, there's still a fair share of summertime to spare. Why not gather the grands and try your hands at these six entertaining options for school-age kids and older?

I received the six following toys and games from Pressman Toy and Goliath Games free for review, and my review buddy, James, and I had a blast putting each to the test.

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Great games for GRAND kids: More from Goliath Games and Pressman Toy

Great games for GRAND kids: More from Goliath Games and Pressman Toy

Whether for birthdays, holidays, or any ol' days of ordinary sorts, games make great gifts for grandkids. Or for grandparents to keep on hand for playing with visiting kiddos.

Goliath Games and Pressman Toy — makers of the games featured in my rundown of games for holiday giving — recently sent me free for review two more options for getting the good times rolling with your favorite grands.

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Games galore! Fun from Pressman Toy and Goliath Games

Games galore! Fun from Pressman Toy and Goliath Games

The gifting season is upon us, and games never fail to fit the bill. Game gurus Pressman Toy and Goliath Games recently sent me more than a few of their faves for all ages to play and peruse with my local game boy (and grandson), James.

Some of the selections were silly, some challenging, all downright dandy for gift giving to grands.

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Greedy Granny game a goofy good time for grandkids and grandparents

Greedy Granny game a goofy good time for grandkids and grandparents

Stereotypes of grandmas abound, and there's none more stereotypical than the star of Greedy Granny, the new offering from Goliath Games. Granny of the game is pin-curl coiffed, dons granny glasses, a lace-collared dress, and knee-high socks with pink slippers. She's wrinkled about the mouth and forehead and wears dentures that fly from her mouth when startled. She naps in a recliner, arthritic hands clutching the arms.

She's the stereotypical grandma caricature of comics and cartoons and commercials created by folks who apparently haven't seen a real grandma in several decades. A kind of grandma I can't imagine any child born in the past 30 years has ever seen, as grandmas are nothing like the stereotype. Or like Greedy Granny.

That said, It's silly to get one's grandma briefs in a bunch over the depiction, as Greedy Granny — stereotype or not — was surely innocently crafted for nothing but fun. And fun the game definitely is.

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