Does your son or daughter love robotic toys? Then this Christmas, do what I’m doing and get him or her a WowWee RC Robotic Flytech Dragonfly! Dragonflies are a unique type of toy – not your typical dinosaur or dog or other animated animal. The RC Dragonfly comes in blue and green and it flies like a real insect the way its wings flap around. You won’t have to worry about it if it crashes – it’s durable. Kids love the way they can make it fly in tight spaces.

Does your daughter want something a bit more “girlie?” Well WowWee Flytech makes something similar – just for girls – the FairyFly toy! Fairyflies come in pink, purple, yellow, and orange and they fly all around in a similar way to the Dragonfly. You can even get other forms – like butterflies or even Tinkerbell (which would be great with the new Tinkerbell movie that’s out now, too).

I plan to get both my 9-year old son a Dragonfly and my 4-year old daughter a Fairyfly. I think come Christmas morning, they’ll be flying all over the house and in the yard having great fun! Check them out below:

Christmas is just around the corner and kids everywhere are getting excited to see what will be under the tree this year. One gift genre that shouldn’t be overlooked is games. Kids love games, whether they’re board games, games of skill or electronic and video games. Games are a great way for a whole family to come together for an afternoon or evening and have fun. So, what are the top games for Christmas, 2009? Let’s look at the top 12.

Bowling Bunnies

A fun game for preschoolers and even older kids, Bowling Bunnies was created after the German lawn game Skittles. The bunnies sit on a wood base and players bowl them over with soft, kid safe “cabbage” beanbag bowling balls.

Wild Planet Animal Scramble

This award winning preschool game teaches kids to think on the fly with a tag styled game that develops the skills of listening, thinking, sharing and cooperating. Kids can play by themselves or with friends.

Monopoly

Kids young and old still love this oldie but goodie classic board game. Monopoly is a great way to spend some time having fun and building empires. Players learn to strategize and think ahead. Money handling skills are also part of the fun.

Hullabaloo

Full of fun and surprises, Hullabaloo keeps players moving with a game that is reminiscent of Twister, but with a twist. Players listen to the game console, which instructs them to jump here and slide there. Movement is constant until the console says, “Freeze”. The game is fun and funny for kids of all ages.

Scene It

There are several different versions of the Scene It game, but they all revolve around the same theme – your favorite movies. Watch the scenes from the movies, answer questions and race your friends to get to the Winner’s Circle.

Here’s the First Five, but scroll down to see the rest!

Cranium

The first version of Cranium is as popular as ever. Players complete artistic, language, performance and trivia activities in teams. The result is usually lots of laughter, a bit of mayhem and even some drama!

Mario Kart: Double Dash

With a cast of twenty characters to choose from, players can be anyone they like in Mario Kart: Double Dash. The video game is different from other Mario Kart games because it uses not one player in a kart, but two. The game also features multi-player battle codes. Double Dash has been out for a while, but it’s still a favorite.

Guitar Hero III

The third in the Guitar Hero series of video games, players win by hitting the correct notes on their “guitar” as the notes scroll to the bottom of the screen. Staying in time with the music requires a fair amount of skill, but kids (and parents) get a kick out of playing it.

Buzz! Junior Jungle Party

This award winning video game actually contains several mini-games, many of which are quite easy and suitable for young children. The quiz games can be played and enjoyed by older kids and even adults. Up to four people can play at a time, but the game can also be played solo.

SpongeBob Square Pants: Creature from the Krusty Krab

Sponge Bob is fun no matter what, so this video game has to be fun, too. Players can be Sponge Bob Square Pants, Patrick Star or Sheldon J. Plankton and must find their way through nine levels of play in a Krusty Krab dream world. If you and your kids love Sponge Bob, this is a must-have.

Here’s the second batch of five, but scroll down to see the last two!

Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

This video game was created with Lego fans in mind. Most of the games settings and pieces are made from Lego bricks. Creating new Lego Star Wars character is one feature of the game, and players must fend off attacks from blasters and other evils.

Wii Fit

When did fitness become so much fun? Family fitness is now a video game called the Wii Fit. You can do Yoga, strength training, aerobics and balance games with the Wii Fit. It’s hard to tell whether this is really a game or a fitness tool.

This is a mix of board games, active participation games (where you have to do something other than sit or interact with the TV or computer) and video games. Some can be enjoyed alone, and all of them can be enjoyed by two or more players. The whole point is to have fun.

We’re back again for the 2009 Christmas season and I know parents everywhere (like me) are wondering what to get their kids. First of all, the economy is suffering – so our budgets might be a little tighter. You might get fewer toys or buy cheaper toys – but you want a good deal!!

What’s hot this year? For boys it’s going to be Bakugan Battle Brawlers 6 pack. It’s the #2 selling toy for boys on Amazon right now!

For girls, it’s probably going to be the Vtech Kidizoom Digital Camera in Pink.

