Small patches.

• Position: What's New? Holiday Gifts Galore

Bigger isn't always better. While we've nothing against video, computer, or even those real fancy board games that suddenly are in vogue, sometimes, we just like it simple. So it is that we arrive at the store each year looking for merchandise from Patch Products, Inc., Beloit, Wis. Its headliners this holiday season are Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer All-Family Jingle Bell Game ($9.99) and Christmastown Puzzle Playset ($11.99), both based on the 1964 animated classic.

"What instrument does Sam the Snowman play?" and "What does Hermey want to be?" are a couple of the trivia questions from the Jingle Bell Game that just may stump Mom and Dad, but not the kids. In Christmastown, meanwhile, put together the jigsaw puzzle play surface, set up the backdrop, and stand up the characters (like the Abominable Snow Monster and Rudolph's girlfriend, Clarice), and you're good to go on adventures in the snow, or to make toys in Santa's workshop, etc.

Outside the Christmas theme, there's A to Z Puzzles ($5.99). Each of the 26 puzzles containing an upper--and lower-case letter along with a word that starts with the letter and the word's picture. For the kids' next get-together with friends, look to the Happy Birthday Party Games: Freezy Fun!, Rodeo Relay Race, and Pin the Tail on the Donkey--$4.99 apiece. For board games, there's Buzzword ($14.99). A...