The best children's gifts are the ones that spark imagination and excitement in the mind of a young child. They are the toys that children play with long after the tree has come down and the last bit of tinsel has left the house. Here is a list of my favorite toys and books this season.

• Soft Dino Play Pit - This soft and friendly dinosaur unzips to become a ball pit for babies. The balls are easily grasped, and even when the dino is zipped close, it has appealing textures and colors to keep infants entertained and learning. Appropriate for ages 0-12 months.
• Architectual Block Sets - Architectural blocks sets contain arches, columns and shapes that allow kids to construct stylistic structures from all around the globe. Mellissa and Doug is one company that makes reasonably priced and very durable architectural block sets. Archiquest, another company, makes a Deluxe World set that includes decorative shapes and suggests styles to recreate structures from China, Egypt and Rome. Architectural blocks will keep kids and their friends busily and happily engaged. Appropriate for ages 5 and up.
• The Art of Calligraphy - This is a beautiful, well-crafted and appointed set of calligraphy pens , ink and instruction. Especially appropriate for artistic teens who appreciate fine crafts, this calligraphy set makes a wonderful and reasonably priced gift.

• Giant Pick-up Sticks - If you're looking for an outdoor game, suitable for the children to play at family gatherings, Giant Pick-up Sticks is your answer. Let complicated than croquet, easy enough for a five-year-old to actively participate, and great fun for everyone, including observers.
• Plan City - My friend's young son was and still is a huge Plan City fan, lasting him from age 3 to 7. Plan City is a "transportation system" but your child will call it "cars and roads, " or maybe just "roads." A basic road system comes with two cares and enough track to make a small oval that will accommodate an average-sized three year old sitting in the middle. Popular add-ons include a fire station with an ambulance and fire truck, and a gas station with a car wash that has fluffy car washers that can be manipulated to "wash" cars.

• Giddyup ‘n Go Pony - I'm saving all my money for the Little Tykes Giddyup ‘n Go Pony. This is an absolutely ingenious toy for the pre-school and Kindergarten set, and can accommodate up to 160 pounds, according to the manufacturer. The child sits on the Giddyup ‘n Go Pony and bounces up and down, propelling the pony forward on its four wheeled hooves. The pony makes fairly realistic pony noises when you press its ear, its tail swishes from side-to-side as you ride, and basically, it looks way cool and way fun. I test-drove this pony in-store and recommend its use outside, with adult supervision. A helmet is a must. It is advertised as an indoor/outdoor toy, but the pony is heavy and I could see how the wheels would be hard on indoor flooring. It also can't make tight turns, so a parent or older child is needed to help a small child turn corners and such. It's great on the straight-away. This is not an inexpensive gift, but the quality is high and what you would expect from Little Tykes.
• Longboard Skateboard - The longboard is most commonly used for transportation around town and around campus. The longer (35" - 60") length gives a smooth, fluid ride, much like surfing. For a tween or teen, a 40" or 50" cruiser is a versatile board.

• Brava Strega Nona Pop-up Book -Tomie dePaola's Strega Nona takes on a whole new look with pop-up images by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. Like other Sabuda books, the pop-ups are little works of art and architecture that truly amaze. Interactive lift-the-flap pieces unveil parts of the story. The book is quite sturdy and appropriate for ages 4 and up.
• 20 Q - While not a new game, this electronic hand-held quizmaster is great fun, particularly on long car trips or in groups. It's essentially the old game of Twenty Questions. You think of the answer, and the device asks you questions and tries to guess what you were thinking of. The game uses artificial intelligence to help figure out what questions to ask and to determine a best answer. Fun for practically all ages, but it helps if the user can read. Non-readers find it fun to listen along and play the game. Teens like trying to stump the device.

• The Ecosphere - This just might be the answer for the teen who craves a pet, but can't have one due to space constraints or allergies. The Ecosphere is home to a couple of shrimp, some algae, microbes, water and oxygen in a sealed glass sphere. Sit it in a bright spot and watch this ecosystem thrive. The lifespan of the shrimp is advertised as two years, so the Ecosphere is probably best for tweens or teens, and not for very young children. The Ecosphere comes in a variety of sizes, from 4" to 6".