2009 Kids Holiday Gift Guide
By: Administrator
Updated: August 19, 2010
2009
Kids
by
Meredith L. Phillips
I cannot wait to
discover the instant hits and recognize some real misses as I review the latest
toys and gifts each holiday season. My
team and I test each item for quality, entertainment value, price, ease of
assembly and use, among other factors.
After turning these products inside out and upside down, here are my
impressions and recommendations to get the most for your money this 2009
holiday season for the young gift recipients in your life.
The
Best of the Season
Leap
Text 'n Learn
Easily my first choice
this year, the Text 'n Learn has been nicknamed the "baby
Blackberry." This toddler tech toy
provides an alternative to handing over your $400 smart phone to entertain a
restless child. After one week of
occasional use, our two-year-old tester learned to recognize five letters, and
in two months of occasional use, he has learned all but two letters of the
alphabet. But this is, after all, a
child's toy, so his favorite application is making the mascot puppy
"Scout" dance around! Text 'n
Learn has three learning modes and six activities, including letters, games,
and pretend browser mode.
"Following Directions" is a game that teaches directions while
helping Scout to find his way home.
"Pretend Play" lets your child explore Scout's calendar and
play music in the browser. "The
Alphabet" helps identify the names, sounds, and lower and uppercase forms
of the ABC's. Recommended for ages 3 and
up, the Leap Text 'n Learn is a steal at Target, Walmart and similar stores for
under $20. Jam-packed with learning and
fun for your little one, this is truly the value of the season!
Play
'N Go Table
Mega Bloks has created
another favorite with this convenient block table. The set includes decorative stickers and 22
blocks for hundreds of combinations.
Unfold legs to set up for play.
The four building base plates unlock for removal to access storage or to
use for stacking and building. The
plates also feature a track for using the included car. After hours of fun, the table easily folds up
to go with your little one or stores nearly flat. For ages 1 and up, the Play 'N Go Table from
Mega Brands sells for about $40 at Amazon.com and Target.
Lifestyle
Gourmet Cafe Kitchen
Step 2 offers a wide
variety of kitchens for ages 2 and up.
We assemble and test the LifeStyle Gourmet Cafe Kitchen, with a French
Country decor and stainless steel-look appliances. Requiring two AA and two AAA batteries, not
included, the one-person set-up takes a little time but is not overly
complicated for the average parent. A
few screws create a sturdy construction.
We love the finished look of the window area with hooks for hanging cups
and utensils. We suggest setting the
unit perpendicular to the wall, so children can use this pass-through serving
window as intended. The sill prevents
the unit from sitting flush with the wall, but placing it nearly against the
wall does not take up a lot of extra space.
We enjoy the copper and brick-look stickers and the neutral tones that
look great in both boy and girl rooms.
The play kitchen features an extra deep sink and a swivel faucet. A prep sink and coffee pot warmer are nice
touches. The burners work with the pans
to create the sounds of a bubbling pot and a sizzling skillet. Coordinating blue silverware and dishes
create a nice two-person place setting.
A cordless phone, play food, and spice jars round out the feel of a
"real" kitchen. At over 3 feet
tall and almost 3 feet long, the kitchen has almost everything a little one
would want, except maybe a microwave, the only complaint we have from
tests. A great value when compared to
other play kitchens, the LifeStyle Gourmet Cafe Kitchen rings up just under
$100 at Step2.com or BJ's Wholesale.
