As you will appreciate, youngsters aren’t known for having a particularly long attention span, and that is where the LeapFrog Scribble and Write is so ingenious. It will keep them fascinated for hours yet at the same time they will be learning from the handheld electronic system that is perfect for little hands.

There is a screen and the shape of each letter lights up and your child will use a stylus to trace the shape that they see on the screen. There are also magnets beneath the screen and these allow the child to see what they wrote, and it can quickly and easily erased to let them start over. They don’t just have to sit writing letters all the time either, they can draw and doodle which also helps them to master the stylus.

There are four different modes of learning in the LeapFrog to ensure your child stays both entertained and interested. It’s very quick and easy to change the settings between upper and lower case letters, shapes and drawing. The parent will probably have to do this the first time, but we all know how quickly kids catch onto things these days.

Educational toys are notoriously difficult to create successfully as it is very tough to hold the attention of a young child long enough to teach them anything. This is where the LeapFrog Scribble and Write excels as it has found the perfect balance between education and entertainment. After using this device for just a short time your child will have become familiar with the upper and lower case letters and will soon be writing unaided.

Along with the other LeapFrog toys such as the Leapster and the Leapster 2, parents are able to connect the LeapFrog Scribble and Write to the Leapfrog Learning Path online and download customised ideas directly onto the device. This toy also fits in perfectly with the highly popular LeapFrog ‘Puppy Pals’ toys, so if your child loves their Puppy Pal Violet or Scout, they will immediately take to the Scribble and Write.

This toy runs on three AA sized batteries and is best suited for children between the ages of 3 and 5. You will, however, realise that any child who is learning to write and draw shapes will love the Leapfrog Scribble and Write, no matter what age they are.

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1. Interactivity is the key to a good toy The way children play games has changed significantly thanks to...

Many seem to view this as a bad thing but this is far from the case. Computer gaming can be an environment for children to develop their minds and their intellect. For parents this is a great thing because children enjoy playing games and parents get to see their children develop while doing something that they love.

The best types of toys that encourage a child’s development are those which are interactive. Interactivity is something that computers can do very easily. An annual survey conducted by Play-Date, which is a marketing company, revealed that boys this year are going to be asking for more interactive toys and video games than any previous year.

The Leapfrog Learning System is a popular educational gaming system that makes children’s learning fun. This system plugs into the television and helps children learn basic things about the world, such as the colours and the alphabet. The success of systems like this has caused the industry to focus on them.

Webkinz has taken over the market like the Tamagotchi did in the 1990s – these are stuffed animals that support a world of learning and virtual friends. The Webkinz world extends to the internet and there is large online world dedicated to the toys. The online world provides information on how to take care of their virtual animal as well as providing education learning games.

Even parents and older siblings are being taken in by the Webkinz world. The success of the toy has led to many other products being developed, many of these are in the form of interactive games. These include Zoobie pets and Ty Girls.

Today’s parents are being slow to adapt to a more technologically aware generation. They are finding that children no longer play board games or have imaginary friends and this can be a difficult adjustment as that is how they grew up. Interactive games should be seen as a very beneficial part of children’s development which introduces them to a great deal of interactive fun.

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1. Kids start planning Christmas presents in the summer The vast range of Christmas toys, those treats that kids...

The environment is an area such as a living room and the player sees from above and displayed on screen as though it is viewed through a wide angle lens with its normal distortions so that the floors, toys and walls possess a hyper-reality as if the toddler is watching it all themselves.

The player never comes in contact with Baby Jones only creating a natural path for the toddler to follow by arranging objects in the environment. There are four different environments in the game as well as 30 different puzzles.

The object is to guide the baby across the environment to exit the other side to the next environ. This is a great game for the casual gamer the innovated 3D and AI animation helps to make Baby Jones a surprisingly fun playmate.

The baby is active and always smiling and often times turns its head right and left while crawling across the screen. The movements are realistic and he is enthusiastically moving on his knees and hands. No joystick, no controller and no finger gesturing are responsible for the baby’s non-stop journey to discover.

The baby has a mind of its own a good way to master the game is to observe the toddler’s behaviour because quite quickly you will see some tendencies that are very apparent. He is attracted to toys, candy and open space. His inclination is to continue onwards no matter what direction.

