Creator Beach House

(Lego, $30)

Do you disapprove of prepackaged Lego sets, on the grounds that they stifle creativity because they make only one vehicle or building? The company's Creator series will make even skeptics change their minds. What you see pictured here is three distinct structures, each of which can be built from the same set of bricks (it comes with detailed instructions for all three). We used three sets to show you this lovely beach house (bottom left, with glass door)—and how lovely it is, complete with window boxes, a satellite dish, and panel skylights in the roof—as well as the sweet two-story café (top left, elevated at rear, with mansard roof) and the trilevel "brownstone" (the tall structure at right). Even with a generic, free-form bucket of Lego blocks, a child can easily fall into the trap of constructing the same square house over and over. With the Creator series, kids are shown quite clearly the breadth of variety they can achieve with a single selection of blocks—and that should provide them with enough inspiration to move beyond the instruction booklets. —Ages 5 and up

Wish Come True

(Friends with You, $7.50 each)

The latest art-toy hybrid from pop artists Sam Borkson and Arturo Sandoval, together known as Friends with You, is a set of happy-faced, round-bottomed figurines with remarkably broad appeal. Toddlers will get a kick out of their Weeble-like wobble. Preschoolers will find the cute characters ideal for pretend play. And older kids will love the collectible factor—there are nine figures, three of them secret bonus characters (what second-grader can resist that?), and you don't know which you have until you open the box. Yes, you may get doubles—and that's where trading with friends comes in (better still, for the Pokémon generation). Finally, the creators encourage wish-making on your new buddies. Parents can ask that their kids play with more attractive toys—oh, look! Your wish came true. —Ages 2 and up

Ninja Reflex

(EA, for Nintendo DS, $30)

Hyperactive karatekas will find a beatific sensei who teaches them how to focus their minds, with training challenges like catching flies with chopsticks and snatching koi fish from a pond. —Ages 5 and up

The Dog Island

(Ubisoft, for PS2 and Wii, $30)

In this game, you are an adorable puppy who embarks on a "perilous" quest (a grumpy snake or gorilla might scare you, but no one gets hurt) to find medicine for your sick canine brother. —Ages 2 to 7

Boom Blox

(EA, for Nintendo Wii, $50)

Steven Spielberg helped develop this kinetic puzzle game, in which block-shaped animals (surprise!) blast apart walls, towers, and mazes. The best part: Players can construct their own custom levels. —Ages 5 and up