Tinkertoys
The Tinkertoy is a classic toy that any imaginative child would enjoy because they can spend hours on end building towers, cars, or even houses from real wood pieces. This is a great first construction toy for younger kids because it doesn't have small pieces that can get lost or swallowed, but it is an all time favorite because your child can build anything they want or simply follow the directions to make something that the book suggests.

Younger Elementary Aged Kids:
Play Tents
Play tents are a great way to encourage imaginative play because they allow children to do all sorts of things from going on a camp out in the back yard to playing cowboys and Indians. Play tents can be bought in a variety of designs including Disney characters or just plain primary colors. In addition to the tents you can also buy tunnels that connect to the tents or buy a variety of tents for even more fun.

FurReal Friends
The FurReal Friends are great pets for children who cannot have a pet of their own. They can be purchased as newborns or you can purchase an adult FurReal Pet. But they also encourage interaction and imagination with kids because when the animal does something the child must interact to meet the animal's needs. The newborn ones are even more demanding than the full grown pets. But they also have an on and off switch so parents don't have to go totally insane listening to the cries.

Teaching Cash Register
The Teaching Cash Register is a great addition for kids who enjoy pretending to play store. They can actually ring up items and pay for them with the pretend money that comes with it. But in addition to encouraging the pretend play your child can also work on their math skills by telling people how much they owe, adding up the items that have been purchased and providing change to their "customers". The cash register even makes real noises that are similar to the ones that you hear at the stores.

Spring Swings
The Spring Swing is a great choice because you can add it to any tree branch or even an existing swing set to provide even more fun for your children. The toy is one of the highest rated outdoor toys because of how much fun, parents and children have with it and its high safety rating. Instead of just simply swinging back and forth the spring swing adds a bouncing motion in with the swinging which makes swinging even more fun for children of all ages. And the best part is that learning to use the Spring Swing is a snap, all you have to do is swing like normal and you are set to go. The Spring Swing comes in a disc seat or a sling seat for swinging. But there are plenty of other options that you can choose from such as zip lines and a spinner bars.

Play-Doh
Play-Doh is a timeless toy that will never loss any popularity. The reason for this is that with Play-Doh there is nothing that you can't do, basically the only limitations that you have is your own imagination. You can create and make anything and everything that you want. With Play-Doh and it also comes in a variety of colors so you can add features or even mix the colors to create your own designs. But you can also buy tools that will help you in your creations or you can buy sets that allow you to play pretend.

Lite Brite
Lite Brite is not recommended for younger children because of the little pieces that they can put in their mouths. But Lite Brite is a great gift for elementary aged children because it will provide them with hours of fun. With Lite Brite all that you need to do is pick a design that you want to create and then use the colored bulbs to create the design. Once the design has been created you can plug in the machine and watch your hard work come to life. Or you can create the design with the machine already plugged in.

Older Elementary Aged Kids:
Razor Scooter
The Razor Scooter originally was a kick scooter, which is great for younger kids and older kids alike. In fact the original scooter can hold up to 143 pounds, which makes it a perfect gift for any aged elementary school child. The Razor also grows with your child because the handlebars can be moved up or down depending on the height of your child, which is an added safety feature. But the best part is that you can also find a variety of new scooters to choose from, including motorized scooters and junior scooters.

Shrinky Dinks
Many of you probably remember rainy days sitting inside the house and coloring Shrinky Dinks, even better you might even remember the song from there commercial. But Shrinky Dinks are a great toy for kids of all ages because it allows them to let their imaginations run wild and create numerous things. With Shrinky Dinks you can choose from a variety of kits that they sell or you can order the "magic" plastic to create your own patterns for Shrinky Dinks.

Erector Set
The Erector Set is a classic toy that has never seemed to have gone out of fashion. Perhaps the main reason that it is still in demand is because of the fact that you can spend hours building a variety of things depending on what erector set or sets that you have in your house. But the best part is that many of these construction sets can be built to actual turn or be controlled by remote control making them even more realistic. The erector sets come in a variety of sets for ages as young as 4 years old.

Croquet Set
A croquet set is a great gift to give an older elementary aged child because it encourages them to get out and get active. It can also be fun for younger children but because of the complexity of the rules of the game it is better off for older children. But the beauty of this gift is it is one that the entire family can enjoy during spring, summer and fall. The croquet set can provides hours of fun games for the family, but don't forget the lemonade. Croquet sets also come in a variety of sets that range in difficulty depending on the skill level of the players.

Nintendo Wii
Most parents tend to balk at the thought of buying their children video game systems for the main reason that video games don't do anything but encourage your children to be couch potatoes. But now that Nintendo has come out with the Nintendo Wii you no longer have to worry about that. The reason for this is that in order to play the Nintendo Wii your children are going to have to be up and about, in other words they need to get active in order play it. But the best part is that parents also find the Nintendo Wii highly enjoyable so it usually turns into a family game night.

MP3 Players
Even though your kids have gotten older that doesn't mean that they still don't want to be like you. Most kids who are old enough to know what an MP3 player is will want one of these for their very own, even if they are not 100% into music yet. The good news is that you do not have to buy this group the hottest and newest one on the market, they are perfectly happy to have on that simply plays music, which can be found for around $40 or less at some places.