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AMMAN — Bronze Age architecture was characterised by city walls constructed from massive stone blocks. To overpower defenders and breach these fortifications, new siege technologies were developed. Besieging armies often employed slingers and archers to harass the town’s defenders or even set fire to the walls, supported by chariot-based archers who tracked down those attempting to escape. However, projectiles alone were insufficient to break into a town during a siege. Aaron Burke from the University of California, Los Angeles, identified four primary methods by which a town’s defences could be overcome: escalating, or scaling the walls; breaching the gates or walls; tunnelling beneath the fortifications; or employing deception. “Historical evidence indicates that successfully entering a town during a siege through these methods almost always guaranteed the victory of the attacking force,” Burke noted. “This is because the town’s defenders relied almost entirely on their fortifications, which were the cornerstone of their defence efforts.” "Success was often achieved by using several of these tactics simultaneously at different points around the town’s walls. This strategy would wear down the defenders and prevent them from concentrating their defences at one vulnerable point. Although siege ladders are not explicitly mentioned, they were likely part of this approach," Burke added. "One of the most commonly used siege techniques involved the construction of a siege ramp made of earth against the town walls. This allowed troops or a battering ram to be moved up the ramp to strike the walls." "While this method was sometimes successful, it could be countered by similar earthworks built by the defenders within the town. These internal earthworks were designed to reinforce the section of the wall being battered by the ram, Burke said. Another significant technique was the siege tower, referenced in the Mari archives from the Middle Bronze Age in Mesopotamia. According to the Mari texts, these towers were often built on-site, unlike battering rams, which could be transported to the siege site by wagon or boat. "Iconographic evidence from the Middle Kingdom Egyptian reliefs at the Tomb of Intef in Egypt also depicts siege towers, indicating their use in warfare against Asiatic towns," Burke said, adding that these towers, constructed from timber, were wheeled up against the town walls. Siege towers functioned as large, protected ladders, though the design of the fortifications, such as fosse (moats) and sloping ramparts, often prevented their successful use. Consequently, siege towers likely functioned as freestanding platforms, providing elevated positions for archers to deliver suppressive fire, protecting other operations like sapping, tunnelling, and escalade, he continued, adding when tall enough, the towers allowed archers to fire upon soldiers atop the battlements or within the town. Regarding breaching, tunnelling, and sapping, reliefs from an Old Kingdom Egyptian tomb of Iny at Deshashe depict an early attempt to break through a town wall. "Two individuals in the scene use crowbar-like implements to attack a corner of a fortress wall, while a ladder is raised against it behind them," Burke explained. "This image likely represents one of the most basic methods of wall penetration in antiquity, provided the defenders were distracted. However, classical sources indicate that such attempts often met stiff resistance and frequently failed." When scaling the walls with ladders was ineffective, and breaking through the wall at ground level was impossible, besiegers resorted to tunnelling under the walls in hopes of causing a collapse. "The idea was that the tunnel would undermine the foundation of the wall, leading it to crumble into the cavity created," Burke said.WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he wants real estate developer Charles Kushner , father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker." Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former White House senior adviser to Trump who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka. The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations. People are also reading... Charles Kushner arrives July 20, 2022, for the funeral of Ivana Trump in New York. Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation. Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to Kushner's own sister, the man’s wife, prosecutors said. Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison — the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, sought. Christie blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Trump’s transition team in 2016, and called Charles Kushner’s offenses “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was U.S. attorney.” Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009. Here are the people Trump has picked for key positions so far President-elect Donald Trump Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Pam Bondi, Attorney General Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Labor Secretary Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner, Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Tulsi Gabbard, National Intelligence Director Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. John Ratcliffe, Central Intelligence Agency Director Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Elise Stefanik, Ambassador to the United Nations Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. Matt Whitaker, Ambassador to NATO President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Pete Hoekstra, Ambassador to Canada A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Steven Witkoff, Special Envoy to the Middle East Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Keith Kellogg, Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Tom Homan, ‘Border Czar’ Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to advise White House on government efficiency Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Additional selections to the incoming White House Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. William McGinley, White House counsel McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold tossed aside his stoic demeanor for a moment after realizing he was on the videoboard, aggressively twirling a towel to further stoke the crowd's fire after the Minnesota Vikings had pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons late in the game. “I just felt the buzz. That was pure passion, pure joy, man,” Darnold said. Darnold added yet another highlight to his brilliant first season with the Vikings, passing for 347 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, in a 42-21 victory over the foundering Falcons on Sunday to stretch their winning streak to six games. “It just felt like it was one of those days to keep the gas pedal down,” said coach Kevin O'Connell, who enjoyed his team's first 40-point game in three seasons on the job. Darnold passed for 250 yards after halftime to help the Vikings (11-2) break a 21-all tie early in the fourth quarter and stay one game behind NFC North-leading Detroit with a final-week matchup looming with the Lions. Jordan Addison had eight catches for 133 yards and three scores and Justin Jefferson racked up seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns after going the past six games without scoring. “This is something that we want to do and we can do every single week,” Jefferson said. Cousins, whose departure in free agency for Atlanta prompted Minnesota to sign Darnold as a bridge to currently injured rookie J.J. McCarthy, threw two more interceptions without a touchdown in this unhappy homecoming following a mixed six-year run with the Vikings. Booed as he took the field, Cousins and the Falcons (6-7) left with a fourth consecutive loss to tumble out of first place in the NFC South and fall one game behind Tampa Bay. “When you’re playing well you usually aren’t as good as people are telling you when they’re patting you on the back, and if you’re in a rut you’re usually not as bad as people kind of leaving you for dead,” Cousins said. “The reality’s usually somewhere in the middle. You just have to keep playing and see where the dust settles in January.” Cousins went 23 for 37 for 344 yards for the Falcons, who crossed midfield on all nine of their possessions and finished with 496 total yards. He overthrew Ray-Ray McCloud III on fourth down in the first quarter, and the Falcons settled for short field goals just before and right after halftime. Their fate was sealed when McCloud fumbled the kickoff at the 32 after the Vikings went 70 yards in six plays for the go-ahead touchdown pass to Addison, who scored again seven plays later. The Falcons handed the Vikings an earlier touchdown when Kentavious Street was called for defensive holding during a field-goal attempt late in the second quarter, giving Darnold a fresh set of downs before a 12-yard laser to Jefferson on a post route on third-and-6. “You just can’t have the self-inflicted wounds and expect to win football games like we had today,” coach Raheem Morris said. Bijan Robinson had 22 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown and Tyler Allgeier rushed nine times for 63 yards and a score for the Falcons against the NFL’s leading run defense. Cousins, who was picked off four times last week, hesitated as he wound up to throw on first down from the Minnesota 47 in a tie game early in the second quarter and then inexplicably fired a pass straight to Josh Metellus as he sat in a zone in front of Drake London. Cousins has a NFL -most 15 interceptions. Byron Murphy snagged an overthrow for the second one near the goal line with a 35-21 lead and 6:26 left. Darnold, who went 22 for 28 without a turnover-worthy play despite heavy first-half pressure, then directed a seven-play, 98-yard drive to seal it. “I think we grew up a lot today offensively,” O'Connell said. Addison and Jefferson became the first duo in Vikings history to each have 100-plus receiving yards and two-plus touchdown catches in the same game. Addison also became the first Vikings player with three receiving touchdowns in a game since Stefon Diggs caught three from Cousins in 2019. Murphy has six interceptions this season, the most for the Vikings since Jimmy Hitchcock had seven in 1998. Falcons: CB Mike Hughes (knee) was back in the lineup after missing two games. Minnesota's 2018 first-round draft pick returned an interception for a touchdown against Atlanta in his NFL debut here. Vikings: CB Stephon Gilmore (hamstring) and backup OLB Patrick Jones (knee) were out. TE Josh Oliver (wrist/ankle) returned from a two-game absence, and LS Andrew DePaola (hand) and PK Will Reichard (quadriceps) were back from four-game injured reserve stints. Both teams play next Monday night, Dec. 16: Atlanta visits Las Vegas, and Minnesota hosts Chicago. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLNDP will not support Liberal GST holiday bill unless rebate expanded: Singh

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol survived impeachment Saturday as his ruling party refused to join an opposition bid to oust him after he shocked the nation and its allies by briefly declaring martial law. The impeachment vote failed to gain the 200-vote hurdle needed to suspend the president from duties, after the ruling party boycotted the vote. A lengthy standoff followed as the opposition waited for ruling party members to change their minds and vote. Despite some of them doing so it eventually became clear the motion wouldn’t pass. The opposition, which controls a majority in the legislative body, has said it will push quickly for another vote. The attempt to oust the president came after Yoon, 63, shook markets and surprised world leaders by declaring martial law for the first time since South Korea became a democracy nearly four decades ago. He rescinded the order six hours later after lawmakers raced to the National Assembly and voted down the decree. While the outcome leaves Yoon in office for now, the ruling People Power Party will need to quickly find ways to shore up the administration and stabilize the situation to avoid the kind of escalating public protests seen in South Korea in the past. PPP leader Han Dong-hun vowed to seek the president’s orderly exit to minimize the turmoil, telling reporters that Yoon will be effectively suspended from duties until he steps down. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will take the lead role in running state affairs through close consultations with the ruling party, while communicating with opposition parties, the party leader said. Under the country’s constitution, the prime minister’s role is to assist the president and direct the ministries following orders from the president. Minutes after the failure of the vote, opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung accused the ruling party of betraying the public. He apologized for failing to pass the motion, as other opposition lawmakers stood by him holding banners that read, “Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol.” “We will ultimately impeach Yoon Suk Yeol,” Lee said. “We will return the state back to normal for you as a Christmas gift.” The ruling party’s decision to boycott the vote came hours after Yoon apologized for plunging the country into a political crisis, saying he would leave it up to the ruling party to decide his fate. The opposition bloc needed only eight votes from the ruling PPP to impeach Yoon. But Yoon’s conservatives refused to vote in favor of the motion, a move that would’ve likely handed their political opponents a big win in an early election that would have followed if he was removed. The impeachment bid looked set to fail much earlier Saturday evening when members of the ruling party left the National Assembly without voting. But before casting their ballots, opposition members together called on each member of the PPP by name to return to vote. “This incident will be written in our history, one that’s been built by the blood and sweat of our people,” parliamentary speaker Woo Won-shik said, as he urged ruling party lawmakers to return to the chamber and vote. “The head of a conservative group cannot speak alone for individuals’ consciences and values.” In an unexpected twist, two of them did, adding to the one PPP member who already voted. That emboldened the opposition to leave proceedings at a standstill with several hours remaining before the 72-hour limit for the voting period was due to expire. The votes by the three PPP members had prompted protesters outside the National Assembly to chant “five more to go.” As of 7 p.m., police estimated at least 100,000 people were gathered near the parliament to demand Yoon’s impeachment, compared with 18,000 Yoon supporters gathered near Gwanghwamun as of 6 p.m., according to Yonhap News. But the chances of the impeachment failing strengthened when one of the ruling party members who cast a ballot said he voted against it. The crowds started to thin as the likely result became clearer, the temperature dropped and food stalls started packing up having sold out of refreshments. “I had planned to take rest this weekend but I felt so scared after martial law,” said Park Hye-rim, a 33-year-old office worker from northern Seoul. “Even if impeachment is voted down, I will come back to rally again and again. I will not give up.” The political uncertainty in South Korea appears likely to persist, according to Jun Rong Yeap, a market strategist at IG Asia Pte. “Growing public outcries and intensifying pressure from the opposition party could potentially increase the risk of defections among PPP members,” he said, adding that the sustained uncertainty could remain a drag on its equities market into the new week.1. A Lip Smacker shaped like an old fashioned Coca-Cola bottle *and* with a matching flavor to boot! This makes a perfect stocking stuffer for kids who might not always want to put on their lip balm — this provides moisture and a little treat, all in one. And if seeing this makes you feel nostalgic for the Lip Smackers you had growing up, I recommend you add one to cart for yourself, too! This is recommended for ages 6+. Promising review: "Let’s be real — it's just lip balm, but this little miracle worker deserves an award! It looks exactly like the packaging promises, which is great news for anyone who’s ever bought something and ended up with a surprise that looks like it was designed by a toddler. My daughter, who suffers from chronically chapped lips like they’re auditioning for a horror movie, absolutely loves this balm . The smell is so delightful; I’ve caught her trying to eat it (note to self: next time, get a flavor that’s less tempting!). And the bonus? Her lips are now moisturized and ready to face the world instead of looking like they just survived a desert expedition. If you're dealing with a chapped-lipped child in your life, I highly recommend this balm to save the day — and your[self]!" — Hollywood_Envy Get it from Amazon for $6.30 (available in Classic and Cherry Coke bottles, plus regular tube versions of Coke, Sprite, cotton candy, and pink lemonade flavors). 2. A celestial projector shaped like a lil' astronaut to really complete the vibe of their bedroom. It has eight different nebula-style effects they can (optionally) combine with a twinkling green star effect for an out-of-this-world experience that'll completely transform their space. Promising review: "5-year-old loves this. The remote on this is awesome! Let’s you really customize what you/your kiddo wants. The timer feature is also great. We’ve had this for 2 years, and it’s still going strong. Love that it has a detachable head so you can adjust where it projects." — A.N. Promising review: "Purchased this for an 8-year-old who loves space and the stars. As an adult, I would almost purchase this for myself. It projects a galaxy on the ceiling of whatever room you are in. It looks great on 10-foot ceilings, but also looks amazing in our room with 30-foot ceilings. The projections are bright but easily allow a child to sleep under it. This gets used every night. The only problem we have had is that the little USB wall wart stopped working, but we were able to use a spare USB wall wart/charger in its place." — KC Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in black and white). 3. An interactive Fingerlings baby monkey with sensors that respond to touch, a unique personality, and over 70(!) different sounds and reactions that'll warm their little heart. As soon as they put the Fingerling on their hand, its heart will start to beat, and it'll say "hello" — how cute is that?! Not ready for a pet yet? They'll adore this little guy. Promising review: "Adorable and affordable. My kiddos love these little things. The packaging is easy to open, and the fingerling works right out of the box. When turned on, he/she will make the cutest little sounds and noises that keep the kids smiling and occupied while this busy mom catches up on all the things. " — C. Guttierez Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in blue and purple). 4. A classic marble run set so kids can work on developing their problem-solving skills while having a HECK of a lot of fun watching the colorful marbles zip and zoom through tracks and obstacles. Promising review: " My 5- and 3-year-olds (and me) have spent hours building towers and watching marbles clatter down these chutes, steps, gears and spirals, HOURS! And they’re not bored yet! It’s also educational learning the physics of slopes by experience. Plus, it comes with enough marbles that losing a few doesn’t matter." — Joyce Parker Get it from Amazon for $47.99 (available in four styles). 