Barbie
3-Story Dream Town House
At over 3 feet tall, this
"cool pink house" takes about an hour for assembly by one of our
preteen testers. The 55-piece set has a
lighted hot tub, a working elevator, and a four-post bed. The toilet flushes with a "whoosh,"
and the fireplace lights up for a cozy atmosphere. A ringing doorbell alerts Barbie that Skipper
and Ken have arrived for her party, and the kitchen timer dings to remind her
to take her included birthday cake from the oven. The flat-screen TV pops out of the fireplace,
and the kitchen cabinets open to store the included play food and
accessories. Mattel has even included a
footbath to soak Barbie's feet after a long day in those oh-so-high plastic
heels! This mega-mansion has it all,
except for a third chandelier. Our
testers love this giant pink dream home and all its amenities but are quick to
point out that the second included chandelier may be moveable between the
second and third floors, but they would just prefer an extra fixture. Is a pampered princess never satisfied? Barbie's Dream Townhouse is on the market for
just under $150 at Walmart, Target, and Amazon.com.
Mickey's
Magic Choo Choo
This season's release of
this magical train coincides with the premiere of the special episode Mickey
Mouse Clubhouse Choo Choo Express. The
"Choo Choo" song and Mickey's voice is heard as you push the Mickey
ears to get this bright locomotive to spring into action. Just as it does in the show, Mickey's train
travels around a track in "classic" mode or converts to the
"magic" mode of running on just two pieces of track. In this alternative mode, the engine rolls
over one piece, spits out another, then picks up the one in back again for an
endless ride of fun. This train engine
includes Mickey, one train car, two signs, and ten colorful pieces of
track. Four AA batteries are required
but not included. At $40, we see this
toy to be an instant classic for ages 3 and up.
To get on board, chug on over to stores like Kohl's, Disney Store, and
Toys R Us.
The
LIKEaBIKE
Mini
The LIKEaBIKE is the
perfect first bike for small children.
Designed for ages 2 to 5, this wooden wonder has no pedals. The concept focuses on teaching balance and
confidence in young riders. The
LIKEaBIKE weighs less than 8 pounds, has a mostly wood construction, has no
sharp edges, and features a felt in-fill between the frame and fork to prevent
pinched fingers or the sharp, unpredictable turn of the handlebars that
traditional bikes sometimes make.
Assembly is fast as lightning.
The handle bar attaches with two screws using the included Allen
wrench. Voila! You are done!
The seat is adjustable if needed, and the cotton seat cover may be
removed for washing. Our littlest
tester, age two, rides the LIKEaBIKE with ease and is not afraid of falling
because there is no need to lift his feet off the ground unless he wishes to
coast for a moment of carefree fun. We
are amazed how fast he has learned to ride!
As with all bikes, we recommend wearing a helmet and following other
safe riding procedures, though you may use the LIKEaBIKE indoors for added
safety and comfort. Go to LIKEaBIKE.org
to order your Mini from $265 to $329.
SpongeBob
SquarePants Memory
This version of the old
classic preschool matching game features the irrepressible personality of
Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants and his friends. Recommended for ages 3 and up, this easy to
play game proves to be perfect for short attentions spans and sharpens memory
and recognition skills. SpongeBob
SquarePants Memory is available from Milton Bradley and Hasbro wherever board
games are sold for under $9.
American
Girl Bitty Twins and PJ's
American Girl has always
encouraged girls to find a friend just like them. The Bitty Baby and Bitty Twins versions are
no different, available in skin, hair and eye colors to mirror your child's
image. Just like the full-size dolls,
these pint-sized versions are supported by a line of matching clothing and
accessories for girl and doll. This
season offers new holiday pajamas like the Snowflake Tunic and Snowflake Tee
PJ's shown here. Each set also includes
the "Bedtime Rhyme" book for reading to your Bitty Baby. Girls love these adorable outfits and enjoy
dressing just like their little ones.
Each set of pajamas and book costs just $24.
Iron
Fairies Figurines and Books
Artist and author Ashley
Sutton, a former iron miner in
Handy
Manny Construction & Mickey MouseKadoer Laptops
From VTech, these
preschooler laptops look quite similar in format at first glance. We quickly see when we put them into the
hands of our little users that there is a big difference in preference indeed. Both have a cute "mouse," one with
a Mickey shoe and one with Manny's tape measure named "Stretch." Each mouse moves directionally and has a
click button. Both also include an
integrated carry handle. Both laptops
offer a "repeat" button if a child misses
hearing the question the first time.
