Top Christmas Toys 2011 Shopping Guide by Carmichael - HTML preview

Introduction

If you're a parent, you know the horrible pressure there is to get your kids the right presents during the holiday seasons. As adults, we all think that you should be happy for getting anything... But, I think you know just as well as I do that children won't react that way.

It's the happiest time of the year for many kids. They are out of school. In many parts of the world it's snowing. Best of all, the thought of getting exactly what they want on Christmas morning makes every child smile for the last couple months of the year.

If you need to know the top 25 Christmas toys of 2011, you've come to the right place. This ebook is here to give all those parents that are struggling to find that perfect gift your child really really wants. The toys in this book are all award nominations at the very least and each category has the winner of the year.

These toys are chosen due to product sales and overall child rating. Just to make it easier for those parents on the run... like myself... I have the ebook broken into 5 categories.

Infants/Toddler toys, preschooler toys, boys toys, girls toys, and specialty toys.

Each toy has a description and a couple reviews about that product. All of this information was found through Amazon, Walmart.com, and some popular toy blogs. This information is to give you a better idea of what you will be buying your kids.

If you are interested in purchasing one of the top 25 toys, click the title link for that toy. You will be brought to Amazon.com. This website will have the product for purchase and more information about the product just in case you haven't completely made up your mind.

Let's get to the toys...

Top 5 Toys For Infants and Toddlers

1. Playskool Musical Activity Ball and Gear Center

Whirling, twirling, musical fun is on the way with this exciting MUSICAL GEAR CENTER set!

Your little one can push this button to activate the music and motion that will keep both his eyes and ears engaged. As he drops the ball onto the track, he'll watch with delight as it falls down the tube and then spins at the bottom. He'll love spinning the gears on the side to turn the friendly face around and around--and when he gets older, you can remove the gears so he can stack them and take his fun to "new heights"! The active play, twirling fun and happy music just goes on and on!

Features:

 Exciting and engaging ball-drop and turning gear set lets baby activate the action to get the balls rolling, gears twirling and music playing.

 Gears can be removed for stacking fun as baby grows older!

 Balls fit other EXPLORE 'N GROW ball sets. Gears fit other EXPLORE 'N GROW

gears sets. Each sold separately.

 Set includes activity center base, ball arch, two balls, five gears and instructions.

What's in the Box

Set includes activity center base, ball arch, two balls, five gears and instructions.

Customer Reviews:

“Overall, this toy is pretty fun for a baby. I've played with my friend's 14 month-old with this toy and it kept her occupied for a good 15 minutes. She had a lot of fun figuring out where to put the balls and got excited anticipating them to pop out; also she had fun taking the gears off and putting them back on and turning them. The balls are large enough that she can't fit them in her mouth and there's a little slot for the balls to stay in when you're not using them (so they don't get lost). It's pretty sturdy as she was being a bit rough with it and didn't fall apart. The music is not totally annoying, so that's a plus too. “

“Durable and easy to assemble are the highlights of this Playskool toy. Otherwise, it's had it's 5

minutes of fame in our home, and likely will be stashed away while my young sons play with other toys they find more amusing. My boys are 8 months and 2 years old. The 2 year old likes to run around with the balls best, and finds the rest of toy less than engaging. My 8 month old has been amused with the music playing, and may become interested in turning the gears--

that is if the toy even still interests him in the near future. The gears turn well and they stack easily, but they don't DO anything. Turning the gears doesn't make the music turn on, or make the balls drop. The balls must be manually dropped down, and all they do is drop. When they drop, they don't cause the music to turn on, either. Only pushing down the red smiley face on the right corner makes the music go. If pushed far enough down, the gears will also turn. If the gears played more of a role in causing the music to play or the balls to roll, I probably would have rated this toy better. As it is, the elements are not related to each other at all. “

2. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learn & Move Music Station

Get baby moving, playing and learning with so much variety—and so much fun. The Learn and Move Music Station easily connects to your TV, with five interactive worlds to discover on two levels. Baby can press the colorful piano keys or move the monkey, puppy and kitty to explore plenty of active learning. C’mon, let’s play. Teaches: Letters, A - Z, numbers, counting, colors, shapes, opposites, animals, first words, greetings, body parts, music and more.

Requires 3 AA and 3 C batteries, not included.

Customer Reviews:

“We took this toy out of the box and had it up and running in five minutes. Our intention was for our 11

month son to practice standing, but also have something lean on if needed. He loves our real piano, so we thought it would be perfect.

