Find where to purchase the top 10 toys and more at Top Toys for Girls.

New girls toys are popping up in every category this year. Between the Crayola kits and the jewelry kits, there are tons of different options to nourish your girls’ creative side. Board games are taking an interactive spin this year, and they also help girls develop their social skills. And sometimes you need a toy that’s purely built for fun, like the Barbie Motorhome!

With all the fancy flashing robots we are seeing this days sometimes its best to go back to a simpler toy. Rory’s Story Cubes are simplicity at its best. The game is built with pictures on dice that prompt the child to make up a story. There are several different ways to play, and as you can imagine, in the land of storytelling, the options are limitless. One amazon reviewer put it best when he said “Why in the world didn’t I think of that?”

The classic “who am I?” game has been adapted for children in the delightful party game called Hedbanz. But this game has a twist– a timer. This keeps the pacing quick, and is sure to be a winner this holiday season, especially amongs the girls.

Monster High has been the latest craze in 2011, and the Monster High Spectra Vondergeist Doll is one of the most highly sought after. This is one you want to get if its in stock cause shortages have already begun. The neat thing about these dolls is their limbs bend, so you can pose them in lots of different ways, and of course girls love them.

The Crayola Color Wonder Magic Light Brush has all the magic of painting without the mess. The clear paint magically changes colors to match the paint color. We are not really sure how this works, but the shiney metallic images this paint set produces looks truely magical.

Jewelry making is a big hit with girls and the Crayola Model Magic Jewelry Studio does not fail to deliver. This Crayola kit is unique in that most of the fun is in making the beads themselves. The kit comes with different colored clay and a spinner that allows you to make different swirly patterns. This kit is a step above your average jewelry toy.

Figit Friends are taking over America. This interactive toy holds true to its reputation. Who says the boys should have all the fun with the bright flashy robots. The Figit Friends prove that robots can take a softer cuter side. With over 100 phrases and jokes, plush body, and big eyes the Figit’s are sure to delight your little one. This toy is one to buy early, as demand is very high this year.

You don’t have to pay a fortune to have a spa day. The Orbeez Soothing Spa brings the spa experience to your living room. Perfect for a girls sleepover. The scented balls create a soothing sensation that any child would enjoy.

Simon Flash is the toys that asks “Can you get down?”. Just like the commercial shows, Simon Flash is an action packed memory game that will delight children of all ages. Like most games of this caliber, the challenges get harder and harder as you progress, so its sure to keep their attention.

No girls top 10 list would be complete without a Barbie toy. This year Barbie takes camping to a whole nother level with the Barbie Sisters Family Camper. Only Barbie would have a full kitchen camper with a pop-out hamock and jacuzzi. Sigh, life is hard!

Friendship Braclets still remain one of the most popular girls gifts. What better way to celebrate this timeless tradition than getting her the Alex Toys Friends 4 Ever Braclet Making Kit. With 68+ reviews on Amazon, this braclet kit has stood the test of time. The best part about this kit is that it transforms this tricky craft into a fun hobbie for little girls. This toy can last for a real long time, depending on your childs interest.

Find where to purchase the top 10 toys and more at Top Toys for Girls.

Find where to purchase the toys mentioned in this post at Top Toys for Boys.

Toys keep getting more and more sophisticated, and this year is no different. Animated toys are all the rage, and this year they are taking over the car and truck world. There are also a lot of new and interesting educational toys coming out in the boys arena. If one thing is for sure, the kids are sure to stay engaged this holiday season.

The Elmo series has evolved to a whole new level this year. Fisher Price’s Sesame Street Let’s Rock Elmo has the smartest technology than any Elmo we’ve seen yet. He can recognize which instument your child gives him to play, and recognizes which instrument your child is playing. If you collect all the add-on instruments you can have a whole band, with your favorite red furry friend. He comes with a microphone, tamborine and drumset so there’s no shortage of fun to be had! Order soon cause this one is sure to be a hit.