(Mickey's even offers a "correct answer" button.) The similarities seem to work well for both
laptops, but the differences work in Manny's favor time and again.
The Mickey MouseKadoer
Laptop features the voice of Mickey Mouse, familiar mouse ears and overall
clubhouse theme. The laptop opens
downward and has a slide latch at the top, which proved to be troublesome for
the younger testers. High and low volume
settings are available but both are still quite loud for small ears. The MouseKadoer offers 12 activities
including music, letter, number, and other games. Mickey's laptop offers auto shut-off to save
power but usually does not give children time to answer a question before
deciding to say "so long." Users
have fun playing with the Mickey computer but do not seem ready for some of the
activity levels.
The Handy Manny
Construction Laptop features the voice of Manny and a tool theme, including a
screwdriver and a hammer,
Philippe and Pat, recognizable from the TV show. These tools have their own storage area and
are useable on the play screws and nails built into the laptop for the
"fix-it" activity mode. The
laptop is in a familiar red toolbox shape and opens upward, requiring no latch
for carrying and therefore gave our testers no trouble when opening. The volume controls offer five levels and a
mute setting to keep little ears from overexposure to loud noise. The Construction laptop offers at least ten
games, including letter, number, matching, repair, and safety. The safety "do and don't" game gets
a thumbs-up from us! The addition of
pictures on the keys also gets a gold star from parents of smaller kids. Manny's laptop also automatically shuts off,
but the wait time is long enough that it allows plenty of time to respond to a
question before shutting down on its own.
Manny also offers a Spanish/English basic word and phrase button and
gives more attention to teaching hand/eye coordination using the tools.
Both of these claim
durability, and we find basic construction to hold up well under regular
preschooler use, though the painted characters on the outsides of both units
wears off rather quickly, starting during removal from the box. The LCD screens on both units are a similar
size and quite small, giving a bit of trouble for some kids to interpret what
is happening in the picture for some games.
Overall, we are greatly pleased with the Handy Manny Construction Laptop
and recommend it much more highly than the MouseKadoer. For about $30 to $35 each, these are
available at retailers such as Kmart, Target and Toys R Us.
Scrabble
Slam
Our kid testers rate this
card game to be much faster, simpler, and "way more fun" to play than
the traditional tile game. Cleanup is
quicker and storage is a non-issue with this simple deck of cards. The bold, easy to read deck of cards makes
for full-speed-ahead fun. Scrabble Slam
has already earned several kids' and toy awards. Rated for ages 8 and up, this new twist on a
classic is only $5 and available wherever Hasbro and Milton Bradley games are
sold. The kid testers have the last word
on this one: "awesome!"
Harumika
fashion design kits
Made popular by Project
Runway and
Sing
Scene Pop Singing Video Game
In the format of a
microphone with simple plug and play A/V cables, this video game combines the
enjoyment of performing karaoke with the privacy of your own home. Just plug it in; no other installation is
required. Lyrics roll across the screen,
and a vocal meter shows if you are off-pitch.
One or two people can play.
Requiring four AAA batteries, not included, this game seems to be aimed
mostly at preteen girls and is recommended for ages 8 and up. The lyrics of the 20 included songs are rated
"E for Everyone." From Jakks
Pacific, Sing Scene Pop runs about $30 at Target and Walmart and includes
current hits from Fergie, Rihanna, Fall Out Boy and more.
Star
Wars Motion Flight Game
This plug and play is another "out of the box" install, using only A/V cables and four AA batteries. Geared more toward boys this time, this Jakks Pacific video game has graphics that are much better than many plug and plays we have seen though still comparable to the Sega Genesis. This flight and battle simulator senses motion of the controller and offers an 8-foot range of cord. Somewhat sluggish in responding to controls, this Motion Flight Game still offers quite a value for an all-in-one system. Most video games require an expensive console plus the cost of individual game cartridges. For $30, we get the excitement of participating in five flight campaigns and multiple missions per level. Built-in training shows how to play and use the controls. Overall, testers were impressed with what you get for the money. Recommended for ages 5 and up, the Star Wars Motion Flight Game content is rated "E for Everyone ages 10 and up."
