If you’ve got kids to buy for this holiday season, you’re probably already thinking about what to get them. “Wow” gifts don’t have to be the season’s “hottest” toy. The classics can often hold their interest just as long.

Here are general ideas for toys for kids from age 1 to 12 that are bound to be a hit because they track with your child’s stage of development.

Ages 1 to 3: Toddlers get their fill
At around age 1, children begin to take an interest in emptying, transferring, and rearranging their environment. Filling and dumping are organizing skills that help your toddler experience how things work and relate to each other. They also enhance hand-eye coordination and teach basic spatial concepts like “in” and “out,” so they’ll enjoy toys that allow them to endlessly fill and spill, such as a plush container of stuffed animals. From ages 2 to 3, active play and testing their physical skills by jumping, climbing, and throwing is the name of the game. Toddlers this age also like using their expanding hand-eye coordination to work with basic arts and crafts, blocks, and simple puzzles.

Gift tips: Blocks, books, fit-together toys, push-and-pull toys, pounding and shape toys, fill-and-spill sets, and balls.

Age 3 to 6: Masters of make-believe
By age 3, children start interacting with each other and engaging in pretend play. They enjoy acting out grown-up roles and using props such as costumes to bring their imaginations to life. They can also become attached to certain dolls or stuffed animals.

Gift tips: Age-appropriate nontoxic art supplies, books, videos, musical instruments, and outdoor toys such as a baseball tee, slide, or swing. Also consider doll and play houses, age-appropriate hand-held electronics, action figures, ride-on toys, and trikes (suitable for kids ages 3 and older; get a helmet, too).

Age 6 to 8: Raring to go
Kids of this age have energy to burn and like jumping rope, climbing, and bike riding. They also tend to be interested in producing finished products such as art, models, crafts, sewing, and carpentry. They typically enjoy hobbies and collecting things, and crave the mental challenges offered by games; reading, spelling, and math activities; and puzzles of 100-500 pieces.

Gift tips: A jump rope; complex gym sets with rings, bars, and swings; construction sets with motorized parts; 50-100 piece jigsaw and 3-D puzzles; analog clocks and watches (for learning to tell time); games with simple strategies such as regular checkers and Chinese checkers; stuffed toys; outdoor items like a badminton set, a sled or toboggan, or a basketball; roller blades or ice skates; remote-controlled cars or boats; and jewelry or other craft kits.

Age 9 to 12: Ready for a challenge
This age group can work independently and is apt to be interested in reading, science, specific crafts, such as pottery or knitting, or any design work in any medium (wood, plastic, paper, cardboard, tiles, beads). They can play complex card games, put together intricate parts and puzzles, manipulate tiny screws, and follow directions. They also tend to enjoy competitive games and sports.

Gift tips: Complex math, word, or spelling games or quizzes, remote-control vehicles, electric trains, complex arts and craft kits such as jewelry, weaving, knitting or crochet, books by a favorite author, computer games and software.

For more information, see our report on toys for toddlers and preschoolers and post on buying second-hand toys.

Some of the best-known medicines from the local drugstore can be harmful to pregnant women, yet many mothers-to-be regularly take them.

Studies show that, on average, women take between one and four medications during pregnancy, not including vitamins or minerals. An estimated 60 percent of pregnant women use over-the-counter drugs, not always with physician oversight.

To help you and your doctor make more-informed choices about which medications to take, we've identified 10 commonly used ingredients in OTC drugs that are risky for pregnant women, and offered safer alternatives.

For example, moms-to-be should not take castor oil and should avoid aspirin during all stages of pregnancy. During the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, they should use the following products with caution and avoid them entirely during their third trimester: bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto Bismol), chlorpheniramine (Actified, Chlor-Trimeton, and many other combination cold medicines), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (Aleve).

When choosing an OTC medicine, you'll need to be a careful label reader since brand names can be deceiving. For example, while acetaminophen (Tylenol) is considered relatively safe for use in pregnancy, some combination products that include the brand name "Tylenol," such as Tylenol Allergy Sinus Maximum Strength, contain chlorpheniramine.