Toddlers are toppling all toy sales on Amazon with the Elmo Live Doll! It’s now the #1 top selling toy on Amazon!

Here are some of the other most popular toys for Christmas 2008 and there’ll be more gift buying tips to come, so bookmark this page for later:

Elmo Live is two things – it’s a live stage show you can take your kids to, PLUS it’s an animated Elmo doll that will bring thousands of smiles to your little one’s face!

This Elmo toy dances and sings – he plays games with your kids. He even crosses his legs and tells jokes! That’s very silly. This Christmas toy for 2008 is going to be flying off shelves. Remember Tickle Me Elmo? Same thing – it was a duel between parents to see who could grab their kid the last Elmo doll in the store.

You can learn more about the Elmo Live doll and order it here to avoid those unruly crowds:

Elmo Live Sesame

I’m usually all in the Christmas spirit, but today I’m getting annoyed. Here’s why: I ordered a lot online this year. With free shipping options, it was just too tempting! Point, click, pay, wait. But listen to what happened…

I get home one day and right there in front of the door is my son’s RockBank box – with the NAME of the product in HUGE letters across the box. My daughter’s Kitchen just arrived – with PICTURES of the product splashed on the box for everyone to see! 

Another present I ordered from Amazon had the packing slip showing, and on it, you could read what was in the box! What are they thinking? Is it some advertising they’re trying to do to the postal people delivering mail? It must be, because any dunce knows that at Christmastime, lots of presents are being ordered – so it MIGHT be a good idea to keep it under wraps what’s in the box – ya think?

Another gripe and then I’ll return from my Grinch mood to a jolly fat mom: Manufacturers – why do you ruin Christmas day by making it harder to get the toys out than it is to steal a bar of gold from Fort Knox? There are rubberbands, plastic ties, glue – it takes a pro wrestler to hack into this stuff!  Is theft really so bad that you have to go to all those measures? It must be.

And I even have scissors handy, but it’s annoying having to chop through everything to try to get a toy out. For once, can you make things easier for us?  Okay, I lied…one more gripe. You order the big Santa present – you know, the kitchen, the drumset, whatever. Why don’t these things come with stickers already attached? Why must we have to sort through 1,000 tiny stickers and apply them on Christmas Eve – I don’t see why they don’t come on the toys already?

…end of rant – you will be returned to your regular programming of cheer and holiday kindness now!

tiff

If your toddler or child is anything like mine, Elmo is a staple character in your home – especially at Christmastime! This year, one of the hottest Christmas toys for toddlers is going to be the Fisher Price Sesame Street Elmo’s Learning Fun Laptop.     

I know I’m always trying to keep my toddler off my computer unless I’m there to help her visit PBSKids.org or some other kid-friendly site. So the Elmo Laptop is the perfect way for her to get to be just like Mommy using a computer!  The thing I love most about it is – it’s an educational toy.

But what about other hot Elmo toys this Christmas? There are many!  From the TMX Elmo to the Pizza Party Elmo, your kids will laugh and love their toys no matter what variety you bring home. Here are some other Elmo Toys for Christmas 2007 you might want to consider:

A little dose of green will do ya good. At least, in my house it will. Kids of all ages (okay, adults, too) will love Shrek the Third – and all the goodies that go along with it. I personally love watching Shrek and Shrek 2, and I’m awaiting Tuesday anxiously so I can finally see Shrek 3 but I’ve seen enough clips to know it will live up to its predecessors.

For Christmas, there are all sorts of Shrek, Shrek 2, and Shrek 3 presents to buy. First, there’s the movies themselves – including a 3D version! Then you have plush dolls, Barbie-type dolls, talking and stretching Shrek dolls.

You can find Shrek toys for the Ogre himself, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots, Baby Shreks, and Dronkeys (Donkey’s offspring with his Dragon lady love).  There are movies, books, toys, clothes, dinnerware, and video games.

 One thing I love about it is that Shrek toys are perfect for boys AND girls. Even the clothes come in pink and blue (with a little green mixed in for good measure). So go visit this site to find the perfect Shrek toys for Christmas and make your little one grin from ear to ear this holiday season!

Here are some great Shrek Gift Ideas for Christmas 2009:

I have a 3-year old daughter named Scarlett. She has two older brothers, so I can never count on just finding “girlie” toddler toys for her – I have to make sure I shop for toddler toys based on fun and educational or creative appeal.

This year, it’s Elmo, LeapFrog, and a whole host of other toddler toys that are big.  Every year I abhor having to go shopping in stores and trying to find the hottest toy of the season, becauss it’s never there!  A great tip is to shop online and shop early, because if you wait too long, you’ll wind up going to eBay and paying an arm and a leg for the toy your child wants.

The favorite toys my daughter plays with are her dollhouse (see below) and her Mermaid

Here are the Top Toddler Toys for 2009: