Let’s hear it for the second-tier Christmas presents, those auxiliary doo-dads that make marquee gifts like ponies, BB guns, and Xboxes look all the more impressive. Whether they’re stuffing a stocking or bulking up the pile under the tree, gaudy, low-price gifts like the Digital Blue PC Animation Station are as much a part of the holiday season as leftovers, depression, and FINAL WARNING credit-card bills. It’s just not Christmas without them.

We’re sure you’re wondering, so here’s the deal with this thing: your tot or totette can record up to four minutes on sound clips with the pacifier-looking microphone. Then the darling tyke can plug the Animation Station into your PC’s microphone jack and use the included software to do all kinds of crazy things to the sounds: edit ‘em, mix ‘em, stretch ‘em, squash ‘em, whatever.

If he or she is so inclined, your offspring can even create little movies using animated clip-art, and sync the sounds up to the animation. The library of clips (including some of the most popular Cartoon Network characters from five or six years ago) and simple interface are perfect for kids with more creative energy than expertise.

But most importantly, it’s just the kind of flashy, mysterious, tech-heavy gadget that inspires 15 seconds of crazed enthusiasm on Christmas morning, temporarily restoring your prestige in the eyes of your brood. While the Digital Blue PC Animation Station can’t bear the entire load of your children’s expectations, it fills out a stocking much more nicely than an orange does.

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