Step aside, ladies of the sizzling summer hit Sex and the City. Another long-awaited summer chick flick opens nationwide this week, and this one’s for the tweens — girls 7 to 12 years old. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, is the first theatrical release connected to the American Girl phenomenon. American Girl is a hugely popular line of products that center around fairly pricey dolls of various ethnicities who come of age at turning points in U.S. history. Each doll comes with period-specific clothes and some accessories, and there is a book about her life that involves triumph over adversity with humor, grace and loyal friendships. Though the tone is gentle, American Girl tales touch on child abuse, child labor, slavery, war, and much more. Beyond the dolls and the books, the wildly successful line comes with more clothing, accessories and furniture for additional dollars. The movie, produced by Julia Roberts, revolves around the American Girl character Kit, who lives in Cincinnati at the dawn of the Great Depression, and wants to be a “girl reporter.” Get Kit and her best friend Ruthie (on sale for $205) and the tree house ($250) where they spend much of their time. Kit pounds furiously on a typewriter ($22), that “dings” like the real thing when she gets to the end of a line. Her roll top desk ($70) has a pullout writing board. The top rolls down to hide clutter, and the set includes a swivel chair so she can take a little spin to get her ideas moving. Like all the other American Girl dolls, Kit has her own online games and downloadable computer wallpaper. American Girl also has its own magazine, line of custom Just Like You dolls, Bitty Baby for ages 3 and older, and Doll Hospital. The dolls have become such popular collectibles on eBay.com that the site offers a buyer’s guide. American Girl does have its naysayers, but most film critics, such as Roger Ebert, give Kit and her cohorts a big thumbs up. This much I know: American Girl – I was a Julie — is an improvement over the Barbie of my youth.

Universal acclaim is greeting WALL-E, the daring new film from the Pixar animators who brought us Finding Nemo. And as with previous computer-hatched adventures The Incredibles and Cars (see the full collection here), programmers find this fable particularly well suited to video games. In the WALL-E game, which is available on all platforms, kids can go scavenger hunting for health-restoring sunbeams and forgotten cultural artifacts or just fly through space zapping debris. Games are just the tip of the product tie-in iceberg, of course, despite the fact that the movie’s theme is human overconsumption and the ecological damage done by limitless consumer goods: Kids seduced by the E.T.-like robot can buy either elaborate remote-controlled robo-toys or low-tech ones like this robotic arm; they can get themed bedspreads or read bedtime tales from a Little Golden Book. While this glut of goods may serve to cancel out the story’s eco-friendly message, marketers are expert at making adults feel joyless when the kids complain: After all, who could refuse a roomful of tykes wearing these (pictured) low-tech but heartstring-tugging WALL-E masks?

Games bring us together. They allow us to exercise our brains and bodies and to appreciate each other’s company without having to think of clever things to say. Sure, they bring out the competitive side, but with the right attitude, they’re a whole lot of fun, not to mention a remarkably cheap form of entertainment. Now is a great time to invest in a few games that can be played in the yard all summer. The extremely popular BlongoBall ($57) can be played by two opposing teams or just two people. The idea is to throw the balls-on-strings in a manner that makes them wrap around the posts (and maybe even knock off your opponents balls). Badminton is a classic garden game. Wear white and swat a shuttlecock back and forth between sips of iced tea. At Badminton Source, we like the Franklin Advanced set ($50) because it comes with everything you need — poles, net, rackets, shuttlecocks, carrying case. Croquet is another oldie but goodie, and Franklin has just the set for six to eight players ($65, pictured). It’s sanctioned by the U.S. Croquet Association and comes with rules and instructions. Or learn to play bocce (Italian lawn bowling) with Sportcraft’s Better Bocce Set ($50). When it’s time for the grown-ups to go inside and crank up the A.C., the kids can grab the garden hose and “go to town” without leaving the premises. Wham-O still makes its classic Slip ‘n Slide in a wide variety of styles. We like the Heat Wave model at Our Toy Shop ($35). It provides 22 feet of sliding, splashing action and the new Drench-o-Matic overhead hydrant system. Not recommended for drought-stricken locales, where a water balloon sling shot ($20) or Max Liquidator Eliminator ($7)
might make a better choice. And there’s always pingpong. Our suggestion is to avoid the cheaply made, short-lived tables and buy a weatherproof model for years of enjoyment.

