The classic Ker Plunk game updated to include those unabashedly adorable aliens from Toy Story. The strategy is simple; the game, addictive: Players take turns removing sticks from the “rocket ship” and try to avoid the kerplunkety action of the little plastic aliens tumbling to the floor. Whomever is responsible for the fewest fallen little green men is the winner.

Toy Story Ker Plunk Game, $18.19 at Amazon.com.

The kazoo even comes with a 34-page instruction book. Perfect for the aspiring professional Kazooer. Kazooist? Oh, who am I kidding? That’s not a real job.

Band in a Bucket Holiday Edition, $19.99 at Toys R Us.

Also shown: First Act Percussion Pack, $29.99 at Toys R Us.

1. My Big Pink Book of Everything ($9.99)

I gave this to my 3-year-old niece yesterday, and she exclaimed, upon opening it, “This is just what I’ve been wanting!” I’m pretty sure she’d never even seen the book, but the sentiment was there: she loved it.

2. Stuff on My Cats Presents: Cats A to Z ($6.99)
Pretty self-explanatory. 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.

3. Goodnight, Gorilla Gift Box ($16.65)
As a clueless zookeeper puts his charges to bed for the night, his primate pal lets them all loose. A hilarious tale with a little plush gorilla for cuddling.

4. Once I Ate a Pie ($12.99)
Beautifully illustrated book of poems told by the point of view of dogs: the chihuahua who can’t understand why everything he owns is so small (when he, of course, is huge), the rescued dog snug in his bed with his owners, and yes, the pug who will eat anything, including pie. All the fun of having a puppy. None of the doo-doo.

5. Jobs People Do ($15.63)
Follow along with Tessa the Teacher, Fred the Firefighter, Vicky the Vet, Daisy the Doctor, Frank the Farmer, and Sam the Chef as they go about their daily work. The stories are fun and engaging and the clay fimo figures are just really cool.

Check out our complete list of Gift Lists here.

But the Kids Glow Star Globe doesn’t stop at giving you the world. Turn off the lights, and you’ve got the moon and the stars and the planets as well, as the globe converts to a personal planetarium, minus the admissions fee and celebrity voiceover (although I hear you can hire William Shatner, for a hefty salary).

$39.99 at Target. (Available in most Target and toy stores as well.)

We don’t have “family game night” in our house, but we do have a regularly-scheduled “let’s fight about what game to play because our kids are 6 years apart and never want to play the same thing” night.

Here’s where the Green Eggs and Ham Speedy Diner game comes in. One person is the “chef,” calling out the orders of each dinner guest (the fox, the goat, and the mouse). The object of the game is to keep the fox from eating the goat and the goat from eating the mouse at any cost. Hey, it’s a fox eat goat eat mouse world out there, and kids need to learn early.

Wait, stop. That’s not this game at all. In the real game, players (”waiters”) have to choose the proper items based on food, color and shape, and deliver them to the guests. The web site describes it as “fast-paced, frenetically fun” and, um, yes, frenetic is the right word.

At first play, my 4-year-old dissolved into tears because her 10 year old brother got all the food items faster than her and she didn’t get a chance to deliver anything. But being the (cough, cough) master of conflict resolution that I am, we worked it out by letting my daughter be the chef. Even if your child can’t read, she can easily call out the guests and food items. The rest of us had a blast rushing around as the waiters.

One note: There is no specific “winner” in this game. It’s a team effort and the goal is to be as fast as possible. My 10-year-old was initially annoyed by that, but soon got over it because the game is just pretty dang fun.

The other “I Can Do That” Games look just as fun. Buy a game and add the corresponding Dr. Suess book and you’ve got a great gift. And to get you started, we’re giving away the Horton Hears a Who – You to the Rescue! game. Just leave a comment below to be entered to win.

And wait, wait! Want to earn 2 extra chances to win this game? Just “Ask the Present Professor” about your gift-giving challenge! That’s right–here’s your chance to test out the Professor’s skills in finding you the perfect gift for your child, parent, piano teacher, piano tuner, little man who lives inside your piano, etc. If you email the professor with a gift-giving question, then leave a comment here, we’ll give you two more chances to win this game! It’s a win/win situation. . . which totally makes up for the whole “no winning” in the Green Eggs and Ham game.

This contest is now ended.