Angry Birds are taking over America! The Angry Birds Knock on Wood Game brings the infamous iPhone app to your living room. Your child will get to assemble and knock down the pigs in a real life atmosphere, activating different parts of the brain than the simple iphone game would. There is also an element of creativity built in to the physical game because on the special 4th level your child has the opportunity to build his or her own structures! I hope this one doesn’t sell out too soon, knock on wood.

Remember the old arcade games that had you guide a marble through a maze? This year PlaSmart has created a 3D version of that game you can play in your living room. Perplexus Maze Game is a ball that you tilt, twist, and flip to get marble through a 3D maze. Sounds easy right? According to reviewers this game is very addictive and challenging for all ages. One reviewer was so thrilled about the queit state it put her kids in that she said “  I’m buying 20 of them–family Christmas gifts and friend’s birthday gifts!”

Tablet’s are not just for adults. This year we have the Vteck InnoTab, so Suzy and Johnny can have there own big kid gadgets. It works just like a tablet computer made for little hands. It even has an mp3 player, ebook reader, video player and tons of kid-friendly apps. With a price-tag of $79.99, its a lot more economical than getting an iPad!

This toy wins the coolness award for boys toys. Its the Fisher Price Imanginext Batcave. It is sure to provide hours of action packed adventure for you little one. There’s a secret entrance, elevator, telescope and more. The game really encourages battle play which little boys are known for.

All boys love space and what better way to bring the outside into the bedroom with your very own moon. Uncle Milton’s Moon in My Room rotates through all 12 lunar phases to teach your child the phases of the moon. Moon in My Room is one of the more clever and creative gifts for this holiday season.

All I can say is “Wow!” for this next toy. Smokey the Fire Truck brings truck toys to a whole nother level! Not only is Smokey a truck, but he’s also an animatronic robot, and ball launcher; Talk about a three-in-one toy. What’s even more genius than this toy, is the price tag. At $39.99, you cannot go wrong!

This next toy was inspired from a classic manga TV series. Beyblade Metal Mastas Triple Battle Set, is a physical car launching battle game. Boys with love the interactivity of this game. Launching colliding cars is the perfect for an afternoon play-date.

The Snap Circuits Jr SC-100 was designed with the future electrition in mind. What better way to learn about how circuits work than to build them yourself. This toy comes with 30 pieces to build 101 different electronic projects described in the instruction manual. With color coded and numbered pieces, this toy is the good kind of challenging, and not too difficult to learn. This toy stands out as one of the best educational toys for boys this year.

Trucks are always really popular with boys and now there’s a wheelie truck to go with the Wheelies Little People series. Zig the Big Rig is a talking, animated truck that houses and launches all your little wheelies play toys. With 50 unique sounds and phrases, this toy will provide hours and hours of entertainment value.

Find great deals on the toys mentioned in this post at Top Toys for Boys.

Teacup Piggies and Doggies Toys Contest - Ends 11/21/2011 at 12:01am EST.

Find where to purchase the newest Teacup Toys online including Teacup Doggies and Families. Fun gifts for the holidays! And please enter our contest, someone has to win, it might be you!

Special thanks to Toy Teck for providing Teacup Piggies and Teacup Doggies for our toy giveaway! Teacup Piggies and Doggies are inexpensive interactive pets with clothing, accessories and new winter themes. Each animal can speak up to 25 phrases and responds to petting, and tickling the nose. Cute accessories include a teacup to sleep in, baby bottle and various clothing items. Teacup toys are great fun for both boys and girls, ages 3 and up.

For our toy giveaway, we have:

• Teacup Basic Set
• Teacup Mommy and Piglets Bedtime Set
• Teacup Mommy and Doggies Bedtime Set

Enter the contest now!

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To find the toys in this review visit Teacup Piggies and Teacup Doggies for the best places to purchase online.

Toy Teck was kind enough to give us Teacup Piggies and Teacup Doggies to review and to give away! These adorable toys are  interactive pets that say up to 25 phrases or responses. Your child can feed them, dress, them and give them a hug!  They are designed for ages 3 and up, and probably a 4 to 10 year old will have the most fun with them. 