5. Or a Gravity Maze marble run designed to challenge kiddos to think ahead to figure out how to build paths so the marble can drop down to the final cube. Puzzling and satisfying! The game includes 60 challenges, ranging from beginner to expert, so they can work their way up to the harder ones. Promising review: "Such a great toy for kids 5-12. Keep them off their devices and give a try at this maze. My son shared it with his teacher who wants to put them in their school STEM lab. It is really a great toy that can keep you occupied and having fun!" — Lindsey A Promising review: "My daughter loves it. Her older sister loves it even more. Even my parents are intrigued by it. Sometimes, I take it with us when we go out to eat, and we take turns trying to solve it at the table while waiting for food. All sorts of people come up to us and ask us about the game because they've never seen anything like it. Young or old, everyone wants a chance with this thing!" — Keith Get it from Amazon for $27.99 . 6. A creepy-but-cool remote-controlled gecko — and, yes it ACTUALLY climbs up walls and across floors! It can be controlled from up to 25 feet away, so definitely be prepared for a prank or two coming your way. Did I mention its eyes also glow? I'm scared, but also impressed. The lizard is rechargable and powered with the included USB cable, though two AAA batteries are needed for the remote (not included). Promising review: "My son asked and asked for this remote control lizard! And he absolutely loves it. I wouldn't recommend this product if you had only carpet. It crawls well on wood/tile and crawls up and across the walls using a vacuum." — Amanda Get it from Amazon for $26.49 . 7. The Shark Tank-famous Comfy Jr. , a wearable sweatshirt-blanket hybrid for the kiddo you know who is always running cold. Microfiber fleece on the outside, thick fleece fluff on the inside, a truly gigantic pocket (for snacks!!), an oversized hood, and a slouchier-than-slouchy fit...what more can they ask for?! Should you get a matching adult-size one for yourself?? Not no! Promising review: "My 5-year-old son was extremely spoiled this past Christmas. Received a ride-on tractor, lots of toys, and electronic stuff. The Comfy is one gift I got him that he did not request, but he absolutely cannot live without it now. He puts it on as soon as he wakes up, and thanks to the sleeves, he is able to eat his breakfast while still staying warm and snuggly in the comfy. It really helps with the transition from the nice warm bed to getting up in the cold months! I also love how big it is. The sleeves are very long and the body is also wide. The sleeves have cuffs on them, so they aren't getting in the way of his eating or other activities, and there's plenty of room to grow. This was a great purchase and we will be getting more!" — . [Amazon Customer] Get it from Amazon for $42.99 (available in one size and six colors, plus fun prints like constellations, Disney Princesses, Frozen, and more; reviewers suggest getting the adult size for kids over 12). If the kid on your list lives somewhere warmer, you can also get the Comfy Dream Jr. , which is just as comfortable but doesn't have the thick fleece lining. 8. For The Love Of Books , a reading journal for the growing bookworm on your list — not only is this beautiful, with a colorful cover with gold foil design, but it has tons packed inside. We're talking a daily reading log, book bucket list, space to keep track of library loans, a favorite quotes section, and of course, the main star: space for 52 book reviews so they can keep track of their faves. The book review includes the format (adiobook, ebook, or physical book), title, author, date, page length, number of stars out of 5, whether they read by themselves or with someone, fiction/nonfiction, whether they liked the ending yes/no, favorite character, plus room to dig a little deeper, like sharing favorite quotes, favorite scenes, and what they'd like to ask the author. Promising review: "I ordered one for my 7 year old and one for my 10 year old. They both love it! It's colorful and simple but thorough. Great product for a great price!" — Kindle Customer Get it from Amazon for $6.69 . Btw, they also make a reading journal designed for teens, plus one for adults if you want to pick one up for yourself at the same time! 9. And a Bookroo baby and preschool or kid and tween book subscription so their TBR list is always packed with great reads. Just pick the right option for their age range or reading level, and they'll get a box of curated books, each individually wrapped, to make the experience even more fun. They'll be telling you all about their favorite character in no time! There are two age range options for the baby and preschool subscription: —The Board Book Box (ages 0–3) comes with three board books —T he Picture Book Box (ages 3-6) comes with two hardcover picture books. —There's also an option for a Sibling Box (ages 0-6) that allows you to alternate receiving a box of Board Books and a box of Picture Books on alternate months. There are two age range options for the kid and tween subscription: — The Junior Chapter Book Box (ages 7–10) comes with two junior chapter books, with lighter text and often illustrations — The Middle Grade Chapter Book Box (ages 9–12) comes with two hardcover chapter books —There's also an option for a Sibling Box (ages 7-10) that allows you to alternate receiving a box of Junior Chapter Books and a box of Middle Grade Chapter Books on alternate months. Promising review: "My aunt got a Bookroo subscription for my daughter last year as a gift. I never knew how much I would love it myself! The package is beautiful and when we both see it, we get so excited. The books are individually wrapped which leads to the excitement and the gift of the book and the gift of reading itself. My aunt has extended our subscription and now I am buying subscriptions for nieces and nephews. It's a great gift for kids and has made my daughter love reading as much as I do ." —Elizabeth Get the Bookroo Book Club subscriptions at Cratejoy for $21.95+/month: baby and preschool here and kid and tween here (1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month subscriptions). 10. A Snap Circuits kit , a no-tools-needed set for giving engineers-to-be hands-on insight into electrical circuits. It includes over 30 electronic parts that snap together in a variety of designs for a total of over 100 functional projects! The kit comes with over 32 electrical components including snap wires, slide switches, an alarm circuit, a music integrated circuit, and a speaker. (Each piece is numbered and color-coded to make identifying them easy.) Plus, a plastic grid and a project manual with 101 different electronic projects. Recommended for ages 8+. Adult supervision advised. Promising review: " Can I give this 6 stars? My 6-year-old son didn't ask me ONCE today for his tablet, video game or to play on my phone. He ignored a new movie on TV (one he had been BEGGING to see) because he was playing with this toy. He spent a couple hours working with his dad, a couple experimenting by himself and another few HOURS working through the projects with his aunt. I LOVE THIS TOY!" — SnappinMom Get a set from Amazon for $29.99 . 11. A four-pack of rainbow twirling sticks , aka mesmerizing fidget toys that kids and adults alike will want to play with for hours — you might want to get a couple of packs so everyone can get in on the fun. Just spin to watch the stick transform into different shapes! Promising review: "My daughter got four of these from Santa. It was the one gift she was mesmerized by the most. We had endless fun twirling these tinsel fairy wands about in different ways!!!! They're so fun and pretty!" — Jessica B Promising review: "I bought these for kiddos 5, 10, and 13, and they were a hit. Spent so much time twirling and being mesmerized by them. If one is a little too [aggressive] with it, the ribbons will tangle, but with some patience, it has so far always been able to get back to its original shape (don’t pull on the ribbons, though — that would likely break it. But all in all, sturdier than I thought as it survived an energetic 5-year-old. I have had lots of fun playing with it myself. Glad it came in a four pack, cause I got to keep one!" — akat Get the pack of four from Amazon for $16.95 . 12. Or The NeeDoh Nice Cube , a super-viral sensory fidget toy with juuuust the right amount of resistance for a super-satisfying squish. And it always goes back to its original shape! Fair warning though: you might need to get one for every kid on your gifting list this year, otherwise fights might break out. Promising review: "I bought four of these; one for myself and three for my kids. My oldest already had one and everyone else was fighting for it. They're stiff at first, but the more you use them, they get softer with the warmth of your hands. I've actually used it as a calming mechanism when arguing with my husband and it worked. It's easy to clean with a little soap and water, and then it feels brand new again. It's very durable, too. My 10-year-old will be watching a movie and smashing it up, and it's still in good condition. Definitely worth it. " — Dixie Get it from Amazon for $8.70 (the color is either blue, pink, or purple and gets selected for you at random!). 13. A 667-piece 3-in-1 Lego kit (honestly it's hard to choose the best Lego kit these days!) so they can build three different poseable(!) woodland creatures — a fox, an owl, or a squirrel they can play with, display, or disassemble and rebuilt into another delightful critter. Btw, Lego has a cool gift-finder feature so you can brows by the age of the kid you're shopping for, their interests, and your budget! Promising review: "My son is 10 and he enjoyed building this. Good quality. Decent value for the money. My almost 7-year-old helped him to build this.. I'd recommend this for any kids who are big into Legos between ages 7 and up." — Nunya Bidness Get it from Amazon for $49.99 . 14. My First Tumbler , a silicone 9-ounce tumbler for any tots who are wanting a Stanley of their own...but can't wield one yet. These are super lightweight, have an easy-to-grip handle, are 100% dishwasher safe, aaaaand leak-resistant to minimize spills. Oh, and it's cute enough to quickly become their very own Emotional Support Water Bottle. Promising review: "My daughter always wants to take my Stanley cup and drink it, but it’s so heavy and big for her. I saw this in a video and decided to try it out. The price is Amazing! The quality is great, it doesn’t leak, and it is light enough for her to carry around . I washed it as soon as I got it and gave it to her; she carried it everywhere and loved it !!!! So worth the money, I need one in every color now. I will definitely be recommending this to all my toddler moms. The lilac color is gorgeous! The size is perfect for her little hands, the seal works great and functions perfectly as it looks!! Seriously, you won’t regret this buy." — Katlyn Hamilton Get it from Amazon for $8.99 (available in four colors). 15. A set of K-beauty sheet masks designed specifically for kids, from the gentle, hydrating ingredients (centella asiatica, ceramides, and shea butter) to the smaller mask size that'll fit perfectly on their face to the adorable print that'll make them feel like the Main Character at a masquerade ball! If the kid in your life wants to try out some skincare or have a Spa Night with you, this is a great option. These are recommended for ages 4+. For kids with sensitive skin, you may want to patch test first. Promising review: "These masks for my 4- and 6-year-old perfectly! Very gentle on their skin and made them so happy. They don't feel left out anymore when the big girls have a mask on." — Amy Promising review: "Ordered a pack to have a spa day with my girls, and they were perfect!! It was a great fit! Cute design! No chemical smell. Definitely recommend!! Will be buying more for our GNI!!" — TheMother:) Get them from Amazon: a set of five for $16.99 or a set of 10 for $33.90 . You can also get a gift set with five sheet masks, a bow-topped skincare headband, nail polish and kid-size nail stickers, toe separators, a brush, and a flower hair elastic for $32.99 . 16. A Stairslide kit capable of transforming any (non-curved) staircase into a giant! slide! Oh, did your home just become the state fair?? Prepare for all the neighborhood kids to come over and take their turn — and then have a sudden hankering for a corndog... Each slide covers about three steps, depending on the height of the stairs. You can customize the slide speed by laying them out at different angles, making it great for ages 3–13. It can hold up to 155 pounds. Promising review: "Exactly as described! Well worth the price. Toddlers can use it with supervision and a soft landing on the stairway in our house. Easy to put on stairs, bed, or couch — my kids slide everywhere in the house! You can make it as big as you'd like. When put all together and steep it does go really fast, so be cautious. It's very strong and durable! It’s easy to collapse and put away onto itself in a corner or out of sight. Takes five seconds to put back up. No damage has been done to furniture or stairs. It has tired the kids out and also made them laugh so hard! All three take turns over and over again. We love it." — Jess Get it from Amazon for $264.99+ (available in sets of four or eight). 17. A puzzle board so the burgeoning jigsaw genius in your life has a dedicated space to work on their masterpiece — without losing an entire surface until the puzzle is complete or banishing them to work on it in their room. This baby has four drawers built-in to store pieces while construction is on pause, and the whole thing is easy to move from place to place so the dining room table can actually be used for...dinner. It can fit up to 1500 piece puzzles. Promising review: "We ordered this for our 9-year-old daughter, who is really into large, 1,500-piece puzzles right now . She used to do them on her bedroom floor, as we weren't able to keep them on the kitchen table during the week. She loves this puzzle board now, because she can separate her pieces in the four drawers and move it from room to room to work on it. We often do these puzzles in the living room as a family in the evenings. It's nice to be able to pick up the whole thing and move out of the way when we have guests, or need to protect the puzzle from our two little dogs who are much too obliged to make a mess of our work sometimes. I would recommend this to any puzzle enthusiast, or any family that just wanted to keep their puzzles organized and move them around safely." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $49.99 . You can also get a rotating one that comes with a cover for $99.99 . 18. A *weighted* plushie that hundreds of kid ( and adult) reviewers swear by for a little bit of cuddling comfort. Think "weighted blanket" but smaller (and way cuter). These have often gone out of stock, but they're now available in more oh-so-cute animals than ever (penguins, cows, and dragons, oh my!), so you can find the perfect one for the kid on your list. When I saw the dino one in a TikTok (with the Linda Belcher "little babies" audio, obviously), I just had to order one. I opted for the cheetah (which is currently sold out) — it looks cute sitting out on my loveseat, and I simply can't stop snuggling up with it resting on my chest or lap, whether I'm relaxing watching TV or just getting work done between meetings. Promising review: "So soft! My son loves it! And the fact that it is weighted helps him sleep 10x better because it stays by his side!" —S Promising review: "My daughter loves this dinosaur! It is so soft and fluffy with just the right amount of weight to be comforting. She sleeps with it every night and often holds it during the day to help her relax." —Ccf Get it from Target for $20 (available in 16 animals , including pink dino , fox , bear , green dino , unicorn , chicken , dragon , penguin , and more) 19. A dino race track complete with 144 pieces of flexible track, *cars shaped like T. Rex heads that light up when pushed along the track* and realistic dino figures — every other race track set available suddenly looks so boring... Once they open it, every grownup in the room is going to want their turn to play, too. Promising review: "My son received this set as a gift for Christmas and he really loves it. I asked the gifter where they got it and I have since bought the same set two times as a gift to other toddlers my son's age. And each time it's a huge hit! Kids are just obsessed with this. Even myself had fun playing this with my son. I like how versatile the tracks are. Totally worth it!" — olive Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (also available in blue). 20. A "reverse" coloring book filled with abstract blobs of color that make a fantastic starting point to spark their creativity — are they flowers? are they cute cartoon creatures? can it become a landscape? The possibilities are endless. All they need to do is whip out a black pen and reveal their vision! You can add a six-pack of fine line pens to make it complete! Get top-rated ones from Amazon for $9.89 . Promising review: "8-year-old loved it. She was skeptical when she opened it for Christmas, but as soon as she did one page.. she flew through the entire book!! " — Stream! Promising review: "Great for creative types. Unique. My 12-year-old daughter AND 66-year-old mother both loved it. They had so much fun. My mom ordered another for a friend!" — Lisa M.S. Get it from Amazon for $9.90 ; available in four versions . 21. Illustory , a book-making kit with everything they'll need to make their very own full-color, 20-page, professionally printed(!) book. It includes template pages for the cover, story, and illustrations, and there's even an "about the author" feature so they can be shown as the published author on the back cover! Give them the kit, and once they fill it out with their amaaaazing story and illustrations, just pop it into the prepaid envelope, and they'll get their printed book in a few weeks! Reviewers note times of anywhere from under 2 weeks to up to 8-10. Promising review: "My ten-year-old has made a few Illustory books over the last couple of years and is a big fan! We always make a few copies of the basic template page because he will throw out any page that isn't up to his standards. He is completely satisfied with the markers it comes with, but sometimes we need to bring in an additional black marker because he outlines the frame and has me go over all of his penciled letters in black marker. The effect is well worth it once the printed book arrives. It's a lovely touch to allow for a photo of the author with a bio, which we have had fun with!" — CarrieSmith616 Get it from Amazon for $29.95 . 22. A pair of functional kids' binoculars for the birder-in-training — now they won't have to steal your (...more expensive) pair but can still get a good look at the nature around them! Not only do they work great (parents are even tempted to use them), but they're also rainproof and super sturdy when dropped or thrown around — just listen to this parent : "My destructive two-year-old still hasn't figured out how to break them, and that's saying something." The set also comes with a protective carrying case, a neck strap, a cleaning cloth, and a bird identification sticker book. Promising review : "Awesome binoculars for kids! My 3, 5, and 7-year-olds all use them and get to bird with mom and dad. I have even used them in a pinch, and they work great. We have had other brands of binoculars for them, and they do not fit as nicely in their hands or focus as well. These are lightweight and easy to use." — Mama of Wrens Get it from Amazon for $22.59 (available in two colors). 23. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza , a speedy (and hilarious) card game that'll have everyone racing to beat each other to slap the cards while giggling all the way. It's recommended for players 8 and older. Here's how to play: Pass out all the cards to the players and keep all the stacks face down. Everyone takes a turn putting a card down in the middle, while saying "taco," "cat," "goat," "cheese," and "pizza," in that order. If the picture on your card matches the word that's said, everyone races against each other to slap their hand on the central pile of cards. Whoever is last must take the pile of cards and add them to their stack, and the person who runs out of cards first wins! Promising review: "When my daughter said she wanted this game, I looked at her like she had three heads because I had never heard of it before, so I blindly trusted the 10-year-old and ordered the game. This has seriously been the best money I've spent this year! We love this game and have suckered so many friends into playing with us. It is great for kids and adults. I have even found my husband playing it with some of his buddies! So all in all, just get the game, lose the screen time, and enjoy the fun and laughter with friends. " — Tiffany Richardson Get it from Amazon for $9.84 (also available in a Spanish edition ). If you're looking for something Christmas-themed to play, there's a version for you, too! Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman , played the exact same way! Get it from Amazon for $9.99 . 24. A ping-pong set that'll transform any table into their new favorite game, without the space *or* financial investment of a full ping-pong table. You better start getting those wrists nice and loose, because as soon as they unwrap this, it's game on! It comes with an expandable/retractable net (so it can fit the width of your table) with adjustable clamps, two paddles, two balls, and a mesh carrying bag so you can take it on the go. Promising review: "So much fun turning the dinner table into a ping pong table! Kids and I play for hours with this set; it never gets old. Absolutely worth every penny! I had an old set when I was a kid that required me to clamp down the posts on the table and stretch the net, but this is so much easier to use. No tools or screwing required. Everything is spring loaded for easy installation and removal." — Mike S. Promising review: " Best gift for my 15-year-old son since the over-the-door basketball hoop. He loves it!" — Jackie Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (also available in white). 25. A classic Melissa & Doug ice cream station that'll be almost as delicious as the real deal — L.O.s will be so excited to stack scoops and toppings for the ultimate cone. Start crafting your order! The wooden ice cream counter comes with eight ice cream scoops, six toppings, two cones, cup, scooper, tongs, wooden spoon, reusable menu card, and six pretend dollar bills. Promising review: " Fun toy set for a creative toddler. My newly-turned-3 year old daughter instantly fell in love with this set! She loves seeing how high she can stack the ice cream cones and pretending to serve Mom & Dad her creations. She's been obsessed with climbing things around the house and we *desperately* needed a distraction to get her to stop, and this is working so far — she plays with this thing for HOURS! " — West Family Get it from Amazon for $41.99 . 26. And a Melissa & Doug interactive wooden dashboard for backseat (or even carseat) drivers. This dash is packed with realistic features, including a steering wheel, ignition key, a horn that really beeps, hazard lights, etc. It's never too early to start practicing for their road test! Promising review: "This thing is awesome! My kids were playing with my husband’s old gaming steering wheel and it ended up breaking apart a week ago. They were pretty upset because they love pretending to drive so I looked to find another one. There were cheaper options than this one but they were just the plain steering wheel, no buttons or gear shift so I decided to give this one a try. My boys loved it so much that I had to sit with them for hours having them take turns playing so they wouldn’t fight over it. I didn’t realize there was a little window that shows the car on the road but my 3-year-old LOVES it! He likes to set the timer on the gas gage and when it goes off he lets me know he’s pulling into the gas station (there’s a little gas station in the window part). Anyway, we loved it so much we bought another one the same afternoon so both boys can drive together." — Brittany Get it from Amazon for $44.99 . 27. A surprisingly soft tortilla blanket so they can wrap themself up like the couch burrito they were always meant to be. Sorry, but guac still costs extra. Promising review: "I got this blanket as a gift for 13-year-old’s birthday. His aunt has a similar one, so I knew he would love it! It’s sooooo unbelievably soft, and the perfect size to wrap yourself up in like a burrito. My son literally walks around the house all day with this blanket ever since I gave it to him, and now my younger son also wants one. The design really looks like a real tortilla shell and not cheap looking at all. 5 stars, hands down one of the best things I’ve bought from Amazon. " — Coco Get it from Amazon for $21.99 (available in five sizes and 10 colors and styles, including pizza and waffle patterns). If you need wrapping inspo, one reviewer even gave the blanket to their nephew half-wrapped in foil so it looked like a giant burrito. HOW CUTE IS THAT?! 28. A three-in-one Bluey playset so the biggest fan of those down-under Blue Heelers can enjoy some imaginative play — this baby transforms from an airplane to a resort and a boat! And don't forget the figures: this set includes Bluey, Bingo, Chilli, Bandit, and the Captain. You can all play together and dream of being on your own tropical vacation instead of watching slush pile up outside. Promising review: "My daughter loves the Bluey figure toys, so we had to get this for her for Christmas. It’s adorable, and with the plane turning into a resort, it’s a great value. It was hard for me to find in stores but Amazon came through! The character figures are great and it looks like fun. I’m sure she will be excited to receive it!" — Ashley S. Get it from Amazon for $69.99 . 29. A personal library kit for librarians in the making, anyone with an ever-more-extensive collection of books, or generous book-lenders who definitely want to get their stuff back. They'll be *so* excited to break this open and immediately start setting up their favorite books. It comes with 20 self-adhesive pockets and checkout cards, a date stamp and inkpad, and a pencil. Promising review: "I'm always trying to find interesting gifts for my tween daughter that encourage reading and don't involve screens. This was a HUGE hit. We've already bought the refill pack as well as another complete set for her best friend so they can trade books back and forth. They are having so much fun with it." — Liz Get it from Amazon for $23.93 . Need refills? You can get some from Amazon for $9.95 . 30. A *magic* Crayola watercolor set — what makes it magic, you ask? Well the paints *only* work on the special paper that comes with it, so they can bring out their inner Jackson Pollock without getting paint all over...well...everything. The kit comes with a paintbrush, 18 special pieces of paper, and six clear paints that change colors when they hit the paper. The brush lights up to indicate what color is currently on the brush. Promising review: "I saw this everywhere and wanted to get it for my kids. My kids love this magic light brush paint set. It's perfect for toddlers who want to paint but you don't want the whole mess. The only problem I found was the yellow after a few swipes wouldn't make yellow anymore no matter how much I rubbed the brush on the palette. It would be an orange-brown color. It wasn't a deal breaker for us. Overall, it's fun, and the kids love it." — Ashley Get it from Amazon for $24.88 . Also available in a fun finger-painting version ! 31. A pack of dinosaur egg bath bombs sure to make bathtime way more rawr -some. Just plop the egg in, and the exterior will fizz away for colorful bathwater fun — and reveal a hidden dino toy inside! With each bath, their collection of dinos will grow, so they'll have a veritable Jurassic Park to play with when tubtime is over. Promising review: "My two-year-old dreaded ending playtime for bath time until I introduced these bath bombs. He looks forward to taking a bath now! The dinosaurs are surprisingly durable and make a fun toy to enjoy for more than just a moment (so it feels less like accumulating garbage). The texture and smell of the bath bombs themselves were nice as well." — AllisonAbro Get a pack of nine from Amazon for $19.99 . 32. Or a set of cloud-shaped bath bombs that leave a rainbow trail when they fizz up in the water, taking your next bathtime from Dorothy-in-sepia-toned-Kansas to full-blown Oz Technicolor! And btw, they're formulated with coconut oil for moisture and scented with plant-based fragrances (the pack includes blueberry, pineapple, peach, and passionfruit)! Promising review: "These are the best bath bombs I’ve ever found for kids!!!! The colors are so bright and fun! They last a long time in the bath and hardly change the color which makes me feel like it’s more safe. The scent is very subtle as well, which is great! The kids have so much fun in the bath with these!" — Abbey Rose Promising review: "Got these for my daughter's birthday and then have gifted several since to her little friends. The bath bombs are lots of fun just with the colors, shapes, and scents, but the baking soda portion with the "rainbow" that shoots out is great. It fizzes out several colors in streams, so it shoots around the tub like a rainbow. It quickly dissolves into a more murky mess, but the initial part is a lot of fun. So far, no staining of the tub, no rashes or dyes on my sensitive-skinned child ." — Kelsey C. Get a four-pack from Amazon for $9.99 (available in four-packs and three other styles). 33. A Fisher-Price Rockin’ Record Player so kids can inherit their parents' love of vinyls at an early age. But no need to worry about scratching any actual records — this comes with five disks (with two songs each) in different musical styles, including hip-hop, country, and pop — there's even a "mindfulness" record with a meditation. There's even a "record scratch" feature on the volume knob! Promising review: "Got this for my 3-year-old as a birthday gift. She loves my "grown up" record player and loves to ask me to "play songs" on it. I thought this would be a fun thing for her to play with so she can play her own songs, but I didn't expect her to have as much fun as she has with it ! Each one of the records has two songs on it, one on each side, and each record is a different style. She loves the hip hop record the most and the pop rock comes in a close second. What's nice is that there's no needle on the arm of the turntable, so there's nothing to worry about her hurting herself with. It has cool features like when you stop a record mid song it "scratches" and the sound of a vinyl popping which I love! You do have to monitor it, though as we learned that unlike a real record player, if you don't move the arm off the record after a song ends it just keeps playing that song over and over and over and over and over and over and over." — John Jeziorski Get it from Amazon for $29.99 . 34. A National Geographic geodes kit that'll amaze and astound any young scientist and keep them busy for hours as they smash the rocks to discover the gorgeous crystals hidden inside. This science kit includes four natural crystal-filled geodes, one pair of safety goggles, one display stand, and one learning guide. Promising review: " My daughter is 10 and this kept her busy for HOURS! She had so much fun and was excited every time she got a glimpse of what might be inside. A couple of them were pretty cool, while the rest were just white. She didn't care, she loves them all. She was so proud to gift them to her grandparents." — Michelle Get it from Amazon for $18.59 (available in four sizes). 35. A wireless karaoke microphone compatible with any smartphone or tablet via cable or Bluetooth so they can unleash their inner popstar — they'll be able to use it for up to *10 hours* on a single charge but...you might want to impose a concert limit of your own. Just note that reviewers say it isn't super loud (which is...probably ideal for most karaoke tbh), so if you're looking for amplification, you'll need to get the real deal. Promising review: "We gave this to our kids (girls, 6 and 9) for Christmas and it was a HUGE hit. It wasn’t something they asked for, and they didn’t seem really into it at first, bu t it’s the most used toy so far . It was really easy to connect to their phones; the controls are easy to figure out and use. I think it’s just at the right volume — loud enough to be fun but not too loud to be annoying to people not partaking in the karaoke. My girls have already suggested it as a gift for a family friend because they think it’s so much fun. We got the rose gold and it’s really pretty. The case is nice and sturdy and the battery life is great. It feels nice in your hand — not too heavy, but definitely doesn’t feel cheap." — Lauren Promising review: "I b ought this for my 7-year-old, and it was the best gift she got this year! Hours of fun. I used it for an adult Christmas party, and it was a huge hit. Hooks up to iTunes, and it's hours of fun." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in 15 colors). 36. A cute lil' train that...automatically sets up dominoes (🤯) — all they'll need to do is load up the dominoes (which reviewers say is great for building patience and fine motor skills), press the button, and watch it go! It even makes train sounds as it goes. Promising review: "Love, love, love! I got this for my 3-year-old for his birthday, and he's obsessed! It came with a whole bunch of dominos, two stacks for the dominos, the train of course, and batteries were included! You're able to adjust the front wheels to make it automatically go in a circle which I thought was cool , I assumed we would just have to keep moving it so that was a nice surprise! Overall, it's just a really neat toy that keeps my kid very entertained! " — Lea Bransky Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in two colors). 37. A corgi LCD drawing tablet for the kiddo in your life so they can draw, scribble, erase, and draw all over again — and it looks like the rainbow scratch paper we all loved as kids! Promising review: "Daughter's favorite toy. My daughter plays with this every. Single. Day. She got it for her 5th birthday and she is obsessed! I just love that I don’t have scratch paper everywhere. We are a month in, and the screen is bright and easy to use- even the 8-year-old loves it. Great gift idea!" — Lisa Anne Get it from Amazon for $18.99 (available in six colors). 38. A bag of Reindeer Farts (spoiler alert: it's actually peppermint-flavored cotton candy) that'll make a truly magical gift that'll bring out the giggles in recipients of all ages. Promising review: "I won't lie — the whole reason I purchased this is because I knew that my kids would laugh at the name. However, I was really happy with how yummy the actual cotton candy in the bag was ! The candy was fresh, and well packaged, and the product name got the laughs expected. Overall, I would say it's a bit expensive for what you get (though it was easily enough for me and two children to share), but would still recommend as a cute/silly gift for someone who would get a kick out of this type of thing." — Deb Get it from Amazon for $8.95 . 39. Silly Poopy's Hide & Seek game , in which kids (or young-at-heart adults) hide a rainbow-hued "poo" that says "yoo-hoo" and gives clues about its whereabouts. This is about...the only time a kid should be excited about finding poo. Check out a TikTok of the Silly Poopy in action. Promising review: "Let me tell you that if you want hours of endless fun of hide and go seek without having to hide yourself, this is a must get! When it's hidden it makes various toot noises and says stuff so the kids know if they are close. And when they find it and press the button to do and sing the silly poopy dance ... even you will dance and sing along!!! Doesn't need batteries and come on, it's poop? Who doesn't think poop and toot noises are funny and if they don't they are lying to themselves. A must-have for fun with your kids without barely doing any work!! " — andrea kelli gorman Get it from Amazon for $12.99 . 40. A miniature baking set perfect for aspiring kiddo bakers or youngsters who enjoy adooooooorably petite baked goods. Who needs an Easy Bake Oven? The set comes with a storage tin, rolling pin, tiny knife, pizza/dough cutter, mixing spoon, three small spoons, mixing bowl, pizza/pie pan, pie server, sheet pan, silicone cake and cupcake molds, two silicone finger mitts, and 48-page recipe book. Promising review: "My 8-year-old daughter purchased this for herself. She absolutely loves it, and so do I! With very minimal help from me, she can make her own treats. I love that she gets a little snack/treat, the kitchen isn’t a big mess, and I don’t have two dozen cookies lying around calling my name. She used to beg me to bake all the time and now I can let her because I know she’s not filling up on sugar and she doesn’t need me hovering in the kitchen to keep an eye on things. It’s amazing!" — Sherrie801 Get it from Amazon for $20.68 . 41. A two-pack of Playfoam Pals packed with ~sensory foam~ that's suuuuper fun to play with and squish (like slime!) without creating a huge mess (like...slime) or drying out after being left out. And that's not all: There's also an adorable pet hiding inside they'll love to play with and collect! Promising review: "These are amazing for creative sensory play! I love that the foam is non-toxic and that it doesn't stick to everything. My kids have left it out numerous times and it never, ever dries out. And the little pet pals are just the cutest. The kids were so excited to see which ones they got and literally spent hours playing with them and the foam. These would be perfect for stocking stuffers!" — NYMommy Get a pack of two from Amazon for $11.36 . 42. A Hello Kitty claw machine so they can practice their skills at home before taking a crack at the one at the local arcade that never seems to give out prizes. They'll have so much fun working the mini controls and trying to snag one of the eight Sanrio character figures that actually getting a toy out to play with will just be a bonus. Once they've won them all, the capsules can be refilled with other toys or treats. Promising review: "This item arrived super fast and in great condition. The crane game itself takes a little skill, but that's how they all are. The look on my child's face the moment we 'won' our first prize made it worth it right away. It's now going all day. :)" — David NJ Get it from Amazon for $44.99 . 