Found this in my inbox today and had a chuckle.  It’s HABA’s new Henry Haba-Strong line of pretend play toys that includes a Spiked Mace (why not?), Lance, Sword, Shield, Armor, Helmet, and even a Hobby Horse.  Looks like endless hours of play.

Available at Amazon and Maukilo.

Nonchalantdad says his DIY sandbox on wheels takes about 1-2 hours to make.  Well, if you have the right tools and all the materials handy, you might be able to get this done for the kids in time for Christmas.  Good luck!

We love bold gifts that break from the usual – and this 3,800+ part LEGO kit of the Star Wars Death Star ($399) certainly meets the out-of-the-ordinary dad gift criteria.  If sci-fi is not your guy’s style, then consider Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater LEGO kit for architect lovers, or Mindstorms Robot for dads who like to tinker.

Somewhere there are lots of little girls that will love playing in this cardboard French cafe playhouse by Little Play Spaces. What started as a rainy day project for Kate Fagelman and her daughter, turned into a popular neighborhood play spot for her friends.  Using her art production background, Kate began working on refined cardboard prototype, and now French cafe is available for all kids to run their own pretend cafe.  Made from recycled cardboard, ships flat, and folds flat for easy storage, what’s not to love?!

Leave it to me to find a cool wooden castle block set (€ 24.36) that seems to only be available from the Fler, the Czech version of Etsy.  Made from naturally finished beech wood.

A new app for kids, Peekaboo Forest, brings the storybook quality of illustrator Charley Harper to the small screen. Constructed around the passing of seasons, the narrative features animals emerging from the bush and hiding in the dark of night, delighting toddlers with its roster of real animal sounds and interactive technology. Children can control the animal motion—a weasel’s tail wag, oee buzzing among blooming wildflowers – with a light tap.

Read more about Peekaboo Forest at Cool Hunting

Learning to balance first over pedaling is the approach to the Early Rider Balance Bike.  Aside from embracing the “no-training wheels” for young kids to learn how to ride a bike, we love the fat rubber tires, the cushioned seat, neoprene handles, and of course, the flames on the Early Rider.  To learn more about the balance bike trend, read “Look Ma, No Pedals” over at WSJ.com.

Buy direct from Early Rider or via Giggle online ($160).

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Tell me that you have a cool new interactive game for kids, and I’ll probably cringe first because I feel there’s too much media, commercial entertainment, and other forms of electronic babysitting in our kids’ world today.  I’m decidely “old school” when it comes to raising our daughter – her days are filled with lots of outdoor play, reading from books, hands-on arts and crafts, cooking, open-ended toys and imaginative play.  TV time is minimized, along with video games, Baby Einstein-type learning tools, character-driven media properties (like Disney and Barbie), and most battery-operated toys and games.

Now, along comes Land of Me, a new interactive computer game conceived and produced by Made in Me, a London-based team of creative and early childhood development experts.  After playing Land of Me with my daughter in small short doses, I’m impressed with the richly layered experience that this interactive game presents.  As a minimal-media dad, I actually feel really good about Land of Me.

Made for 3 to 6 year olds, you will follow three main characters through a visually beautiful world with a memorable musical soundtrack, that engages learning skills from colors, space, storytelling, weather, language, reading, imagination, song and dance.  What’s more, I love the offline activities that can be downloaded, printed, and played with that include finger puppets, masks, and wall art. You see, Land of Me starts off as a computer game, but it extends itself deeply into play options away from the computer which is part of its magic and brilliance.

Best of all, you experience Land of Me at your own pace – there’s no time-clock countdowns or frantic button-mashing activities.  In fact, linger away from the game for a while, and each of the characters will drift and doze off in their own unique ways.  One hitch is the game runs a little slow on my older laptop than on my newer quad-core desktop – so be patient (and close your other open applications), and you and your child will be rewarded.

Experience Land of Me with a free download of the game’s first chapter, titled Shape, Size, and Color, where you’ll be introduced to its characters and their world.  After that, there are five other chapters you can purchase separately or together as one bundle for your PC or Mac.

So download today, and come back and let us know how you liked Land of Me.

Extra: Read an interview with James Huggins of Made in Me at Bloesem Kids.

Here it is, the ultimate Christmas gift for dads who love their toys – the Parrot AR.Drone.  Let’s sum this up quickly because it shouldn’t take any longer to convince you that this is the dad toy of the year.

1. Remote controlled by your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad
2. Helicopter – actually a quadicopter – four blades
3. Fly solo or battle with friends
4. On-board camera that transmits to your iPhone or other Apple device

That’s it.  Now, wives, go out and get one for your man.

Parrot AR.Drone |  $299 at Amazon.com

Let your kids build multiple configurations of a car racing track with Speed Oval race set ($115). Track pieces are held together easily with magnetic connectors, while the banked and elevated track portions help propel cars along. As always, we love wooden toys that allow exploring open-ended possibilities.