Childrens Toys Holiday Guide

Here are some more cool childrens toys that you might consider for your kids as Christmas draws near!

Crayola Town Activity Set

Crayola and Wild Planet have teamed to offer one of the coolest multi-purpose (education and fun) toys for children this holiday season. The Crayola Town activity sets combine coloring, construction and creative play.

Your child can color different scenes and pop-up structures, then turn worn or broken crayons into animals, trees, street signs and other props in your 3-D town. Designed for kids ages 3 and up, Crayon Town sets are new for this holiday season in Neighborhood, Airport and Horse Ranch themes for $9.99 – $14.99 and larger Zoo and Construction Site themes for $19.99 – $26.99. Free coloring mat refills are available online at http://www.crayon-town.com, further extending the value of each set.

My five year old really loves the Crayola Town.  He enjoys playing with the animals more than the coloring, which emphasizes why, for the money, this is a good value.  To each his own.  One challenge we have is that our child gets frustrated with broken crayons and he has accidentally snapped some in the crayola animal pieces.  This is supposed to be part of the process of using the town, but it could present a challenge.  Still, Crayola Town is a great holiday toy.

• Crayon Town play demo here: http://tiny.cc/CrayonTown38
• Instructional video here: http://tiny.cc/CrayonTown

Crayola Digital Camcorder

While your child plays with the Crayola Town activity set, they might want to capture some of the memories with the Crayola Digital Camcorder with a 1.5″ color preview screen.  Easy to use with cool sound effect buttons, the digital camcorder can take digital photos and includes Video Genie video editing software for hours of fun and learning.  You can add music, credit and special effects to the videos your child comes up with.

The Crayola Digital Camcorder is designed for ages 5 and up!

Marvel Super Hero Squad Mini Racer

Pint sized and packed with power, Super Hero Squad Mini I/R Controlled Racers will dominate the road. Available in four different classic Marvel Minis: Spiderman, The Hulk, Wolverine and Iron Man, these mini cars come equipped with a cell phone size infrared remote delivering precise turns at all speeds and working headlights. They retail for $16.99 each.

Captain America, Wolverine and Iron Man Marvel Universe Remote Control Whip-it Racers are full function R/C vehicles equipped with working lights and a swivel chassis that allows sharp turns at super high speeds. They retail for $39.99 each.

Check them out at: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3537327&moduleName=Brand+Name+Secondary

Eye Can Art Printmaking Kit

Eye Can Art is an award-winning line of art kits.  Currently, there are four kits in the Eye Can Art line: Printmaking, Sumi-e Painting, Wax Drawing (encaustic), and Book in a Box. Each kit introduces an authentic art technique, with beautiful, unique results.

Eye Can Art is a small company based in Seattle. Eye Can Art’s founders are art educators and mothers.  In response to a call for high-quality, at-home art activities, combined with empathy for everyone’s busy schedule, they designed Eye Can Art: All-inclusive, repeat-use art kits that spark creative play.

Everything needed is included in each kit, right down to scissors and glue. And the kits always include enough materials to enjoy the projects multiple times, so they can be done several times by the same child, or the experience can be shared with a friend, parent, or sibling. At $24, Eye Can Art makes them a great value!

Here is a two minute video showing a boy demonstrating the Printmaking Kit, which we sampled and also enjoyed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0DlT5lt5FQ

All of the Eye Can Art kits are ideal for ages 5 to 12 (though adults enjoy them too), and retail for about $24. They can be found in specialty stores and museum shops around the country, and also online.

I mentioned that Eye Can Art is an award-winning company.  The Printmaking and Sumi-e kits won Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal awards, 2009, and the Book in a Box Kit won Creative Child Magazine’s Toy of the Year Award for 2009! These are on top of the Parents’ Choice awards our kits won last year.