It is solidly built, and has great sound when used in stand-alone mode. Keeps my little guy interested for quite a while. The tv interaction has very smooth and almost un-noticeable transitions. For example the color keys will change the background color of the screen, while the animation stays the same.

However, my 3 year old daughter noticed immediately how the keys changed the colors, and she could change the animations using the trumpet slide or guitar roller to make slight changes in the animations and music. I had a hard time keeping her away from it so that my son could use it!

I had to put some strips of velcro on the rear legs, because when used in the upright settiing, it tends to slide all over the floor and my little guy would topple over. It surprises me that they diddnt think of this. After that slight modification it has worked hours without any incident. “

“We love this toy! Have not had any problems with it. After reading reviews, we expected lag time when connected to the TV but did not experience that. We consider the TV connection a "bonus" that we will use when our daughter gets older- playing with the toy "as is" is plenty to entertain her for now (she is 8 months, I know a little young for this, but we thought it looked so fun- and we like that it can grow with her and she can use it when she is able to stand). Overall, she loves to play with it and we like the music and activities it provides. The price was a little high, but when you consider that it will last for many months, I think it's worth it. “

3. LEGO Duplo Learning

This Lego set brings the same top quality fun that all other Lego products have done in the past. Perfect for ages 2+. Overall it's a nice set with a lot of pieces, but it all depends on what you're wanting to do with Legos.

This set is great for novelty pieces, like the double-decker four peg pieces which each have a number or corresponding number of items. They would be great fun for playing little number games with. This set also contains one cute little person who can be made to attach standing, or laying, or sitting on any Lego piece, and his pal, a dalmation dog. There is a single window, and a little standard Lego car. The white fence is a great novelty piece too.

For anyone new to Legos, or who is balking at the $25 price tag, I think it is worth mentioning that the ABS plastic used by Lego is quite safe and durable, and that many basic Lego bricks are still manufactured in European countries, which is pretty outstanding when you consider how big the company is.

I wouldn't pass up this set. The possibility for games with numbers is cool, the novel pieces are nice, and there are a few basics like the car.

Customer Reviews:

“I originally got my son the duplo box of 71. We had fun, but it was hard to make more than one thing at a time and hard to make a good house.

This set was the perfect compliment to it and filled up the rest of the 71 box.

I love the pictures and numbers and so does my son.

The cute additions (dog, flowers, fence, window, boy) are great for imaginative play, and it's nice to have an extra train car to hook up to the other one from the 71 box. “

“when i purchased this lego for my almost 2 years old baby, i didn't think it would be this nice. the pieces are big enough for his age, and he loves the little dog and man, and the car, which is nice to find all in one box. It has great educational potential, since it allows to match the numbers with their correspondent amount of little fun figures. Colors are great, it looks pretty durable, and i hope my little one will enjoy it for a long time. “

4. Fisher-Price Lil' Zoomers Spinnin' Sounds Speedway

Ready, set, spin. Baby will love the put-and-take fun of placing two cool race cars on the ramp.

They roll down and around on the swirling, light-up raceway, then, surprise. The spinning action sends each car out to the exit ramp and under the spinning flag. Or baby can pull the gearshift to start the fun. Zooming speedway sounds, lively music and five flashing lights ramp up the excitement, with a winner every time.

This toy includes a race car setting. It's fun and interactive for your toddler. The age recommendation is 6 months to 3 years.

Customer Review:

“I bought this on a whim for my 5-month old newphew. It was easy to put together - after we got it out of the box - and soon we were up and running. The first few times he just sat back and took it in, but once he figured out what was going on, he couldn't get enough. In fact, when the cars would stop spinning and come out the other side, he would cry until another one got started. He's played with it several times in the last week or so and gets just as excited. “ 5. LeapFrog My Own Leaptop

The Leaptop takes the spirit of a real laptop computer and infuses it with an appealing, kid-friendly design. This durable and organically-shaped plastic case opens like a laptop. The Leaptop's lightweight and convenient handle makes it a travel-friendly toy.

Above the large alphabet pad, you'll find the E-mail, Music Playlist, and Blog function buttons. Around the LED screen, you'll see computer-like icons displaying all of the Leaptop's interactive features. Kids will love switching between the Animal, Music, and Alphabet modes, which are accessed with the moveable mouse switch.