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Eco-Friendly Alternative from Innovative Toy Brand Krooom

New from Little Helper, the multi-award winning and innovative children’s brand is a unique range of recyclable and recycled toy products by Krooom of Israel.

Krooom are masters engineering in high quality cardboard and create eye catching toys as well as children’s furniture that has a difference. The range is eco-friendly products that are made from recycled cardboard, that offer extremely sturdy and strong products like playhouses, furniture in stunning colours and designs for children and storage items as well.

The ingenuity of the designs ensure that even the large furniture items are strong enough to hold a full grown adult once the furniture is assembled. With fire stations, doll houses and figures and accessories and storage boxes that can double as tables, the collection of colorful items will suit any child’s playroom or bedroom.
The concept of Krooom’s high quality, affordable, sturdy and water-resistant cardboard products means that parents buy an item that they know will be long-lasting and strong, as well as recyclable and affordable. With retail prices ranging from £7.99 to £59.99 there will be products to appeal to all budgets.

One of Little Helper’s main guiding principles is to offer products that are fun, funky and safe, and the Krooom range ticks all of these boxes. In addition to this Little Helper is working hard as a company to use more recyclable materials in its products and packaging.

The Krooom brand was brought to life in 2006 in Israel, and has since taken its concept of innovation in the toy market across the world, focusing on creating smart products tailored to the 21st Century. The products will be available in the UK and Ireland’s leading nursery retailers from July 2011.

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Most toys can be purchased by gender or on the basis of their ages. For many years girls have always, and will always love to dress up dolls and play house. They love to use their tea sets and have afternoon tea with the little ladies. Boys, on the other hand, like toys that are rugged, big vehicles, building toys and things they can take apart.

Of course the age of the child is one of the most important factors in buying a toy for a child. Toddlers are less than four years old but a toy that is made for a two year old will not keep a four year occupied or happy. So the exact age of the recipient of the toy is important and not just what age group they fall into. Of course it goes without saying to be careful and do not buy anything hazardous.

For newborns you may prefer to buy teethers or rattles and for the slightly older ones you may want to get soft toys, musical instruments, blocks for building or a walker. The older ones can have dolls, playhouses, picture books or coloring books.

There are also toys just for education but the child will also get enjoyment from them. These types of toys are often times for the toddlers between two and four and help them with certain development skills like hand-eye coordination and memory skills. Just remember toys are good for children to have just know when it is appropriate to buy them and what kind.

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Form the outset The Hasbro My3D feels very cheap and mass-produced. Fair enough, it is a modern take on an old cheap and mass produced toy but the older one felt sturdier whereas this version feels like it could be snapped very easily. That could have something to do with the age we were when we had the original Viewmaster, and sat fascinated while we watched out favourite cartoons through it.

Even taking all that into consideration, there are still some glaring flaws and problems with this My3D. To start with, the mechanism by which you attach it to your iPhone was not designed for those with an average sized hand. It’s simple enough to hook up the My3D to the iPhone base, but the top hook up is a whole different ball game.

This is a two handed job, and takes dexterity to do everything at the same time so it connects properly. Overall, this is an okay product that could have been great if it had been designed better.

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Everything from tanks to Transformers have featured in the Top Trumps card game so far, but now some of the country’s historic houses are set to battle it out in a new version of the game.

The National Trust game is being made available in Trust shops and online and features thirty historic places to visit in the UK going head-to-head in battles over acreage, film and TV appearances, hauntings and cups of tea consumed.

The game follows the successful National Trust Monopoly launched last year which gave people the chance to buy up their favourite places and develop visitor centres and holiday cottages.

Alan Parris – buyer for the National Trust – who masterminded the Trust version of the game, explained:

“The 30 properties were selected to show the great variety of the historic places looked after by the Trust. Games are a fun way of engaging people in what we do – but, better still, people also have the chance to visit and see for themselves. The game’s size makes it perfect for kids as they travel on days out, so could be ideal for the start of the holidays, but I am sure some grown-ups will be keen to get hold of it too.”

A new National Trust game of British Wildlife Top Trumps is also on sale, featuring 30 creatures living on Trust land, including adders and raft spiders.?

More info here

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By doing so the child can get a toy that actually will help them develop and you get to rest easy with the satisfaction that you have made a positive contribution on their life.