Bachmann Trains

Established 176 years ago, Bachmann Trains is the leading provider of electric train sets. Two of their best sellers that you can get for under $100 this holiday season on Amazon include:

· The Yuletide Special by Bachmann Trains ($96 on Amazon.com) is perfect for under-the-tree fun and features Bachmann’s E-Z Track snap-fit track and roadbed system plus a steam locomotive and tender with an operating headlight, gondola, box car, old-time combine, body-mounted E-Z Mate couplers and snap-fit E-Z Track with 12 pieces curved track, straight track, and plug-in terminal retailer, power pack and speed controller, and illustrated instruction manual

· The Sante Fe Flyer by Bachmann Trains ($54 on Amazon.com) is a great train to haul freight across the deserts, mountains, and cities of the American landscape. Powered by a mighty Sante Fe FT Diesel locomotive with its distinctive “war bonnet” pain scheme, this sleek and powerful train deftly handles the every-changing terrain of the Southwest U.S. The Sante Fe Flyer ready-to-run train set includes diesel locomotive with operating headlight, open quad hopper, gondola, off-center caboose, body mounted E-Z Mate couples, snap-fit EZ Track including 11 pieces of curved track and one curved plug-in terminal retailer, power pack and speed controller, and illustrated instruction manual

We had a chance to try out the Santa Fe Flyer, which really is an awesome value train set for the money.  This is a perfect toy for an older child who is starting to express interest in toys with a bit more capability than figures and non-mobile toys.

Moon Sand Castle Starter set

Moon sand activity tables continue to be one of the most popular recreational activities in childcare centers nationwide.  Now, you can bring the fun home with this Moon Sand Castle Starter Kit from Glammatoys.com, a leading provider of quality toys in a variety of product categories.

Made by Delta of Sweden, the Moon Sand Starter Kit includes an mat, which inflates in less than a minute, a large bag of starter moon sand, and several cool toys that your child can use to shape sand castles and figures.

A neat secondary benefit of Moon Sand is that it offers a nice sensory toy for children with autism who requires extra sensory stimulation.

Spin Master Toys

Spin Master Ltd., the 3rd largest toy maker in the US. Here are some of their most popular and talked about toys for this holiday season!

Bakugan – This Fall, the most incredible Bakugan yet is introduced. The 7n1 Maxus Dragonoid. It combines 6 Bakugan Trap and 1 Dragonoid Bakugan to create the ultimate monster! Package includes 1 Gate Card and 1 Ability Card.

Air Hogs has two great new products:

Air Hogs Zero Gravity Laser – the all surface r/c car that can drive on any flat surface including the floor, up walls, even upside down on the ceiling. The Laser Zero Gravity has an innovative new type of control too – a laser. Just point and shoot the laser and the Zero Gravity Micro will follow it wherever it goes.

The Air Hogs Switchblade is a 2n1 flyer that takes off like a hovering UFO and can be transformed in-flight into a high powered jet.

Glodoodle – the new drawing toy that allows you to make incredible pictures with light! Simply turn on the Glodoodle and use either your finger or the simple drawing tool and watch your pictures come to life. Has three different colours.

Flick Trix is a new fingerbike line by Spin Master that gives BMX enthusiasts real authentic licensed replica BMX fingerbikes to ride and show off as collectables. It’s like Tech Deck for BMX.

Paperoni – the all new arts and crafts activity that uses simple rolls of paper to make incredibly creative works of art!

PixOs Ultimate Design Station – Create a huge variety of cool PixOs 2D designs and 3D creations and add on new moving parts like wheels and hinges for even more fun! Built with a fan and suction tool, the PixOs Deluxe Designer comes with everything you need for a total PixOs experience.

Magic Reveal – the new line of magical kitchen toys that provides hours of safe, make-believe cooking and baking fun using only water! Simply wet the sponge, place the Magic Reveal food item on the surface and it magically cooks just like in a real kitchen.

ChixOs Design-A-Luxury Loft – Introducing the latest addition to the PixOs family – ChixOs – a new line of dolls and play sets that let you create, accessorize and play with alongside your favorite PixOs creations. The ChixOs Design-A-Luxury Loft is the ultimate party palace with four rooms to explore and three dolls to make, there’s so much to decorate and create. Use the glitterator shower to magically cover your dolls with glitter for a fun night on the town.