Each Leaptop has one of two puppy hosts, Violet or Scout. Depending on which Leaptop version you buy, one of these adorable puppies will accompany your child through all of the activities. Kids will even have access to Violet or Scout's personal blog by pressing the Blog button.

An Introduction to Letters, Animals, Music, and More

The Leaptop's three play modes and three function buttons will help your child learn the basics while having fun. Alphabet mode teaches letters and phonics; Music mode turns the alphabet pad into a music sampling machine, so your child can contribute musical animal noises and funny audio effects to songs; and Animal mode teaches kids to identify animals and their sounds.

The Email, Music Playlist, and Blog functions help children build vocabulary, and practice listening and reading skills. And they'll enjoy receiving emails and singing along with Leaptop's preset and downloadable songs. With the Leaptop, you'll be confident that your child is exposed to activities that help develop essential skills.

Personalize the Leaptop Online

You'll want to personalize your child's Leaptop by connecting it to your computer with the included USB cable. After connecting to the Leapfrog Web site, you can create a parent account that allows you to customize this toy laptop by creating a profile for your child.

You'll also be able to select songs for the Music Playlist and set up personalized emails from Scout or Violet and other friends and relatives in your child's life. Additional Scout and Violet downloads are available for purchase, and printable coloring sheets are available for free.

Customer Reviews:

“I have three boys, ages 3,5, and 6. They are all in various stages of learning to read...they all enjoy this, but my three year old cannot get enough of it. He jealously guards it, keeping it away from the other two kids, and he arried it around with him...he has learned his alphabet, and now he is learning the sounds the alphabet makes. I thought this would be an OK toy at best, but it has been a huge success story in my house...so much so, that I had to order two more so that hte other boys would have a chance to play with it as well! Even my 6 year old really likes it. Another good product from leap frog. I'm not sure how long this will last though, and I'm worried that my very rough boys will break it.

We have had it about 3 weeks or so and it has survived, but I worry about the screen. Anyway, great toy, inexpensive enough that I will probably even buy another one if it does break! THat is how much my boys like it. “

“We got the leaptop for my 20 month old after finding that most of the other toy laptops were for older toddlers and had a possible choking hazard. This is just right for my son. He had no trouble figuring it out and really loves the music. My only wish is that there was a selection for numbers, but otherwise this is a great toy for young toddlers who like music and letters. “ Top 5 Toys For Preschoolers

1. Fisher-Price Disney's Dance Star Mickey

Now kids can get up and dance as their fun-loving pal Mickey Mouse comes to life right before their eyes. The new, innovative Dance Star Mickey walks, talks, and dances his way into kids'

hearts, topping off his skills with an "out of this world" grand finale to one of his signature dances. With one press of Mickey's foot, Dance Star Mickey comes to life for a fun interactive experience that encourages kids to get up, get active and dance. Grooving to six different songs with styles including, disco, Latin techno, and the Moonwalk, Dance Star Mickey is also packed with interactive games that will have children and parents laughing and dancing along.

Customer Reviews:

“Dance Star Mickey is simply the must own toy for the holiday season in 2010. If you have the money or if you love Mickey Mouse, you will not find a better toy. It's so worth it. The motion is absolutely breath taking. There are six different dances including a cool moonwalk and 2 interactive games called Freeze and Mickey Says. My favorite part: When Mickey talks and sings his mouth opens and closes with each word. It's completely in-synch. I'm not afraid to admit it but Mickey has cooler moves than me. The folks at Fisher-Price have outdone themselves.

The only problem with it is that it is powered by batteries but these are included. If your Mickey stops in the middle of the song, his batteries probably ran out. I've found to conserve the battery it's best to switch Mickey off with the switch located under his foot when done playing. Also the moonwalk works best on a hard slippery floor. He actually does slide smoothly across the floor thanks to the wheels underneath the toy's feet.

There is no way to describe how amazing this toy is until you see it for yourself. No matter what your age Dance Star Mickey will make you smile. Even after reading how amazing it was, it still blew me away. Very few products do that. “

2. Fisher-Price iXL 6-in-1 Learning System

Intuitive and Kid-Friendly Technology

Made of rugged plastic that will survive all kinds of crazy play, the iXL is similar to popular hand-held game players, but is designed for the use of younger children. The device opens like a book to reveal an LCD touch screen that displays all the action. Your kid will navigate through the activities by touching the tethered stylus to the screen.

