[November 21st, 2007]

20 Insect Attack!

We think Flytech intended their remote-controlled flying dragonfly ($39.95, Toys “R” Us, 1800 Jantzen Beach Center, 289-4691) to be an adorable plaything for older kids and their easily excitable fathers, but what this orange-and-white flapping critter is really good at is scaring the bejesus out of your co-workers. Ominously buzzing, making wild dips left and right—in the wrong hands (ours), this is one terrifying toy.

21 Shabby-chic Start Kit

Worried about lead paint? We guarantee you won’t find any on Tree Blocks ($31.95, Thinker Toys, 7784 SW Capitol Highway, 245-3936) , a bag of very natural building blocks cut directly from fallen branches, bark and all. They may be a little unrefined, but they’re as far as you can get from scary Chinese toy recalls. Plus, they’re apparently “cut and smoothed by elves.”

22 Countdown, Accessorized

What’s the fun in collecting waxy pieces of chocolate or crude drawings as you count down the days to Christ’s potlach? Help your tykes increase their collections of plastic doodads with the Playmobil advent calendar ($17, Finnegan’s Toys, 922 SW Yamhill, St., 221-0306) , or its LEGO counterpart ($25) , each of which comes with 25 pieces of a holiday diorama—which will, of course, be immediately converted into an alien space battle.

23 Prepare to be Boarded

We know the whole pirate thing is played out (all the cool kids are dressing like Victorian ringmasters these days), but we couldn’t resist one last swashbuckling fling. Come to think of it, you could use this tiny-pirate-launching catapult pistol ($5.50, Cheeky B, 906 NW 14th Ave., 274-0229; Presents of Mind, 633 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 230-7740) to bombard the next bunch of peg-legged poseurs you see hobbling down Hawthorne. Avast!

24 Crazy Cute!

Last year we fell in love with Frank, Egg Press’ DIY stuffed dog, but now we’re experiencing feelings of infidelity over Clauss the Raccoon ($26, Azzurro, 4623 NE Fremont St., 206-8657), a mischevious-looking red-and-brown fella screenprinted on canvas, featuring simple instructions that even the laziest non-crafter can follow. Around our office, he’s been met with a unanimous “Omigod he’s so adorable snooglewoogleums!” When even writers lose their vocabulary, you know you’ve got a winner.

25 Toys for Life

Buck the culture of disposability with this beautiful articulated Pinocchio , available only from Canoe ($49, 1136 SW Alder St., 889-8545) . Designed by a 75-year-old Florentine craftsman and carved from sustainably harvested wood, this is one toy that can be cherished for generations. Bonus: Pull the tab at the back of his head and his nose will grow.

26 American Ingenuity Is Overrated

There are foreign toys, and there are foreign genius toys. This repurposed dinosaur doll, imported from a Chinatown in Vietnam, is one of the latter. This hybrid Dino-dragon ($36, Cargo, 380 NW 13th Ave., 209-8349) features a handmade costume over a run-of-the-mill shuffling T-Rex and plays Dong Fang Hong , the de facto anthem of China’s cultural revolution. It must be seen to be believed.

27 Pint-Sized Crafting

Ten years ago we would have sneered at this child-sized “Sew Fun” sewing machine ($50, Green Frog Toys, 1031 NW 11th Ave., 222-2696) as a tool of the patriarchy, but now that crafting has been embraced as a revolutionary tool for practical feminists, we feel comfortable saying that, dammit, everyone should learn to sew. This attractive and fully functioning kit comes with patterns, materials and a real foot pedal. Sweet.

28 Flat-Pack Playtime

Start your kids on the IKEA lifestyle early with the Kidsonroof Mobile Home ($45, Spielwerk, 7956 SE 13th Ave., 736-3000) , a Dutch-designed portable dollhouse made entirely from recycled cardboard. It’s easy to assemble, eco-friendly and sturdy enough to stand up to everything from toddlers to a sudden shower. Load it up with toys and chuck it in the car for a sleepover, or just let your kids carry it around the neighborhood.

29 Eat the Yellow (and Blue, and Red) Snow

Now that generation X has finally gotten around to popping out babies, beloved toys from the ’70s and ’80s are inevitably beginning to resurface. One we’re happy to see return is the Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine ($14.99, Sears, 1260 Lloyd Center, 528-3208, and other locations) , the cherished ice shaver from 1979 that’s probably responsible for millions of dollars in dental work. Let’s have the fun all over again!

Gimme More

Cute But Creepy:

Produced by local company Dark Horse Toys , Tim Burton’s Tragic Toys For Girls and Boys ($14.99, Things From Another World, 4133 NE Sandy Blvd., 284-4693) are made under the direct supervision of the master of all things creepy and crawly himself.

The Next Beanie Babies?

Urban Vinyl Toys ($8-$11.95, Hello Portland, 525 NW 23rd Ave., 274-0771) is a series of fanatically popular figurines—including those from Portland manufacturer UNKL—that come “blind boxed,” so discovering what’s inside is half the fun.

Ocd Man to the Rescue!

The Obsessive Compulsive Action Figure ($8.95, Little Finnegan’s, 802 SW 10th Ave., 221-0306) comes complete with mini surgical mask and hypoallergenic towelette to clean your hands with before touching him. On second thought, he’d prefer you just didn’t take him out of the box at all.