If you're a tech junkie, it may be tempting to purchase an educational video game for your kids or sign them up for Webkinz and turn them lose on the information superhighway. There's nothing wrong with that -- in small doses. But kids need to develop dexterity, language amd emotional and social skills as well, and for that there is nothing better than real toys and games, especially those played with a family member.

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But what’s best for your child?

Ebeanstalk.com rates every toy it lists after testing by a team of psychologists, therapists, pathologists and educators, along with what the site refers to as a "Mother Board" team of 700 moms around the country.

Since 2006, the team has "played with and selected from 10,000 toys to arrive at 400 of the best developmental toys available," it says.

Toys are listed and indexed according to ages, events and more. And each toy's functionality and educational value is discussed thoroughly. Product descriptions come with a graphic that tells you which areas the toy develops best, including imagination, language, dexterity, emotional, locomotion and social skills. There's also a library of articles about childhood development.

What are we talking about? Chunky wooden number puzzles, some big enough for the floor, in bright colors and patterns help with name and number recognition for 2-year-olds. For 3-year-olds, consider a nylon tent and tunnel for the back yard that kids can climb through, under and around as they hide, play and burn energy.

The site also lists five recommended toys:

Safari Animal Tractor -- "Helps develop many different skills for a young (1-year-old) child ... pushing the tractor along while towing the animals behind, the realistic sounds the animals make when placed in the proper place on the cart and furthering imaginative play."

Jumbo 123 Chunky Puzzle -- "The Jumbo 123 Puzzle is a great toy for a 2-year-old because it's a high-quality puzzle with bright colors and background pictures that teach your child by showing him/her the corresponding number of objects."

My Royal Castle -- "Perfect for a 3-year-old ... Pretend play is so important at this age. With this Folding Castle your prince or princess will love to spend his/her time imagining far away places he/she has never seen before."

Butterfly Pavilion -- "Great for a 4-year-old because it is a unique and fascinating way for a child to learn about nature firsthand. Your child will witness each stage from cocoon to caterpillar to butterfly."

Ball Toss Game -- "Great for a 4-year-old because ... It has soft balls for the target so it's easy to throw and reach your target. ... A great game for developing hand-eye coordination while working on math skills at the same time."

Even though the toys and games on eBeanstalk are educational, they're pretty mainstream. More than 100 national brands are represented on the site, including many of the biggest and most well-known toy makers.

And the site allows you to order everything through its own online shopping cart.