The Dance On Keyboard lets kids compose their own music by dancing, jumping or running on the keys. A great way to stay active and get them engaged in music.

At nearly 6 feet long, the mat has 14 white and 10 black keys (nearly 2 full octaves) and is large enough for two kids to dance on. Perfect for duets!

Kids can dance along with pre-recorded music, or record and listen to their own tunes. The keyboard also replicates the sounds of 8 popular instruments, including the piano, trumpet, violin, guitar, banjo and more.

The Dance On Keyboard

A little geeky for adults but, my kids would so love this Super Mario Chess Set. Of course it’s setup just like any other Super Mario game.  Good (Mario) virus evil (Bowser), with all the game characters the world has come to love and obsess over. Mario, the Princess, Yoshi, Bowser and the favs are all included.  Even those darn little coins are pawns in the game.  32 hand-painted pieces in all, a metal collectors box, a game board, and instructions.  A great way to introduce chess to kids…

There is one little fact I’d like to bring up before you buy the chess set. For some strange reason, Luigi is the Queen in this chess set!?  Can’t wait to hear your comments on this one…

$40 – Super Mario Chess Set (via Coolest Gadgets)

It might not be a Mac but, in today’s world you have to start the kids early on the computer.  It’s just a fact of life that computers are the life line to just about everything. The Discovery Baby Laptop is the perfect introduction to the computing world (at an infant level of course).  Having layers of activities, the baby laptop stimulates all of the baby’s senses providing hours of fun in the crib or on the road.  Your child can sit right beside you and pretend to be just like you…  I’m sure when MTV starts running episodes of Baby Cribs, you’ll see the  Discovery Baby Laptop for sure.

Highlights:

• Mirror lights up and doubles as viewing screen
• Pop-up images talk to baby and teach beginning numbers, letters, shapes, colors and more
• Features six learning activities
• Learn animal names and sounds
• Keypad lightshow adds to the musical fun
• Encourages hand-eye coordination
• Boosts fine motor skills
• Sized for little hands
• Says friendly phrases like ‘You’re my friend’ and ‘Peek-a-boo!’
• Mirror encourages self-discovery

$25 – Discovery Baby Laptop

Advance toy robot that does everything via your WiFi connection and just short of making you breakfast! Since it is recommended for ages eight and up to 100 the Spykee is far more than your ordinary toy robot. Perfect for audio-visual surveillance, Spykee has the ability to move, watch, speak, and hear. With a built-in video camera and microphone, the robot takes real-time pictures with video and with sound effects. When motion is detected, Spykee activates an alarm or sends a picture by email. Compatible with Skype 3.0 (PC) technology, Spykee can also be used as a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone and web camera. Best of all, this motorized robot is equipped with a WiFi card, which means you can access and control Spykee via the Internet from anywhere in the world.

Features

• Spykee is a Robot that you can control with a WiFi connection from your computer
• Spykee moves, watches, hears, speaks, takes pictures, records video and sound, and can act as a surveillance camera
• Drive the spykee with a joypad or the arrows on your keyboard
• Spykee acts as a VOIP phone and webcam, so you can make free calls over the internet
• Can monitor and protect a room in surveillance mode, Spykee detects movements and will send you a picture of the intruder by email
• Built in speaker so you can listen to mp3s from your computer
• Six programed sound effects with the option to add more
• Eight different video filters allow you to personalize your video
• When the battery is nearly depleted, it will automatically find the recharging dock to recharge itself
• When linked to a wireless network, Spykee can be controlled within the boundary of that network’s wireless coverage

Spykee Spy Robot w/VOIP & Webcam

This talking globe engages children and adults with facts, fun games, and a magic pen that opens up a world of discovery. Use the pen to play geography games at three different levels, and learn amazing facts. More than just names and places, the facts contained here teach about time zones, currencies, music, distances between locations, and more. Kids will be entertained for hours while learning at the same time and you will be amaze how much you didn’t even know!

Features

• Learn fascinating facts about continents, countries, capitals, music, currency, highest points and so much more
• Eureka game mode that prompts players to find geographic points of interest before time runs out
• Six multi-level games
• Up to four players
• Features a world clock, interactive pen, volume control, headphone jack and automatic shut-off

LeapFrog® Explorer Smart Globe

Send the kids on a treasure hunt with the Metal Detector For Kids.  Out back or on the beach, this metal detector should keep the kids busy for hours.  My dad had a high end metal detector when I was a kid and I would tag along and dig when he told me to dig.  If only I had my own to be as cool as my Dad.  Well, now your kids can join in on the riches.  It even includes a sifter shovel and pirate doubloons to practice.  Now get them kids hunting! Argh!

Features:

• Distinguishes between ferrous and non-ferrous metals
• LED light indicators help determine the different types of metal treasure found
• Sensitivity settings help focus the signal
• Telescoping design fully adjusts to different heights
• Features a removable armrest for comfort
• Sounds alert you to treasure’s location
• Earbud headphones let you search in privacy

$50
Discovery Metal Detector

The Underwater Pogo Stick is the underwater toy / aquatic fit device of the summer.  If you have a solid surface in ground pool, then you are clear to bounce away for as long as you can.  Shallow end for splashing around or the deep end for fun underwater tricks.  The bottom uses a firm ball that’s attached to the bottom and filled with water.  Weighted enough to take you to the bottom, you call bounce off the bottom or the side walls.  And just like its above ground sister, it provides one of the best fitness activities there is.

Features:

• Rigid ball filled with water fits into the non-slip footrest
• Stick made from heavy-duty ABS plastic with two rubber handlebars for a firm grip
• For use with in-ground pools with solid surfaces

The Only Underwater Pogo Stick.

Who knew a beach ball could also be educational.  Thanks to NASA mapping, the Glow In The Dark Earth Beach Ball is fun for all ages, day and night.  Using the sun or other light sources, it charges up the population around the world.  So, by day you see the globes land and water masses.  By night, you get to see the world’s light pollution.  At least the kids won’t think the world is flat…

Highlights:

• After charging under a light source or in the sun, photo-luminescent inks glow in the dark according to population
• The more populated the area, the more dense and bright the glow of the lighted globe, just as the earth is seen from space
• Globe replica includes a 20-page handbook full of games, activities, and resources

Frontgate – Glow-in-the-dark Earth Beach Ball