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Great Picks for Holiday Gifts
Each year, the toy and gift manufacturers work hard to bring us improvements and inventions that are better than the year before. And each year, when we are certain that they have run out of new ideas, they continue to breathe new life into the world of play. 2006 is a year in which both technology and simple play share the spotlight. Older children will appreciate the “next step” technology of the Microsoft Zune, their loud answer to the iPod, while youngsters have yet another Elmo to dream about for Christmas Day. While these gifts are in no particular order, there is no denying that the most famous Muppet deserves a top designation. 1. “T.M.X.” Elmo: The X stands for “extreme” and celebrates the 10th anniversary of the original Tickle Me Elmo. Yes, it has been 10 years since Elmo first danced into our lives. Fisher-Price’s “T.M.X.” Elmo will tickle your child’s funny bone with three interactive tickle spots on his chin, tummy or toe. When kids tickle Elmo on any of the tickle spots, he starts to laugh and slap his leg. The furry character also kicks his feet while laughing and rolls over onto his tummy where he starts hitting the floor with his hand in gales of laughter. Think Cabbage Patch here – this one will be hard to find. Requires 6 “AA” batteries. For ages 18 months and up. Because of the demand, they sell for as much as $149. Sold at toy and department stores everywhere. Also at etoys.com and the Fisher-Price online store. But don’t be surprised if you have to wait until after the holidays to find one. 2. Lego Mindstorms NXT: Call them the Lincoln Logs or the Tinker Toys of the modern age, if you want, but those other building toys were never quite like this generation of Legos. And calling Mindstorms NXT a toy is like calling ketchup a vegetable. Lego Mindstorms NXT is a robot that your child builds and operates. It’s one of those gifts that is inspirational enough to help your child discover a hidden talent or just a new interest. If our robots are in our future, who knows? Maybe it will be the Mindstorms NXT that inspires your child to one day invent the robot that goes around the house turning off the lights in the rooms in which there is no family member. The Mindstorms NXT is sophisticated, yes, but not so much that younger kids won’t be able to assemble and operate it. Packed with sensors, the Mindstorms NXT reacts and moves with precision and will provide endless hours of interactive play. Don’t forget to break out the camcorder because your child’s biggest thrill will be the one he or she (yes, she – don’t count girls out of the engineering side of this product) has when the Mindstorms NXT comes to life. Mindstorms NXT robots come in five main themes and eight different models. All models can be programmed to perform differently. Each robot requires 6 AA batteries. Available at toy and department stores. For ages 10 and up. Suggested retail: $249.99. 3. Moon Sand from Spin Master Ltd.: Here’s a play toy that is meant for kids but which could easily wind up on the desks of stressed executives. Moon Sand from Spin Master is a wonderful invention – reusable sand that never dries out. Moon Sand looks and feels like real sand and it can be formed into various models and figures, just like wet sand. But Moon Sand can be oven-baked to harden whatever it is your child makes. When it cools, simply re-bake it to get back the original crumbly texture. Moon Sand comes with its own sandbox and a few castle-making accessories and shovel. It is great for any kid, starting at the age when they know that the sand is not food. Available at toy and department stores, toysrus.com and etoys.com. Suggested retail about $27. 4. Disney Pixar Cars: Disney Pixar and Mattel have introduced a wide range of toys and playsets based on the movie “Cars.” As expected, the line of toys includes a wide range of toy vehicles, including the highlight of the product line, an animated car based on Lightning McQueen. The Fast Talkin’ Lightning McQueen vehicle is the highlight of the Disney Pixar “Cars” product line. The interactive car says around 30 phrases, and can be programmed to perform tricks and stunts. The animated eyes and mouth make this toy car simply irresistible. The line of “Cars” toys includes lots of exciting accessories (known as playsets) such as the Mountain Challenge Playset. For ages 3 and up. Suggested retail $39.99. 