Oompa.com is an online purveyor of fine European toys aimed at children age 6 and under with a policy of “no batteries, no blinking lights, no cartoon-themed toys.”

Oompa has a huge selection of gift items you won’t find at major retailers or even smaller specialty shops. And while these types of toys can cost a [...]

Is there anything as classic as a set of hand-crafted wood building blocks? No bells, whistles, batteries, LEDs, CFLs, or PAM*s required. Just an imagination and a desire to build things. And then to knock them down and build again.
The set of 24 blocks in walnut, maplele, and cherry comes boxed and ready to give. [...]

Back in the day, Fisher-Price Little People were actually little. Heck, they were originally made out of wood. And they made Little People versions of Sesame Street characters. And I had to walk 3 miles in the snow uphill (both ways!) just to get to the toy store to buy them.

Imagine it’s Christmas Eve, and you’re on your way to a big family dinner, but you’ve been too busy to buy presents because you’re a neurobiologist at Columbia and you’ve been studying proton transfers in the frontal lobe all week. (OK, so maybe there was a little too much back story.) You have an hour to shop. Go. (To kill two birds with one stone, I’ve selected items that are also available on Amazon.com, where you can order through today and still use free super-saver shipping to get your items by December 24.)

Sock Monkey 2009 Wall Calendar, Sock Monkey Slippers, Gift Box of 10 Sock Monkey Cards . . . And more for the sock monkey fan in all of us.

Kids and kids-at-heart love to play with building toys. Check out Magnext, LEGO, Fantasy Blocks, Tinkertoys and Eames House of Cards.

Our favorite books for pre-readers. Check out Stuff on My Cats Presents: Cats A to Z, cats paired with a different item, one for each letter of the alphabet. Because cats really, really love having their pictures taken, especially if you dress them in a sweater first.