The loft house is my son’s favorite of the Spin Master toys.  He has been using it to recreate scenes from one of his favorite movies of the moment – Up!

Organic Bug My Best Blocks-Advanced Builder set

Organic Bug is a self described company that offers “Sustainable Products Promoting Healthy Lifestyles”.  They truly do make great products and we have had the pleasure of trying several of them.

This holiday season you can give your child the gift of building blocks while supporting an organic, ecologically and environmentally sound company.

The 78 piece (lots of variety for creativity) MY Best Blocks Advanced Builder set has pieces made from rock maple that are sanded smooth (no splinters) with no finish.  The set was a 2005 winner of the Top Toy of the Year Award from Creative Child Magazine.

Toy Shopping Safety Tips

Shopping for toys during the holidays can be exciting and fun, but it can also be frustrating. There can be thousands of toys to choose from in one store, and it’s important to choose the right toy for the right age child. Here are some great safety tips I received that I wanted to share with you.

Toy Safety Tips by Malcolm Denniss: Technical Director for SGS Consumer Testing Services

1. The most important aspect of buying gifts for children (whether for holidays or birthdays) is to make sure the toy or game is age-appropriate for the child. Nearly every toy or game will list the appropriate age on the box. The guidelines were developed by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Toy Industry Association, and take into account the typical ability of children to handle certain toys. Buying toys for children that are younger than the indicated age, even though we think a child may grow into it or is capable may lead to inappropriate play patterns and hazards that a child is not yet prepared for.

2. Children are naturally excited to play with new toys at holiday times, often in a robust and possibly in an overly enthusiastic manner. It is important that parents periodically check their children’s toys for any damage or breakage, which could create sharp edges or a choking hazard. If a toy looks damaged, take it away! If necessary, contact the manufacturer to verify that it is still safe to play with.

3. While toy shopping during the holidays, check recall notices at the toy or department store to verify none of child’s existing toys have been recalled and are still in your child’s room or toy box.

4. If you are buying toys for nephews, nieces, or other children that you may not see on a regular basis, it is always a good idea to check with the parents and make sure you know what they think is appropriate for the child, particularly for very young children where maturity can vary significantly. Be particularly careful when buying for children under the age of three years. This age group often still puts toys in their mouths, so check the front of the toy package to see if the toys have small parts before buying.

5. Teach kids outdoor and indoor play safety. It’s important to teach them to not play ball games near roadways and to always look where they are running if the ball goes outside the play area. Never let them play near roads and areas where automobiles are driving. Do not let them play with flying toys indoors where they can not only knock over fragile decorations but can also hit bystanders.

Playroom Entertainment Sherlock card game

Picking toys for young children that are both entertaining and educational is not always easy.  The toy website called ebeanstalk, is dedicated to helping you select good, safe learning toys and 5 year old toys if you are like me and have a child that age.  BUT, they need help from moms like you and me to help pick the toys. The toy they sent us to evaluate is called Sherlock, from Playroom Entertainment, who makes great educational toys.

Sherlock is a card/strategy game in the style of the classic kids card game Memory.  A winner of the 2004 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award and a 2003 Kinderspiel des Jahres nominee, Sherlock is a game that is designed especially for kids 5 years and older.

The premise of the game involves players learning about 8 objects and trying to memorize the location of each object.  The Sherlock game piece is moved from one card to another and requires players to correctly identified that now face down card that they had previously seen.

According to Playroom Entertainment, intended educational benefits of Sherlock include that it Encourages Critical Thinking and Deduction Skills, Memory Skills, is Challenging for Children and Adults, offers Social Interaction Play and Endless Combinations for Replayability.

While the game definitely presents opportunities for learning and fun or kids and adults, it can be a bit challenging for kids that struggle with processes and critical thinking.  Memory skills are definitely an emphasis, but there is a bit more involved with this game than the classic memory game.  Still, for older kids or 5 year olds that work well at logic, there are great benefits for social interaction play.

