Holiday Toy Gift Guide 2011

I can't believe we are less than three weeks away from Christmas!  Where has 2011 gone?  We have been busy preparing for this special time of year, and part of that is checking out some of the coolest and hottest toys this holiday season.  So here is a quick roundup of many of the things we love in the D household.

Everyone knows that you can spend a fortune on the coolest, hottest new toy and the kids will want to play in the box.  Why not skip the first step? Box Creations has a great line of imaginative cardboard playhouses that come in everything from a princess carriage to a space shuttle to a medieval castle.  We tried out the pirate ship.  It was incredibly easy to put together.  Within fifteen minutes the boyz were decorating their ship. I love that they come white with outlines.  It is like a giant, three dimensional coloring book that lets their imaginations go wild.  This has withstood hours of play with very little damage.  The boyz have loved even bringing in pillows and blankets and watching tv.  At $29.99 plus $9.99 shipping it is a unique and fun activity that lets them creat and play with very little boundaries.

In the world of boyz, Christmas is not complete without some type of radio-controlled (RC) vehicle.  Thanks to Radio Shack we had an opportunity to check out the Silverlit Head Shotz Battle Balls.  What we loved about these is they come in a 2-pack, so it is a great gift for siblings.  This product is recommended for ages 5 & up.  We tested these with all of the boys who are ages 5 and up, and these take a little bit of getting used to.  Personally, our 7 and 11 year olds really enjoyed them, but the 5 year old was easily frustrated.  These feature both battle mode, where you try to knock off your opponents targets, or a mode to just play.  At a price point of  $39.99 they are a great deal, but they are on sale for $29.99 until Christmas Eve at Radio Shack.

One of our families favorite toys is the Perplexus by PlaSmart.  We have had the original for about a year and a half, and every single member of our family loves what we call the maze ball.  It is a maze/labrynth contained withing a clear ball.  So when your ball bearing falls off of the track it is all self contained.  No looking for little rolling balls under a table or anything.  A great plus with little kids that might try and swallow one!  So we were incredibly excited when this fall PlaSmart released the Perplexus Rookie and Perplexus Epic.  The Perplexus Rookie is an easier version for younger children and beginners.  The Perplexus Epic is for advanced  players and is HARD.  We love the challenge and everyone in our family, as well as visitors and friends, love these mazes.

 They actually sit in a bookcase in our family room and are constantly being used.  Seriously, I was taking pictures of Nate with the RC Head Shotz above, and if you look over his shoulder-there is the original Perplexus!  Ranging in price from $20-$30 they are a great buy and can be found in many retailers like Amazon and ToysRUs.

The absolute must-have toy for the pre-school and elementary set is the new LeapFrog Leapster LeapPad.  Think a cross between a handheld video game player and your iPad or smartphone.  This is a great learning system that combines fun, interactive and educational games with the latest technology that all kids are craving.  You can purchase either individual game cartridges (like a video game console) or download items from an App Store (like your iPad or smartphone).  We have thoroughly tested this product for several weeks now, and we have absolutely nothing bad to say.  This has both picture and video capabilities, as well as coloring and drawing beyond the games and activities.  It is extremely easy to use for a generation that is used to grabbing mom & dad's technology and it is DURABLE.  We have had many drops and now damage.  If purchasing this product be sure to get rechargeable batteries and to quickly attach the stylus!  It retails for around $100 and can be found at many toy and retail stores, or online at the LeapFrog website.

So those are some of our favorites!  What are yours?

Items were received without charge for purposes of review.  All opinions expressed are my own.