Find the newest GI Joe toys  now!

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra opens this week on Friday. It previewed this week-end at Andrews Air Force Base and is being heavily marketed to middle America. The GI Joe toys originated in 1964 as military action figures. They were reborn in the 1980’s, my son had a couple of G.I. Joe dolls, yes dolls for boys.  The new movie features a modern version of the 1980’s characters and the updated toys are from Hasbro.

The popular G.I. Joe toys include the 15″ action figures and the vehicles. Action figures include G.I. Joe Ultimate Duke, G. I. Joe Snake Eyes, G. I. Joe Storm Shadow and Ninja Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes.  All come with realistic weapon accessories.

The G. I. Joe vehicle toys are rather cool too. There’s a G. I. Joe Cobra Gunship with Firefly Action Figure.  It is a Cobra gunship vehicle with opening doors, access panels and cockpit.  The G. I. Joe Night Raven with Air-Viper Action Figure is an aircraft with stealth technology. It has electronic lights and sounds, firing action, and missile launchers.  The G. I. Joe cobra A.T.V. with Scrap-Iron Action Figure is a  land vehicle which cruisers over mountains and deserts. It comes with laser-guided missiles.

All of the G.I. Joe toys – action figures and vehicles are designed for ages 4 and up or 5 and up. Most of the action figures are under $20 except for the Ultimate Duke Action Figure which is $69. The vehicles ranger from $13 to $99.

Also available is the new video game, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, released on August 4, 2009. It is available in Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, DS, PSP and PS2 verions. Pre-orders will receive a special unlock code with their purchase.

Take a look at the complete line of new G. I. Joe toys!

View the complete line of popular G-Force Toys and Action Figures.

G-Force opens this Friday. If you’ve been to the movies lately, you have probably seen the trailer. The guinea pigs are realistic and they are cute! The G-Force guinea pigs should make great action figures and plush toys for the kids.  As it is a Disney exclusive, you won’t find many of the G-Force toys at the big box stores.   However, you can pick up the G-Force toys online.

Find the complete selection of G-Force Toys and Action Figures.

G-Force is a family movie, rated PG, with some great actors, and being published in Disney Digital 3D! If you haven’t seen the trailer, you can see the official G-Force teaser on youtube.

Top toys for Kids is pleased to announce our first contest!

Win a free pair of back to school shoes for your child!  All you have to do is check out the custom shoes on the Vans website, pick the style and colors with your child, and then post back here about your experience.  We will select the winner on 7/27/2009. That’s plenty of time to receive your free shoes for back to school!

Vans is the original skate shoe manufacturer since 1966! Today there are three styles of custom shoes to choose from with hundreds of color patterns. A custom shoe can be purchased for $50, $60, or $70 based on the style you select. We think that’s a great value for a custom shoe! The kids will have fun selecting the style, patterns, and color and will look forward to wearing them for back to school!

Why is Vans giving away shoes? They want you to take a look at their site and consider ordering online for all your skate shoe and back to school shoe needs.

To get started now, just follow the banner to Van’s, create your shoes (you can save your creation for later purchase if you should win), and come back and post about it.

Contest rules:

1. Entries for this giveaway will be accepted until 8pm PDT on July 27, 2009.

2. You must be 18 years or older and live in the U.S. 50 states to win (you are encouraged to enter on behalf of your child).

3. Your entry consists of visiting the Vans site, designing a custom shoe with your child, and then posting a comment about your experience on this blog.  One entry per family.

4. The winner will be selected by Top Toys for Kids. All decisions are final.

5. The winner will be contacted via the email address that is used to register for this blog. If we do not hear back from you within 48 hours, another winner will be selected.

Good luck, someone is going to win a great pair of shoes!

Harry Potter mania has started! Most of the opening shows at midnight are sold out. But don’t worry, this movie is going to be around for a while. If you’re looking to beat the summer heat, a daytime show will do the trick.  And you’ll probably want to see it again with the IMAX 3D version is released on July 29.

The kids are sure to want Harry Potter toys and there are a few available now. The Harry Potter action figures are all on sale tomorrow  (July 15) to celebrate the opening of the movie. You can grab Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, and Professor Mad-Eye Moody.

Harry Potter costumes are in stock too and will be popular this year for Halloween. There could be shortages so buy early if you really want that robe!

Giddy Up N Go Pony on sale now! We saw it at $136 with free shipping this morning and amazon is currently listing at $156.  However, if you look at more buying choices, it is still available for less.  Walmart also has the Giddyup n Go Pony at $159 with free shipping site to store. Nominated for the Toy Industry Associations Preschool Toy of the Year, this is a great product with 5 star reviews at Walmart and Amazon. Your child can actually ride this pony, getting it to move by pressing the ear. It makes whiney noises and snorting sounds by pressing the other ear. Can be ridden indoors or outdoors.

Find the complete seller list for the Goddyup Pony along with some other great ride on horses!

The weather has warmed up across the country and backyard waterslides are one great way to keep the kids cool this summer! If you have been waiting because of price, now is a good time to get a good deal. Keep in mind that you should look at all costs, many of the water slides at Amazon and Walmart can be shipped for free and in most states there is no Amazon sales tax.

Find the complete line of Banzai and Little Tikes water slides!

Here are the latest deals on Banza water slides:

Banzai Wipeout Curve Water Park - newest Banzai for 2009 – price reduced from $599 to $399.99.

Banzai Falls Splash Blast Lagoon Waterslide – an older model and a little smaller – best value at $99 (originally $249).

