For 23 years, the National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) has been the go-to source for parents who are looking for great gifts for the holidays. An independent panel of experts, parents and children carefully tested and played with hundreds of submissions and honored the products featured here with gold awards.
To see the entire list of gold, silver and honors winners, visit NAPPAawards.com or get the free app from Cozi – the leading online family calendar and organizer – and view them on your phone.
Toys
Billy Beats Dancing Piano by Mega Bloks First Builders
Mega Bloks, $39.99, megabloks.com. Ages: birth and up.
Learn to Write with Mr. Pencil Stylus and Writing App
LeapFrog Enterprises Inc., $19.99, leapfrog.com. Ages: 3+.
Tummy Time Activity Floormat
Mamas & Papas, $39.99, mamasandpapas.com. Ages: birth and up.
LeapPad Ultra
LeapFrog Enterprises Inc., $149.99, leapfrog.com. Ages: 3 to 8.
SmartMax Lighthouse
Smart Toys and Games Inc., $59.99, SmartToysAndGames.com. Fun for the entire family.
Quick Attach Microscope
Skyrocket Toys, $14.99, SkyrocketToys.com. Fun for the entire family.
Razor Crazy Cart
Razor USA LLC., $399.99, razor.com. Ages: 9 to 15.
ZOOMER SPIN MASTER
$99.99, zoomerpup.com. Fun for the entire family.
Musical Owl
ALEX Toys LLC, $35.95, alextoys.com. Ages: 18 months+.
Air Hogs Elite: Helix X4 Stunt
SPIN MASTER, $79.99, airhogs.com. Fun for the entire family.
HEXBUG Nano V2 Black Hole
Innovation First International, $49.99, hexbug.com. Fun for the entire family.
i-Mat My Animal World
Creative Baby Inc., $79.99, creativebabyinc.com. Ages: 18 months+.
Games
Raccoon Rumpus
Educational Insights, $14.99, educationalinsights.com. Ages: 3+.
Spot it! Party
Blue Orange Games, $19.99, blueorangegames.com. Fun for the entire family.
The Great Cheese Chase
Peaceable Kingdom, $15.99, peaceablekingdom.com. Ages: 5+. Great for special needs.
KORNER’D
Endless Games, $19.99, endlessgames.com. Fun for the entire family. Great for special needs.
Laser Maze – Beam-Bending Logic Game
ThinkFun, $29.99, thinkfun.com. Ages: 8+
The Magic Path of Yoga
Upside Down Games, $29.95, upsidedowngames.us. Fun for the entire family. Great for special needs.
Music
Singing Our Way Through: Songs for the World’s Bravest Kids – Alastair Moock and Friends
Moock Music, 2013, $15, singingourway.com. Ages: 18 months+.
Recess – Justin Roberts
Justin Roberts Music, 2013, $15, justinrobertsmusic.com. Ages: 4 to 10
It’s Not Fair to Me – Bill Harley and Keith Munslow
Round River Records, 2013, $14.99, billharley.com. Fun for the entire family.
Blue Clouds – Elizabeth Mitchell & You Are My Flower
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2012, $14.98, folkways.si.edu. Fun for the entire family.
All About Following Your Dreams … Big And Small
Cool Beans Music & East Coast Recording Company, 2012, $15,
allaboutfollowingyourdreams.com. Ages: 6 to 8.
The Mighty Sky – Beth Nielsen Chapman
BNC Records, 2012, $14.98, themightysky.com. Fun for the entire family.
Books, Magazines & Spoken Word
The Dark, by Lemony Snicket, Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2013, $16.99, hachettebookgroup.com. Ages: 3+.
The Dark, by Lemony Snicket (Audiobook), Read by Neil Gaiman
Hachette Audio, 2013, $1.98, soundcloud.com. Fun for the entire family.
Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, by Chris Grabenstein
Random House BFYR, 2013, $16.99, randomhouse.com. Ages: 9+.