The newest Teacup Piggies for this holiday season come with adorable winter themes.  There is a piggy with snowmobile to ride on and piggy with skating rink.  Of course, piggy has lots of winter outfits to choose from. The piggy I received for review is blue and when you turn him on he says, “Hi, my name is Zack and I love snowboarding.” Obviously a winter outdoor piggy.  He came with a teacup, certificate, baby bottle and cap.  He is easy to turn on and speaks one sentence at a time, all of them up beat. He will speak when you touch his nose or pet him or can be set to speak periodically.  He says things like, “I’m so happy” and “Yahoo, I love hanging out with you.”

Also new this year are Teacup Doggies, Teacup Families and Mommy and piglets.  Children will love having more than one piggy or doggy and accessories to play with.  We think a little older than 3 to be able to dress them and have fun with all of the accessories.

As we said we have Teacup Piggies and Doggies to give away. Fun gifts for the holidays. Contest details will be in the next post.

Find a complete listing of the Best Wooden Swing Sets available online from major retailers!

So what constitutes the best wooden swing sets?  What might be ideal for you might not work for another family.  The criteria for selection should include:

1. Size and features of the Swing Set – do you want just a quality swing set or do you want a clubhouse, sandbox, slide and more?  And of course, you need a bigger yard for some of the larger swing and gym sets so do some measurements if you have a smallish yard.

2. Is a cheaper swing set the best?  Maybe.  If you are on a tight budget, price is, of course, important.  So look at the price, and be sure to consider taxes and shipping.  Some major retailers include shipping to their stores and some merchants include free shipping to your home.  If you think the cheaper swing sets are adequate for your needs, go for it.  You have to remember that no matter what the wood, a swing set isn’t going to last forever and of course the kids do outgrow it eventually.

3. Set up time. Unfortunately, most of the reviews of swingsets that we find on merchants sites dwell on the set up time.  While that is important, it is a one time issue.  Just be sure that you have the tools and help from a neighbor if you need it.

4. Durability.  Darn, this is the hardest to determine.  You just don’t see many reviews that come in five years later describing the durability of the swing sets and if you do, that swing set probably isn’t still on the market anyway.

Some of the brands you might want to consider:

Backyard Discovery (formerly Adventure Playsets).  These are large, inexpensive wooden swing sets available at a few mass merchants.

Gorilla Playsets. These are the top of the line wooden swing sets.  We did find reviews for a swingset that had been used for 3 year and the parents commented that it still looks almost brand new.

Swing-N-Slide. Another brand with premium lumber and bracket systems. They also have do it yourself kits where you purchase the parts excluding lumber and buy the lumber locally.

Find these brands and more, including where to purchase, on our page of Wooden Swing Sets.

Check here for great deals on Easter Toys.

Sure Easter is often about candy and eggs but we think it’s fun to have some toys in the Easter baskets too.  If you order in time, you can pick up Easter baskets with your child’s name on it, very cool, and save them to use year after year.

The Sing-A-Ma-Jigs were top selling toys through the holidays and they have a very cute Easter Sing-A-Ma-Jig that sings “Here Comes Peter Cottontail.”  Pick up a few more friends as the Sing-A-Ma-Jigs interact together.

Looking for something a little different, The Gogo’s Crazy Bones are making a huge reappearance in the U.S. and you could have fun hiding them inside of plastic Easter eggs.

There are a couple of cute Fisher Price Little People Easter sets.   Easter dolls are sweet too.  And of course, with warm weather coming, check out swing sets, water slides and bouncers for the backyard.

Hop on over to Top Toys for Kids and find great Easter Toy Ideas!

We’ve been working on our page of Easter Toy ideas and JDNA was kind enough to give us samples of their Gogo’s Crazy Bones for a toy giveaway.  Gogo’s Crazy Bones are inspired by an ancient Greek game called Knucklebones. The game is played by bouncing and throwing knuckle bones.  Gogo’s Crazy Bones consists of hundreds of unique characters in various colors sold in small packets or collector’s tins. Your kids can play a game of Kuncklebones with them or just have fun trading with friends.  Gogo’s are the top selling toy collectible in several European countries as well as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.  They were recently reintroduced in the United States and have a huge giveaway going on.