UCreate
Games & Artimation
UCreate brings your toys
and imagination to life with a simple USB connection and your computer. Draw or trace objects on the drawing table to
transfer them into the computer world.
Add photos with the built-in camera and animate them with the UCreate
system. Design your own games and
personalize with the included sounds effects and templates. Visit the special website to get even more
ideas and add-ons. Designing your own
game and bringing it to life is one of the biggest hits of the season in our
age 8 and up testing category. The unit
comes with an installation CD, instructions, dry erase markers, interactive
booklet. UCreate Games & Artimation
is from Radica and Mattel and is available at Target under $70 and at Walmart
under $60.
EyeClops
Mini Projector
One of the most exciting
products of the season, this little wonder offers the ability to project movies
onto the side of the house or play video games on the ceiling. We love the excitement of finding new ways to
jumbo-size our fun, and this does the trick, up to 60 inches, launching a
big-screen showing of whatever we choose!
We can hook this to our MP3 players, DVD players, and digital
cameras. Possibilities keep coming to us
and we love every one. Routing our
multimedia through this little projector truly supersizes the fun for our teen
testers, though this device is highly recommended by us for anyone on your list
who wants major excitement! The
projector runs for about 5 hours on 4 D batteries, or the included AC adapter
may be used. Roughly the size of a
digital camera, the EyeClops Mini fits right in your hand or mounts onto its
stand. The EyeClops Mini Projector from
Jakks Pacific is just under $100 at Walmart, Target, and Amazon.com.
Streetz City Pursuit from
Mega Brands contains 221 pieces to build a customized city to maneuver while
performing 10 different stunts using the two included street rods. A helicopter with an LED search light and an ambulance
are also a part of the set, for those "dangerous" high-speed
chases. For ages 6 and up, this action
building set requires two AA and one AAA battery. Find this and other Mega Brand toys at Toys R
Us and Walmart. Streetz City Pursuit
costs about $40.
American
Girl activity books
A variety of craft and
activity books are available from the American Girl team. Find our favorites, described below, at
AmericanGirl.com and in bookstores.
Our favorites include Spa
Fun, which has tons of tips to help unwind, sections for skin, hair, nails,
and yoga, right down to setting the mood and sensitivity skin testing. Party and sleepover ideas are included. For under $9, this is a wonderful choice for
girls age 8 and up.
Funky Felt Crafts and Button Crafts are two titles worth
checking out for those who like creating handmade items and are both available
for under $10. Funky Felt Crafts has
dozens of craft and gift ideas. Forms
and patterns are included. Button
Crafts shares new ways to dress up clothing and accessories, create
jewelry, decorate a room, and personalize gifts, all by using buttons.
A Smart Girl's Guide to
the Internet is a great way to let
your child know how to navigate cyberspace without lecturing or nagging. Some of the topics covered are
privacy, safety, a
parent's role in computer use, emoticons, net lingo, how to handle instant
messaging and chat rooms, cyber bullies, social networking, blogs, and sharing
media. Using the net to keep in touch
with family, help with homework, and help others is also addressed. A site log is included to keep track of
favorite websites. For ages 10 and up,
this book is priced under $10.
Our favorite title from American Girl is Earth Smart Crafts, recommended for ages 8 and up for under $10. All of the projects make good use of items that would otherwise be thrown away. Suggestions include making beads from paper, pouches from melted plastic shopping bags, and hair accessories, totes, and book covers from other rescued items. Patterns and instructions are included. Fun and educational, this book teaches social responsibility with a new perspective.