See the rest of this report, which includes a full list of 10 drugs OTC drugs to avoid in pregnancy, on ConsumerReportsHealth.org.

Whether you’re going to Grandma’s house for the day or on an international business trip with your baby, you want to be prepared--without going overboard.

Here are some ideas on what to pack. (Restock the bag as soon as you return home, so you don’t forget anything the next time you go out.)

--Diapers, of course. At least five or six if you’ll be out most of the day.
--A travel pack of baby wipes.
--A changing pad.
--Zinc oxide diaper-rash ointment.
--Plastic bags for disposing of soiled cloth or disposable diapers, or wet clothes. (Some diaper bags come with one of these.)
--A complete change of baby clothes (including socks), plus a hat, sweater, and/or jacket if it’s chilly out.
--Sunblock (if it’s summer, or it’s warm at your destination).
--Hand sanitizer for washing your hands after diaper changes, if you won’t be near soap and water.
--Extra formula and sterilized water (if you’re bottle-feeding or use powdered formula).
--Snacks, such as cereal and crackers, in lidded plastic containers or Ziploc bags, and/or an insulated bag for cold items such as yogurt or breast milk.
--A baby spoon in a Ziploc bag to keep it clean until you use it.
--A bib or two.
--Extra clean pacifiers (if your baby uses one).
--A book your baby can hold or chew on.
--Teething toys (if your baby is teething).
--Tissues.
--A small towel to mop up spit-ups and spills.
--Baby pain and fever reliever, and even a small first-aid kit.
--An extra baby blanket.
--Reading material for you. If you have a few minutes, you can catch up on that magazine or newspaper you never got to read at home.

If you’re going on overnight trips with your baby, plan for unexpected layovers and pack extras of everything, especially diapers, changes of clothes, baby wipes, formula, sterilized water, snacks, plastic bags, and pacifiers. And don’t forget to bring your health insurance cards in case you or your baby get sick.

See our reports on diaper bags and diaper-bag features to look for, as well as our infant car seat and stroller advice and Ratings information for on-the-go parents.

I recently spent several days at a series of meetings (23 in all) held by ASTM-International on safety standards for juvenile products. From cradles to cribs, voluntary standards for juvenile products are developed by ASTM committees made up mostly of manufacturers, testing laboratories, government agencies, and consumer groups.

As you can imagine, consumer organizations--Consumers Union, Kids in Danger, the Consumer Federation of America, and Keeping Babies Safe, among others--are outnumbered by manufacturing groups, whose members often make it difficult to develop the strongest safety standards. Still, we put up a good fight.

Developing standards can be an exacting and tedious process. Engineers (like me) can get bogged down in long discussions about proper sentence structure or converting metric to English measurement units. Sometimes that delays us from tackling the more substantive issues, like how to improve a product so it doesn’t hurt kids. The juvenile-products committees meet only twice a year, so working out a new standard can take years. When a standard is finally passed, manufacturers can still choose not to follow it--remember, it’s voluntary.

Read the rest of this post, from Consumers Union's senior director of product safety and technical public policy Don Mays, on our Safety blog.

Ideally, homework is hassle-free. Your child sits down and does her assignments without any whining, bribing, fighting, begging, or crying. Sound impossible? It can be done, especially with the right help from you. Here’s how to help make homework a no-brainer. 

--Develop a routine. Kids crave consistency, so make doing homework automatic by coming up with a routine that fits their personalities. Serious students may prefer to do homework right after school. Other kids may need to burn off steam by playing for half an hour (set a timer) before getting down to business. Whatever formula you choose, stick to it as much as possible.

You might need two homework routines—one for when your child comes right home from school, and another for when she has after-school activities. Cut distractions by keeping the TV off during homework time. If you have more than one child, have them do their homework at the same time. One bonus: They may motivate and even help each other.

