It started with the Smart Cycle which has been around a couple of years now. Kids could ride a bike, play games and learn their numbers all at the same time.  The Smart Cycle has been extremely popular and won numerous awards. However, some Moms did report that the kids got bored with it (well that happens with many toys). For 2009, the Smart Cycle has been upgraded and enhanced. There are also many new preschool fitness toys – Smart Fit, Leapfrog Zippity, Vtech Ride and Learn Giraffe Bike, and the Fisher Price 3 in 1 Smart Sports game. Which to choose? Here’s some info on the products:

2009 Smart Cycle Extreme

The Smart Cycle is a video game operated by a kid-sized stationary bicycle that also teaches math and spelling skills and other skills for kids aged 3-6. New for 2009 is the Smart Cycle Extreme, which adds another element of fun, the rumble pack. The rumble pack gently shakes the bike when your child passes over a bumpy road. This rumble technology is utilized in 6 new games for 2009: Pixar Cars, Sponge Bob, Toy Story, Hot Wheels, Bob the Builder, and Planet Heros. The Smart Cycle Extreme will also backwardly integrate with Fisher Prices previously released titles. Which means that if you already own games for the Smart Cycle, they will run on the Smart Extreme, but without the rumble technology.

Disney Leapfrog Zippity

A high energy learning system with interactive mat and joystick that gets preschoolers dancing and jumping while they interact with their favorite Disney characters.  Leapfrog has branded itself exclusively with Disney and has all Disney titles including Cars, The Princess and the Frog and Disney Princess. The Zippity console default game features characters from Mickey Mouse Club, Little Einsteins, Winnie the Pooh, and Handy Manny.

Fisher Price Smart Fit

The Smart Fit Playground is an interactive activity pad and plug and play game that encourages kids to be active. The kids will walk, run and jump while learning letters, numbers, shapes, and colors.  Reviews by Mom’s of 3 year olds, say they love it!If your younger child wants to have their own fitness toy, the Vtech Bike is for kids as young as 18 months. It encourages learning through 5 modes of active play. It has an LCD display, adjustable bouncy seat and rides like a bicycle. The seat is adjustible for different heights. We think it’s nice to have an interactive toy that doesn’t also tie up the TV!

Vtech Ride and Learn Giraffe Bike

If your younger child wants to have their own fitness toy, the Vtech Bike is for kids as young as 18 months. It encourages learning through 5 modes of active play. It has an LCD display, adjustable bouncy seat and rides like a bicycle. The seat is adjustible for different heights. We think it’s nice to have an interactive toy that doesn’t also tie up the TV!

Fisher Price 3-in-1 Smart Sports

For the kids who love sports! It comes with golf club, teenis racquet and baseball bat which control the action with a wireless controller.  While playing games, your child learns numbers, letters, shapes, and motor skills. If your child has Wii envy, this might be the trick for them to have their own Wii like game!

Find where to get the best deals for the holidays on these Preschool Fitness Games and more!

Dora lives in a small beach community called Puerto Verde, with her four best friends Naiya, Emma, Kate and Alana the “Explorer Girls”. Your child will be able to explore the city and solve mysteries with Dora, just like the TV show. The game is filled with dress up, and interior design games, that little girls love. The truly amazing part is that when you have Dora plugged into the computer, and you choose her hairstyle, eye color, or jewelry colors the doll changes to match your selection. This change happens pretty instantaneously with the click of a mouse.  This level of interactivity will delight your little ones.

The Dora doll plugs into the computer with the included fuchsia usb cord, and when off the computer she runs off of 3 included AAA batteries. When the child is off the computer, the Dora doll interacts differently based on what level of the game your child is at. She will talk about the current mystery your child is working on, and alert your child if new mysteries have been uploaded to the Mattel site. I’ve heard some parents say their children will not leave the house without their Dora Links doll.

Another fun element to Dora links is that new levels can be unlocked if you choose to buy the Dora accessories. Like many other dolls, you can buy outfits and accessories to expand your collection, but when you buy Dora Links accessories, you are not only expanding traditional play but you are also expanding online play. For example you can unlock the school mysteries by buying the Mattel Puerto Verde School, and you also get a desk, chair, books, and pencil cup to go with your Dora doll when your child is playing offline.

