Important Advisory:

We are now requiring companies to provide us with documentation that their products have been tested by an independent lab for phthalates and lead.

We are requiring products submtted going forward to: (1) Follow the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that products contain no more than trace amounts of lead (as defined by the AAP as 40 parts per million); and (2) contain no phthalates.

However, as we are not a lab, we will not be independently verifying those results. Also, with the exception of the 2008 Platinum Toy Awards, toys submitted for review prior to January 2008 were not tested for lead..

Safety Recalls: Given the absence of more stringent federal legislation, we encourage consumers to keep up to date on safety recalls. Sign up for CPSC safety email alerts. Click here.

Instructions for submitting product to the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio for review.

Contact the Toyportfolio @ (212) 598-0502 or by email at Webmaster@Toyportfolio.com.

Copyright 1995-2008. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio - All Rights Reserved. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Blue Chip Award are Registered Trademarks of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.

For kids it often comes as a shock that learning to read does not come instantly; neither does writing or remembering your multiplication tables. It still takes a full year for your birthday to roll around, you can't make Christmas come until December 25th, and a new tooth doesn't come in until it's ready. Helping kids deal with delays and frustration are major life lessons that they will need in school, work and as members of a family.

So how can we give this powerful virtue to our kids?

Preaching about patience is less helpful than how you model it. How do you handle waits at the toll-booth, check-out counter or for food to come in a restaurant? Do you have a word game or small talk up your sleeve to pass the time instead of fuming?

You can also build your kids' staying power with play that challenges them to stay with a task. Here are some suggestions:

• Set up a big puzzle table with a puzzle the whole family can work on over a period of time. Not all tasks are finished in one sitting.
• Plant a garden on a windowsill or in the backyard and involve your child in the care and excitement of seeing how it changes over time.
• Introduce a cooperative craft that your child and others can work on slowly-a weaving loom, a rug kit, a wood building project or an elaborate Lego or K'nex model.

All of these projects help teach kids about working toward a goal.

( TWC of America$$15.99$ ) The Deluxe Clear-View Nature House ($15.99) is a sturdy hut-shaped wooden house half see-thru, half screened with sliding door; a perfect temporary habitat for observing bugs and small critters. 6 & up. Also, Soil Dweller Nature House Kit ($20) for making a wooden-framed house for earthworms. 8 & up. Age: Late School Years. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2004

( Harrisville$$19.95$ ) (Harrisville Designs $19.95)A small over/under loom with large needle, is also a good choice for true beginners. 5 & up. For a larger loom, consider Harrisville Easy Weaver ****($89), which comes pre-threaded with projects that slip right onto the loom. Refill kits ($25.95). Age: Early School Years, Late School Years. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2001

( Klutz $$16.95$ ) Don't look any further, this is the best potholder set on the market. The supplies are vibrant and inviting and the book really does explain what to do. Weaving not only develops eye-hand coordination, it also involves following patterns and problem solving. Marked 6 & up, we'd say more like 7 & up. Age: Early School Years, Late School Years. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2004