The iXL is extremely intuitive and uncomplicated. The stylus has a holster and is tethered to the device by a sturdy nylon string, so your child will never lose it. Opposite the screen is a speaker with volume control, an Action button that allows you to make choices in certain modes, and a Home button that returns you to the Main Menu whenever you wish.

Easy Set Up

To turn the piece on, you or your child will simply press the Power button positioned on the side of the device. All elements of interaction--from the generous buttons and stylus, to the iXL's hearty casing--

are practical for children's use.

After unpacking the iXL, you'll get it ready for play by inserting four AA batteries then completing a quick calibration of the touch screen. You'll want to install the software for this toy via the accompanying CD-ROM to access additional features, software updates, and customizations.

Additional iXL features include an SD slot for memory expansion, built-in memory of up to 150 MB, and a standard headphone jack for those long car rides or flights.

An Interactive Learning Experience

The iXL will keep curious kids busy, entertained, and learning with its six preloaded activities. Your child will practice reading and comprehension with the Digital Reader, which includes an interactive 15-page story available in either the reading or interacting mode. For kids who love action, the Game Player features a three-level arcade game that promotes counting and learning about sequences and numbers.

Future young writers can practice the alphabet and their penmanship in the Notepad mode, while young artists will flex their creativity with the Art Studio's digital tools. The iXL includes an MP3 Player with five preloaded kid's songs and a Photo Viewer with three sample images that can be embellished and manipulated.

Software Downloads Expand Features

You'll get the most from the iXL by loading the software onto your PC and attaching the device to your computer with the accompanying USB cable. Although with high-speed cable internet software may take up to 30 minutes to download, once you completed this you can transfer files to increase playing options, including additional software for purchase that will add new stories and games for your child to play.

Navigating the software is simple and intuitive. You can create up to five profiles for the iXL, so this device can be enjoyed by the whole family. Add images or music files to the library and transfer them to the iXL. The software also gives you access to other fun and free extras, such as printable activity sheets for your child or the whole family, craft and party ideas, and other activity suggestions categorized by age.

Customer Reviews:

“Pluses: My 4 year old son was immediately engrossed with this toy and was able to use it very little assistance; we now limit his time on this device so he'll do other activities. This is a good learning tool for younger children. Various themes are offered: counting, spelling, music, and coloring (can select from a palette of 16 colors); it does offer diverse entertainment. It should be ideal for a long car or airplane trip (small size is good). Family photographs can be downloaded and then drawn upon. There are up to 6 user accounts for different youngsters that can be created, but I do not consider this as a toy that can be easily shared; other than there are games for two players.

Minuses: 1) Children learn fast and its hard to believe any educational software suited for a 3/4 year old is going to challenge a 6/7 year old (which is the upper age range). The current software available seems good for about 3-5 year olds. The included software only has counting up to 20; video game up to only 10; the reading and vocabulary are little more advanced. There are other CD titles released, but I'm unsure that these really address the educational level for older children. 2) The transfer speed to down load optional software titles from a CD is very slow. It took about 30 minutes to download the Batman CD; this is about 30 minutes for 42MB of data. I'm guessing a 256MB flash memory that is about 10 years old is being employed in this unit. You just need to be patient when downloading any items (CD, photos, music). 3) The screen space for writing words is small; children are asked to write their name on the screen, but names longer than 4 letters need to be crammed into the space allotted.

The major intent is to trace a single letter or number and then, in this scenario, the writing space is adequate.

Other Info: As noted above the unit most likely has a 256MB flash memory installed; initially about 65MB is used (this includes the monkey: games, book, spelling, numbers, etc.) and about 160MB is free. So you should be able to add 4 games ($$$), but most likely not 5 ... especially if you have downloaded some music and/or photos into the unit. The unit seems a little heavy after loaded with batteries (not included) ... so smaller hands may have a harder time grasping and not dropping this toy (it does appear to be durable). “

3. Playmobil My Take Along Puppet Theater

This fun play along station is perfect for the puppet shows and story telling. Action figures, dolls, and character puppets all work great with the Playmobil scene.

Customer Review:

“I purchased this take along for my 4.5 year old for Christmas. I couldn't find any reviews but I couldn't resist when I saw it at the kids toy store. The other playmobil sets seemed to have too many small pieces. My son has been pleased with it. He spent some time playing with the little figures. Very nice details. It doesn't have too many small pieces. Just the right amount. This is a great way to introduce children to theater/performance...etc. Also, the story included on the playmobil website is very helpful.

