Sometimes a kid just needs to curl up in front of the fire (or a flat-screen) and encase the lower half of his or her body in a shark or mermaid tail blanket. Need we say more?

Memo to parents of young children: One day the power will go out for a few hours (or a few days). Or you’ll go camping. Or you’ll travel to a land without Wi-Fi. You may look up to see your kids bearing down upon you, driven by their need to be entertained. It might be wise to have a few tricks up your sleeve, and we’d like to suggest a couple of easy-to-carry card games like Crazy Faces and Go Fish! from Eeboo.

Handmade in Orange County by grandmother Connie Simon, the Noshkins’ felt food offers kids a safe way to play with fruits, vegetables, dessert and sushi.

We understand that Easter is not upon us, but this kit may catch the eye of parents with children who like to make things and grow things. The dyes are made with natural and organic fruit, plant and vegetable extracts, and the package includes organic wheat grass seeds to grow the grass that could in theory be part of a display. Toss aside your old-fashioned notion of seasonally appropriate gifts and give in.

No matter which side you take in the Girl Scout cookie debate (remember, not everyone loves Thin Mints), the possibility of giving (or owning) an official Girl Scout cookie oven and some official cookie mixes is ... well ... delicious.

It’s not like you’d be encouraging a child to get some ink. These “tattoos” of animals and monsters are made from 100% recycled paper stock.

Forget whiteboards. Kids and adults alike can have fun creating their own colorful board with the Not Whiteboard, one of several items in Blik’s new line of dry erase boards. It’s available in 26 colors and two shapes. Dry eraser markers not included.

The kit from Minifarmbox has everything young growers need to start their own garden: a tote bag with mini tools, a 2- by 4-foot by 11-inch MinifarmBox raised bed, mud gloves and five-pack organic-seed starter kit.

Beginners and experienced players will enjoy the tiny U’Uku ukulele from Fender. In addition to creating the sweet sounds of the tropics, the instrument features top-notch details such as a rosewood fingerboard and bridge, body and neck binding and a bone nut and bridge saddle.

Have a budding scientist on your gift list? Here you go. This beginning microscope kit by AmScope comes with a 52-piece accessory kit and its own carrying case. At last glance, it was the No. 1 bestseller in its category at amazon.com.

Lego’s latest interpretation of real architectural landmarks features the U.S. Capitol’s neoclassical façade, dome, colonnades, north and south wings, steps and lawns. Remove the dome to access the rotunda, featuring columns, eight statue elements, and a tiled floor. More than 1,000 pieces.

The foot-propelled Spherovelo glides along on large spheres instead of wheels, allowing toddlers to travel in any direction without resistance. Includes removable training wheels.

This wooden modular design from Mio comes with 41 pieces, including two beanbag characters and a drawstring bag.

This wooden building block set from Grimm’s can be stacked and joined to create a multitude of architectural designs.

France’s famed Opinel has designed a serious chef set for budding chefs. The set includes a scaled-down chef’s knife with a finger guard for the opposing hand and a vegetable peeler. Knife features a rounded tip and knife and peeler have a circular plastic finger grip to prevent the hand from slipping. Not a toy, these tools are sharp and designed for kitchen efficiency.

Brooklyn designer Matt Cavanaugh’s Diver is part puppet and part kinetic sculpture. Made of vinyl, the ocean-friendly figure features an oxygen tank and working flippers.

Keep rebel forces on the run with this Air Hogs Star Wars Speeder Bike remote-controlled drone. Just remember to buy batteries unless you want to run out to a convenience store on Christmas morning. Prices vary widely, so shop around. A few days ago, we found it online for $79.99.

The Non-Flying Saucer from Land of Nod features all of the classic UFO essentials, like a control center, removable windshield, gas cap and more.