5. Tough Kid’s Digital Camera: You can always tell a Fisher-Price toy. Whether it’s the bright, bold colors, the easy designs meant for kids or the extra touches, year after year, Fisher-Price seems to know just what kids want. Perhaps 2006 is the year of creativity for kids. If so, the Tough Kid’s Digital Camera can open up their photographic talents. Easy enough for a 3-year-old to use, the camera is equipped with a 1.3-inch color LCD preview screen that lets kids instantly see the pictures they’ve taken. Other special kid features include: * Two-eye viewing that makes it easy to look through the viewfinder * Sturdy, dual handgrips for a steady shot * Big buttons that make it easy for little hands to use * Controls that are simple for kids to understand – no reading required The Tough Kid’s Digital Camera stores more than 60 pictures and can accept a memory card for more storage. You can also print your child’s photos on a PC or Mac (PC requires Windows 2000 or higher). And it takes good pictures, too! Available at toy and department stores, toysrus.com and etoys.com. Suggested retail about $70. 6. Bratz Forever Diamondz: Bratz is the name for a series of 10-inch dolls produced by MGA Entertainment, starting at the end of 2001. Bratz dolls are created in both boy and girl styles. Each year, Bratz dolls continue to win awards in their category and they are now the No. 1 fashion-doll line in the country. In order to appeal to the widest assortment of girls, Bratz dolls come in all types, with names such as Dana, Fianna, Nevra, Tiana, Kumi, Felicia and Katia. There is even Yasmin, who is modeled after the daughter of the CEO of the company. This year, the Forever Diamondz collection has the girls decked out in dazzling outfits. Included with each doll in the Bratz Forever Diamondz collection is a diamond gem with a certificate of authentication. Also included with each doll is a code that girls enter on the Bratz official website, where they have a chance to win a one-carat (200 mg) diamond. At $29.99, Bratz Forever Diamondz is one of the most expensive Bratz doll collections ever released. But as many moms and dads will tell you, they’re popular. For ages 5 and up. 7. Razor E100 Electric Scooter: Normally, we’d recommend that kids ride their bike. But because bikes are so “yesterday,” it often takes an electric scooter as an incentive to get them out of the house. If so, here’s an easy ride for those 12 and up. The Razor E100 scooter reaches a top speed of just 10 mph, which makes it legal in most places to ride without a license (check local laws to be sure). It runs for 40 minutes of continuous use and reaches a full charge in 4-6 hours. The Razor E100 has a new chain-driven, high torque motor, a hand-operated front brake and offers a softer ride. Suggested retail about $150. 8. Microsoft Zune: Watch out iPod! Zune is here. Designed around the principles of sharing, discovery and community, Zune creates new ways for your kid and his or her friends to connect and share entertainment experiences. Zune starts with a 30GB digital media player and adds a big twist: You can wirelessly share selected full-length sample tracks, playlists, pictures or your home-grown tracks directly from Zune to Zune. And Zune even has an FM tuner. Zune stores up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures or 100 hours of video. You can make playlists on the go and watch a slide show while you’re listening. Available in black, brown or white at electronic stores, some toy and department stores and amazon.com. Suggested retail about $249. 9. ChalkTracker: Here’s a great new idea that won a major innovation prize at a 2006 toy fair this year. A great outdoor toy for kids, ChalkTracker enables them to draw lines with the special chalk on most asphalt or concrete driveways and patios or on the sidewalk (anywhere mom or dad says it’s OK). Once they have drawn a path, the monster ChalkTracker truck’s optical sensors will follow the lines automatically. And here’s the best part: The chalk washes off with water for easy cleanup. Kids can draw a line that turns or spirals, and the vehicle will follow it. The ChalkTracker will even cross intersections. ChalkTracker comes with six big chalk sticks and requires 4 “C” batteries (not included). Available at toy and department stores, toysrss.com and etoys.com. For ages 4 and up. Suggested retail about $24.99. 10. Zizzle Pirates of the Caribbean Black Pearl Pirate Ship: This year, the most popular Halloween costume was that of a pirate. And the pirate every child wanted to be was Jack Sparrow, the star of the Disney series “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Now, your child can resume pirate play with a series of toys from Zizzle. The pride of the line is the reproduction of Sparrow’s ship, the Black Pearl. The ship’s midsection opens up to reveal the sounds of pirates fighting and the lights of the cannon’s flashing. There is a collapsible mast and a plank for disloyal crewmembers to walk. You can get the Davey Jones and Jack Sparrow action figures, the Flying Dutchman ship and other accessories to make the play complete. For ages 3 and up. Suggested retail about $45. Steve Smith is a regular contributor to Churm Publishing, Inc. For Letters and to let us know if you found a “T.M.X.” Elmo: TITLE: Feedback Craig Reem creem@churmmedia.com. |
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