Holiday Guide For Kids

Kiddesign is a fantastic company that makes interactive educational toys for children.  KIDdesigns is a leading manufacturer of cutting edge, interactive electronic toys, learning aids, and real electronics for kids of all ages. We understand and respect the importance that toys play in kids’ lives. With that responsibility in mind, we combine state-of-the-art technology with old-fashioned fun to create innovative, exciting, and enjoyable products that kids will love and parents can trust.  KIDdesigns is dedicated to creating products that help boys and girls grow, learn, and have fun.

KIDdesigns has received some of the most prestigious awards and honors in the industry, including Family Fun’s “Toy of the Year” award, “Top Toy” recognition from the Great American Toy Test, and the “Best New Product Innovation” award from Toy Wishes Magazine. Our most-treasured honors, however, have always been the smiles and laughter from millions of boys and girls when they play with our toys and use our products.

They are must have on your Christmas list.  We loved playing with the following toys and highly recommend them!  You can buy them at www.kiddesigns.com and Toys R Us.   Free shipping for orders over $30.
Growing Smart Laugh With Me Botley (Isn’t he adorable!)
An Interactive Learning Friend

Botley is loaded with fun and games and he’s eager to help kids learn words, numbers, logic, and more! Watch as Botley comes to life with moving head and mouth. Join this lovable laughing robot for hours of teaching entertainment.

Logic Circuits
Logic and Reasoning skills keep young minds sharp and focused

Letter Circuits
Letter Identification and recognition is fundamental to language and reading skills

Word Circuits
Recognizing and understanding words is an important component to reading comprehension

Math Circuits
Teaches basic math skills

Game Circuits
A variety of challenging games help sharpen strategic thinking

Custom Game and Data Circuits
Customization of content creates a personalized challenge

Growing Smart Learning Laptop (Spiderman Design)
Your child will want to look just like you with his or her own laptop!  This one is the perfect size and teaches them e-mail even!  So cute and educational.  There is a Barbie laptop just for girls.

* 8 learning zones with 48 different activities, including great games like hangman, snake, word jumble, word matching, letter matching and more
* Spider-Man® speech and exciting sound effects
* S.M.A.R.T. Chip™ Technology will automatically adjust quiz levels that are appropriate for each child
* Translate button translates select words into Spanish instantly
* “My Zone” feature allows custom spelling lists, instant messages to Spider-Man, Email and more
* Backlit display

Barbie™ Pet Doctor

We have so much fun being a doctor to this adorable dog.  He makes sounds and lights up to show your child where he is hurt and where they can treat him.  A great toy to teach empathy and inspire your child to help animals.

* Interactive pet with pressure sensitive pads in head, back, and all paws to activate different exciting doggie sounds
* Dog responds to bottle and bone
* Realistic dog sounds such as barking, panting, yelping, chewing–even a heartbeat
* Includes a carrying bag to store doggie and accessories
* In store “Try Me” plays sound effects from paw
* Accessories include carrying bag, stethoscope, thermometer, milk bottle, syringe, bone, certificate, and a prescription pad

Holiday Guide for Children

Our little angel thrives with routine and schedule.  I found this wonderful company called Bee Visual that developed The Choiceworks Visual Support System.
The main board is a 5-step schedule system, complete with magnetic icons to identify it as a morning, daytime, or nighttime schedule. At the bottom of the board are icons for preferred activities that the child may choose when his or her schedule has been completed. Icons are stored on the inside of the easel. When a board is snapped on to it, the icons won’t get easily lost.   There are also two other snap on boards, Waiting and What are You Feeling Boards.   Both of these boards are solution-oriented, and shows the child what he or she can do to cope with these difficult circumstances. There is also a timer, that can be used during the Waiting time.  We also use it during play time, so he learns to moniter his play and switch activities.
The Magnetic pictures are easy for him to understand and engaging to look at.  They cover just about everything, from going to school, brushing teeth, cleaning up, and much more.  The boards are durable and just the right size to take with you on trips.  My favorite is the When I am Upset board, which helps you teach your child appropriate ways to handle their feelings.  The boards also come with a parent guide and booklets you can read with your child.