I’m trying to come up with a good gift for an entire famiy.  Two parents and six kids (ages 2-11). I’ve given up on trying to get them individual gifts and now would like to come up with something they can use as a family.  Got any ideas?

Hi, Susan! Try a DVD boxed set–one with plenty of content for the whole family to enjoy for many years to come. The Disney/Pixar Ultimate Collection, on sale right now at Amazon for $109.99, includes the first eight Pixar films (Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life, Monsters Inc., The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Cars, and Ratatouille). You might also want to consider a collection of Looney Tunes cartoons, introducing the children (and quite possibly, the parents) to hilarious shorts from the early days of animation. Looney Tunes: Volume I ($24.99) is a great introduction to everyone’s favorite wascally wabbit. Additional volumes are similarly priced.  The Muppet Show DVDs are also quite funny and appropriate for everyone ($22.99 per season, 3 seasons available at Amazon). And maybe, if you’re lucky, they’ll invite you over to watch. (Don’t forget the popcorn!)

$11.99 at Amazon.com

As in, the game comes with 133 of them. Take that, Pop-O-Matic Trouble!

The object of the game is to advance on the game board by performing different tasks with the variety of dice. . . For example, you may be asked to name as many state capitals as the number you’ve rolled. Or you may be asked to make a stack of 6 dice in 30 seconds. Or you might be asked to leave game night, if you eat all the dip and spill creme soda on the game board.

There is also a kid’s version of the game that comes with 13 dice. . . because with kids, anything more would be dicey.

Regular version (ages 12+): $24.95; Kid’s version (6+): $14.95. Available at BarnesandNoble.com and at select Barnes and Noble stores.

From Land of Nod, $24.95, Ages 3+

Not every fan of the Great Big Mouse (AKA Mickey) can make it to Great White Way (AKA Broadway) to take in one of Disney’s stage adaptations of their beloved screen musicals. But now, thanks to Disney on Broadway’s new Web shop, the exclusive merchandise previously only available to patrons of Broadway’s slate of Broadway shows (which currently includes The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Mary Poppins) can now be purchased by anyone sitting in their apartment at 3 a.m. dressed like Mary Poppins and insisting that “Julie Andrews only portrayed me in a movie about my life.” But enough about my Dad. . .

To paraphrase from another musical starring Ms. Andrews as a nanny to difficult children with hearts of gold, here are a few of my favorite gift options for the Disneyphile in your life:

I really dig this replica of Mary Poppins’s parrot-head umbrella ($39.99). Sadly, the bird does not speak. Happily, it doesn’t poop on your head, either. There’s also a child’s-size umbrella and an ornament rendering ($20.50).

A Mary Poppins carbet bag key chain might not hold an endless supply of spare change ($9.95), but it’ll have your recipient happy enough to be singing Supercalifragilisticexpialidoscious–which, by the way, is spelled out on a shirt ($19.99 for kids; $24.95 for grown-ups).

Over at The Little Mermaid, you’ll find a replica Dinglehopper fork-shaped hairbrush ($10.50 and very confusing for those not familiar with the story), as well as a lovely charm bracelet ($50.50)
and several t-shirt options for children.

And representing The Lion King–the patriarch of Disney’s presence in midtown Manhattan, is a fabulous special edition Simba ornament ($19.95 and a unique set of coloring cards based upon the show’s design ($9.95).

Merchandise is also available for fans of the departed shows Tarzan and Beauty and the Beast, as well as the not-so-Broadway High School Musical Tour. Not available: Commemorative dancing Herbie Dolls from The Love Bug: An Opera In Seven Acts. Not available, because the show doesn’t exist. . . YET. I’ll see my vision come alive someday!

Now, I could end this post with some spiel about happily ever after, feeling Happy instead of Grumpy or Dopey, or sprinkling fairy dust, etc., but instead, I’ll end it in typical Monday fashion with. . . a giveaway! Please leave a comment below, and you’ll be entered to win a Little Mermaid on Broadway Snow Globe! It plays “Part of Your World.” It snows, even if there’s no snow under the sea!

It’s magic, see?

And we’ve got even more magic this week. If you subscribe to our RSS feed, you’ll be given 3 additional entries – that’s a total of FOUR chances to win this gorgeous Little Mermaid Snow Globe. Just subscribe, then come back and let us know in the comments that you did.

Giveaway ends Sunday, 11/23/08, 11:59pm ET.