Dora’s best friends the “Explorer Girls” each have a separate doll that can be purchased to even further expand the game. Mattel did a great job of creating the multicultural elements of the TV Series, by making Dora’s friends all different nationalities. When your child gets a new doll she can unlock that dolls room and decorate it. At about $20 a doll, it’s easy on the wallet to add new dimensions to your child’s Dora world.

Some speculators have started to mass purchase the dolls in advance, betting that there will be shortages when the holiday season arrives, and they will be able to resell them on eBay. Dora Links is already starting to top the lists for the most coveted toys of the 2009 holiday season, so it might be a good idea to make your purchases on the links collection early. It’s hard to anticipate which accessories and explorer girls may or may not sell out. Click below to find the complete set of Dora Links Products:

Dora Links Dolls, Playsets, and Friends

To find the best deals on any of these games, check out Best Toys and Games for Teens.

Toys are usually only for kids, but this group of games appeals to adults, and make great gifts for the hard to please teenager age group.

1. Blokus

 With 409 reviews on Amazon as of this writing, 403 of which are 4 and 5 star ratings, its no wonder that Blokus tops our list. Blokus has won many awards including the Mensa Select Award and the 2004 Teachers choice award, and is played in tournaments many countries around the world. Simply put, Blokus is the chess for today’s youth. It’s equally addicting to young and old alike. The rules are much simpler than chess so you can literally start enjoying the game in less than 5 minutes from opening the box. The goal is simple to get rid of all your pieces first, but the game is pure strategy with an emphasis on using your spatial intelligence. The original Blokus game is catered to playing with 3-4 players, but it can be modified to play with two players. It is this authors opinion that two player games are equally, if not more fun as group games. Pick this one up if you haven’t already.

The Settlers of Catan

2. Settlers of Catan

Take Monopoly go back a couple centuries, and add in extra variation, and ways to win, and you have Settlers of Catan. Settlers of Catan is considered one of the best board games of all time by many reviewers, due to its enjoyment by both hardcore gamers and non-gamers alike. It is a highly interactive group play game that relys on trading and building. One of the fun aspects of the game is it’s easy to derail the person winning by refusing to trade with them. It’s also amusing to see how each person is affected by their chosen strategy.  With five different types of resource cards and several different ways to score points, this is a game of endless variety, and constant action. This game is suited for the teen who enjoys playing complex games with their friends (the game can last 2 hours and it takes playing one game to understand the rules and strategies). This is the type of board game your teen will want to invite friends over and make and evening out of it.

3. Set

Staring blankly at this deck of cards at the game store scratching my head, it was hard to see why this game was so popular, until you play it. Set is a game of recognizing “sets” and calling them out. Your brain and your eyes will rapidly scan 12 cards in hopes of catching the next set before your opponents. I believe it is this adrenaline rush that makes this game so fun. After playing, you might feel like you have just drunk a double shot of espresso. The only drawbacks are that the same person might win over and over, and beginners cannot stand a chance against a seasoned set player. On the plus side, it’s a fast, portable, and addicting game (just like coffee!)

4. Carcassonne

Along with Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne is a European style game that was so popular it made its way to the states, but the similarities pretty much end there. Carcassonne is a tile game. There is no board in the beginning, but a board is slowly built throughout the game by the players laying the tiles and claiming the formations that are created. The players build cities, roads, monasteries and farms and lay their pawns on them to claim points, but must wait until the formation is complete to take back the pawn back. With a limited number, of pawns, players have to do some careful strategizing to win the game. This is a game to make an evening out of taking anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. It is also suited nicely for 2 players, whereas Settlers of Catan is more of a group game. Warning: this game can be very addictive, and there are many expansion packs that you will be tempted to buy if you get hooked.

5. Bananagrams

Bananagrams combines portability, verbal skills, spatial skills, and speed all into one game. The object of the game is to be the first person to finish laying their tiles. After laying all the tiles in your hand, you call out bananas and each player has to draw a tile from the pot. During the game you can rearrange the tiles in front of you to accommodate the new tiles. Winner of multiple awards, and touted my many as extremely addicting, Bananagrams is a great game for teenagers to play with friends or alone (there is an equally fun solitaire way to play!).

Find theses great games and more gift ideas at Best Toys and Games for Teens.