You can enter to win a free day for your child with Bailee Madison at gogoscrazybones.com.  They are also giving out tons of  collector tins and individual Gogo’s.

You can also win Gogo’s Collector Tins and Gogo’s characters here!  And it’s so easy to win!  I will be sending out 3 prizes:

1. A Gold Series Part 1 Limited Edition collectors tin. It contains 10 unique gogo’s.

2. A silver Collector Tin, Lmited Edition, with 10 unique gogo’s.

3. A Hiro collector case with 3 Gogo’s and 3 Stickers.  A Gogo’s sticker book.  Six additional Gogo’s with stickers.

The contest starts today and ends April 10 at midnight PDT.  I will announce the winners on April 11 and send out the prizes. There are 5 ways to enter the contest.  You can enter once in each category:

1. Take a look at Gogo’s Crazy Bones and place a comment about them here.

2. Like Top Toys for kids on Facebook.

3. Follow Top Toys for Kids on Twitter.  twitter.com/toptoyskids

4. Send out a tweet (or re-tweet) about this contest.

5. Link to us from a blog post on a website or blog that you own.

The Rules:

Please provide your email address to contest [at] top-toys-kids [dot] com.  Please email with the details of your entries in the contest so that I can put you in the drawing and contact you if you win.  The deadline is April 10 at midnight PDT.  There will be 3 unique winners drawn.  You must be within the continental US to win (or pay your own shipping).

Good luck. I hope to hear from you soon!

Battery Powered Ride On Toys come for kids of all ages – even toddlers!  The ones for the younger set are geared towards 18 to 36 months.  They are 4 wheel quads with push button control.  The maximum speed is 2 mph.  Walmart has the Disney themed quads on sale today – Disney Rapunzel’s Tangled 6 Volt Quad, Disney Handy Manny 6 Volt Quad, Disney Mickey Mouse 6 Volt Quad, and Disney Beauty and the Beast 6 Volt Quad.  These quads are all priced at an even $35.00 and $.97 shipping.  That’s the best price you’ll see all year, usually the 6V quad ride ons are between $50 and $150.

For the older kids, ages 3 to 5, are the Suzuki Quad ride ons in red and pink. They have forward and reverse and go 2.5 mph with a realistic driving experience.  The Fisher Price Power Wheels Kawasaki KFX is also designed for ages 3 and up and has a 12V battery and 2 speeds. The Yamaha Raptor is also a 12V quad ride on with realistic styling and ride.

Finally for the 8 and older crowd, The Razor Dirt Quad Electric Four Wheeled Off Road Vehicle is the premier product.  The Razor Dirt Quad reaches speeds up to 10 miles per hour.  It is an off road quad with excellent climbing capabilities.

Find where to get the best online deals for these great Battery Powered Ride Ons and more.

Although the media hypes up Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the whole Cyber Week is really the beginning of the holiday rush.  Walmart will have specials all week. Today starts with the Hot Wheels Turbo Town Mega Garage Playset.  It is a real working auto garage, with three levels of play, five ramps, working car elevator, turnstile and two car launchers.  Walmart has this garage playset on sale today for $29.  It lists at Amazon today for $39.99.

Find the Top Toys on Sale at Walmart!

Find a huge selection of KidKraft Play Kitchens.

Amazon has deals going on all day today (Black Friday) and through next week.  The Kidkraft Suite Elite Kitchen is an amazon exclusive play kitchen.  It has a play refrigerator, microwave, oven and sink with cute red and white window decor.  It is similar to other Kidkraft play kitchens such as the Kidkraft Vintage Pink Kitchen and the Kidkraft Large Play Kitchen but with a unique see through window design.  Amazon has this kitchen on sale for $129.99 and free shipping which makes a big difference on larger items.  It is made of wood, with durable construction and does require assembly.  Parents estimate about 2 hours to assemble.

Find the Kidkraft Suite Elite Kitchen and other great Play Kitchens for Preschoolers.