43. A 100-piece set of Picasso Tiles , because reviewers say they're not only comparable to Magnatiles (which are $80 more for the same size set) but also work with the Magnatiles they may already have, so you can expand their world of creative and educational play for much less. And of course just like Magnatiles, they'll keep the kids busy for hoooours. Promising review: "I wish I had known about these sooner! PicassoTiles are *exactly* like Magna-tiles but way more affordable . We just received the 100 tile set today — an early birthday gift for our soon-to-be-four-year-old. We have two sets of Magna-tiles — one with the grommets (purchased new last year) and one without (purchased second hand [no idea how old they are]). The PicassoTiles are the same weight and size as the MagnaTiles and have the same exact magnets. They do not have metal grommets, but the old MagnaTiles are indestructible, so I know that these will be too. And PicassoTiles are much prettier in my opinion, because they are slightly more translucent and have brighter colors. They integrate into the collection seamlessly. I highly recommend this product. And if you are considering buying any kind of magnetic tile toy for your child, I recommend purchasing as big a set a you can for versatility of play. Our son has played with these all day and night off and on every single day since we bought them last year. After integrating the new PicassoTile set, he hugged his enormous structure and declared them his favorite...twice. A wonderful toy!" — skater mom Get it from Amazon for $39.99 . PicassoTiles also makes marble runs , race tracks , and themed sets ! 44. A LeapFrog 100 Words Book that'll help kiddos pick up more than 100 common words (everything from animals to food to colors to opposites and more) in both English and Spanish. Reviewers say it actually holds kid's attention through the bright colors and interactive buttons and sounds. Find out why this parent calls it "one of our favorite toys for our son" on TikTok . Promising review: "Baby really loves this book! It's compact and easy to stash in your go bag. I love that it has multiple languages (English and Spanish) and multiple options (Saying the words, fun fact, sound effects) - it does a great job of keeping my baby entertained and delivers an educational experience. The price is right, too. Must have!" — Colleen Get it from Amazon for $12.97 (available in six different versions). 45. A durable metal Big Dig sandbox digger crane because excavating at the beach or in the backyard is Serious Business, and this guy is here to get! the! tiny! job! done! It has 360-degree rotation and easy-to-use two-handed controls, and it works on sand, dirt, *and* snow, so it can be used year-round too! For ages 3+ years (weight limit of 110 pounds). Promising review: "I don't write reviews often, but we have had this for two days, and my boys (3 and 5) woke up at 6:30 a.m., ate breakfast, got dressed, and hustled outside on a gloomy rainy mid-February morning in Seattle to play with this. They normally fight over whose turn it is, but instead, they have been taking turns and playing like civil humans for an hour already. Best toy ever, bought a second one already so they don't have to share because there's only so long siblings can go before someone throws down." — Rk Get it from Amazon for $47.80 . 46. A sleep-training clock that's aaaaactually a gift for parents, but kiddos will love having a clock of their very own — especially with that cute smiley face! It uses colors and facial expressions to let kids know when it's still sleep time (aka please don't wake me up) and when it's ok to wake up and say good morning — the parent can even choose the colors for each. It also has a sound machine and optional alarm clock built in. Watch this parent share why this sleep trainer is one of their "best parenting hacks" in this TikTok . Promising review: "I got this for my 4-year-old son as a birthday gift . He loves that the clock goes to sleep, wakes up, occasionally blinks, and that he gets to pick his own night light color. He tells me how proud he is of himself every morning when he sleeps until the yellow light and plays quietly until his alarm clock turns green. Being in my third trimester of pregnancy, this tired mom is extremely pleased that my early riser is now letting me sleep until a set time every morning! I like how customizable the clock is and the white noise feature. The lock setting isn’t childproof, so I keep it up high, set it up & let it do its thing. This works because I do not use the alarm clock feature as the alarm sound scares my son, and there’s no other sound option for that setting (this doesn’t bother me much as getting my son to wake up isn’t the problem; it was keeping him in bed until a decent hour) problem solved! Overall, Worth every penny. And great customer service, thanks Little Hippo!" — nicole Get it from Amazon for $49.99 (available in three colors). 47. A Barbie Dreamhouse complete with 10 outdoor and indoor play areas, a working elevator, a PARTY ROOM WITH A DJ BOOTH (mind if I play "Dance the Night" on repeat?), a slide, puppy area, balcony, and a rooftop deck. Brb, booking a flight to BarbieLand asap. One reviewer notes this does ship in the original packaging, so if you live with the kid who's getting this, you'll have to keep them away from the porch when it gets delivered! Promising review: "My husband and I bought this Barbie House for our daughter's 7th birthday, and she absolutely loves it. She plays with it all of the time, and it keeps her entertained for hours. Out of all of her toys, she plays with this one the most. I had put it together for her with the help of my other daughter. Honestly, with regards to assembling it, it was not hard at all. I will say it does take time, but if you take your time and do it correctly, it's not hard at all. Well worth the money and time invested in this toy." — Hyatts4Jesus Get it from Amazon for $224.99 . 48. A Crayola light board that'll take your growing artiste's masterpieces to the next level — their designs deserve to shine brightly, and I mean that literally. Plus, the board is reusable, so they can wipe away old drawings or tracings and start all over again (and again and again). It includes an LED light board with a removable tracing panel and and six gel markers. They can just draw directly onto the light board — plus the removable back panel makes tracing images incredibly easy. Then, turn it on to light up the designs and showcase them — even in the dark. Promising review: " This light board is awesome!! My 6-year-old loves to draw and absolutely loves this board. The markers nestle into the back of the board for storage, which makes this mom happy, the board cleans easily with a damp paper towel or wipe. This is a great car activity for traveling. Love the added feature of the removable blackboard for tracing — so fun! Will make a great gift for any art lover!" — Danielle Campbell Get it from Amazon for $32.99 . 49. A Tetris-esque wooden puzzle kids of all ages will enjoy — and honestly I wouldn't mind having a go at this myself. No screens needed! Reviewers say this is a great toy for all ages — from 3 to 12. Promising review: "My kids are getting older and I needed some unique little items to keep them busy on a long trip. This seemed attractive, lightweight, and fine for teens and younger. As it turned out, the three of us had fun challenging each other with it. We played with it in front of Grandma, and then she wanted one to keep her mind sharp! There are different challenges you can do (like timing yourself to finish it) and I love the artsiness of the wood. At $10, definitely a good buy and nice little gift." — C-reader Promising review: "Honestly shocked at how much my 9-year-old likes this. This was a lifesaver over winter break. It’s able to done multiple ways but my daughter likes to create little mural pictures with the tiles as well. She’s creative but this got more use than I even anticipated . We love this little puzzle!" — Kayla M Get it from Amazon for $9.99 . 50. A Dyson Ball toy vacuum that actually *has some suction* so that when the kid in your life is mimicking and wants to "help out" around the house, they're actually getting a little bit of vacuuming done. And it'll keep them busy for ages! Promising review: "Our son is absolutely obsessed with our Dyson (the real one). Which is why we purchased this toy Dyson vacuum for his birthday. He's 2-years-old and he is really enjoying having his on 'working' vacuum cleaner!!! He seriously plays with it for hours during the day. Turning it on and off and pushing it through the house just like we use our real vacuum. I would buy this again! It was his favorite gift!." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in three colors). 51. A Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears! 150-Piece Building Set for a twist on building toys that interlock (just like actual gears) to keep them entertained for ages, both building and playing. Promising review: " I bought this for my son when he was 3. Two years later, I’ve come back to write my unbiased review so you have one to trust. At the time, I bought these on a whim and had no idea what I would unlock. For more than two full years now, these gears have been played with DAILY. Every. Single. Day. They have held up to crashed airplanes, tidal waves hitting sea creatures, and have been catapulted into castles. Very rarely have they been played with as shown on the product pictures, as my son uses them to build different things every day. Dusty Crophopper (plane), Lightning McQueen (race car), and so much more. Our only regret is sometimes we don’t have enough pieces to build an entire fleet. These creations have an entire shelf for display in his bedroom to feature what he builds each day. This toy is durable, open ended, grows with the child, fits a variety of abilities and ages, and is only limited by imagination. I could not recommend this toy more! " — Traveler Get it from Amazon for $39.59 . 52. A pack of parachute toys that (gasp of gasps) actually won't tangle when thrown from the top of a staircase over and over. Miracles happen once in a while! Promising review: "Toddler nap time guaranteed. I have a toddler who goes non-stop. Like this is the type of child who you could sign up for t-ball, soccer, and swimming and they are still not tired. These little guys are wonderful because they have kept my kids occupied for several hours as they throw them off the balcony and then race down and around to collect them and then run back to toss them again. They have held up well despite being snagged on rough wood, being tugged on by toddlers, and being tossed into rough, dry weeds. I have had to do a few minor repairs, but they still catch the air, filling the parachute wide over for incredible and exciting descents. So much fun and I have loved tossing them over the railing as much or even more than my kids. A great product that has held up to substantial toddler use and abuse. " — Taylor Get a pack of four from Amazon for $8.99 . 53. A Melissa & Doug activity book designed to help build fine motor skills and includes a pair of child-safe scissors to help them use their destructive talents in productive ways! Promising review: "Scissors skills are important both in and of themselves and because it strengthens the hand muscles to be used for learning to write. My 4-year-old LOVES this book. We received it this week and she has used it for a couple of hours each day. Many of the pages are cutting things out and putting them together (four-scoop ice cream cone, pizza with pepperonis, the components to build a house or a car, puzzles). We've used tape or glue to put the components together. This book is interesting enough to have caught the attention of my older children as well, although I make them let her do the cutting. :D Would make a great gift as it is so unique." — Mom of 7 Get it from Amazon for $7.99 . 54. A flying orb that magically floats or boomerangs back and forth, depending on how it's thrown, all while flashing colorful lights. And it fully charges in just 20 minutes! Promising review: "Bought this for my daughter’s 11th birthday in 2 weeks, but it came today and I am keeping it for myself (age 60) because it is so fun and seemingly indestructible. I ordered a new one for my daughter so it will be brand new for her." — Keith A Hurst Promising review: "My kids have had maybe a dozen of these floating ball/hover toys. Cheap ones from 5 Below. Baby Yoda ones. Sky dancers and other dolls that float around. I, personally, like this one the best. All the other ones break so easily. They hit the ground, the blades snap off and crack and that's the end of that. These are encased in a rubbery plastic cage, so it can smash off of whatever, and the blades won't break. Love it. Makes so much sense. They can actually play with this one and grab it without it hurting their fingers — the other toys you can just kind of put your hand under it and watch it hover, trying not to let it hit the ground, or you can just watch it zip around the house smashing into stuff before you have to go retrieve it. At least with this one, you can play by yourself, boomerang-ing it back to yourself. Or play catch with someone else. It's funny watching them try to catch it - it's harder than you'd think, as it constantly wants to be moving. Trying to catch a ball that is actively pushing away from your hand moving in to catch it. It's a little overpriced but this is the best one of these toys I've seen. " — Albert Get it from Amazon for $28.80 (available in seven colors). 55. A Bingo game to help make learning sight words more fun (and less frustrating). It's played just like regular old Bingo, except instead of letters and numbers, you'll be calling out 46 different commonly-used words to help build word recognition and reading skills. The set comes with 36 playing cards, 264 playing chips, caller's mat and cards, and a storage box. You can also get Sight Words Level 2 or Bingo for lots of other skills — including Multiplication and Division , Rhyming , Colors and Shapes — on the company's Amazon store page . Promising review: " Our first-grader was feeling really discouraged with her sight words and I've been trying to think of ways to encourage her and get her excited to learn things she doesn't already know. She loved this game! We played with the whole family and her 3-year-old sister even enjoyed playing (we show her the cards and have her find the word that matches on her Bingo card). I think this is a great way to make learning/practicing sight words fun! I am very happy with this purchase and I can see how it would be great for teachers in the classroom as well!!" — Jennie Get it from Amazon for $12.99 . 56. A pack of Crayola Globbles that'll relieve hours of boredom — kids love to toss these at the walls and ceiling to watch the colorful spheres stick and unstick. But fret not: reviewers say they actually don't leave residue behind! Yes, they easily wash clean with soap and water without losing stickiness, so the fun can keep going even after they end up in one of your houseplant pots. Promising review: " I waited over two months to write my review! My 4-year-old daughter plays with these DAILY! YES they do attract dirt and hair. HOWEVER they are so easy to rinse off, it's not a big deal! We took these to a family gathering and ended up giving two away because they were SO loved! The two we gave away went to a 12-year-old and my 19-year-old brother. They discovered throwing them at the ceiling fan and watching them shoot across the room, which was pretty entertaining! None of them have busted or ripped and they are definitely NOT gentle with them! I will definitely be buying more!" — Kindle Customer Get a pack of six from Amazon for $10.27 . 57. A bestselling Little Tikes trampoline to really get their jumping energy out, without them jumping on your bed instead. An hour or so on this, and you can all take a nap! Promising review: "I have a wild 3-year-old who has more energy in one day then I've had in my entire life. From sun up to sun down he is ON. Unfortunately, we don't have a yard and we can't always make it to the playground. We picked this up for him hoping that it would help him get some of that energy out on days that we're stuck inside. We've had it for 8 months and it has been a lifesaver! I was worried about it taking up too much space in the living room but it's not bad at all. It's wide enough for him to jump comfortably, but not big enough to be an eyesore or get in the way. When I catch him trying to climb on the couch or run around too wildly, I just give him a quick reminder to jump on his trampoline instead. It's a win for both of us since he has a safe place to let that energy out and I'm not scolding him because he's jumping on things he's not supposed to. He is about 40 lbs and 40 inches tall and he doesn't seem to be growing out of it anytime soon. It was easy to put together and has held up beautifully! It's never tipped over and we've never had any accidents with it. I am so thankful we picked this up for him because it helps keep all of us happy and sane." — Ana Get it from Amazon for $74.99 . 58. A talking microscope with slides they can inspect for a Closer Look at nature's wonders. And g'day to learning, because it actually features Bindi Irwin's voice to expand their knowledge of animals and plants! The microscope talks in three languages in addition to English — you can choose between two options: Mandarin/Japanese/Korean or Spanish/French/German. Promising review: " This is by far one of the coolest products I’ve ever seen! My 4-year-old loves this talking microscope! Every day while her baby sister naps I spend some quality one-on-one time with her and this was the perfect product for our special time together! She didn’t want to stop looking at all the different slides and I love how each slide has three images and the fact mode shares fun facts about the slide chosen! I love that she was learning new facts while looking at it up closely! She has been having so much fun using it and asks me daily to use her new microscope! This is such a great learning tool in a fun, different way for a 4-year-old and it is a big win in my book, especially because it can be used for many, many years! It also includes a quiz mode that we haven’t used yet but it’s nice that it has different modes for older kids. Highly recommend for all preschoolers and older kids!" — JC Mommy Get it from Amazon for $30.49 . 59. A version of Clue that packs away into a VINTAGE-Y BOOK (with a fabric hard cover and everything) so they can store it right on their bookshelf (in...the ~library~ of course) and whip it out for a mysterious game night whenever the crime-solving mood strikes. It's for 3-6 players and ages 8+ — and if you don't know the rules to Clue already (as if!) it's a mystery game where players work to solve who killed the victim, where, and with what weapon, asking other players specific questions and using the process of elimination based on what cards everyone has. Promising review: "I gave this as a Christmas gift to my son. The pieces are so amazing! They have upgraded both the playing pieces and the weapons in this game. My son loved the way the game fits into a book-like container. He will be putting it on his bookshelf! He has been wanting this very one for a few years now and is in love with it! Everything about the game was very well made." — DRH Get it from Amazon for $39.99 . This fabric-bound book-style board game is available in tons of other classics, including: Sorry , chess , Catch Phrase , Scattergories , Scrabble , Taboo , and more. You can also get the trio of Scrabble, Monopoly, and Clue for $112.99 or a set of *all 12* for $439.99 . Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.