Elmo Live Encore is a re-make of the popular 2008 Elmo Live.  If you’ve seen Elmo, he has some incredible moves. He tells stories, makes jokes, sings songs, and plays games. Reviewers at Amazon gave him 4.5 stars last year (5 stars is the highest rating).  That’s a rather high rating.   It seems that both kids and adults tend to either love Elmo or hate it.   Elmo can be a little scary for a 1 year old and Elmo toys are most often purchased for the 2 to 4 year old set (and their parents).  Yes, Elmo Live can be great entertainment for the adults as well.

Elmo Live Encore is too new to have ratings out at Amazon but all indications are that the quality of the toy will be the same high quality of the original toy.  The new Elmo Live sings 3 songs from Sesame Street: Sunny Days, Somebody Come and Play, and Elmo’s World.  He also has new jokes, a new story and more interactive play. If you enjoyed the original Elmo Live, the new version will be a new toy.

We recommend picking up the new Elmo Live Encore early, inventory may be in short supply this year as merchants cut back because of the economy.

1. You can carry around up to 1500 books at once.  Great for travel.

2. It comes with free Internet access. Of course, the purpose is to make it easy for you to buy more books but it can be used to surf the web as well.

3. Books are usually a little cheaper than purchasing a hard back or paper back.

4. No waste of paper – good for the environment!

The Kindle is only available at Amazon (or ebay), check it out here and see a video preview too:

I was very impressed with every costume we received from Acting Out, excellent quality and very original products.  One perk too was being able to press the button on the music box to start the music but also to stop it if you didn’t want it to play through.  Another great quality about all these dresses was the adjustable sizing.  Not something you find in most play clothes.

The Knight/Pirate cape was so soft and well made.  I love the concept of the reversible cape.  Everyone likes to get two for the price of one.  It also had a great fit for just about any size.

Musical Hokey Pokey & Can Can skirt:  Definitely our favorite!  Again the two in one but all of my girls love the ruffles and the twirling.

Chicken Dance skirt:  My girls love to dress up and dance but it lasts much longer when this fun skirt is being worn!  The cute skirt and fun music makes everyone want to dance!

Musical Waltz dress:  With the pretty dress and wonderful music it makes any girl feel like a beautiful dancer! 

Swan Lake Ballerina skirt:  What girl doesn’t love sparkly pink?!?  The quality and soft satin lining makes this a skirt that will be put to use frequently.

We know this Mom and family will have hours of fun with these great products. If you would like to assist us with toy reviews, learn more here.

Find more information on where to Buy the Acting Out Musical Dress Up Skirts.

And follow us on Twitter for more toy product reviews, deals, and specials.

Find the complete list of 2009 Water Slides and where to purchase at the best prices!

Banzai still has some of the most popular slides and they are bigger than ever this year (so is the price). The Banzai Wipeout Curve Water Park has a climbing wall, curved slide, activity lagoon and water blasting cannon.  The suggested retail price is $749 but we see it listed for $698 and $599 with free shipping.  The construction is listed as heavy duty Dura-Tech. Also available this year is the Banzai Roaring Rapids Water Park with 3 slides. There is a large curved slide and a dual slide pair which can be fun for birthday party races.  We have seen it listed for $649 and $898. The Banzai Jungle Blast Water Park is back with 2 waterslides, water fall, and cannon. It is available for $699.

Little Tikes as in past years has two models for 2009.  The Little Tikes Slam n Curve Slide is the single slide with rock wall and curved slide. It is designed so that parents can see all of the action which is important with little ones. The list price is $379.99 and Little Tikes water slides are known for durability.  The larger product is the Little Tikes Rocky Mountain River Race with two water slides, rock wall and splah pool. Two spray hoods keeps the slides slippery. There is also a surprise dump bucket as the kids climb on the rock wall. The Rocky Mountain water slide lists for $499.99 but we see it available for $426.

Kidwise Outdoors has a colorful Mega Water Slide with a full water slide and smaller slide more like a slip n slide. Note that there is no real splash pool and you’ll want to limit the kids to one at a time on the big slide so they don’t bump into each other. Great price at just $299.

Blast Zone has a fun pirate themed combination bounce house and water slide. It also comes with two water cannons. Lots of activities for a list price of $599 and currently available for just $521.

Find the best deals on all of these great new waterslides for the backyard.