--Emphasize effort. “Your job as a parent is to teach your child that if she tries hard, she will learn things,” says Helen Eckmann, Ed.D., co-author of “Simple Principles to Excel at School,” (WS Publishing
Group, 2008). So praise your kids when they complete their homework by saying, “Oh, look how hard you worked!” not “You’re so smart!” Overall, effort is what pays off, not self-confidence, brainpower, or any other innate quality.

--Stay a step ahead. Take your job as ad-hoc teacher seriously. Resources such as the Core Knowledge Series--which starts with “What Your Kindergartener Needs to Know,” edited by E.D. Hirsch Jr. (about $15) and covers up to the sixth grade--can help you brush up on the skills you’ll need to follow your child’s academic curriculum.

Knowing what’s down the road also helps you work activities into your child’s day that use the concepts she’ll need to know, such as counting change (at the checkout) or fractions (think baking). By the time the subject is covered in school, your child will already be familiar with it.

Also see our reports on backpacks for kids and 'learning' toys, for more information.

If you use Mylicon anti-gas drops for your baby, Johnson and Johnson-Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Company is urging you to stop using the product because of a recall.

The company, in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug  Administration, has announced a voluntary recall of approximately 12,000 units of Infants' Mylicon Gas Relief Dye Free (simethicone-antigas) non-staining drops, which were sold in 1 oz. plastic bottles that were distributed nationwide after October 5, 2008 in retail stores and pharmacies.

The recall involves two lot numbers: SMF007 and SMF008. You can find the lot numbers on the bottom of the box containing the product, and also on the lower left side of the sticker on the product bottle.

Although the potential for serious injury is low, the company is implementing this recall after determining that some bottles could include metal fragments that were generated during the manufacturing process. If any medical events were to occur, most are expected to be temporary and resolved without medical treatment. Parents who have given the product to their infant and are concerned should contact their health care provider immediately.

For more on this recall and for what to do if you suspect you have the recalled drops, please see the FDA notice. Read more on children's health in our Health blog, and the babies & kids section of our Safety blog.

There are sobering safety problems with the most popular drug giveaways that doctors hand out to their young patients, a report from the journal Pediatrics suggests. (See an abstract.)

The greatest potential danger with free drug samples to kids is that there are few safety measures in place to detect abuse, drug interactions, and improper dosing.

Plus, doctors get these free samples from manufacturers to promote newer drugs, which are usually more expensive and have shorter safety records than similar medications that are just as effective but are less costly.

The Food and Drug Administration has attached serious safety warnings on 4 of the 15 most common freebie medicines given to kids (open chart at right, Top 15 drug samples given to children in the U.S., in new window). They include Adderall/Adderall XR (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine), Advair Diskus (fluticasone/salmeterol), Elidel (pimecrolimus), and Strattera (atomoxetine). A fifth drug, Singulair (montelukast), is currently under an FDA safety investigation.

The practice of doling out free medicine to children is widespread. About 1 in every 10 kids in the U.S. already taking a prescription medication was given a free drug sample in 2004, the year of the study. Most samples don't list dosages for kids, or don't have child safety caps. And, since such samples are usually made available for newly approved drugs, giving them away can encourage regular use before post marketing surveillance determines their long-term safety for kids. Besides that, drug samples bypass the pharmacist, who is considered an important safety checkpoint.

Our medical advisers suggest that you be wary of accepting freebies from your child’s pediatrician.

Read the rest of this post on our Health blog. (Also see our Best Buy Drug recommendations for the safest, most effective and least costly treatments for the most common conditions.)

Besides frequent hand-washing, which guards against spreading germs, these healthy habits can strengthen your child's developing immune system. Consider adding them to your arsenal this cold and flu season:

Breast-feed your baby. There is strong evidence that nursing decreases the incidence and severity of ear and respiratory-tract infections, diarrhea, meningitis, and urinary-tract infections. Some studies suggest that nursing may also help lower the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Others suggest lower rates of diabetes, certain forms of cancer, obesity, high cholesterol, and asthma in older children and adults who were breast-fed as infants. Colostrum--the thin yellow "premilk" that flows from breasts during the first several days after birth--is especially rich in disease-fighting antibodies. The AAP recommends that moms exclusively breast-feed for a baby's first six months, if possible.