As the holiday season kicks into high gear, people are filled with excitement to see family and friends, and kitchens begin to buzz with the familiar aroma of festive dishes. According to a recent Instacart survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults by The Harris Poll, 88% are gearing up to cook festive meals for occasions like Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Year's Eve. This report explores the food and drink trends surrounding Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's using Instacart purchase data from the 2023 holiday season — as well as a recent Harris Poll survey. Winter Holidays: Deliciously Diverse Traditions 'Tis the season to serve holiday dishes at various gatherings, with 67% of those surveyed saying family traditions are a top influence when selecting winter holiday dishes. Leading on the nostalgia front, a notable 73% of women (vs. 61% of men) and the same percentage of married individuals (vs. 62% not married) find themselves most influenced by these time-honored practices. Boomers (70%) are also more likely than Gen Z and millennials (61% and 63% respectively) to tap into their family favorite recipes for the holidays. When it comes to the different generations, Gen Z and millennials stand out as particularly budget-savvy. Nearly one in three Gen Z (32%) and millennials (30%) consider the cost of ingredients a top priority when planning their holiday feast. And among those who make holiday dishes, 31% of Gen Z and 34% of millennials are adventurous in the kitchen, desiring to experiment with new recipes. Main dish masterpieces: Turkey (56%) and ham (52%) are the most preferred festive staples on holiday tables. However, the younger generations are venturing beyond the traditional, favoring chicken dishes (47% Gen Z and 43% millennials vs. 28% Gen X and 21% Boomers) and enjoying vegetarian or vegan options (13% Gen Z and 11% millennials vs. 6% Gen X and 4% Boomers). Sipping Into the Season Fun beverages can add to the festive atmosphere of the holidays—and hot chocolate is the clear frontrunner warming the hearts of Americans everywhere. According to the survey findings, here are the top five seasonal sippers Americans say are among their favorite winter holiday beverages: Hot chocolate - 58% Eggnog - 42% Cider - 26% Mulled wine - 13% Hot toddy - 13% Gearing Up for Gift Giving During the week before Christmas last year, Instacart data showed an unmissable trend: customers were largely focused on preparing their gifts. Gift wrapping paper is a great proxy to measure gift-giving behavior, and orders containing wrapping paper peaked on Dec. 23—just two days before Christmas. In addition, these are the top five items that surged the week before Christmas, per Instacart purchase data: • Ribeye roast • Christmas cards • Gift wrap • Gift tags • Stockings • Sugar and Spice Delights For many, the holidays aren't complete without a batch of festive cookies. In fact, 41% of Americans look forward to them each year. But which cookie is the real crowd-pleaser? According to this survey, the top five favorite holiday cookies are: • Chocolate chip - 57% • Sugar - 52% • Peanut butter - 40% • Gingerbread - 33% • Snickerdoodle - 32% While some cookies may fly off the plate at a holiday party, some tend to linger a bit longer. Our survey found that the least favorite cookies are: • Oatmeal raisin - 21% • Molasses - 19% • Peppermint or mint chocolate - 17% • Meringues - 16% • Biscotti - 15% Instacart has created the Candy Cane Index to answer questions like, Is it too early to start hanging holiday lights? There's been a lot of talk over the past few years about starting the holidays earlier and earlier, so Instacart looked within its grocery catalog to see if there was a clear indicator of this trend. It turns out that candy cane purchases are the most closely related item to the beginning of Christmas festivities, so this variable is named the Instacart Candy Cane Index. Early Holiday Spirit Shines With Candy Canes and Latkes According to the Instacart Candy Cane Index, orders containing candy canes passed a critical seasonal threshold a full week earlier in 2023 compared to 2017. The earliest this happened was in 2020 (Nov. 30) and 2021 (Nov. 29), when people were social distancing and craving holiday joy sooner than ever before. Instacart anticipates this year the trend will keep pace with 2023, likely with an increase for candy cane purchases on or around Dec. 3. A Hanukkah favorite: Bring out the sour cream and applesauce to enjoy alongside classic Jewish latkes. On the first day of Hanukkah last year, orders for latkes increased by an impressive 2,626% compared to the yearly average. Instacart data also showed that purchases for latkes jumped around other notable Jewish observances of Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur in early April and mid-September in 2023. New Year's Tradition: Black-Eyed Peas for Luck and Prosperity According to Southern tradition, eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day is considered to bring luck and prosperity in the year ahead. On New Year's Eve, the share of orders that contained black-eyed peas spiked 2,480% above the yearly average order share. Georgia alone ordered black-eyed peas 217% more often than the overall national average. Survey Method This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Instacart from September 19-23, 2024, among 2,077 adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This story was produced by Instacart and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

American and European stock markets mostly rose on Wednesday after inflation data cemented expectations that the US Federal Reserve will trim interest rates next month. While the Dow fell slightly, the other two major US indices advanced, led by the tech-rich Nasdaq, which piled on almost two percent to close above 20,000 points for the first time. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get the latest need-to-know information delivered to your inbox as it happens. Our flagship newsletter. Get our front page stories each morning as well as the latest updates each afternoon during the week + more in-depth weekend editions on Saturdays & Sundays.

1. A Lip Smacker shaped like an old fashioned Coca-Cola bottle *and* with a matching flavor to boot! This makes a perfect stocking stuffer for kids who might not always want to put on their lip balm — this provides moisture and a little treat, all in one. And if seeing this makes you feel nostalgic for the Lip Smackers you had growing up, I recommend you add one to cart for yourself, too! This is recommended for ages 6+. Promising review: "Let’s be real — it's just lip balm, but this little miracle worker deserves an award! It looks exactly like the packaging promises, which is great news for anyone who’s ever bought something and ended up with a surprise that looks like it was designed by a toddler. My daughter, who suffers from chronically chapped lips like they’re auditioning for a horror movie, absolutely loves this balm . The smell is so delightful; I’ve caught her trying to eat it (note to self: next time, get a flavor that’s less tempting!). And the bonus? Her lips are now moisturized and ready to face the world instead of looking like they just survived a desert expedition. If you're dealing with a chapped-lipped child in your life, I highly recommend this balm to save the day — and your[self]!" — Hollywood_Envy Get it from Amazon for $6.30 (available in Classic and Cherry Coke bottles, plus regular tube versions of Coke, Sprite, cotton candy, and pink lemonade flavors). 2. A celestial projector shaped like a lil' astronaut to really complete the vibe of their bedroom. It has eight different nebula-style effects they can (optionally) combine with a twinkling green star effect for an out-of-this-world experience that'll completely transform their space. Promising review: "5-year-old loves this. The remote on this is awesome! Let’s you really customize what you/your kiddo wants. The timer feature is also great. We’ve had this for 2 years, and it’s still going strong. Love that it has a detachable head so you can adjust where it projects." — A.N. Promising review: "Purchased this for an 8-year-old who loves space and the stars. As an adult, I would almost purchase this for myself. It projects a galaxy on the ceiling of whatever room you are in. It looks great on 10-foot ceilings, but also looks amazing in our room with 30-foot ceilings. The projections are bright but easily allow a child to sleep under it. This gets used every night. The only problem we have had is that the little USB wall wart stopped working, but we were able to use a spare USB wall wart/charger in its place." — KC Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in black and white). 3. An interactive Fingerlings baby monkey with sensors that respond to touch, a unique personality, and over 70(!) different sounds and reactions that'll warm their little heart. As soon as they put the Fingerling on their hand, its heart will start to beat, and it'll say "hello" — how cute is that?! Not ready for a pet yet? They'll adore this little guy. Promising review: "Adorable and affordable. My kiddos love these little things. The packaging is easy to open, and the fingerling works right out of the box. When turned on, he/she will make the cutest little sounds and noises that keep the kids smiling and occupied while this busy mom catches up on all the things. " — C. Guttierez Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in blue and purple). 4. A classic marble run set so kids can work on developing their problem-solving skills while having a HECK of a lot of fun watching the colorful marbles zip and zoom through tracks and obstacles. Promising review: " My 5- and 3-year-olds (and me) have spent hours building towers and watching marbles clatter down these chutes, steps, gears and spirals, HOURS! And they’re not bored yet! It’s also educational learning the physics of slopes by experience. Plus, it comes with enough marbles that losing a few doesn’t matter." — Joyce Parker Get it from Amazon for $47.99 (available in four styles). 5. Or a Gravity Maze marble run designed to challenge kiddos to think ahead to figure out how to build paths so the marble can drop down to the final cube. Puzzling and satisfying! The game includes 60 challenges, ranging from beginner to expert, so they can work their way up to the harder ones. Promising review: "Such a great toy for kids 5-12. Keep them off their devices and give a try at this maze. My son shared it with his teacher who wants to put them in their school STEM lab. It is really a great toy that can keep you occupied and having fun!" — Lindsey A Promising review: "My daughter loves it. Her older sister loves it even more. Even my parents are intrigued by it. Sometimes, I take it with us when we go out to eat, and we take turns trying to solve it at the table while waiting for food. All sorts of people come up to us and ask us about the game because they've never seen anything like it. Young or old, everyone wants a chance with this thing!" — Keith Get it from Amazon for $27.99 . 6. A creepy-but-cool remote-controlled gecko — and, yes it ACTUALLY climbs up walls and across floors! It can be controlled from up to 25 feet away, so definitely be prepared for a prank or two coming your way. Did I mention its eyes also glow? I'm scared, but also impressed. The lizard is rechargable and powered with the included USB cable, though two AAA batteries are needed for the remote (not included). Promising review: "My son asked and asked for this remote control lizard! And he absolutely loves it. I wouldn't recommend this product if you had only carpet. It crawls well on wood/tile and crawls up and across the walls using a vacuum." — Amanda Get it from Amazon for $26.49 . 7. The Shark Tank-famous Comfy Jr. , a wearable sweatshirt-blanket hybrid for the kiddo you know who is always running cold. Microfiber fleece on the outside, thick fleece fluff on the inside, a truly gigantic pocket (for snacks!!), an oversized hood, and a slouchier-than-slouchy fit...what more can they ask for?! Should you get a matching adult-size one for yourself?? Not no! Promising review: "My 5-year-old son was extremely spoiled this past Christmas. Received a ride-on tractor, lots of toys, and electronic stuff. The Comfy is one gift I got him that he did not request, but he absolutely cannot live without it now. He puts it on as soon as he wakes up, and thanks to the sleeves, he is able to eat his breakfast while still staying warm and snuggly in the comfy. It really helps with the transition from the nice warm bed to getting up in the cold months! I also love how big it is. The sleeves are very long and the body is also wide. The sleeves have cuffs on them, so they aren't getting in the way of his eating or other activities, and there's plenty of room to grow. This was a great purchase and we will be getting more!" — . [Amazon Customer] Get it from Amazon for $42.99 (available in one size and six colors, plus fun prints like constellations, Disney Princesses, Frozen, and more; reviewers suggest getting the adult size for kids over 12). If the kid on your list lives somewhere warmer, you can also get the Comfy Dream Jr. , which is just as comfortable but doesn't have the thick fleece lining. 8. For The Love Of Books , a reading journal for the growing bookworm on your list — not only is this beautiful, with a colorful cover with gold foil design, but it has tons packed inside. We're talking a daily reading log, book bucket list, space to keep track of library loans, a favorite quotes section, and of course, the main star: space for 52 book reviews so they can keep track of their faves. The book review includes the format (adiobook, ebook, or physical book), title, author, date, page length, number of stars out of 5, whether they read by themselves or with someone, fiction/nonfiction, whether they liked the ending yes/no, favorite character, plus room to dig a little deeper, like sharing favorite quotes, favorite scenes, and what they'd like to ask the author. Promising review: "I ordered one for my 7 year old and one for my 10 year old. They both love it! It's colorful and simple but thorough. Great product for a great price!" — Kindle Customer Get it from Amazon for $6.69 . Btw, they also make a reading journal designed for teens, plus one for adults if you want to pick one up for yourself at the same time! 9. And a Bookroo baby and preschool or kid and tween book subscription so their TBR list is always packed with great reads. Just pick the right option for their age range or reading level, and they'll get a box of curated books, each individually wrapped, to make the experience even more fun. They'll be telling you all about their favorite character in no time! There are two age range options for the baby and preschool subscription: —The Board Book Box (ages 0–3) comes with three board books —T he Picture Book Box (ages 3-6) comes with two hardcover picture books. —There's also an option for a Sibling Box (ages 0-6) that allows you to alternate receiving a box of Board Books and a box of Picture Books on alternate months. There are two age range options for the kid and tween subscription: — The Junior Chapter Book Box (ages 7–10) comes with two junior chapter books, with lighter text and often illustrations — The Middle Grade Chapter Book Box (ages 9–12) comes with two hardcover chapter books —There's also an option for a Sibling Box (ages 7-10) that allows you to alternate receiving a box of Junior Chapter Books and a box of Middle Grade Chapter Books on alternate months. Promising review: "My aunt got a Bookroo subscription for my daughter last year as a gift. I never knew how much I would love it myself! The package is beautiful and when we both see it, we get so excited. The books are individually wrapped which leads to the excitement and the gift of the book and the gift of reading itself. My aunt has extended our subscription and now I am buying subscriptions for nieces and nephews. It's a great gift for kids and has made my daughter love reading as much as I do ." —Elizabeth Get the Bookroo Book Club subscriptions at Cratejoy for $21.95+/month: baby and preschool here and kid and tween here (1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month subscriptions). 10. A Snap Circuits kit , a no-tools-needed set for giving engineers-to-be hands-on insight into electrical circuits. It includes over 30 electronic parts that snap together in a variety of designs for a total of over 100 functional projects! The kit comes with over 32 electrical components including snap wires, slide switches, an alarm circuit, a music integrated circuit, and a speaker. (Each piece is numbered and color-coded to make identifying them easy.) Plus, a plastic grid and a project manual with 101 different electronic projects. Recommended for ages 8+. Adult supervision advised. Promising review: " Can I give this 6 stars? My 6-year-old son didn't ask me ONCE today for his tablet, video game or to play on my phone. He ignored a new movie on TV (one he had been BEGGING to see) because he was playing with this toy. He spent a couple hours working with his dad, a couple experimenting by himself and another few HOURS working through the projects with his aunt. I LOVE THIS TOY!" — SnappinMom Get a set from Amazon for $29.99 . 11. A four-pack of rainbow twirling sticks , aka mesmerizing fidget toys that kids and adults alike will want to play with for hours — you might want to get a couple of packs so everyone can get in on the fun. Just spin to watch the stick transform into different shapes! Promising review: "My daughter got four of these from Santa. It was the one gift she was mesmerized by the most. We had endless fun twirling these tinsel fairy wands about in different ways!!!! They're so fun and pretty!" — Jessica B Promising review: "I bought these for kiddos 5, 10, and 13, and they were a hit. Spent so much time twirling and being mesmerized by them. If one is a little too [aggressive] with it, the ribbons will tangle, but with some patience, it has so far always been able to get back to its original shape (don’t pull on the ribbons, though — that would likely break it. But all in all, sturdier than I thought as it survived an energetic 5-year-old. I have had lots of fun playing with it myself. Glad it came in a four pack, cause I got to keep one!" — akat Get the pack of four from Amazon for $16.95 . 12. Or The NeeDoh Nice Cube , a super-viral sensory fidget toy with juuuust the right amount of resistance for a super-satisfying squish. And it always goes back to its original shape! Fair warning though: you might need to get one for every kid on your gifting list this year, otherwise fights might break out. Promising review: "I bought four of these; one for myself and three for my kids. My oldest already had one and everyone else was fighting for it. They're stiff at first, but the more you use them, they get softer with the warmth of your hands. I've actually used it as a calming mechanism when arguing with my husband and it worked. It's easy to clean with a little soap and water, and then it feels brand new again. It's very durable, too. My 10-year-old will be watching a movie and smashing it up, and it's still in good condition. Definitely worth it. " — Dixie Get it from Amazon for $8.70 (the color is either blue, pink, or purple and gets selected for you at random!). 13. A 667-piece 3-in-1 Lego kit (honestly it's hard to choose the best Lego kit these days!) so they can build three different poseable(!) woodland creatures — a fox, an owl, or a squirrel they can play with, display, or disassemble and rebuilt into another delightful critter. Btw, Lego has a cool gift-finder feature so you can brows by the age of the kid you're shopping for, their interests, and your budget! Promising review: "My son is 10 and he enjoyed building this. Good quality. Decent value for the money. My almost 7-year-old helped him to build this.. I'd recommend this for any kids who are big into Legos between ages 7 and up." — Nunya Bidness Get it from Amazon for $49.99 . 