Stuck on what to give kids who love to watch ... and watch? Ideas from the video department

Who can watch the same show over and over and over and never get bored? Probably only your kids, so you no doubt want to pick and choose what they watch carefully. But when you’re selecting a gift, how do you choose videos that are appropriate, entertaining and educational--and also give you the most for your money?

“Obviously, good videos are the ones that stimulate kids’ imagination and lead them to read,” says Diana Green, executive editor of Parent’s Choice, a children’s media review that features annual awards for excellent videos. “The right videocassette will help them expand their lives, their visions and their sense that everything is possible.”

Here’s a selective look, including some Parent’s Choice honorees, at videos that you won’t mind letting your kids view repeatedly during their growing-up years. Many are also available in a complementary form that may be more familiar to parents: books.

See Spot where? In Where’s Spot? (a Parent’s Choice winner) and Spot Goes to the Farm, (Disney, $15). For ages 1 to 3.

Offering both a classic video and a cuddly stuffed toy, Winnie the Pooh Video & Plush Toy (Disney, $16) offers four of the original Pooh ‘toons with furry versions of either Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger or Piglet. For ages 1 to 6.

If you missed the Family Channel’s airings of Beatrix Potter’s animated The Tale of Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddleduck and The Tailor of Gloucester (Good Times, $20), they’re now available on video. For ages 2 to 8.

Thinking of giving your child a pet for the holiday? Paws, Claws, Feathers & Fins, a Parent’s Choice winner, (KidVidz, $15) offers some practical advice to kids about the responsibilities of having a furry friend. For ages 4 to 12.

In addition to a restored version of an all-time favorite, “The Wizard of Oz,” The Ultimate Oz (MGM/UA, both laser disc and VHS, $100) features collectors items, including behind-the-scenes documentaries, a continuity script and black-and-white glossies. For ages 6 and up.

Roald Dahl’s Dirty Beasts is sharp-humored and a little naughty, offering fine animation. (Strand, $10); a Parent’s Choice winner. For ages 10 and up.

From Russian animators comes Hamlet (Random House, $10). Parent’s Choice winner. For ages 10 and up.

Other fare that can help make the holiday jolly for little ones, and those who might share some time in front of the TV with them:

Golden Books’ classic baby canine learns the true meaning of Christmas in Poky Little Puppy’s First Christmas (Golden Book Video, $15). Donald Sutherland narrates. For ages 2 to 6.

Kermit, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy and the gang star in The Muppet Christmas Carol (Jim Henson Video, $23). For ages 2 and up.

For something a little more offbeat, there’s Berkeley Breathed’s comic-strip residents Opus and Bill the Cat, who star in A Wish for Wings That Work (MCA $13). For ages 2 and up.

The bizarre but popular Nickelodeon duo are featured in Ren & Stimpy Holiday Tape: Have Yourself a Stinky Little Christmas (Sony Wonder, $15). For ages 6 and up.

A picture-perfect holiday is guaranteed in A Norman Rockwell Christmas (FHE, $20). For ages 12 and up.