All kids love unwrapping toys at Christmas, but if you want to be sneaky and get a bit of education in with your presents here’s a collection of toys that do just that, I struggling to decide between Khet or the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer. If you kids are already academic enough you might be interested in our collection of remote control and robot toys.

Cranium

If you’ve never played Cranium you’re missing it, it’s a crazy games especially after a few drinks. It just about classes as educational especially the Children’s edition Cadoo.

Spell a word backwards, hum a tune, answer a multiple-choice question, draw with your eyes closed, and more when you play Cranium. Unlike games that focus on only a few skills, Cranium offers 14 talent-tapping activities designed to bring out the best in you and your friends.

Cards from four decks, color-coded to match each of the crazy characters-Star Performer, Creative Cat, Data Head, and Word Worm-describe activities that teams must complete in order to advance around the board. If you choose a Sculptorades card from the Creative Cat deck, for example, you might be asked to sculpt a hamburger from lemon-scented Cranium Clay while your teammates try to guess what you’re creating.

The adult version of Cranium retails at $24.99 but is currently available for $14.44 and you can buy Cranium Cadoo for $13.98.

Touchscreen Hand-held Sudoku

Who said maths can’t be fun, Sudoku is a great way to build ones logic thinking.

Very basically Sudoku is a puzzle that you solve using a proper combination of logic and patience. Using less of the former requires you to use significantly more of the latter. To get specific Sudoku consists of a grid of 81 squares, divided into nine blocks of nine squares each. Some squares contain figures. Your task is to fill the remaining empty cells, so that each row, column and region contains one instance of every number from one to nine. Programmers flock to Sudoku like they do to recursive algorithms. Creative types will enjoy the challenge of using their left brain again.

This electronic Sudoku can be yours to give for $17.99.

Khet - The Laser Board Game

This is probably the coolest game every to teach about angles and strategy, Khet which used to known as Deflexion.

Speed of Light… Each player begins with 12 Egyptian-themed pieces and a laser built into the board. The goal is to arrange your pieces so that the laser’s beam bounces off their mirrored sides with the goal of illuminating opponent’s pieces to eliminate them from the game.

You can buy Khet from Amazon for $34.99, if sold out there you can try Think Geek ($37.99).

Discovery ATM Machine

Kids can manage money the way adults do – with an Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

• Accepts real bills and coins
• Dispenses cash like a real ATM
• Enter secret PIN number for access
• Make deposits and withdrawals
• Keeps running total of savings
• Electronic bill feeder
• Coin recognition

The Discovery ATM Machine is available for $399.95.

Digital 130X USB Microscope Camera

• USB microscope is designed for viewing amazing live images shown at 26- to 130-times magnification in full color on your computer screen.
• Instead of squinting into a tiny lens, you (plus friends and family) just sit back and enjoy the eye-popping microscopic world as if it were the latest action movie. A bright LED bulb at the base ensures clarity.
• Microscope is also a digital camera and camcorder. Capture still photos of what you see with the click of a shutter button; or record full-motion video in brilliantly clear 640×480 VGA resolution

You can buy the USB microscope from Sharper Image for $79.95.

LeapFrog FLY Fusion Pentop Computer

Gadgets like this could make school fun, a computer in a pen.

Put revolutionary technology at your child’s fingertips with the LeapFrog FLY Fusion Pentop Computer. This working pen is actually a powerful handheld computer! Designed for kids ages eight and up, the Pentop Computer gives them a fun, innovative way to record and organize class notes, get help with math homework, study for tests, and much more!

The computer recognizes anything kids write on the paper — from algebraic equations to doodles — and will read back what was written. Then, the Pentop Computer will scan it, digitize it, and make it available for upload to your personal computer.

This could be the only gift that helps with schooling that your kids think is really cool.

The LeapFrog FLY Fusion Pentop Computer is available to buy from Amazon for $79.99.

Brian the Brain

This is a great idea if you’ve got kids who get bored doing their homework. It’s also a great parent aide (particularly if you get asked those tricky questions like “how high is the sky?” or “when was Cleopatra born?”, or “how do you spell ‘prestidigitation’?”) As Brian has stored within his animatronic brain The Concise Encyclopedia from Britannica®, a dictionary and also a world history timeline, you should be able to ask him virtually anything and he should know.

Brian the Brain is available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $119.95 (or via Amazon for $99.99) and also comes with a 3 month subscription to Britannica On Line®, Student Edition.

Robotic Chess Tutor

This is another game that’s great for getting the grey matter working, chess, and what’s better with this version is it can actually teach you how to improve your game.

The Advanced Robotic Chess Tutor.
This is the advanced electronic chess game that allows you to play against a robotic opponent that automatically recognizes and counters the movement of your chess pieces using the touch-sensitive chessboard. You can play against the computer or it can play itself, and it provides beginners and experienced players appropriate challenges by offering 120 levels of play (16 levels of analysis), and gives instruction and counsel using voice prompts, while its LCD screen shows piece-movement text messages for additional help without audio commentary. The computer has an estimated U.S. Chess Federation Class A skill rating of 1900, it will never accept an illegal move, and rates your skill after every match; a coaching and teaching mode provides hints and allows you to reconsider moves.

Robotic Chess is on sale at $249.95.