Do some of your child's toys drive you up the wall? Consumer investigator Ruth Spencer has a list from Parenting Magazine of 2003's hot toys that are kid-tested and mother-approved.

"It's our gift to moms," said Denene Millner of Parenting Magazine. "We put it in the hands of other moms to show our readers … what would be great, not only for their kids, but also for them. Something they can live with that their kids will love."

For birth to 18 months old, the "Infantino Double Spin Top" and "International Playthings Spin-A-Shape Elephant" were a serious hit.

The cool choice for the 18 month to 3-year-old set is the "Playskool Fold N' Roll Kitchen".

Three to 5-year-old imaginations take off with little tikes' "Sonic Sounds Radio-Controlled Jet", and V-Techs' "Fly and Discover Globe."

The kids aged five to eight flipped for the "Build-Your-Own Bird Feeder Kit," and eight to 10-year-olds were wild for "Radica Games Total Meltdown."

Toys of the Year 2003

Birth to 18 months

Double Spin Top

A single press of the button sends this fun top into action. Multi-colored balls spin inside. Babies delight in its captivating, spinning motion. ($16.50, Infantino, www.infantino.com").

Spin-a-Shape Elephant

Feed simple shapes into this jolly elephant sorter-give his ear a tug and watch them slide back out through his trunk. Shapes are color-coordinated with holes, which rotate around the elephant's belly until the one your baby needs is on top. A nice bonus: All the shapes can fit inside without plugging up the holes. ($19, International Playthings, (800) 631-1272, www.intplay.com.)

18 months to 3 years

Fold 'N Roll Kitchen

It's a compact kitchen bursting with realistic features just like at home: a pop-up toaster, a sink and scrub brush, a refrigerator, an oven, and a broiler. There are also enough extra bits, like cheese, milk, fruit, and macaroni and cheese, to keep pint-size chefs busy. And when they've finished whipping up their four-course meal, fold up the kitchen and stash it away-it takes up only a fraction of the space of some of the larger sets-or pull out the handle and wheel it over to a friend's house to share. ($20, Playskool, (800) 752-9755, www.hasbro.com.)

3 to 5 years

Sonic Sounds RC Jet

Turn on the lights, push the arrows, and get ready for takeoff with this supercute remote-controlled airplane. This jet sounds and "banks" just like the real thing. Plus, easy-to-operate controls make navigation a snap for less-than-nimble hands. ($30, Little Tikes, (800) 321-0183, www.littletikes.com.)

Fly & Discover Globe

Young explorers will get a kick out of "flying" around the globe to learn about the world around them. Three activity levels allow for varying degrees of adventure-maneuver the joystick to Africa and hear about the continent's wildlife, "travel" to Australia and learn about the environment, or help your copilot find his special destination. Geography has never been so much fun! ($25, VTech, (800) 521-2010, www.vtechkids.com")

5 to 8 years

Paint the Wild Bird Diner Kit

This one is for the birds, literally! With non-toxic acrylic paint, stencils, and a painting guide, your child can make his own masterpiece on this solid-wood bird feeder. Take off the roof, add birdseed, and place the house outside for your very own fast-food stop for local birds. No problem if your kid wants to redecorate; once it dries, the acrylic paint can be painted over with a new design. ($17, Balitono, (800) 769-9491, www.balitono.com)

8 TO 12 years

Total Meltdown

It's a challenging, pressure-packed 3-D computer game. Your mission: Figure out which of the "live" wires goes into each of the holes, fit 12 puzzle pieces into the circuits, crack the code, and then remove the core without touching the sides-before your six minutes are up, if you play solo. Think you can handle it? ($25, Radica, (800) 854-9551, www.radicagames.com.)

All of these toys cost under $30, and can be found at Parenting Magazine