Banzai Double Cannon Blast Waterslide - giant water slide with cannon – original $349, now available at $249.

Banzai Sidewinder Falls – the most popular water slide in 2008 – now available for $349.99 (originally $499).

Banzai Jungle Blast Water Park – a huge water slide with cannon and activities – originally $699 and now just $499.99.

Banzai Blackout Blast Waterslide – fun tunnel to slide through – originally $399, now just $249.

Little Tikes Water Slide

Little Tikes has two water slides this year:

Little Tikes Slam N Curve Water Slide – Little Tikes waterslides are know for durability – was $379.99, now just $298.

Little Tikes Rocky Mountain River Race – double waters slides – originally $640, now available for $348.

Compare water slide prices at major retailers now.

I purchased my Kindle 2.0 in March and paid the full $349. I did not expect to see the Kindle on sale this year. The Kindle was worth the $349 to me but is even better now at $299. Here’s what I like about the Kindle over traditional books:

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:

Kids love to cruise around on their battery powered ride ons. There’s the “cool” factor with the other kids and there is that desire to be just like Mom and Dad with their cars.  When selecting the right toy, you’ll want to look at age and weight requirements to get the right sized ride on.  You’ll also want to consider whether you want the ability for 2 kids to ride at once.  Then, of course, you want to get something that the kids will relate to – possibly Barbie Jeep for the girls or Ford F150 for the boys.  Here are some options:

Find the complete selection of Power Wheels Battery Powered Ride On Toys and where to get the best prices at major retailers.

The Fisher-Price Power Wheels F150 Pickup Truck is currently the best selling ride on at Walmart. It has two speeds and reverse, with the ability to lock out high speed for beginners. It can drive on and through ruts, grass, gravel, mud and more making it great for backyard play. It also has a real working radio, motor sounds, tailgate, pretend seat belts, and cup holders.  There are 3 styles of Ford F150 ride ons – a basic one seater, a two seater, and the newest Harley Davidson Ford F150 ride on.

The off road style ATV vehicles are also quite popular including the Razor Dirt Quad Electric Four Wheeled Off-Road Vehicle and the Fisher Price Power Wheels KFX ATV. The Razor Dirt Quad reaches speeds up to 10 miles per hour so definitely for a little older kid.  It supports up to 120 pounds and is designed for off road.  The Fisher Price KFX comes in two versions, the Kawasaki and the Barbie. Top speed is 5 miles per hour and it is appropriate for ages 3 and up.  The KFX ride on also does well in off road or backyard environments.

Also included in the top sellers are the Fisher-Price Power Wheels Jeep Rubicon, the Peg Perego Polaris Sportsman 800 Twin Ride On, and the John Deere Gator HPX Ride-On.  The Power Wheels jeep is for 2 riders ages 3 and up and can be ridden on grass or sidewalk.  The Peg Perego Sportsman is for older kids, ages 5 – 10. It also can ride 2 children at once at speeds up to 7mph.  The John Deere Gator HPX also is for 2 kids and up to 130 pounds total.

There are numerous other battery powered ride ons, some that are even appropriate for toddlers. The single rider vehicles are less expensive as well.  For the little ones there is the Mini Cooper in blue or pink. The Silverado 6V can be used as a ride on or remote controlled vehicle.  The Batman Lil Quad, designed for toddlers,  is an inexpensive ride on for ages 1 to 3.

There are many more options including kids motorcycles. Check them out here and get a great price with free shipping!

Find the complete line of Battery Powered Ride On Toys!

We love Mom entrepeneurs and Acting Out fits the category. Andrea Nasstrom and Anna Hazard created the original musical dress up skirts in 2003.  Their products have won over 14 national toy awards including several Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum awards.  Check here to find where to purchase the Musical Dress Up clothes.  Andrea was kind enough to provide some outfits for a mother of 5 kids under the age of 5.  Yes, we found a Mom with quadruplets and an older sister. Here’s our busy Mom’s review:

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.

Children grow up quickly, especially infants – they move from one stage of development to another in what seems the blink of an eye.  One fun way to be ready for each new stage is to order the baby toys matched to a baby’s development from ebeanstalk.  A new age appropriate toy arrives every 3 months.  There are several gift series to choose from starting at $83 for 4 toys. All series include free shipping. If this is your first purchase with ebeanstalk, you can receive a 15% discount with promotion code TGS345 . Check out the Newborn Gift Series and One Year Old Gift Series.

Need a little help picking toys for your baby or for a newborn gift? Here are some baby facts that should help with selection:

1. A newborn will briefly follow objects with their eyes and will also attempt to imitate facial expressions. Visiual toys are important at this age.  Newborns also love to be held and will quiet down when picked up.

2. A three month old likes to play a little more, reaching for objects and starting to show repetition with their activities. A three month old baby toy might offer more hand manipulation in addition to visual stimulus. Your baby will begin to respond to your voice and even understand words like “no” while they begin their own babbling.

3.  A six month baby will play more with toys. They enjoy peek a boo with hidden objects and baby will even search for the toy. Your baby will probably be more mobile, starting to roll onto their back.  Baby will often now understand their name and respond to your voice.

4. A nine month old baby toy will allow even more child interaction, such as pushing a toy vehicle or animal. They will enjoy games with sound such as pat a cake and toys with sound too.  Baby may be crawling around or pulling themselves up in attempt to learn to stand and walk.

For more help with selecting age appropriate developmental toys, check out ebeanstalk’s baby toys page.

Find additional gift ideas, you might also want to look at our Infant Toys and Preschool Toys pages.