14. My First Tumbler , a silicone 9-ounce tumbler for any tots who are wanting a Stanley of their own...but can't wield one yet. These are super lightweight, have an easy-to-grip handle, are 100% dishwasher safe, aaaaand leak-resistant to minimize spills. Oh, and it's cute enough to quickly become their very own Emotional Support Water Bottle. Promising review: "My daughter always wants to take my Stanley cup and drink it, but it’s so heavy and big for her. I saw this in a video and decided to try it out. The price is Amazing! The quality is great, it doesn’t leak, and it is light enough for her to carry around . I washed it as soon as I got it and gave it to her; she carried it everywhere and loved it !!!! So worth the money, I need one in every color now. I will definitely be recommending this to all my toddler moms. The lilac color is gorgeous! The size is perfect for her little hands, the seal works great and functions perfectly as it looks!! Seriously, you won’t regret this buy." — Katlyn Hamilton Get it from Amazon for $8.99 (available in four colors). 15. A set of K-beauty sheet masks designed specifically for kids, from the gentle, hydrating ingredients (centella asiatica, ceramides, and shea butter) to the smaller mask size that'll fit perfectly on their face to the adorable print that'll make them feel like the Main Character at a masquerade ball! If the kid in your life wants to try out some skincare or have a Spa Night with you, this is a great option. These are recommended for ages 4+. For kids with sensitive skin, you may want to patch test first. Promising review: "These masks for my 4- and 6-year-old perfectly! Very gentle on their skin and made them so happy. They don't feel left out anymore when the big girls have a mask on." — Amy Promising review: "Ordered a pack to have a spa day with my girls, and they were perfect!! It was a great fit! Cute design! No chemical smell. Definitely recommend!! Will be buying more for our GNI!!" — TheMother:) Get them from Amazon: a set of five for $16.99 or a set of 10 for $33.90 . You can also get a gift set with five sheet masks, a bow-topped skincare headband, nail polish and kid-size nail stickers, toe separators, a brush, and a flower hair elastic for $32.99 . 16. A Stairslide kit capable of transforming any (non-curved) staircase into a giant! slide! Oh, did your home just become the state fair?? Prepare for all the neighborhood kids to come over and take their turn — and then have a sudden hankering for a corndog... Each slide covers about three steps, depending on the height of the stairs. You can customize the slide speed by laying them out at different angles, making it great for ages 3–13. It can hold up to 155 pounds. Promising review: "Exactly as described! Well worth the price. Toddlers can use it with supervision and a soft landing on the stairway in our house. Easy to put on stairs, bed, or couch — my kids slide everywhere in the house! You can make it as big as you'd like. When put all together and steep it does go really fast, so be cautious. It's very strong and durable! It’s easy to collapse and put away onto itself in a corner or out of sight. Takes five seconds to put back up. No damage has been done to furniture or stairs. It has tired the kids out and also made them laugh so hard! All three take turns over and over again. We love it." — Jess Get it from Amazon for $264.99+ (available in sets of four or eight). 17. A puzzle board so the burgeoning jigsaw genius in your life has a dedicated space to work on their masterpiece — without losing an entire surface until the puzzle is complete or banishing them to work on it in their room. This baby has four drawers built-in to store pieces while construction is on pause, and the whole thing is easy to move from place to place so the dining room table can actually be used for...dinner. It can fit up to 1500 piece puzzles. Promising review: "We ordered this for our 9-year-old daughter, who is really into large, 1,500-piece puzzles right now . She used to do them on her bedroom floor, as we weren't able to keep them on the kitchen table during the week. She loves this puzzle board now, because she can separate her pieces in the four drawers and move it from room to room to work on it. We often do these puzzles in the living room as a family in the evenings. It's nice to be able to pick up the whole thing and move out of the way when we have guests, or need to protect the puzzle from our two little dogs who are much too obliged to make a mess of our work sometimes. I would recommend this to any puzzle enthusiast, or any family that just wanted to keep their puzzles organized and move them around safely." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $49.99 . You can also get a rotating one that comes with a cover for $99.99 . 18. A *weighted* plushie that hundreds of kid ( and adult) reviewers swear by for a little bit of cuddling comfort. Think "weighted blanket" but smaller (and way cuter). These have often gone out of stock, but they're now available in more oh-so-cute animals than ever (penguins, cows, and dragons, oh my!), so you can find the perfect one for the kid on your list. When I saw the dino one in a TikTok (with the Linda Belcher "little babies" audio, obviously), I just had to order one. I opted for the cheetah (which is currently sold out) — it looks cute sitting out on my loveseat, and I simply can't stop snuggling up with it resting on my chest or lap, whether I'm relaxing watching TV or just getting work done between meetings. Promising review: "So soft! My son loves it! And the fact that it is weighted helps him sleep 10x better because it stays by his side!" —S Promising review: "My daughter loves this dinosaur! It is so soft and fluffy with just the right amount of weight to be comforting. She sleeps with it every night and often holds it during the day to help her relax." —Ccf Get it from Target for $20 (available in 16 animals , including pink dino , fox , bear , green dino , unicorn , chicken , dragon , penguin , and more) 19. A dino race track complete with 144 pieces of flexible track, *cars shaped like T. Rex heads that light up when pushed along the track* and realistic dino figures — every other race track set available suddenly looks so boring... Once they open it, every grownup in the room is going to want their turn to play, too. Promising review: "My son received this set as a gift for Christmas and he really loves it. I asked the gifter where they got it and I have since bought the same set two times as a gift to other toddlers my son's age. And each time it's a huge hit! Kids are just obsessed with this. Even myself had fun playing this with my son. I like how versatile the tracks are. Totally worth it!" — olive Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (also available in blue). 20. A "reverse" coloring book filled with abstract blobs of color that make a fantastic starting point to spark their creativity — are they flowers? are they cute cartoon creatures? can it become a landscape? The possibilities are endless. All they need to do is whip out a black pen and reveal their vision! You can add a six-pack of fine line pens to make it complete! Get top-rated ones from Amazon for $9.89 . Promising review: "8-year-old loved it. She was skeptical when she opened it for Christmas, but as soon as she did one page.. she flew through the entire book!! " — Stream! Promising review: "Great for creative types. Unique. My 12-year-old daughter AND 66-year-old mother both loved it. They had so much fun. My mom ordered another for a friend!" — Lisa M.S. Get it from Amazon for $9.90 ; available in four versions . 21. Illustory , a book-making kit with everything they'll need to make their very own full-color, 20-page, professionally printed(!) book. It includes template pages for the cover, story, and illustrations, and there's even an "about the author" feature so they can be shown as the published author on the back cover! Give them the kit, and once they fill it out with their amaaaazing story and illustrations, just pop it into the prepaid envelope, and they'll get their printed book in a few weeks! Reviewers note times of anywhere from under 2 weeks to up to 8-10. Promising review: "My ten-year-old has made a few Illustory books over the last couple of years and is a big fan! We always make a few copies of the basic template page because he will throw out any page that isn't up to his standards. He is completely satisfied with the markers it comes with, but sometimes we need to bring in an additional black marker because he outlines the frame and has me go over all of his penciled letters in black marker. The effect is well worth it once the printed book arrives. It's a lovely touch to allow for a photo of the author with a bio, which we have had fun with!" — CarrieSmith616 Get it from Amazon for $29.95 . 22. A pair of functional kids' binoculars for the birder-in-training — now they won't have to steal your (...more expensive) pair but can still get a good look at the nature around them! Not only do they work great (parents are even tempted to use them), but they're also rainproof and super sturdy when dropped or thrown around — just listen to this parent : "My destructive two-year-old still hasn't figured out how to break them, and that's saying something." The set also comes with a protective carrying case, a neck strap, a cleaning cloth, and a bird identification sticker book. Promising review : "Awesome binoculars for kids! My 3, 5, and 7-year-olds all use them and get to bird with mom and dad. I have even used them in a pinch, and they work great. We have had other brands of binoculars for them, and they do not fit as nicely in their hands or focus as well. These are lightweight and easy to use." — Mama of Wrens Get it from Amazon for $22.59 (available in two colors). 23. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza , a speedy (and hilarious) card game that'll have everyone racing to beat each other to slap the cards while giggling all the way. It's recommended for players 8 and older. Here's how to play: Pass out all the cards to the players and keep all the stacks face down. Everyone takes a turn putting a card down in the middle, while saying "taco," "cat," "goat," "cheese," and "pizza," in that order. If the picture on your card matches the word that's said, everyone races against each other to slap their hand on the central pile of cards. Whoever is last must take the pile of cards and add them to their stack, and the person who runs out of cards first wins! Promising review: "When my daughter said she wanted this game, I looked at her like she had three heads because I had never heard of it before, so I blindly trusted the 10-year-old and ordered the game. This has seriously been the best money I've spent this year! We love this game and have suckered so many friends into playing with us. It is great for kids and adults. I have even found my husband playing it with some of his buddies! So all in all, just get the game, lose the screen time, and enjoy the fun and laughter with friends. " — Tiffany Richardson Get it from Amazon for $9.84 (also available in a Spanish edition ). If you're looking for something Christmas-themed to play, there's a version for you, too! Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman , played the exact same way! Get it from Amazon for $9.99 . 24. A ping-pong set that'll transform any table into their new favorite game, without the space *or* financial investment of a full ping-pong table. You better start getting those wrists nice and loose, because as soon as they unwrap this, it's game on! It comes with an expandable/retractable net (so it can fit the width of your table) with adjustable clamps, two paddles, two balls, and a mesh carrying bag so you can take it on the go. Promising review: "So much fun turning the dinner table into a ping pong table! Kids and I play for hours with this set; it never gets old. Absolutely worth every penny! I had an old set when I was a kid that required me to clamp down the posts on the table and stretch the net, but this is so much easier to use. No tools or screwing required. Everything is spring loaded for easy installation and removal." — Mike S. Promising review: " Best gift for my 15-year-old son since the over-the-door basketball hoop. He loves it!" — Jackie Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (also available in white). 25. A classic Melissa & Doug ice cream station that'll be almost as delicious as the real deal — L.O.s will be so excited to stack scoops and toppings for the ultimate cone. Start crafting your order! The wooden ice cream counter comes with eight ice cream scoops, six toppings, two cones, cup, scooper, tongs, wooden spoon, reusable menu card, and six pretend dollar bills. Promising review: " Fun toy set for a creative toddler. My newly-turned-3 year old daughter instantly fell in love with this set! She loves seeing how high she can stack the ice cream cones and pretending to serve Mom & Dad her creations. She's been obsessed with climbing things around the house and we *desperately* needed a distraction to get her to stop, and this is working so far — she plays with this thing for HOURS! " — West Family Get it from Amazon for $41.99 . 26. And a Melissa & Doug interactive wooden dashboard for backseat (or even carseat) drivers. This dash is packed with realistic features, including a steering wheel, ignition key, a horn that really beeps, hazard lights, etc. It's never too early to start practicing for their road test! Promising review: "This thing is awesome! My kids were playing with my husband’s old gaming steering wheel and it ended up breaking apart a week ago. They were pretty upset because they love pretending to drive so I looked to find another one. There were cheaper options than this one but they were just the plain steering wheel, no buttons or gear shift so I decided to give this one a try. My boys loved it so much that I had to sit with them for hours having them take turns playing so they wouldn’t fight over it. I didn’t realize there was a little window that shows the car on the road but my 3-year-old LOVES it! He likes to set the timer on the gas gage and when it goes off he lets me know he’s pulling into the gas station (there’s a little gas station in the window part). Anyway, we loved it so much we bought another one the same afternoon so both boys can drive together." — Brittany Get it from Amazon for $44.99 . 27. A surprisingly soft tortilla blanket so they can wrap themself up like the couch burrito they were always meant to be. Sorry, but guac still costs extra. Promising review: "I got this blanket as a gift for 13-year-old’s birthday. His aunt has a similar one, so I knew he would love it! It’s sooooo unbelievably soft, and the perfect size to wrap yourself up in like a burrito. My son literally walks around the house all day with this blanket ever since I gave it to him, and now my younger son also wants one. The design really looks like a real tortilla shell and not cheap looking at all. 5 stars, hands down one of the best things I’ve bought from Amazon. " — Coco Get it from Amazon for $21.99 (available in five sizes and 10 colors and styles, including pizza and waffle patterns). If you need wrapping inspo, one reviewer even gave the blanket to their nephew half-wrapped in foil so it looked like a giant burrito. HOW CUTE IS THAT?! 28. A three-in-one Bluey playset so the biggest fan of those down-under Blue Heelers can enjoy some imaginative play — this baby transforms from an airplane to a resort and a boat! And don't forget the figures: this set includes Bluey, Bingo, Chilli, Bandit, and the Captain. You can all play together and dream of being on your own tropical vacation instead of watching slush pile up outside. Promising review: "My daughter loves the Bluey figure toys, so we had to get this for her for Christmas. It’s adorable, and with the plane turning into a resort, it’s a great value. It was hard for me to find in stores but Amazon came through! The character figures are great and it looks like fun. I’m sure she will be excited to receive it!" — Ashley S. Get it from Amazon for $69.99 . 29. A personal library kit for librarians in the making, anyone with an ever-more-extensive collection of books, or generous book-lenders who definitely want to get their stuff back. They'll be *so* excited to break this open and immediately start setting up their favorite books. It comes with 20 self-adhesive pockets and checkout cards, a date stamp and inkpad, and a pencil. Promising review: "I'm always trying to find interesting gifts for my tween daughter that encourage reading and don't involve screens. This was a HUGE hit. We've already bought the refill pack as well as another complete set for her best friend so they can trade books back and forth. They are having so much fun with it." — Liz Get it from Amazon for $23.93 . Need refills? You can get some from Amazon for $9.95 . 30. A *magic* Crayola watercolor set — what makes it magic, you ask? Well the paints *only* work on the special paper that comes with it, so they can bring out their inner Jackson Pollock without getting paint all over...well...everything. The kit comes with a paintbrush, 18 special pieces of paper, and six clear paints that change colors when they hit the paper. The brush lights up to indicate what color is currently on the brush. Promising review: "I saw this everywhere and wanted to get it for my kids. My kids love this magic light brush paint set. It's perfect for toddlers who want to paint but you don't want the whole mess. The only problem I found was the yellow after a few swipes wouldn't make yellow anymore no matter how much I rubbed the brush on the palette. It would be an orange-brown color. It wasn't a deal breaker for us. Overall, it's fun, and the kids love it." — Ashley Get it from Amazon for $24.88 . Also available in a fun finger-painting version ! 31. A pack of dinosaur egg bath bombs sure to make bathtime way more rawr -some. Just plop the egg in, and the exterior will fizz away for colorful bathwater fun — and reveal a hidden dino toy inside! With each bath, their collection of dinos will grow, so they'll have a veritable Jurassic Park to play with when tubtime is over. Promising review: "My two-year-old dreaded ending playtime for bath time until I introduced these bath bombs. He looks forward to taking a bath now! The dinosaurs are surprisingly durable and make a fun toy to enjoy for more than just a moment (so it feels less like accumulating garbage). The texture and smell of the bath bombs themselves were nice as well." — AllisonAbro Get a pack of nine from Amazon for $19.99 . 32. Or a set of cloud-shaped bath bombs that leave a rainbow trail when they fizz up in the water, taking your next bathtime from Dorothy-in-sepia-toned-Kansas to full-blown Oz Technicolor! And btw, they're formulated with coconut oil for moisture and scented with plant-based fragrances (the pack includes blueberry, pineapple, peach, and passionfruit)! Promising review: "These are the best bath bombs I’ve ever found for kids!!!! The colors are so bright and fun! They last a long time in the bath and hardly change the color which makes me feel like it’s more safe. The scent is very subtle as well, which is great! The kids have so much fun in the bath with these!" — Abbey Rose Promising review: "Got these for my daughter's birthday and then have gifted several since to her little friends. The bath bombs are lots of fun just with the colors, shapes, and scents, but the baking soda portion with the "rainbow" that shoots out is great. It fizzes out several colors in streams, so it shoots around the tub like a rainbow. It quickly dissolves into a more murky mess, but the initial part is a lot of fun. So far, no staining of the tub, no rashes or dyes on my sensitive-skinned child ." — Kelsey C. Get a four-pack from Amazon for $9.99 (available in four-packs and three other styles). 