Welcome to the second installment of ZRecs' five-part 2009 holiday gift guide, which will feature 12 of our favorite items of the year in each of five sections of our fantasy kids' superstore. Although we believe that all play is educational, today we'll be highlighting twelve exceptional toys, games and other play items focused on helping kids learn and grow in specific areas. As with our Cuddly Creatures section, all items here have been used in our home or handled extensively at trade shows.


Treasure Chests: Activity kits containing reading material, craft projects, toys and games for young children that explore history and culture, Treasure Chests are suitable for kids ages five and up. We own several Jeremiah bought back in the 1990s to save for when he had children - which is a good thing, because at least some of them have been discontinued. Don't miss out. | $15, Amazon.com


Plan Toys Animal Memo: The best designed memory game for toddlers we've seen, Plan Toys' Animal Memo has gently curved bottom edges to allow young children to pick them up. Beautiful, sustainable, and made to last. | $25, Amazon.com


Little Labs: Science kits for an underserved age group in science play - kids ages 5 to 7 - Little Labs cover an engaging range of topics and offer several well-planned activities and experiments in a small package. | $25, Amazon.com


Number Dwarves: One of our favorite games since Z first began learning her numbers, Number Dwarves has creative potential you wouldn't think was possible in an "educational" game. Also, those little gnomes are cute enough to eat. | $35, Amazon.com


Eco Tots Easel: The most compact and attractive art easel you could buy is also one of the most sustainable - all Eco Tots furniture is made from 100% formaldehyde-free, FSC certified plywood. | $140-$160, Amazon.com


Spy Gear Evidence Kit: The first piece of Spy Gear equipment we can heartily recommend, the Evidence Kit contains a ten-piece fingerprint kit, 30x magnifier, and related tools in a spy toolbox and make gathering "evidence" a fascinating activity for around the house and beyond. Think of it as a simple science kit with a storyline; young kids can enjoy it too with parental assistance. | $25, Fat Brain Toys / Amazon.com


Ancient Creature Cards and Giant Evolution Timeline: Startup Charlie's Playhouse has the mission of educating kids about evolution. Their detailed timeline (available in poster and playmat form) and accompanying creature cards are a great way to help kids appreciate the distant past, and helps them appreciate the diversity of life that exists around us today.


P'kolino Puzzle Stacker: The first major improvement to a pole stacker in decades, and a toy that will see years of use. Gorgeous, all-wood construction with tons of play potential. | $35, Amazon.com


Mr. Mighty Mind: Tangrams for young children that help them develop visual and spatial abilities. Fun and goal-oriented play. | $10, Fat Brain Toys


Trapecolo Color Design Tiles: Made of sustainable bamboo with non-toxic, water-based paints, these design tiles will offer hours of pattern-building fun. | $25, Amazon.com


LeapFrog Tag Activity Cards: We are constantly debating whether these card decks might be an even better format for LeapFrog's Tag Reader than our favorite Tag books. Each card in their Land Animals and Birds and Sea Creatures sets includes snippets of text and pen-driven audio narration about an animal, including habitat, appearance, and behaviors, and includes a marker indicating whether the animal is endangered or not, a feature that made a big impression on a four-year-old Z. | $9, Amazon.com


Wildcraft!: A highly educational and entertaining game for kids 5 and up (we have played it with Z since she was four), Wildcraft! teaches kids (and adults) about the basics of herbal remedies for everything from cuts and scrapes to stomach upset and fatigue. A unique and engaging introduction to a topic families may then be inspired to explore in greater depth elsewhere, it also has a sense of drama (imaginary scraped knees) that will resonate with young children. | $30, Amazon.com

Stay tuned for our kitchen, family play, and classic toys "top 12s" in the days to come!

All items for this review, with the exception of Number Dwarves and Wildcrfaft, which were received and reviewed prior to the institution of our Keep No Stuff Policy, and the Treasure Chests sets and LeapFrog products, which were purchased with our own money, were either received from companies and will be donated to charity or otherwise given away, or were viewed and handled at industry trade shows. How's that for disclosure, FTC?