Kindle 2

I picked up the Kindle 2.0 for myself and also think it would make a great Mother’s Day gift, Birthday gift or Graduation gift. I wanted the Kindle both for the ease of carrying multiple books for travel and for the green aspects.  I really hate to pay money for books that I will read once and discard.  Ok, I do take my used books to Goodwill so I do think they are probably read at least a second time. Well, the Kindle is impressive! It can hold hundreds of books and if the local storage is not enough, copies of your books with your own notes are forever availabe at Amazon.  That works if you loose your Kindle as well.  The books are easy to read. The Previous and Next keys are easy to manipulate.  The font size can be changed to your own preferred size.

The battery life is really impressive. The Kindle can go for 2 weeks without being re-charged. Amazon provides free access to the Internet through WhisperNet.  This is, of course, to purchase books but also can be used to search Google and access any Internet site.  Last week I was sitting with a family member in a doctor’s waiting room, we spent the time on the Kindle googling different medical terms in her test results, preparing ourselves with questions for the visit. It was very cool.  Whenever I am reading in public, I always get curious questions about my device.

The Kindle also has a read to me feature. I haven’t used it much as I like quiet time but it could be used for listening in the car or on an airplane with headphones.

Is there anything I don’t like about the Kindle. Well yes, it does seem inconvenient to flip through as you would a book. If a book has pictures in the center, I like to sometimes look at them more then once.  It’s not easy to find them with the Kindle. You would have to remember to bookmark them as you read to be able to get back to them.  Maybe there is an easier way but I haven’t found it yet.

Overall, I love my Kindle and highly recommend it.  Here’s the link to read reviews or purchase at amazon:
Kindle 2: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)

U-Dance by Tiger is a fast moving dance game that can be played alone or with friends. The manufacturer’s recommended ages is 5 – 12.  U-Dance is receiving 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon from folks who paid $74.95 for it.  It’s now available for just $19.99 and eligible for super saver shipping.  Find U-Dance and more great gifts for pre-teens!

Last year the Dream Town Rose Petal Cottage was one of the top sellers of the season. Playskool came out with two more play houses but they just didn’t take off as well. Now you can pick up both for bargain prices. The Playskool Dream Town Sweet Lily Castle with Dress Up is a 5 foot tall castle for fun pretend play. It comes with a princess dress up set and a frog prince!  Originally priced at $199.99, the castle is now available for $65.99 and eligible for free super saver shipping. This castle is designed for ages 3 to 6.

Also on sale from Playskool, is the Cherry Blossom Market.  Just over 4 feet tall, a colorful market with walk up window. This play market was $59.99 and now is only $15. Wow, it’s a give away. You’ll probably want to pick up some of the accessories too such as the Ice Cream Set which is also $15.  Still makes for a great playset at a great price.  Find the Playskool Cherry Blossom Market and accessories.

There were lots of new robots this year, maybe just too many.  One of the cool ones is the WowWee Tribot Talking Companion.  He talks and moves and is interactive. Aimed at ages 8 and up, Tri-Bot originally sold for $99.99 but is available now for just $49.99. Find the WowWee Tribot and more great Robot toys.

Yes, it’s getting a little late for shopping but not too late. Free shipping is still available and you might as well pick up on some great toy sales now!  Why wait until after Christmas?

The Fisher-Price Smart Cycle was a top seller for the holidays of 2007.  The appeal of the Smart Cycle is that your child can get exercise while playing video games.  The suggested retail is $108.99 but it has been listed for about $89 and just dropped to $68.52 at Target with free shipping. There are several optional software programs with popular characters and you’ll want to pick them up for some variety of games. Find the Smart Cycle and Software here.

Walmart consistently seems to have the best selection and prices of Kids Play Kitchens.  Right now the Step2 LIfestyle Custom Kitchen is just $79.84 reduced from $99.  This is the smallest of the Step2 play kitchens and if you are tight on space, small can be a good thing! Another inexpensive and smaller kitchen is the American Plastics Homestyle Kitchen.  It receives great reviews for value and quality but comes in “a zillion” pieces so allow plenty of time for assembly. If you want to avoid plastics, the KidKraft products are very reasonably priced.  The KidKraft Sweet Pastel Kitchen is $125 at Walmart.  It is $129 at Target. Find these great Play Kitchens and many more including some beautiful wooden play appliances.

We’ll continue to post with great toy bargains for the season as we find them.