Cool toys you won't find just anywhere

Story Time Theater and Story Time Marionettes...$16.95 each kit

Compiled by MIKE WILSON and MARY EVERTZ

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 5, 2000

Walk into a major toy store or department store and you know what you'll see: electronic dogs, scooters, a loquacious Elmo doll and a lot of exasperated grown-ups.

But what if you're looking for the sort of unique or unusual gift every kid in the neighborhood won't have -- a long sea serpent, night-vision glasses, a pedal car or a build-it-yourself dinosaur? To get such items, you generally have to try a catalog company, online store, or independent toy store that caters to discriminating tastes.

We know you're busy, so we made a list of some things you -- or at least your kids -- might like.

-- MIKE WILSON and MARY EVERTZ, Times staff writers

Hey, let's put on a show!

Story Time Theater and Story Time Marionettes (sold separately -- isn't it always the way?) will turn your children into drama buffs. The theater has a traditional stage design on one side and an outdoor scene on the other. The marionettes, which go together with string and clips, come in four themes: Jack and the Beanstalk, The Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Little Red Hen. We hate to stereotype, but let's face it: if you have boys, it won't be long before they're staging productions of The Little Red Hen Has A Tragic Accident Involving Explosives.

Ages 4 and up. Each kit is $16.95. At An Educational Rainbow in Tampa, (813) 835-0499.

Out of sight, out of mind?

Children will have fun hiding objects -- including, perhaps, live ones -- in this handcrafted wooden Lock Box. The box has 10 doors that open into three compartments, brass fasteners and an easy-grip handle. It is 16 inches long and five inches deep. A smaller box, cleverly marketed as the Little Lock Box, is also available. Brittany, where are the car keys?

Ages 1 and up. Lock Box is $89.95; Little Lock Box is $59.95. Young Explorers, (800) 239-7577 or http://www.youngexplorers.com.

A world of fun

Take Off...$29.95.

Some parents take educational play too far. You know the type: their children's soccer balls are painted like globes and every nighttime stroll is a graduate-level exam in astronomy. Well, here's an educational toy for which your kids might someday forgive you. Take Off covers a world of geography as players race across a giant, laminated world map. The Country cards alone provide information about language, currency, climate and the internal workings of the Trilateral Commission. (Just kidding about the last thing.)

Ages 6 and up. $29.95. Available at Timothy's Toys in St. Petersburg, (727) 522-5351.

A spy is born

Spy Vision Goggles...$14.95

Okay, you might find these Spy Vision Goggles in a few large toy stores, but they're so cool we decided to include them here anyway. The aviator-style glasses are supposed to let the wearer see in the dark -- and the remarkable thing is, they really do. Consumer warning: these may not be a great gift if you are trying to enforce a strict bedtime.

Ages 6 and up. $14.95. At Timothy's Toys in St. Petersburg, (727) 522-5351.

Pony tire swing...$99.95.

Giddyup

Now here's an unusual item: a real pony shaped like a tire swing! We are, of course, kidding; this handsome steed is made of recycled tires, with no steel belts to poke the rider. The swing is meant to hang from a sturdy tree.

$99.95. At Timothy's Toys in St. Petersburg, (727) 522-5351.

Pedal power

Remember those pedal cars you had when you were a kid? The shiny metal ones that never wore out even though their pedals squeaked after the first rain? This car, made from a real oil drum, will take you back to those days, if you don't pay attention to the price tag. Then again, with this thing going for almost 400 bucks, maybe you should just go ahead and get Junior the Lexus.

Nessie's friend

Sea Serpent Puppet...$60.

Puppet-maker Folkmanis Inc., of Emeryville, Ca., sent us this Sea Serpent Puppet and we placed it on our desk for inspiration. When we came back the next morning the dragon was still there but we couldn't find the editor in the next cubicle. The 5-foot-long puppet has a movable tongue and scaly green skin that glistens in the light.

$60. Available at Internet-based toy store Hyde Park Zoo, http://www.hydeparkzoo.com. The company can also be reached at (813) 254-7736.

What’s in store The Times’ annual report on toys and gifts continues through the week:

Monday • Robotic Dogs • Hot or Not • Celebrity- lookalike dolls Tuesday • A guide to unusual toys Wednesday • Goodies for chefs • Cooking with kids’ toys

Thursday • Cool gifts for adults Friday • Searching for a good doll Saturday • Board game bonanza

Sunday Too much of a good thing?

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