Klutz
activity books
Chicken Socks' Super
Simple Sewing and Clothespin Cars are the best activity books we
have seen for kids ages 4 and up. Sewing
offers instructions for four projects, including a purse and a bracelet, and
everything needed is packaged with the book.
No scissors are necessary, and a safety needle is provided. All supplies and instructions to make three
cars, including decals and a paper city, come with Clothespin, as
well. These titles are perfect for
preschoolers and are priced at $12.95 each.
Boom, Splat, Kablooey - Explosive Science That's a Real Blast is
full of messy, loud, and crazy hands-on experiments that actually teach lessons
in science and dozens of cool facts. The
experiments have full instructions and use common items or the parts provided
in the package. For ages 8 and up, this
educational and entertaining book is under $20.
Paper Fashions Fantasy is not a truly practical or educational book. But really, who cares? It is all about fashion! Even the adults love this one. Filled with inspiring quotes from famous
people, this book includes stencils, patterns, colored paper, embellishments,
and tiny hangers for creating a fabulous paper wardrobe. The book suggests styles and designs ranging
from fairies, witches, and mermaids and contains all you need to be the
greatest paper doll fashion designer ever for just about $20!
Find our favorites we have
featured here and other Klutz titles at retailers such as Kmart, Target,
Amazon, and Klutz.com.
Stocking
Stuffers
Kooky
Klicker Pens
In a variety of popular
licensed characters such as Mickey Mouse, Tinkerbell, Star Wars, and SpongeBob
SquarePants, as well as MLB and NHL team logos, these Kooky Klicker clip-on
pens are as practical as they are whimsical.
Collectors can get sets with stands, or individual pens may be purchased
for $3.49 in stores everywhere.
Skelanimals
Stuffed Toys and Collectible Figures
Usually dead animals would
not be the most appealing item to put on a gift list, but as the subtitle of
the book Skelanimals by Mitchell Bernal reads, "Dead animals need
love, too." In the case of these
cute little critters, we will oblige.
Described as "cute, dark, and cuddly," the characters feature
silly skeleton and heart designs on both the plush and vinyl figurines. Usually relegated to the Halloween season or
found in alternative stores such as Hot Topic, the "Adorable Dead" go
mainstream this season. Packed two in a
tube, the vinyl creatures are perfect for stuffing a stocking, and the $8 price
tag is perfect for not emptying your wallet.
Recommended for ages 5 and up, Skelanimal characters range from Dax the
Dog and ChungKee the Panda to Marcy the Monkey and Kit the Cat. The small collectible plush toys cost about
$6 each and include a fifth option, Jack the Rabbit. Look for these toys and the book on
www.Skelanimals.com and in mass retailers.
Hello
Kitty Designer Collectible Figurines
Available in 2-packs,
these adorable and trendy renderings of the cute and classic kitty run about
$8. Packaged in mini tubes, these Hello
Kitty Designer Collectibles fit right into a stocking and slide right out to surprise
and delight those on your "nice" list. About four assortments are currently
available. Find them at stores
everywhere.
Smart
Animals Eco-Systems
These miniature wild animal habitats from Discovery Kids are collectible and connectible. Each one contains an animal such as a lion or shark, info on the species, and appropriate accessories. For ages 3 and up, these tiny habitats cost about $5 each.
EA SimAnimals Africa
The
new SimAnimals Africa from EA Games is available for Wii and Nintendo
DS platforms. Users build a habitat with animals, plants, trees, and
more. Storing away extra food in your backpack, you can feed a hungry
lion to keep him away from your baby giraffe. Discover new animals and
encourage them to breed. Shake a tree to release seeds for feeding the
wildlife on the savannah or in the jungle areas. Plant new grass and
trees, and water them by stirring up a raincloud. Just like other Sims
games, SimsAnimals Africa can be personalized but must be maintained to
protect your wild kingdom. Using the birds' eye view or the animal
ground view, petting and playing with the animals is important to
winning the game. Collecting bugs and other rare items and feeding
them to animals unlocks some special surprises. The DS game features
more species than the Wii game and allows players to talk to the
animals. SimAnimals Africa is rated E for Everyone and is available
from Walmart, Sears, Best Buy, and more for $40 for the Wii game and at
a better price for a more developed level of play, just $30 for the DS
game.
