Here’s twelve toys for Christmas
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COMPILED BY ERIN ANDERSEN / Lincoln Journal Star
The sluggish economy is taking a lot of the sizzle out of this holiday season’s gift-giving.
Most parents say they are cutting back.
No doubt Santa will, too.
So when it comes to the toys that will tickle kids’ fancies, this year’s mantra is good deals, great quality and the promise of long-lasting fun.
There is no shortage of retailers, online trackers and toy gurus to say what’s hot this season.
But we know every kid is different.
So instead of telling you what everyone else wants, we thought we’d share with you our 12 favorites among the tons of toys we’ve encountered this holiday season. Plus we have a listing of good choices in each of the toy categories.
Top 12 picks
FURREAL FRIENDS BISCUIT, MY LOVIN' PUP is the kind of puppy everyone will be happy with. This life-sized golden retriever, through voice recognition technology, will obey six different voice commands including “sit,” “sit up and beg,” “lie down,” “give me a paw,” “speak” and “do you want a treat?” He also moves his head and ears, blinks his eyes, wags his tail and barks. Biscuit comes with his own comb and “bone.” Requires six D batteries. Ages 5 or older; Hasbro, $179.99
TONKA BOUNCE BACK RACER is a soft-sided, soft-wheeled, remote-controlled car that harmlessly bounces off any surface and flips over when it hits an obstacle. Made for little fingers, the remote has just two buttons: forward and reverse. Uses six AA batteries. Ages 3 or older; Hasbro, $29.99
STRUXX ROBOTRIXX is a new construction system that gives kids the power to build superscale. Based on three basic pieces — a ball, socket and rod that click together — Struxx offers a larger-than-life construction system. It has high-tech “Wide Motion” components such as a gearbox, motion detection, sounds and lights that allow kids to make their creations come alive. The kit comes with build ideas, but the imagination is the limit. Ages 8 or older; Mega Brands, $59.99
If your children have their hearts set on a dinosaur for Christmas, KOTA THE TRICERATOPS is the toy for them. The “life-sized” baby dinosaur (more than 40 inches tall) reacts to touch by moving his head, tail and horns or giving a dino roar. Kids can ride KOTA’s back in a spring-loaded seat. A handle is hidden behind the dino’s head. He comes with “leafy greens” for feeding and roars when spoken to. Six D batteries are required. Ages 3 or older; Playskool, $300
Kids turn into stars with the DANCE CAM system. Loaded with more than 20 favorite preschool songs and compatible with MP3 and CD players, the system lets kids watch themselves dance along- side animated characters on the family’s television screen. Unlike dance systems designed for older children, the Dance Cam is not based on competition and doesn't require a lot of coordination. No batteries are required. Ages 3 or older; Playskool, $49.99
Looking for a challenge? The 36 CUBE is a multicolored puzzle that comprises 36 towers arranged in the shape of a cube. The goal is to place only one of each colored tower in every row and column to form a perfect level cube. Although there are quadrillions of solutions, 36 Cube seems unsolvable. Ages 8 or older; ThinkFun, $24.95
Kids can create their own BIG TOP CIRCUS complete with tent, flying trapeze artists, ringmaster, snack vendor and more. Various Circus kits include the band, animal trainer, tightrope artists and dog circus act. Ages 3 or older; Playmobil USA, $12.99-$104.99
Many toys link reality with the virtual world, but SKOODLEZ adds education and entertainment into its plush toys. Each animal comes with a special coin giving children a personalized code to access www.skoodlez.com. In the online world, children are challenged to create original stories through the Skoodiculous Story Machine. When done, children can print their stories or share them with others in the Skoodlez Community. The Skoodlez line offers 15 different animals. Available exclusively at Macy’s and macys.com. Ages 5 or older; Kamar Innovation Toy Group, $14.99
CYBERSCOPES is a board game/puzzle/optical illusion. Donning the CyberScope headset, players try to make their way around the game board completing individual mental challenges, from solving puzzles to catching a ball tossed in the air. It sounds easy, but the Cyberscopes make everything look upside down. Available at www.UnSeenOnTV.com. Ages 8 or older; Intromark, $24.95
By moving the wand either on or near the GLOW STATION canvas, kids can create glow-in-the-dark art with strokes of light. Stencil sheets create space scenes complete with space shuttles, asteroids and astronauts or a day at the zoo with gorillas and snakes. Light texture sheets reveal textures such as spider webs, river rocks and 3D animal patterns with swift swipes of the light wand. Art remains illuminated for approximately 30 minutes or can be erased instantly by turning on the lights. Mess-free. Portable. Requires three AAA batteries. Ages 6 or older; Crayola, $30
The brain-child of a Pennsylvania dad, FLASHCAR uses race car numerics to teach children math. The object of that game is to answer the arithmetic problem correctly in order to advance on the board. The person who reaches the last space first, wins. There are also bonus spaces that help players advance several spaces. Players learn addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Available at www.kids-learninggames.com. Ages 5 or older; Banner Industries, $24.95
The International Year of Astronomy is 2009. mySKY PLUS uses “point and shoot” technology, allowing users to locate, identify and learn about more than 30,000 celestial objects in the night sky with just the press of a button. The device is equipped with an encyclopedia of new and updated multimedia content that includes astro-photography, audio descriptions, videos, mythology, folklore and scientific fun facts on the planets, stars, constellations, clusters, nebulae and galaxies. It features a full-color LCD screen and easy-to-use controls. Ages 8 or older; Meade, $299
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