(this is the hamburger) on top of the frosting. Add another cookie (producing a double burger, for those with a man- sized appetite) and cover with coconut-lettuce. Add the top of the burger with another vanilla wafer. apparently disappears as the baby "drinks") Baby In A Basket • a small stuffed bear or other favorite animal This toy is a great way to help an older sibling learn how to care for a smaller child. No doubt, he or she will spend many hours gently holding, rocking and singing to his Baby In A Basket. If you or a friend are expect- ing a second child, or if you simply have a young daughter or son who likes dolls, Baby In A Basket will be the perfect gift. (NOTE: This toy is not appropriate for chil- dren 3 and under who are likely to place small objects in their mouths.) First, you will need a small basket, which you can find in a craft store for $2 or less. This is the baby's cra- dle. The size basket you pur- chase depends on the doll you select. You can use one from home, or buy a new one for a few dollars at a discount store. The doll should fit cozily into the basket. You also will need a small container — anything from a cosmetic bag to a lunchbox will work fine — which you can then fill with the following baby supplies. These can in- clude: And now, let's get cooking: Take a vanilla wafer and spread a small amount of frosting (mustard, ketchup, dressing — or all three) on the flat side. Place a peanut butter cookie • diapers (all you need to do is cut out a few from a washrag or piece of white cloth) • a blanket (also easy to make from a small piece of fabric) • a bottle (check your local dis- count store; children especially love those in which the milk • a small plastic container filled with every older baby's favorite snack, Cheerios • tiny books (available at local bookstores, or make your own) Top Toys Family Fun maga- zine recently host- ed a toy-testing day at KinderCare Learning Center in West Bloomfield. The event was held as part of the fifth annual T.O.Y. Awards, to be announced in the Novem- ber issue of Family Fun. More than 340 toys are tested in the competition, which is held at 10 KinderCare centers through- out the United States. This year's winners have yet to be determined, but mean- while you can get the scoop on some of the most popular toys at the West Bloomfield facility: • Tangle Tube, from Mattel Inc., consists of a collection of foam shapes, tubes and balls that can be bended and twisted to form all kinds of fun. cre- ations. This toy managed to en- tertain a handful of boys for a long time. • Serpentino, from T.C. Tim- ber, is a series of blocks that can be linked together to form high- ways, with marbles that can then run up and down the trails. Children enjoyed putting these together in what appeared to be endless possibilities for new patterns. • Fantastic Jewel De- signer, by Kenner, is a purple- and-pink case filled with stickers and glitter and glue and shapes to create your own jewelry. It's a little messy, but both boys and girls could not get enough of this one. • Dizzy Dryer, from Mattel Inc., allows children to place plastic clothing shapes in a small "dryer" (complete with eyes) which then spins around and around, sometimes tossing out those errant shirts and ties. Par- ents are likely to wonder what all the excitement is about, but toddlers delighted in playing this again and again. • Adventure Team Power Wheels Jeep, from Fisher-Price Inc., is a minia- ture vehicle that your child can actually drive. You'll have to have a large, open area in which your little Mario Andretti can roam around with this, but boys loved it and had an easy time maneuvering around the myriad toys outdoors at KinderCare. And now, a special award, to the most frightful toy you may ever experience: • Uggly Bugglies, from Natural Science Industries, got mixed reviews from toy testers, though its makers promise children will have "hours of learning fun" as they study their "farm- raised bug collection." The first challenge is just getting past the out- side of the box. "Watch the Coccoon Fizzle and Gurgle Until a Real Pre- served Bug Appears!" the package reads, also advertising the contents as "A Gross Na- tional Product" (you've got to admire their sense of humor, at least). All young scientists have to do is pour vinegar over a con- tainer, which then reveals a real bug (at least it's dead). One KinderCare worker shook her head as she recalled the first adventure with Uggly Bugglies. "We did one, and af- ter that the children wanted to do another right away," she said. "But I told them, 'Maybe tomorrow' It's disgusting." CO CI CI OCTOBER which requires just a few ingre- dients and no cooking.