Music to your ears.

• Position: Holiday Gifts Galore - Brief Article

Kids love music--all kinds, it seems. Since they're so receptive, why not start them out on the right foot with the Sunshine Symphony ($49.99) from Neurosmith, Long Beach, Calif.? This cuddly plush toy features four beautifully orchestrated classical compositions, including pieces from Mozart's "Piano Sonata in C Major? "The Nutcracker Suite," "Peter and the Wolf," and Handel's "Water Music." Two modes of play transform Sunshine Symphony from merely a music maker into an interactive symphonic experience. One mode features four fully orchestrated selections while the second allows youngsters to transform a melody from a single instrument to a full orchestra.

Neurosmith's Jumbo Music Block ($59.99), meanwhile, is a giant plush cube designed to help children learn shapes, colors, and dressing skills. Each side features a shape flap, kept shut by a dressing closure (button, zipper, etc.), which hides a secret pocket and fun surprise, and also plays two children's songs that entertain while reinforcing shape recogniton and language skills.

Also tuned into the classics is The Baby Einstein Co., LLC, Lone Tree, Colo., the company that believes "Great minds start little." Acting on the notion that the first five years in life offer a...