Project Runway Silk Screen Fashion Design Set
Fashion
Angels has produced a Project Runway Silk Screen Fashion Design Set for
silk-screening clothing and accessories. The easy-to-use set includes
silk screen machine, 50 patterns, 10 silk screens, six fabric paints,
over 25 stencils, and more. Kids add their own custom art to shirts,
purses, scarves, and more to personalize their wardrobe, just like a
real fashion designer. Designs are as endless as a child's
imagination, and refill kits are available to accomodate them.
Recommended for ages 8 and up, Project Runway Silk Screen Fashion
Design Sets are available at Target, Toys R Us, and similar stores for
about $30.
Design A Heavenly Equestrian Wardrobe Kit
Design
A Heavenly Equestrian Wardrobe kits from Fashion Angels allow girls to
create over 100 flashy fashions for their two paper dolls and two paper
horses. The kit includes fabric, paints, sequins, stickers, buttons,
ribbons, beads and more to design Western and English riding gear.
Girls from 8 and up who love horses can create hats, boots, saddles,
and blankets for their riders and animals. An even better reason to
purchase is that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of these
design kits goes to the Wild Horse and Burro Program of the U. S.
Department of the Interior. Just under $20 at Amazon, Growing Tree
Toys, and other online sites, these kits pack a bunch of fun into every
little box!
You
might want to reconsider...
SuperWhy
Touch and Learn Super Duper Computer
At first glance, this
little laptop is as attractive as the bold colored characters in the PBS series
SuperWhy. The box promises many
educational activities, and with this much learning potential hidden inside, we
want to love it. Unfortunately,
the testers have trouble getting the attached pen to communicate with the
touchscreen and understanding the games and activities. The games are cute and educational but seem
to work better with our school-age child testers. The unit is easy to open and to power up but
just doesn't appeal on an interactive level to the lower range of the
recommended age group of 3 and up, even on the easiest setting. Super Duper Computer is selling at
ShopPBS.org and Toys R Us for nearly $40, so make sure your little one is up to
the challenge before investing, or we recommend holding off until they reach
Kindergarten.
WowWee
Alive Husky Pup
Activated by squeezing his
ear or petting his back, he blinks, howls, whimpers, growls, and barks. This little pup is cuddly yet fierce. The age recommendation is 3 and up, due to
the small batteries. Otherwise, this guy
is appropriate for any age. WowWee Alive
also offers three other species: Koala Joey, Seal Pup, and Leopard Cub. While we appreciate the realistic sounds, we
are a bit disappointed that the only movements are facial. We also find that there is little interaction
between "pet" and owner, so the $60 price tag is a little steep for
us. If this pup still looks too cute to
resist, find him at retailers everywhere, including Walmart and Toys R Us.
Daisy
Greenway Interactive Camper
Learning Curve and Caring Corners present the new Daisy Greenway Interactive Camper as a way to teach children about living green and being a responsible part of the community. We love the presence of an onboard recycling bin and the songs and sounds of nature, but we think the construction is a bit flimsy for toddler use. The younger testers have trouble closing the camper without pinching little fingers or popping the door off the hinges. They struggle to open some of the cabinets and doors without help. Folding out the side of the bus results in a play surface that tips easily, interrupting playtime and requiring more set-up. The camper is certainly not on our list for the younger end of the ages 3 and up group that the manufacturer recommends but seems okay for school-age children who can be a bit more careful. For the suggested $35 retail price, we would expect a toy that teaches about the environment to be sturdier and not seemingly disposable!
