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.

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.

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.

Find the Top Toys on Sale at Walmart!

Don’t fight the crowds, pick up Zhu Zhu Pets online now!

Zhu Zhu Pets have been nominated by the Toy Industry Association for Girl Toy of the Year and Innovative Toy of the Year. Winners of the Toy Awards are announced in February, 2010.

The most popular of the Princess and the Frog toys are the Princess Tiana dolls.  Tiana wears her bayou wedding dress. Prince Naveen also wears his wedding suit.  There is also a Princess Tiana doll in a sparkling blue gown that lights up with firefly lights.  She is nominated by the Toy Industry Assocation for Girl Toy of the Year.

The Princess and the Frog Tiana’s Cookbook with recipes for kids is a fun and inexpensive gift at just $8. It includes recipes for Tiana’s Beignets, Swamp-Water Smoothies, Ray’s Mud Pie and Banana French Toast.

There is a colorful Disney The Princess and the Frog Princess Tiana Cooking set which would be a lot of fun to combine with a kids play kitchen for Christmas.

Finally, Disney Princess & The Frog Bedding makes for great room decor in fun colors. Your kids will love to go to bed in their fun new sheets and comforter.

Pick up the popular Princess and the Frog toys now as they are selling out quickly!

Thanksgiving Day – Target has online only sales, find more info here: Black Friday Toy Deals .  This is followed by a 2 day sale on 11/27 and 11/28.

Walmart has several toys on rollback prices including the Step2 LifeStyle Custom Kitchen, several Power Wheels Ride Ons, the Step2 Fantasy Vanity, and the Leapster 2. On Friday, two new Power Wheels Jeeps go on sale for just $88. – the Fisher-Price Power Wheels Hot Wheels Jeep Ride-On and the Fisher-Price Power Wheels Barbie Jeep Ride-On.  Find a huge selection of Battery Powered Ride Ons.

Amazon has reduced the price on some popular toys including the new Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid. Find these Bakugan Toys and more.

Kazoo Toys has specialty toys not often found at larger retailers. For the first time ever, they have coupon codes that are good through the holiday season. Pick up the Kazoo Toy Coupon Codes now.

DiscoveryStore will have several popular toys on sale starting on Black Friday, some up to 70% off. Check out the DiscoveryStore toy deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The Smart Cycle Extreme has been reduced in price at all major retailers. Last we checked it was available for $69.97 with free shipping and no taxes. Find the best deals on Smart Cycle and other new PreSchool Fitness Toys.

Spend time at home with family rather than in the malls, shop online for convenience and best prices. Some items will be in short supply this year as retailers try to keep down inventory and costs, so if you want, pick it up this week-end.

Happy Holidays.

Find links to purchase the Five Hottest Toys for 2009.

Zhu Zhu Pets – These cute furry hamsters were popular when the G-Force Movie came out and have been hard to find ever since.  Mr. Squiggles has been one of the top selling toys at Amazon and has dropped out of the top 10 because of the high prices.  Originally listing for $10, he is now up to $64.99. Walmart, Target, and ToysRUs all still list Zhu Zhu Pets on their website but they have been out of stock since summer and store look ups are disabled. Bah Humbug on Zhu Zhu Pets this year.

Mindflex Game by Mattel – The Mindflex game was still available in early November but has been out of stock at all major retailers for about 2 weeks now.  Walmart had the lowest list price at $59.97.  Some specialty retailers were selling Mindflex for $99 but they are all out of stock as well now. EntertainmentEarth and Hammacher are indicating inventory will arrive in February, 2010. If you want it now, it is available at Amazon and ebay for inflated prices of about $165.

Disney Princess & The Frog Just One Kiss Princess Tiana Doll – Yes a product that is in stock! $24.88 at Walmart, available other retailers as well. The movie comes out in December and demand is expected to be strong, so grab one now!   Find links to purchase the Princess Tiana Doll and other great Princess and the Frog toys.

LEGO Star Wars – There are a ton of LEGO Star Wars toys made popular by the TV Clone Wars Star Wars show. The one that Stephanie mentions is the Star Wars Anakin’s Fighter. It is a bit hard to find.  The Venator class Replublic Attack Cruiser is a top seller at Amazon and still in stock. Find a huge selection of Star Wars Toys – in stock now for the holidays.

Matchbox Rocky the Robot Truck – An interactive dump truck! He speaks over 100 prases and tells jokes. He’s a best seller at Amazon and available in traditional retail packaging as well as the Amazon Frustration-Free packaging for $59.99. Rocky is also at DiscoveryStore for $79.95. He is out of stock at the other major retailers, so you might want to grab it now!

Find the Oppenheim Five Hottest Toys and other great award winning toys for the holidays.

Reference: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio and view the Today show clip.

Fisher Price Handy Manny’s Repair Shop – Many preschool boys love Handy Manny! The repair shop gets high reviews at Amazon!

Playskool Kota & Pals Monty Rex – A soft and snuggly dinosaur that responds to touch. He walks, roars, chomps, and plays tunes. For ages 3 and up.

LeapFrog Zippity High-Energy Learning System - Learning system from LeapFrog and Disney that combines movement with games. The Disney characters will be sure to appeal to the girls.

Fisher Price TRIO King’s Castle – Build a cool castle with easy to follow instructions for several designs.  Once built there are plenty of accessories for creative play.  Designed for ages 5 to 9.

Magic Reveal Chef’s Oven – Inexpensive play oven with pot, food, fork and spoon. Put your food in the oven and it comes out cooked. Ages 3 and up.

Mattel D-REX Interactive Dinosaur – Updated for 2009, this popular dinosaur combines robotics, sensors and reptilian like skin for a lifelike appearance and behavior. He walks, chomps and roars. You can even teach him tricks. Ages 8 and up.

There are many more Target Toy Coupons, take a look now before the sale is over!

We have located options to purchase Mindflex.  They are not perfect but if you really want it, we have options.  Amazon has inventory from 3rd party resellers.  Likewise, you can find Mindflex on ebay and there is one game site that has doubled the price. A couple of retailers are taking back orders for delivery in late November and early December.  There is a risk that this stock will not arrive. There is also a risk that you will overpay and when the stock does arrive it will be cheaper at Walmart.  It’s a gamble. If you want this mind control game, pick it up now!

 Besides Mindflex, there is also a fun Star Wars Force Trainer that uses mind control to levitate a ball. This Jedi Mind Control game is in stock at the moment. Check out Mindflex and other popular Mind Control and Brain Games now.