I HIGHLY recommend the Choiceworks Visual Support System for parents of ASD children.  You can buy it at www.beevisual.com and Amazon.  Details are below:

The Schedule Board [Blue] makes daily routines a lot more fun and easier to do. Supported by 40 visual symbol magnets, your child can get through morning and bed time routines, get ready for school, go to appointments, and more. Your child chooses his/her reward for successfully completing the tasks.

The Waiting Board [Orange] teaches your child the skills for waiting, turn taking and not interrupting. Through pictures your child is shown what they can do while they are waiting. It even includes a convenient timer!

The Feelings Board [Green] supports your child’s ability to gain self-control by providing clear alternatives and expectations. Once they have gained self-control the choice wheels provide options for what to do next.

A parent manual is included which explains how to use the system and provides helpful hints and suggestions.

The Choiceworks™ System includes: 40 Visual Magnets, 1 Universal Storage Easel, 3 Choiceworks™ Companion Books, 1 Dry Erase Marker, 1 Digital Timer, 1 Parent Manual, 1 Wall Mount Hardware

Educational Insights is a great website to find educational toys and games for the Holidays.  You can find some unique and really fun games!  Their mission is to find the highest quality “hands on” learning products that engage minds, and inspire play in the classroom and beyond.  These are some of our favorites!  They are available at www.educationalinsights.com

Safari Undercover

In each brain-teasing logic game, you must arrange the four jungle pieces on the animal-filled game board so that only specific animals remain “out in the open.” Sound easy? You’ll need to stretch your spatial-reasoning and logical-thinking muscles for these wild puzzles. Each challenge has hundreds of possible puzzle-piece combinations, but only one solution. For one player

Royal Rescue

The knight and the princess are locked in separate towers. Can you help the princess build a rescue route, or the knight build a bridge, to get them back together? Children will enjoy days and “knights” of mind-bending fun as they create a path for the royals to reunite! With simple puzzles for beginning builders, to complex puzzles that challenge skilled architects, Royal Rescue is designed to develop spatial reasoning abilities and stretch a player’s logical thinking skills. Includes 11 durable wooden pieces, and a full-color, richly-illustrated booklet featuring 48 multi-level puzzle challenges. High-quality wooden pieces, and a timeless theme, give Royal Rescue the look and feel of a classic children’s game.
For one player.

Goofball Rally

It’s time for Goofball Rally, the fast-paced, color-matching marble race! Place your goofballs on the starting line and get ready to go. On your mark, get set…roll! Launch your goofballs one by one down the winding race tracks. When all of your goofballs have crossed the finish line, hit the red button. The first player to score 20 points is the Goofball Rally Champ! Includes goofball stadium game board, 10 race cards, and 20 goofball racers (in 10 bright colors). For 2 players.

Pixel

Don’t let the situation slide out of control in this fun strategy game of slide, point, align, and win! Move a slider and place your piece in the intersection. But there’s a catch! Only one slider may be moved on each turn. You don’t have to block your opponent—but be careful not to leave those sliders in point blank range. The first player with three in a row wins!  Pixel is the perfect strategy game for the whole family. Includes game board, 95 game pieces in four colors, and game instructions. For 2 to 4 players.

Have you heard of The Chocolate Cake Club?  No, it’s not a food club, it’s something a lot lighter on your hips.  It’s a fabulous online shop for unique and fun products to make parent’s life easier.  They sell everything from toys, kids clothing, organic living, organization tools for parents and much more.  Make sure you visit at www.chocolatecakeclub.com. Below are some of my favorite finds for the Holidays.

Transform any room into a starry night sky. The Twilight Turtle by Cloud b is the first and only plush constellation nightlight ever created which gently transforms nurseries and bedrooms into a starry night sky that comforts and calms children and adults alike. Press a button on the turtle’s shell and the Twilight Turtle will project a starry night sky onto the walls and ceiling of any room and keep them glowing for 45 minutes – just enough time to drift off to sleep. It then shuts off to preserve battery life. The turtle comes with three soothing color options green, blue, and amber, each illuminating different brightness levels to create magical, tranquil environments that are ideal for helping children of all ages fall asleep easier.

