Timeless toys

These retro toys are just as much fun for mom and dad - maybe even more fun than an iPad.

DwellStudio's Giraffe Push Toy is one example of the firm's updating of classics via new animals and fresh colors ($24). Available at velocityartanddesign.com.

Made in an Indonesian village using locally harvested wood, these simple Toys for the Soul ($40) - a yo-yo, a top, and a hole-stick - are a true (and fun) model of sustainable design. Available at areaware.com.

I spy with my little eye the View-Master 3-D Viewer ($6), which is pretty much the same except for the wide variety of reels featuring everyone from Wall-E to Handy Manny. Available at http://www.fisher-price.com/

Is it a tunnel or the sky? An arch or a cloud? The possibilities are endless with the beautifully basic Wooden Cloud Stacker Toy ($14). Available at etsy.com/shop/Imaginationkids.

Playforever's Bruno Roadster ($85) will be the best vintage vehicle in Junior's fleet. Available at the Philadelphia Museum of Art museum store, 26th Street and the Ben Franklin Parkway.

Philadelphia toy designer Melissa Jarrett Cohen just unveiled Unravels ($8.95 for four), colored pencils whose outer layers peel off to reveal secret messages. Available at amazon.com.

My Blackboard Roll Mat ($22.95), a portable blackboard that can be rolled up into a neat bundle, is a new take on the old-fashioned schoolhouse slate chalkboard. Available at fatbraintoys.com.

Wooden scraps from Brooklyn furniture shops provide the materials for these Balancing Blocks ($85), a set of 10 faceted pieces that can be stacked in many variations. Available at stevenalan.com.

Local crafter Angela Davidson makes crocheted beasts that are fantastical and sweet, like this Squiddy Long Legs ($80). Available at the Philadelphia Museum of Art store, 26th Street and the Ben Franklin Parkway.