Log in sleep time for baby. Studies show that sleep deprivation can make adults more susceptible to illness by reducing natural killer cells, immune-system weapons that attack microbes and cancer cells. The same is true for children, says Kathi J. Kemper, M.D., professor of general pediatrics at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. Children in day care are particularly at risk for sleep deprivation because all the activity can make it difficult for them to nap. How much sleep do kids need? A newborn may need up to 18 hours of crib time a day; toddlers require 12 to 13 hours, and preschoolers need about 10 hours. "If your child can't or won't take naps during the day, try to put her to bed earlier," says Kemper.

Banish secondhand smoke. If you or your spouse smokes, quit. According to a report by the U.S. Surgeon General, secondhand cigarette smoke contains more than 250 chemicals known to be toxic or cancer-causing. Babies and children are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of secondhand smoke because their bodies are developing. Secondhand smoke increases a child's risk of SIDS and ear and respiratory infections, such as pneumonia. There's no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure. Designating a smoking area in your home, for example, is like having a nonchlorinated section of a swimming pool--impossible. If you absolutely can't quit smoking, you can reduce your child's health risks by smoking only outside the house and making your car a smoke-free zone. (Smoking with the window open doesn't eliminate secondhand smoke exposure.) Also, ask others not to smoke around your child. For advice on quitting, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

Don't pressure your pediatrician. Urging your pediatrician to write a prescription for an antibiotic whenever your child has a cold, the flu, or a sore throat is a bad idea. Antibiotics treat only illnesses caused by bacteria, "but the majority of childhood illnesses are caused by viruses," says Howard Bauchner, M.D., a professor of pediatrics and public health at the Boston University School of Medicine.

Studies show, however, that many pediatricians prescribe antibiotics at the urging of parents who mistakenly think it can't hurt. It can. Strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have flourished as a result, and a simple ear infection is more difficult to cure if it's caused by stubborn bacteria that don't respond to standard treatment. Whenever your child's pediatrician wants to prescribe an antibiotic, make sure she isn't prescribing it solely because she thinks you want it. "I strongly encourage parents to say, 'Do you think it's really necessary?'" Bauchner says.

See our reports on vaccines for children and shots that kids need for more information.

Now that the FDA issued an advisory in 2008 strongly recommending that over-the-counter cough and cold medications not be given to infants and children under age 2 because of the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening side effects, a humidifier is more important than ever. Using a cool-mist humidifier, saline drops, or a suctioning bulb can relieve your baby’s stuffy nose without drugs. A humidifier can also help ease itchy skin and other problems associated with dry indoor air.

But don’t buy a humidifier if you don’t think you’ll be able to clean and disinfect it regularly. The standing water in a dirty room humidifier is a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi, which can get blown back into the mist that’s released into the room, causing itchy eyes and worsening any breathing problems your baby may have. The more you use a humidifier, the more vigilant you need to be. Here are three ways to safely maintain a tabletop model:

1. Change the water daily. Empty the tank, dry all interior surfaces, and refill with clean water. Don't be swayed by tank size. Generally, the larger the tank, the longer your table-top humidifier can run without running dry. A one-gallon tank may run up to 11 hours; a 1.5 gallon tank may operate up to 20 hours without refilling. But no matter how large the tank, you should change the water daily, so buying a humidifier with a larger tank won't save you a step.

2. Descale your humidifier often. Although some parts may be washable in the dishwasher, they still need to be descaled (demineralized) with vinegar to reduce water-mineral buildup, which can decrease a humidifier's output, especially if you're not using distilled water. They also need to be disinfected with bleach. Completely dry all parts between descaling and disinfecting. And after disinfecting, carefully rinse the tank to avoid breathing harmful chemicals. Follow the manufacturer's directions and schedule for descaling and disinfecting parts and replacing filters, wicks, and the like.

3. Clean it before you store it. And clean it again when you take it out of storage.

Learn more in our child safety and children's health sections.