Origami is the art of folding paper intricately into decorative shapes, with origins in China and Japan. Not only is it often beautiful, but it can double as way to teach children geometry, sequencing (you have to fold the paper in certain steps) and fractions (they’ll need to know how to figure out a third or half of the paper to follow origami directions). Best of all for parents, origami can be done inside and quietly. A good place to start is with the Origami Fun Kit for Beginners, which includes three books with instructions, 55 different origami projects and 96 sheets of origami paper ($12). If your child is more motivated by specific themes, Origami Corner is worth a visit. The Dinosaur Deluxe Box Kit contains sheets of patterned paper resembling the skin of various dinosaurs, along with practice paper, instructions with diagrams and background scenery for displaying the finished dinosaurs ($7). Other sets focus on insects, sea life, birds and farm animals, along with the classic 1,000 Cranes (according to origami tradition, if you fold 1,000 cranes, like the one pictured, your wish will come true). Children who like playing with dolls will love making as many as 12 dolls with the Kimono Doll Making Kit ($14). Adults who enjoy origami can make their own children’s furniture out of pieces of cardboard, thanks to an innovative website called Foldschool. Here, you’ll find free downloadable instructions on how to make kid-size origami furniture, such as a stool, a chair or a rocker. A lesser-known branch of origami is “towel origami” (no, really, I’m serious.) At Folding Magic, you can order a DVD to show you how to make funny animals out of towels. Some cruise ships leave these cute critters in staterooms as a perk to guests – now you can make your own.

Many parents have noticed that when you hand a baby a soft blanket or stuffed toy, the baby is often more fascinated with the satin tag than with the object itself. Babies suck on tags, chew on them, clasp them and use them to drag the toy around. Taggies are soft blankets, pillows, activity quilts, toys and clothes covered with many satin tags. The best-known product is a security blanket called Little Taggies, a 12- by 12-inch soft square with 20 different tags of various colors and textures sewn to the outside of the blanket ($25; pictured is the Confetti Little Taggie from the Colours Collection). It’s a great “transitional object” for infants or toddlers; it helps them transition from being awake to being asleep and is comforting when baby is faced with a potentially unsettling situation, like a new babysitter. Taggies Big Soft Blocks are exactly what they sound like – large soft cloth blocks with tags, fuzzy animal designs and lots of different textures for baby to examine ($30 for a four-block set). The Taggies Activity Quilt has a ladybug-shaped mirror, a squeaky pig and a crinkly cow, as well as the trademark tags ($50). Another site featuring high-quality infant and toddler toys is Genius Babies, a name clearly aimed at the proud mother and father. Genius Babies’ award-winning offerings include the Nooboo Pound-a-Sound ($25). Your baby can take the soft hammer and hit the toy; with every hit baby will hear a sound or see a pop-up surprise. A completely irresistible item is the jumbo Baby Face Photo Quilt, printed with photographs of babies’ faces ($30). Since infants love staring at pictures of other babies, this is a can’t-miss gift.

New DVD releases of Lady and the Tramp, The Bee Movie and Alvin and the Chipmunks make April a movie month for preschoolers and young elementary students. If any of these is a particular favorite of your child, there are many tie-in toys and products available too. In honor of  the film’s 50th anniversary, Disney released a digitally restored version of Lady and the Tramp. The voices of Peggy Lee and Barbara Luddy enhance the story of Lady, a cocker spaniel in a wealthy household, and her romance with Tramp, a witty stray dog. Amazon sells the DVD for $14. This film is most famous for its spaghetti-eating scene, where the two dogs share a winsome plate of pasta with Bella Notte playing in the background. Disneyshopping.com has many products related to this film, including the Lady and the Tramp snowglobe, $60, and the movie album, $7, which includes three songs from the film. The Lenox china figurine of Lady and the Tramp is $95. The Bee Movie, starring the voices of Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger and Chris Rock, tells the story of a bee named Barry B. Benson. In the movie, Barry sues humans for taking bees’ honey for centuries, and eventually learns the value of the bee work ethic. The DVD is $15 from Amazon. ToysRUs.com sells various Bee Movie toys, including Cuddly Buzzin’ Barry, $10. This stuffed version makes buzzing noises when you squeeze him. Talk Walk and Flutterin’ Barry, $20, moves his wings and talks. The Barry B. Benson radio-controlled flying bee, $50, can zip around the room. The new Alvin and The Chipmunks DVD is $30 and stars Jason Lee as Dave, the songwriter who adopts the chipmunks, and Justin Long as the voice of Alvin. The computer-animated chipmunks interact with live-action humans in this movie, singing and dancing about the holidays as they learn the value of family. You can buy a Chipmunk Hula Hoop Singing Doll from Toywuala.com for $12.89.