33. A Fisher-Price Rockin’ Record Player so kids can inherit their parents' love of vinyls at an early age. But no need to worry about scratching any actual records — this comes with five disks (with two songs each) in different musical styles, including hip-hop, country, and pop — there's even a "mindfulness" record with a meditation. There's even a "record scratch" feature on the volume knob! Promising review: "Got this for my 3-year-old as a birthday gift. She loves my "grown up" record player and loves to ask me to "play songs" on it. I thought this would be a fun thing for her to play with so she can play her own songs, but I didn't expect her to have as much fun as she has with it ! Each one of the records has two songs on it, one on each side, and each record is a different style. She loves the hip hop record the most and the pop rock comes in a close second. What's nice is that there's no needle on the arm of the turntable, so there's nothing to worry about her hurting herself with. It has cool features like when you stop a record mid song it "scratches" and the sound of a vinyl popping which I love! You do have to monitor it, though as we learned that unlike a real record player, if you don't move the arm off the record after a song ends it just keeps playing that song over and over and over and over and over and over and over." — John Jeziorski Get it from Amazon for $29.99 . 34. A National Geographic geodes kit that'll amaze and astound any young scientist and keep them busy for hours as they smash the rocks to discover the gorgeous crystals hidden inside. This science kit includes four natural crystal-filled geodes, one pair of safety goggles, one display stand, and one learning guide. Promising review: " My daughter is 10 and this kept her busy for HOURS! She had so much fun and was excited every time she got a glimpse of what might be inside. A couple of them were pretty cool, while the rest were just white. She didn't care, she loves them all. She was so proud to gift them to her grandparents." — Michelle Get it from Amazon for $18.59 (available in four sizes). 35. A wireless karaoke microphone compatible with any smartphone or tablet via cable or Bluetooth so they can unleash their inner popstar — they'll be able to use it for up to *10 hours* on a single charge but...you might want to impose a concert limit of your own. Just note that reviewers say it isn't super loud (which is...probably ideal for most karaoke tbh), so if you're looking for amplification, you'll need to get the real deal. Promising review: "We gave this to our kids (girls, 6 and 9) for Christmas and it was a HUGE hit. It wasn’t something they asked for, and they didn’t seem really into it at first, bu t it’s the most used toy so far . It was really easy to connect to their phones; the controls are easy to figure out and use. I think it’s just at the right volume — loud enough to be fun but not too loud to be annoying to people not partaking in the karaoke. My girls have already suggested it as a gift for a family friend because they think it’s so much fun. We got the rose gold and it’s really pretty. The case is nice and sturdy and the battery life is great. It feels nice in your hand — not too heavy, but definitely doesn’t feel cheap." — Lauren Promising review: "I b ought this for my 7-year-old, and it was the best gift she got this year! Hours of fun. I used it for an adult Christmas party, and it was a huge hit. Hooks up to iTunes, and it's hours of fun." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in 15 colors). 36. A cute lil' train that...automatically sets up dominoes (🤯) — all they'll need to do is load up the dominoes (which reviewers say is great for building patience and fine motor skills), press the button, and watch it go! It even makes train sounds as it goes. Promising review: "Love, love, love! I got this for my 3-year-old for his birthday, and he's obsessed! It came with a whole bunch of dominos, two stacks for the dominos, the train of course, and batteries were included! You're able to adjust the front wheels to make it automatically go in a circle which I thought was cool , I assumed we would just have to keep moving it so that was a nice surprise! Overall, it's just a really neat toy that keeps my kid very entertained! " — Lea Bransky Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in two colors). 37. A corgi LCD drawing tablet for the kiddo in your life so they can draw, scribble, erase, and draw all over again — and it looks like the rainbow scratch paper we all loved as kids! Promising review: "Daughter's favorite toy. My daughter plays with this every. Single. Day. She got it for her 5th birthday and she is obsessed! I just love that I don’t have scratch paper everywhere. We are a month in, and the screen is bright and easy to use- even the 8-year-old loves it. Great gift idea!" — Lisa Anne Get it from Amazon for $18.99 (available in six colors). 38. A bag of Reindeer Farts (spoiler alert: it's actually peppermint-flavored cotton candy) that'll make a truly magical gift that'll bring out the giggles in recipients of all ages. Promising review: "I won't lie — the whole reason I purchased this is because I knew that my kids would laugh at the name. However, I was really happy with how yummy the actual cotton candy in the bag was ! The candy was fresh, and well packaged, and the product name got the laughs expected. Overall, I would say it's a bit expensive for what you get (though it was easily enough for me and two children to share), but would still recommend as a cute/silly gift for someone who would get a kick out of this type of thing." — Deb Get it from Amazon for $8.95 . 39. Silly Poopy's Hide & Seek game , in which kids (or young-at-heart adults) hide a rainbow-hued "poo" that says "yoo-hoo" and gives clues about its whereabouts. This is about...the only time a kid should be excited about finding poo. Check out a TikTok of the Silly Poopy in action. Promising review: "Let me tell you that if you want hours of endless fun of hide and go seek without having to hide yourself, this is a must get! When it's hidden it makes various toot noises and says stuff so the kids know if they are close. And when they find it and press the button to do and sing the silly poopy dance ... even you will dance and sing along!!! Doesn't need batteries and come on, it's poop? Who doesn't think poop and toot noises are funny and if they don't they are lying to themselves. A must-have for fun with your kids without barely doing any work!! " — andrea kelli gorman Get it from Amazon for $12.99 . 40. A miniature baking set perfect for aspiring kiddo bakers or youngsters who enjoy adooooooorably petite baked goods. Who needs an Easy Bake Oven? The set comes with a storage tin, rolling pin, tiny knife, pizza/dough cutter, mixing spoon, three small spoons, mixing bowl, pizza/pie pan, pie server, sheet pan, silicone cake and cupcake molds, two silicone finger mitts, and 48-page recipe book. Promising review: "My 8-year-old daughter purchased this for herself. She absolutely loves it, and so do I! With very minimal help from me, she can make her own treats. I love that she gets a little snack/treat, the kitchen isn’t a big mess, and I don’t have two dozen cookies lying around calling my name. She used to beg me to bake all the time and now I can let her because I know she’s not filling up on sugar and she doesn’t need me hovering in the kitchen to keep an eye on things. It’s amazing!" — Sherrie801 Get it from Amazon for $20.68 . 41. A two-pack of Playfoam Pals packed with ~sensory foam~ that's suuuuper fun to play with and squish (like slime!) without creating a huge mess (like...slime) or drying out after being left out. And that's not all: There's also an adorable pet hiding inside they'll love to play with and collect! Promising review: "These are amazing for creative sensory play! I love that the foam is non-toxic and that it doesn't stick to everything. My kids have left it out numerous times and it never, ever dries out. And the little pet pals are just the cutest. The kids were so excited to see which ones they got and literally spent hours playing with them and the foam. These would be perfect for stocking stuffers!" — NYMommy Get a pack of two from Amazon for $11.36 . 42. A Hello Kitty claw machine so they can practice their skills at home before taking a crack at the one at the local arcade that never seems to give out prizes. They'll have so much fun working the mini controls and trying to snag one of the eight Sanrio character figures that actually getting a toy out to play with will just be a bonus. Once they've won them all, the capsules can be refilled with other toys or treats. Promising review: "This item arrived super fast and in great condition. The crane game itself takes a little skill, but that's how they all are. The look on my child's face the moment we 'won' our first prize made it worth it right away. It's now going all day. :)" — David NJ Get it from Amazon for $44.99 . 43. A 100-piece set of Picasso Tiles , because reviewers say they're not only comparable to Magnatiles (which are $80 more for the same size set) but also work with the Magnatiles they may already have, so you can expand their world of creative and educational play for much less. And of course just like Magnatiles, they'll keep the kids busy for hoooours. Promising review: "I wish I had known about these sooner! PicassoTiles are *exactly* like Magna-tiles but way more affordable . We just received the 100 tile set today — an early birthday gift for our soon-to-be-four-year-old. We have two sets of Magna-tiles — one with the grommets (purchased new last year) and one without (purchased second hand [no idea how old they are]). The PicassoTiles are the same weight and size as the MagnaTiles and have the same exact magnets. They do not have metal grommets, but the old MagnaTiles are indestructible, so I know that these will be too. And PicassoTiles are much prettier in my opinion, because they are slightly more translucent and have brighter colors. They integrate into the collection seamlessly. I highly recommend this product. And if you are considering buying any kind of magnetic tile toy for your child, I recommend purchasing as big a set a you can for versatility of play. Our son has played with these all day and night off and on every single day since we bought them last year. After integrating the new PicassoTile set, he hugged his enormous structure and declared them his favorite...twice. A wonderful toy!" — skater mom Get it from Amazon for $39.99 . PicassoTiles also makes marble runs , race tracks , and themed sets ! 44. A LeapFrog 100 Words Book that'll help kiddos pick up more than 100 common words (everything from animals to food to colors to opposites and more) in both English and Spanish. Reviewers say it actually holds kid's attention through the bright colors and interactive buttons and sounds. Find out why this parent calls it "one of our favorite toys for our son" on TikTok . Promising review: "Baby really loves this book! It's compact and easy to stash in your go bag. I love that it has multiple languages (English and Spanish) and multiple options (Saying the words, fun fact, sound effects) - it does a great job of keeping my baby entertained and delivers an educational experience. The price is right, too. Must have!" — Colleen Get it from Amazon for $12.97 (available in six different versions). 45. A durable metal Big Dig sandbox digger crane because excavating at the beach or in the backyard is Serious Business, and this guy is here to get! the! tiny! job! done! It has 360-degree rotation and easy-to-use two-handed controls, and it works on sand, dirt, *and* snow, so it can be used year-round too! For ages 3+ years (weight limit of 110 pounds). Promising review: "I don't write reviews often, but we have had this for two days, and my boys (3 and 5) woke up at 6:30 a.m., ate breakfast, got dressed, and hustled outside on a gloomy rainy mid-February morning in Seattle to play with this. They normally fight over whose turn it is, but instead, they have been taking turns and playing like civil humans for an hour already. Best toy ever, bought a second one already so they don't have to share because there's only so long siblings can go before someone throws down." — Rk Get it from Amazon for $47.80 . 46. A sleep-training clock that's aaaaactually a gift for parents, but kiddos will love having a clock of their very own — especially with that cute smiley face! It uses colors and facial expressions to let kids know when it's still sleep time (aka please don't wake me up) and when it's ok to wake up and say good morning — the parent can even choose the colors for each. It also has a sound machine and optional alarm clock built in. Watch this parent share why this sleep trainer is one of their "best parenting hacks" in this TikTok . Promising review: "I got this for my 4-year-old son as a birthday gift . He loves that the clock goes to sleep, wakes up, occasionally blinks, and that he gets to pick his own night light color. He tells me how proud he is of himself every morning when he sleeps until the yellow light and plays quietly until his alarm clock turns green. Being in my third trimester of pregnancy, this tired mom is extremely pleased that my early riser is now letting me sleep until a set time every morning! I like how customizable the clock is and the white noise feature. The lock setting isn’t childproof, so I keep it up high, set it up & let it do its thing. This works because I do not use the alarm clock feature as the alarm sound scares my son, and there’s no other sound option for that setting (this doesn’t bother me much as getting my son to wake up isn’t the problem; it was keeping him in bed until a decent hour) problem solved! Overall, Worth every penny. And great customer service, thanks Little Hippo!" — nicole Get it from Amazon for $49.99 (available in three colors). 47. A Barbie Dreamhouse complete with 10 outdoor and indoor play areas, a working elevator, a PARTY ROOM WITH A DJ BOOTH (mind if I play "Dance the Night" on repeat?), a slide, puppy area, balcony, and a rooftop deck. Brb, booking a flight to BarbieLand asap. One reviewer notes this does ship in the original packaging, so if you live with the kid who's getting this, you'll have to keep them away from the porch when it gets delivered! Promising review: "My husband and I bought this Barbie House for our daughter's 7th birthday, and she absolutely loves it. She plays with it all of the time, and it keeps her entertained for hours. Out of all of her toys, she plays with this one the most. I had put it together for her with the help of my other daughter. Honestly, with regards to assembling it, it was not hard at all. I will say it does take time, but if you take your time and do it correctly, it's not hard at all. Well worth the money and time invested in this toy." — Hyatts4Jesus Get it from Amazon for $224.99 . 48. A Crayola light board that'll take your growing artiste's masterpieces to the next level — their designs deserve to shine brightly, and I mean that literally. Plus, the board is reusable, so they can wipe away old drawings or tracings and start all over again (and again and again). It includes an LED light board with a removable tracing panel and and six gel markers. They can just draw directly onto the light board — plus the removable back panel makes tracing images incredibly easy. Then, turn it on to light up the designs and showcase them — even in the dark. Promising review: " This light board is awesome!! My 6-year-old loves to draw and absolutely loves this board. The markers nestle into the back of the board for storage, which makes this mom happy, the board cleans easily with a damp paper towel or wipe. This is a great car activity for traveling. Love the added feature of the removable blackboard for tracing — so fun! Will make a great gift for any art lover!" — Danielle Campbell Get it from Amazon for $32.99 . 49. A Tetris-esque wooden puzzle kids of all ages will enjoy — and honestly I wouldn't mind having a go at this myself. No screens needed! Reviewers say this is a great toy for all ages — from 3 to 12. Promising review: "My kids are getting older and I needed some unique little items to keep them busy on a long trip. This seemed attractive, lightweight, and fine for teens and younger. As it turned out, the three of us had fun challenging each other with it. We played with it in front of Grandma, and then she wanted one to keep her mind sharp! There are different challenges you can do (like timing yourself to finish it) and I love the artsiness of the wood. At $10, definitely a good buy and nice little gift." — C-reader Promising review: "Honestly shocked at how much my 9-year-old likes this. This was a lifesaver over winter break. It’s able to done multiple ways but my daughter likes to create little mural pictures with the tiles as well. She’s creative but this got more use than I even anticipated . We love this little puzzle!" — Kayla M Get it from Amazon for $9.99 . 50. A Dyson Ball toy vacuum that actually *has some suction* so that when the kid in your life is mimicking and wants to "help out" around the house, they're actually getting a little bit of vacuuming done. And it'll keep them busy for ages! Promising review: "Our son is absolutely obsessed with our Dyson (the real one). Which is why we purchased this toy Dyson vacuum for his birthday. He's 2-years-old and he is really enjoying having his on 'working' vacuum cleaner!!! He seriously plays with it for hours during the day. Turning it on and off and pushing it through the house just like we use our real vacuum. I would buy this again! It was his favorite gift!." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in three colors). 51. A Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears! 150-Piece Building Set for a twist on building toys that interlock (just like actual gears) to keep them entertained for ages, both building and playing. Promising review: " I bought this for my son when he was 3. Two years later, I’ve come back to write my unbiased review so you have one to trust. At the time, I bought these on a whim and had no idea what I would unlock. For more than two full years now, these gears have been played with DAILY. Every. Single. Day. They have held up to crashed airplanes, tidal waves hitting sea creatures, and have been catapulted into castles. Very rarely have they been played with as shown on the product pictures, as my son uses them to build different things every day. Dusty Crophopper (plane), Lightning McQueen (race car), and so much more. Our only regret is sometimes we don’t have enough pieces to build an entire fleet. These creations have an entire shelf for display in his bedroom to feature what he builds each day. This toy is durable, open ended, grows with the child, fits a variety of abilities and ages, and is only limited by imagination. I could not recommend this toy more! " — Traveler Get it from Amazon for $39.59 . 52. A pack of parachute toys that (gasp of gasps) actually won't tangle when thrown from the top of a staircase over and over. Miracles happen once in a while! Promising review: "Toddler nap time guaranteed. I have a toddler who goes non-stop. Like this is the type of child who you could sign up for t-ball, soccer, and swimming and they are still not tired. These little guys are wonderful because they have kept my kids occupied for several hours as they throw them off the balcony and then race down and around to collect them and then run back to toss them again. They have held up well despite being snagged on rough wood, being tugged on by toddlers, and being tossed into rough, dry weeds. I have had to do a few minor repairs, but they still catch the air, filling the parachute wide over for incredible and exciting descents. So much fun and I have loved tossing them over the railing as much or even more than my kids. A great product that has held up to substantial toddler use and abuse. " — Taylor Get a pack of four from Amazon for $8.99 . 53. A Melissa & Doug activity book designed to help build fine motor skills and includes a pair of child-safe scissors to help them use their destructive talents in productive ways! Promising review: "Scissors skills are important both in and of themselves and because it strengthens the hand muscles to be used for learning to write. My 4-year-old LOVES this book. We received it this week and she has used it for a couple of hours each day. Many of the pages are cutting things out and putting them together (four-scoop ice cream cone, pizza with pepperonis, the components to build a house or a car, puzzles). We've used tape or glue to put the components together. This book is interesting enough to have caught the attention of my older children as well, although I make them let her do the cutting. :D Would make a great gift as it is so unique." — Mom of 7 Get it from Amazon for $7.99 . 