For the kids

When it comes to entertaining your child, sometimes simplicity is what works best.

Whether you've brought your little one with you or he or she is waiting for you back home, why not get him a souvenir? But make it a souvenir he can enjoy, a toy. Often, the most classical and simplest are the favorites and most enjoyable and that certainly holds true in the case of the colorful Mexican toys.

The most famous are, perhaps, the maracas. Maracas are a musical instrument made of wood, but toy maracas are often made from "jicara," an empty plant shell, filled with pumpkin seeds.

Also widely available and just as cheap are toy drums. By alternately spinning it by the handle, the tied pieces of wood will beat the drum, which thankfully is not too loud.

With a higher degree of difficulty are the "balero," where the object is to fit the heavy wooden head on a small handle by tossing it in the are, a feat that takes long practice, and the pirinola, a wooden spinning top that comes with its own launching handle.

Beyond these options, you can also get them a non-traditional, but still unmistakably Mexican toy offered by many stores. One interesting example are especially made puzzles with tropical motifs and colorful animals. There are many innovative companies offering varied products.