Twilight Turtle is more than just a soothing bedtime companion, he is also an interactive and educational toy. Within the star pattern are 8 actual constellations. Parents can sit with their children and identify these major constellations using the wonderfully illustrated Twilight Turtle Star Guide.

# The Twilight Turtle won several awards:
2005 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval
# Baby Talk Editor’s Choice

Give your kids’ toys a home. A portable, environmentally-friendly home. These kid-friendly portable cardboard houses by Dutch company Kidsonroof, are perfect for little kids to build, color, and customize a house for their dolls or guys. Constructed out of 100% recycled and biodegradable cardboard, you‘ll feel good about them playing with this toy!   Imagine what your child could make of this fixer-upper house with crayons, colored pencils, markers, stickers, or even fur or fabric. Watch your kids turn this house into a work of art.

Playful Chef Cooking Kits
Looking to have some fun with your kids and teach them the joy of cooking? The Playful Chef Kids Cooking Kits will help you tap into your kids’ eagerness to help in the kitchen. These kids cooking kits provide the nutritional know-how, kid-sized cooking tools, and fun recipes you’ll need to get your little one cooking! We can’t think of a better Chocolate Cake Moment than to have fun in the kitchen making Chocolate Mountain Lava Cakes (recipe included in kit.)  They have kits for both younger and older children.

# 5 delicious, easy-to-follow laminated recipe cards that follow a ten-system plan complete with helpful illustrations and color-coding
# An overview of how to teach your child in the kitchen
# Child sized cooking tools: whisk, spoon, spatula, pastry brush, mixing bowl, timer, baking pan, and safety scissors. Tools are all dishwasher safe.
# A cool, red tool belt apron for easy tool storage and handy access that is adjustable for all sizes
# A set of color-coded measuring spoons
# A set of color-coded measuring cups
# A kid-sized baking pan for baking special treats
# A kid-sized mixing bowl for mixing magic
# A vinyl kid-sized Playful Chef backpack that’s chock full of fun just waiting to happen! There’s space on the back of the backpack for your child to write in his or her name.

Carson-Dellosa sent over some wonderful games and we love playing games, and are thrilled to let you know about their company and the games.  As you know, I try to buy toys that are fun but also educational.  Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company takes pride in providing teachers, parents, and children around the world with the best possible educational materials.  You can buy the following games at www.carsondellosa.com. They have a ton of other great educational items too!

Pirates’ Gold Game
Price: 14.99
1 game board, 5 ships, 40 playing cards, 3 dice – Grades 2 – 6
Search out buried treasure in this swashbuckling, high seas adventure! Travel from island to island battling other players and collecting the most gold coins to win. Build strategic-thinking abilities while practicing skip counting, basic counting, and addition skills. 2 to 4 players.

All Around the Farm | Game
Price: 14.99
1 game board, 4 player pieces, 24 cards, 2 dice – Grades 1 – 6
Moo, cluck, and oink your way to victory with this noisy game for all ages! Be the first to fill your wheel barrow with food and return to your animal in the barn. Strengthen strategic-thinking, counting, addition, and subtraction skills. 2 to 4 players.

Where Do I Live? | Game
Price: 14.99
12 Home Cards, 12 Animal Cards – Grades PK – 2
Everyone has a home and it’s the players’ job to get them there in this colorful memory-matching game. Twelve homes complement 12 animals to strengthen visual distinction, classification, and recollection skills. No reading required. 2 to 4 players.

Chicken Count | Game
Price: 14.99
6 piece coop, 52 playing cards – Grades PK – 5
Flip cards to collect chickens, outfox the fox, and construct the coop in this easy-to-play collecting game! Player with the most chickens when the coop is built wins. Strengthen counting, adding, and sorting skills. No reading required. 2 to 6 players.

Related articles by Zemanta

• New Briarpatch Thomas & Friends Game
• GeekDad Holiday Gift Guide #5: Toys for Dads & Kids to Share