54. A flying orb that magically floats or boomerangs back and forth, depending on how it's thrown, all while flashing colorful lights. And it fully charges in just 20 minutes! Promising review: "Bought this for my daughter’s 11th birthday in 2 weeks, but it came today and I am keeping it for myself (age 60) because it is so fun and seemingly indestructible. I ordered a new one for my daughter so it will be brand new for her." — Keith A Hurst Promising review: "My kids have had maybe a dozen of these floating ball/hover toys. Cheap ones from 5 Below. Baby Yoda ones. Sky dancers and other dolls that float around. I, personally, like this one the best. All the other ones break so easily. They hit the ground, the blades snap off and crack and that's the end of that. These are encased in a rubbery plastic cage, so it can smash off of whatever, and the blades won't break. Love it. Makes so much sense. They can actually play with this one and grab it without it hurting their fingers — the other toys you can just kind of put your hand under it and watch it hover, trying not to let it hit the ground, or you can just watch it zip around the house smashing into stuff before you have to go retrieve it. At least with this one, you can play by yourself, boomerang-ing it back to yourself. Or play catch with someone else. It's funny watching them try to catch it - it's harder than you'd think, as it constantly wants to be moving. Trying to catch a ball that is actively pushing away from your hand moving in to catch it. It's a little overpriced but this is the best one of these toys I've seen. " — Albert Get it from Amazon for $28.80 (available in seven colors). 55. A Bingo game to help make learning sight words more fun (and less frustrating). It's played just like regular old Bingo, except instead of letters and numbers, you'll be calling out 46 different commonly-used words to help build word recognition and reading skills. The set comes with 36 playing cards, 264 playing chips, caller's mat and cards, and a storage box. You can also get Sight Words Level 2 or Bingo for lots of other skills — including Multiplication and Division , Rhyming , Colors and Shapes — on the company's Amazon store page . Promising review: " Our first-grader was feeling really discouraged with her sight words and I've been trying to think of ways to encourage her and get her excited to learn things she doesn't already know. She loved this game! We played with the whole family and her 3-year-old sister even enjoyed playing (we show her the cards and have her find the word that matches on her Bingo card). I think this is a great way to make learning/practicing sight words fun! I am very happy with this purchase and I can see how it would be great for teachers in the classroom as well!!" — Jennie Get it from Amazon for $12.99 . 56. A pack of Crayola Globbles that'll relieve hours of boredom — kids love to toss these at the walls and ceiling to watch the colorful spheres stick and unstick. But fret not: reviewers say they actually don't leave residue behind! Yes, they easily wash clean with soap and water without losing stickiness, so the fun can keep going even after they end up in one of your houseplant pots. Promising review: " I waited over two months to write my review! My 4-year-old daughter plays with these DAILY! YES they do attract dirt and hair. HOWEVER they are so easy to rinse off, it's not a big deal! We took these to a family gathering and ended up giving two away because they were SO loved! The two we gave away went to a 12-year-old and my 19-year-old brother. They discovered throwing them at the ceiling fan and watching them shoot across the room, which was pretty entertaining! None of them have busted or ripped and they are definitely NOT gentle with them! I will definitely be buying more!" — Kindle Customer Get a pack of six from Amazon for $10.27 . 57. A bestselling Little Tikes trampoline to really get their jumping energy out, without them jumping on your bed instead. An hour or so on this, and you can all take a nap! Promising review: "I have a wild 3-year-old who has more energy in one day then I've had in my entire life. From sun up to sun down he is ON. Unfortunately, we don't have a yard and we can't always make it to the playground. We picked this up for him hoping that it would help him get some of that energy out on days that we're stuck inside. We've had it for 8 months and it has been a lifesaver! I was worried about it taking up too much space in the living room but it's not bad at all. It's wide enough for him to jump comfortably, but not big enough to be an eyesore or get in the way. When I catch him trying to climb on the couch or run around too wildly, I just give him a quick reminder to jump on his trampoline instead. It's a win for both of us since he has a safe place to let that energy out and I'm not scolding him because he's jumping on things he's not supposed to. He is about 40 lbs and 40 inches tall and he doesn't seem to be growing out of it anytime soon. It was easy to put together and has held up beautifully! It's never tipped over and we've never had any accidents with it. I am so thankful we picked this up for him because it helps keep all of us happy and sane." — Ana Get it from Amazon for $74.99 . 58. A talking microscope with slides they can inspect for a Closer Look at nature's wonders. And g'day to learning, because it actually features Bindi Irwin's voice to expand their knowledge of animals and plants! The microscope talks in three languages in addition to English — you can choose between two options: Mandarin/Japanese/Korean or Spanish/French/German. Promising review: " This is by far one of the coolest products I’ve ever seen! My 4-year-old loves this talking microscope! Every day while her baby sister naps I spend some quality one-on-one time with her and this was the perfect product for our special time together! She didn’t want to stop looking at all the different slides and I love how each slide has three images and the fact mode shares fun facts about the slide chosen! I love that she was learning new facts while looking at it up closely! She has been having so much fun using it and asks me daily to use her new microscope! This is such a great learning tool in a fun, different way for a 4-year-old and it is a big win in my book, especially because it can be used for many, many years! It also includes a quiz mode that we haven’t used yet but it’s nice that it has different modes for older kids. Highly recommend for all preschoolers and older kids!" — JC Mommy Get it from Amazon for $30.49 . 59. A version of Clue that packs away into a VINTAGE-Y BOOK (with a fabric hard cover and everything) so they can store it right on their bookshelf (in...the ~library~ of course) and whip it out for a mysterious game night whenever the crime-solving mood strikes. It's for 3-6 players and ages 8+ — and if you don't know the rules to Clue already (as if!) it's a mystery game where players work to solve who killed the victim, where, and with what weapon, asking other players specific questions and using the process of elimination based on what cards everyone has. Promising review: "I gave this as a Christmas gift to my son. The pieces are so amazing! They have upgraded both the playing pieces and the weapons in this game. My son loved the way the game fits into a book-like container. He will be putting it on his bookshelf! He has been wanting this very one for a few years now and is in love with it! Everything about the game was very well made." — DRH Get it from Amazon for $39.99 . This fabric-bound book-style board game is available in tons of other classics, including: Sorry , chess , Catch Phrase , Scattergories , Scrabble , Taboo , and more. You can also get the trio of Scrabble, Monopoly, and Clue for $112.99 or a set of *all 12* for $439.99 . Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Joseph Pinion had 22 points and eight rebounds, Dyondre Dominguez added 19 points and Arkansas State built a double-digit first-half lead to beat No. 16 Memphis 85-72 on Sunday. Pinion was 7 of 13 from the floor and 5 of 11 from outside the arc, giving the Red Wolves their second straight win and their first over a ranked team since 1991. Taryn Todd finished with 17 points for Arkansas State (7-3). PJ Haggerty led Memphis (7-2) with 29 points, and Dain Dainja finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Arkansas State held a double-digit lead for most of the game and led 68-57 with 8 minutes left. That was enough for the Red Wolves to defeat the Tigers, snapping a seven-game losing streak to Memphis. Takeaways Arkansas State: The Red Wolves certainly got the nationally ranked Tigers' attention in the first half after they shot 7 of 18 from 3-point range and built an 18-point lead. The lead got to single digits a couple of times in the second half, but Arkansas State answered the pressure. Memphis: The Tigers suffered through a miserable first half, shooting under 20% late in the half. They turned up their defensive pressure, which cut into the lead, but Memphis never made a serious threat. Key moment Memphis got within 60-53 with 11 minutes left, but Arkansas State went on a 12-6 run that included 3-pointers from Pinion, Todd and Kobe Julien to stretch the Red Wolves' lead to 75-60 with 6:29 left in the game. Key stat Arkansas State's last win over a ranked team was when it defeated then-No. 21 New Orleans 76-65 in 1991. Up next Arkansas State hosts UT-Arlington on Thursday, and Memphis travels to Clemson on Saturday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballThe fifth National Sports Festival continued its competitions yesterday morning at designated stadiums and gymnasiums in the Nay Pyi Taw Council Area. In the Inter-States and Regions basketball tournament final, held at Shwekyabin Gymnasium, Shan State defeated Yangon Region by a narrow score of 67-66 to secure the championship. Yangon Region took second place, while Kachin State and Mandalay Region shared third place honours. Quarterfinal matches of the Inter-States and Regions under-20 volleyball tournament took place at Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium (B). In the men’s division, Kayin State beat over Yangon Region in a 3-2 match, Mandalay Region defeated Bago Region 3-1, Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory overcame Kachin State 3-0, and Shan State bested Sagaing Region 3-0. In the semifinals of the Inter-States and Regions badminton tournament, held at Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium (C), Yangon Region defeated Bago Region 3-1, while Shan State edged out Mandalay Region 3-2 in the men’s division. In the women’s category, Yangon Region won against Mandalay Region 3-1, and Shan State defeated Bago Region 3-2. In the men’s badminton final, Yangon Region claimed the championship by defeating Shan State 3-1. Shan State secured second place, while Mandalay Region and Bago Region shared third place. In the women’s final, Yangon Region also emerged victorious, beating Shan State 3-1 to take the championship. Shan State placed second, and Mandalay Region and Bago Region shared third place honours. The ISR men’s and women’s Lethwei events took place at the Wunna Theikdi Indoor Boxing Area. In the men’s 51-kilogramme category, Hein Htut Aung of Mandalay Region defeated Ye Naing of Shan State, Bawm Sowng of Kachin State overcame Khant Phyo Kyaw of Yangon Region, Thura of Sagaing Region triumphed over Ye Yint Htwe of Chin State, and Saw Shwe Win of Kayin State bested Akar Htet Win of Rakhine State. In the men’s 54-kilogramme category, Akar Phyo of Taninthayi Region defeated Kaung Sett Naing of Magway Region, Zaw Zaw Naing of Mandalay Region triumphed over Saw Lin Aung of Ayeyawady Region, Shine Nge of Shan State overcame Ko Ko Tun of Sagaing Region, and Win Htike of Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory defeated Tuu Maung of Bago Region. In the men’s 57-kilogramme category, Min Sett Tha Oo of Sagaing Region defeated Hein Lin Tun of Mon State, Shein Htet Ko Ko of Kachin State triumphed over Hein Htut Kyaw of Bago Region, La Min Ko Ko of Yangon Region defeated Kyaw Swa Moe of Ayeyawady Region, and Gin Shan Mowng of Chin State overcame Saw Hla Han Aye of Kayin State. In the men’s 63.5-kilogramme category, Nok Mar of Kachin State defeated Htoo Aung Ye Yint of Rakhine State, Phone Myint Maung of Bago Region triumphed over Lin Htet of Ayeyawady Region, Sai Naung of Mandalay Region overcame Saw Hae Do Sae of Kayin State, and Kyaw Myo Han of Sagaing Region defeated Yazar Nay Win of Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory. In the women’s 50-kilogramme category, Aye Aye Mu of Taninthayi Region defeated Kay Thwe Win of Chin State, Pyae Sone Win of Sagaing Region triumphed over Eindray Kyaw of Bago Region, Eaint Myat Kyaw of Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory overcame Khine Thazin Tun of Mandalay Region, and Mya Moe Thu of Yangon Region bested Thel Myat Mon of Shan State. The Under-25 Cricket Tournament group matches were held at the Wunna Theikdi shooting range. In the men’s event, the Kayin State team defeated the Shan State team by 16 runs, Mandalay Region overcame Bago Region by 14 runs, Rakhine State triumphed over Mon State by a wide margin of 139 runs, and Ayeyawady Region secured victory against Magway Region by 10 wickets. In the women’s event, Rakhine State defeated Magway Region by 51 runs, Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory overcame Mon State by four wickets, Ayeyawady Region beat Shan State by 14 runs, and Kayin State narrowly triumphed over Yangon Region by two runs. In the group matches of Under-21 Men’s Football Tournament were held at Wunna Theikdi Training Grounds 3 and 4. Chin State and Magway Region teams ended in a 3-3 draw, while Mandalay Region defeated Sagaing Region with a score of 4-1. In the Under-25 Women’s Football Tournament, held at the Bawgawadi Sports Ground and Lewe Township Sports Ground, Bago Region and Kayah State teams ended at a goalless draw, while Ayeyawady Region secured a 2-0 victory against Rakhine State. In the women’s futsal semifinals held at Wunna Theikdi Futsal Ground, the Yangon Region women’s futsal team defeated Sagaing Region 11-0, and Kachin State edged out Ayeyawady Region 7-5. In the men’s Sepak Takraw regu matches at Wunna Theikdi Stadium A, Shan State beat Bago Region in two straight games, Sagaing Region overcame Rakhine State 2-0, Nay Pyi Taw triumphed over Kayin State, and Kachin State secured a win against Kayah State. Other results included Mon State defeating Chin State, Yangon Region prevailing over Ayeyawady Region, and Mandalay Region winning against Magway Region. In the women’s Sepak Takraw regu matches, Mon State defeated Magway Region 2-1, Sagaing Region beat Taninthayi Region in straight games, Rakhine State triumphed over Yangon Region in two games, Mandalay Region overcame Shan State, and Kayin State defeated Kachin State in straight matches. In the men’s Sepak Takraw regu quarterfinals, at Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium A, Yangon Region won against Sagaing Region 2-1. Magway Region defeated Kachin State 2-1, Mandalay Region overcame Nay Pyi Taw in straight games, and Shan State triumphed over Mon State. In the women’s Sepak Takraw regu matches, Bago Region defeated Sagaing Region in straight matches, Ayeyawady Region beat Yangon Region, Rakhine State overcame Kayin State 2-1, and Mon State defeated Mandalay Region in straight matches. The Inter-Ministry Open Men’s Football Tournament group matches were held at Paunglaung, Shwekyabin, and Lewe TC-2 grounds. The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Construction teams played to a goalless draw, while the Ministry of Science and Technology defeated the Ministry of Health 2-1. The Ministry of Transport and Communications secured a 3-1 victory over the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development. In the group matches of ISR Futsal Tournament held at Wunna Theikdi Futsal Arena, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement teams drew 3-3. The Ministry of Commerce thrashed the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs 2-0, the Ministry of Education defeated the Ministry of Information 5-4, and the Ministry of Health triumphed over the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture with a score of 3-1. — MNA/KZL

Sydney Warner , the wife of San Francisco 49ers star Fred Warner , didn’t take to WAG life like a moth to a flame. The former Bachelor star, 29, who competed on Peter Weber ’s season in 2020, met Fred, 28, shortly after her time on the reality series came to an end. The couple got married in June 2022 and welcomed their first child, son Beau , in March of this year. While Sydney embraces life as a football wife now, she’ll be the first to tell you it took some adjusting. “You find your footing,” said Sydney, who spoke exclusively to Us Weekly via her partnership with The Cocktail Collection. “I think it took me a while to find my niche and where I felt comfortable being a wife, now a mother, a girlfriend at the time. Now I’m Fred’s partner and we’re a duo. That’s an amazing thing to say.” Sydney continued, “As a team, we work really well together. It’s just nice being able to be a teammate with him and me finding my footing, as well. I think it’s just a timing thing. And it’s all worked out.” The 49ers have amassed a crew of WAGs — an acronym for “wives and girlfriends” — that’s equally as A-list, if not more, than their partners on the field. Kristin Juszcyzk , wife of fullback Kyle Juszczyk , has designed apparel for Taylor Swift . Claire Kittle , the wife of tight end George Kittle , has become a style icon of her own and appeared on Netflix’s Receiver alongside her husband. Olivia Culpo , wife of running back Christian McCaffrey , earned a Miss USA title and massive social media fame well before she even met her husband. For all the attention surrounding the team, both on and off the gridiron, Sydney said the Niners family is one of support and empowerment. “It was a lot different back in the beginning, but now there’s this huge community of working women,” Sydney gushed. “The women are kind of in the spotlight now, which is such a refreshing thing to see. It’s really cool to see how things change, you know?” Sydney added, “To be with such an amazing community and organization like the Niners, I couldn’t have asked for a better situation. We’re so happy to be here and so blessed.” You have successfully subscribed. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News As the 49ers fight for their playoff lives in the NFC West, Sydney is busy juggling a busy holiday season at home — which is where The Cocktail Collection comes in. “There’s always a lot of people around during this time of year,” Sydney told Us. “It’s so busy with football. I knew I was going to be hosting and having people over, with watch parties and excitement for the games. The whole dynamic of being an easy, ready-to-pour cocktail was music to my ears.” This fall, The Cocktail Collection introduced their newest variety, the Crown Royal Whisky Sour with Black Cherry, which is available now.

NDP will not support Liberal GST holiday bill unless rebate expanded: SinghChampionship volleyball game featuring transgender player opens with players kneeling during national anthemFORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Jalen Jackson scored 23 points as Purdue Fort Wayne beat Robert Morris 82-77 on Sunday. Jackson had six rebounds and three steals for the Mastodons (6-4, 1-1 Horizon League). Corey Hadnot II scored 13 points, shooting 4 of 11 from the field and 5 for 6 from the free-throw line. Rasheed Bello went 4 of 11 from the field (2 for 4 from 3-point range) to finish with 12 points. Alvaro Folgueiras finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals for the Colonials (6-5, 0-2). Robert Morris also got 19 points, four assists and four steals from Kam Woods. Ryan Prather Jr. finished with 14 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Mondee Announces Receipt of Non-Compliance Letter from Nasdaq; Prasad Gundumogula takes leave of absence as CEO; Mondee Appoints Jesus Portillo as CEO

Soccer-Battling Bayern edge 10-man PSG 1-0 thanks to Kim strikeFrom Maui to the Caribbean, Thanksgiving tournaments a beloved part of college basketballMUSE Microscopy, Inc. is Entering a New Era of Digital Pathology with the Development of the SmartPath MUSE Technology (SmartPath) Imager