It can be downloaded from their website...

The only thing is that the little musical device doesn't have a great sound quality, but that couldn't have been from the batteries I have placed.

Overall, I would recommend this product to anyone age 4 and up. The take along feature is a plus. My son loved the idea of having it as a "suitcase".

4. The Sing-A-Ma-Jigs

Your kids won't be able to resist the Sing-A-Ma-Jig, a whimsical and unique creature that loves to sing in its own jibber-jabber language. Alone, Sing-A-Ma-Jigs sing their favorite songs and notes, but in groups, they can interact and harmonize perfectly. Kids 36 months to 6 years old will be delighted to see these quirky creatures' mouths opening wide for each note.

A Whimsical Singing Creature

Each spirited and well-made Sing-A-Ma-Jig is constructed with thick, soft fabric and comes in a colorful print T-shirt with a Velcro tab that makes changing easy. Kids will love these creatures' fun and cuddly shape and will be eager to collect these otherworldly singers.

Each creature has its own unique colors, ear shape, and singing pitch. The Sing-A-Ma-Jig's mouth, which opens wide whenever it sings, is as entertaining as its singing. Your kids will be delighted to see the little teeth and tongue inside the moveable mouth.

Customer Reviews:

“I wanted not to like these things, because they're weird looking, but I find myself playing with them every chance I get. Each differently colored animal, when you squeeze them emits an "Ohhhh" sound of a different pitch. Together, they harmonize. Each time you squeeze them, there is a different note sounded. You really need more than one to get the fun effect. I was thinking these would be perfect for grandparents to give to sets of grandchildren (or nieces/nephews/siblings/whatever) so they could be played with together. They don't do anything else, but what they DO is really fun. I'm not sure why.

You'll be disappointed with just one, though, because you can't hear the harmony. “

“I'm not even a little kid and I find these toys so adorable. I got this hot pink toy at CVS

yesterday. My mom, my sister and I were going to go see a movie, and we stopped at CVS real quick. I'd seen the Sing-A-Mi-Jig on TV and I tried squeezing it's belly. So cute! Soon each of us had a toy in our hands and we were harmonizing in the middle of the aile. If you squeeze it's hand twice then press it's belly it'll sing. This one sings A Tiskit A Tasket. Took me a few minutes to find out what song it was. Each one sings only one song, but I know that one will sing Oh He's A Jolly Good Fellow, and another one It's Raining It's Pouring.

So much fun! “

5. Tonka Chuck's Stunt Park

Zip, zoom, turn and even flip-- perform all kinds of stunts with your CHUCK THE DUMP

TRUCK vehicle and this fun electronic play set. Press the TONKA plate to activate your vehicle's motor and send him racing down the mountain to do his flip flop stunt or set him up for his daring two-wheeled hanging stunt. Turn the handle to raise the scoop and help Chuck get to the next level. This little daredevil just loves to show off with you. Vehicle can drive on or off the track. So bring him with you to sit down and read from his storybook and plan your next big daring feat! Playset requires 2 "AA" batteries (included). Vehicle requires 2 "AA"

batteries (NOT included). Works with other Power Playard systems like Boomer's Flippin'

Fire Rescue, Rowdy's Trash Crash, and Handy's Hangtime Bridge. Other sets sold separately.

Age 3+

Customer Reviews:

“My little boy loves this sooooo much! So much going on, with hidden surprises and challenges. And, he REALLY loves even more now that he sees Tonka Chuck the Truck on his new TV show (HUB -

Discovery Kids). He can now reenact scenes from the show. He loves to watch Chuck motorize through all the different ramps and obstacles, and he can customize the track.....so he can get creative. My son freaked when he opened this gift! “

“I just had to review this toy. It is very cute and actually takes some thinking ahead for the little one to make sure the track is in the right place before the Chuck dump truck comes along. IF the track is not in the right place Chuck the dump truck will just keep on moving straight and off course. This takes some practice for a little one to figure out, but he/she will get that the track has to be lined up right (the yellow loose track pieces that is). Anyway, I had to review this because the stunt ramp comes with batteries so the kids hear a noise when the blue ramp is lifted... but... the entire Stunt Park will not work unless you have 2 AA batteries for the Chuck the dump truck. So, I would hate for anyone to put this toy together and think it will work since they give you batteries for the un-needed ramp part and not the very needed dump truck. It is really a neat toy. I could not give 5 stars just because of the battery