The Man With the Violin, by Kathy Stinson, Illustrated by Dusan Petricic
Annick Press, 2013, $19.95, annickpress.com. Ages: 5 to 8.
Rawr! by Todd H. Doodler
Scholastic, 2013, $12.99, edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com. Ages: 3+.
Noisy Bug Sing-Along, by John Himmelman
Dawn Publications, 2013, $8.95, dawnpub.com. Ages: 4 to 9.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Fun Facts & Silly Stories, Volume 1
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, 2012, $8.99, ripleybooks.com. Ages: 6+.
Sewing School 2: Lessons in Machine Sewing, by Amie Petronis Plumley and Andria Lisle
Storey Publishing, 2013, $18.95, storey.com. Ages: 7+.
Starry River of the Sky, by Grace Lin, Read by Kim Mai Guest
Hachette Audio, 2012, $22.98, hachettebookgroup.com. Fun for the entire family.
The Invisible Boy, by Trudy Ludwig, Illustrated by Patrice Barton
Alfred A. Knopf BFYR, 2013, $16.99, trudyludwig.com. Ages: 6+.
Exclamation Mark, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
Scholastic Press/Scholastic, 2013, $17.99, edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com. Ages: 3+.
Apps, Software, Video Games, Websites & More
Monarch OS
Preloaded on nabi 2 tablet ($179.99): Fuhu Inc., Free, nabitablet.com.
Fun for the entire family. Great for special needs.
Treasure Box
Preloaded on nabi Jr. ($99.99-$139.99) and nabi 2 ($179.99) tablets: Fuhu Inc.,
Free, nabitablet.com. Fun for the entire family. Great for special needs.
Wings Learning System
Available for nabi Jr. ($99.99-$139.99), nabi 2 ($179.99), and nabi XD ($249.99) tablets:
Fuhu Inc., from $1.99, nabitablet.com. Fun for the entire family. Great for special needs.
Time Controls
Preloaded on nabi 2 tablet ($179.99): Fuhu Inc., Free, nabitablet.com.
Fun for the entire family. Great for special needs.
Early Learning University, ALPS Series
Footsteps2Brilliance, Inc., $4.99 for each eBook, plus critical thinking games,
EarlyLearningU.com. Ages: 3 to 8.
Clifford the Big Red Dog’s Website
Scholastic Media, Free, scholastic.com/clifford. Ages: 18 months to 8 years.
Little Fox: Animated Stories and Songs for Kids Learning English
Little Fox Inc., $20 per month or $150 per year, littlefox.com. Ages: 3 to 15.
Pan: The Fearless Beribolt
Hullabalu, $3.99, hullabalu.com. Ages: 3 to 8.
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Paint and Play
Disney Publishing Worldwide, $4.99, disney.com. Ages: 3 to 5.
DVDs
Alphabet DVD
Rock ‘N Learn, 2012, 42 minutes, $19.99, rocknlearn.com. Ages: 18 months+.
Lost and Found
Entertainment One, 2013, 40 minutes, $9.98,
us.eonefilms.com. Fun for the entire family.
Guess How Much I Love You: Hidden Treasures
Entertainment One, 2013, 80 minutes, $12.98,
us.eonefilms.com. Fun for the entire family.
Bink & Gollie … and More Stories About Friendship
Scholastic Storybook Treasures, 2013, 36 minutes, $14.95, newkideo.com. Fun for the entire family.
Sight Words Level 3 DVD
Rock ‘N Learn, 2013, 50 minutes, $19.99, rocknlearn.com. Ages: 3+.
Pocoyo: Pocoyo’s Circus
NCircle Entertainment, 2013, 90 minutes, $12.99, ncircleentertainment.com. Ages: 3+.
Luc Besson’s The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec
Shout! Factory/EuropaCorp, 2013, 1 hr. 50 minutes, Blu-ray $24.97, DVD $14.97, shoutfactory.com. Ages: 9+.
The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas!
NCircle Entertainment, 2012, 60 minutes, $9.99, ncircleentertainment.com. Ages: 3+.