One of the most popular tech-smart toys this year is the Nitro Web Notebook ‘Safe Surfing” product which has 70 interactive activities programmed into it that teach children everything from Spanish to science to art to maths.  The tiny classroom learner is also connected to the web, which means the content can always be updated and allows children to interact with peers also using the same device.

For younger children, the perfect gift may be the Kidizoom Digital Camera Plus, which allows small children to use the miniature digital camera that allows them to store up to 2000 photos of their own.  It is equipped with 2.0 mega pixel resolution and can be connected to a home computer or television so that children get to share their art with friends and family.

Finally, one more option for the child who is hard to shop for is the Expanded V Smile Motion Smartridge Library which contains titles from all of the most popular children’s characters such as NASCAR, Ni Hao Kai Lin, Handy Manny, UP, and plenty more.

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10. Rubber Band Plane

Rubber Band Plane

Before battery power was affordable the only way to fuel a toy plane was with a rubber band.  This unique idea has come back to life this year with the Rubber Band Aeroplane that is a stunning representation of a small propeller plane straight off of a private runway. It comes in an easy to assemble kit, so children can have fun putting it together before it goes on its maiden flight. For added enjoyment, the rubber hand is made of the most durable materials on the market for unlimited hours of fun.

More info here.

9. Bag of Farm Animals

Every child that has a doll house or farm set will love adding in some of these plastic farm animals to their decorations.  The plastic animals are solid and able to stand on their own and thus are perfect additions to any child’s play set.   Included in the small affordable set are horses, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, and lambs.

More info here.

8. Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope

Before every toy was made from plastic there was wood, and this old fashioned wood kaleidoscope is capable of portraying each of the same wonderful rainbow designs that their contemporary plastic versions can.  For children who love colorful displays, the kaleidoscope is able to provide plenty of multi-colored designs.  On the outside the kaleidoscope is black with stars embossed across the cover.

More info here.

7. Rainbow Spinning Top

Rainbow Spinning Top

For children over a year old, this colorful top is a wonderful distraction and play toy.  Made of strong metal the top is capable of spinning for hours to a subtle but pleasing humming tune. Low priced and equipped with a base for storage the rainbow spinning top is the perfect gift for the curious toddler in your life.  It is also fun for older adults who enjoy a flashback to their younger days.

More info here.

6. Soft Babies Jingling Ball

Soft Babies Jingling Ball

Plush, soft, and full of colour, the soft babies jingling ball is made to please children from the day they are born.  Completely safe and durable, the ball can bring hours of excitement to babies as they explore how to use their hands to shake the ball and hear its delightful jingle. Even better, as babies grow older they can use the ball to play fetch and toss making it a timeless toy that will last your child for quite some time past their infant years.

More info here.

5. Metal Spud Gun

Toy guns go hand in hand with childhood like mud on a rainy day.  Luckily, if you never grew up or want to give your children the same fun that you had you can enjoy the metal spud gun which comes in a delightfully vibrant red colour.  Even better, the spud gun is not only able to fire small pieces of potato, but also rubber pellets, caps, and even a small amount of water if loaded correctly.

More info here.

4. Fun Snap Bangers

Every kid loves a sharp noise, especially if it is one that they can create on their own.  With the fun snap bangers you can let your kids make their own snaps whenever they like simply by tossing one onto the ground.  Since they are cheap and small in size you can easily pick up a few boxes of the fun snap bangers to fill up a stocking on Christmas Eve.

More info here.

3. Wooden Letter Train

Wooden Letter Train

If you want to give your child a Christmas present this year that is personalized to for them consider getting a wooden letter train for them this Christmas.  All children love the charm of a wooden trail that they can pull along with them, but yours will love theirs better if it spells out their name or a personalized message of your choosing.  The wooden letter train can also be used for a room decoration as well if you are looking for something to spice up your child’s room.

More info here.

2. Penguin Race Game

Penguin Race Game

At 32cm tall the penguin race game is able to entertain young children for hours as the little penguin is able to climb the steps until it makes its descent back down to the bottom to begin all over again.  Assembly is easy making it a gift that your children can start playing with on Christmas morning and all it needs to continue working is one D battery so make sure to include one in the wrapping paper.

More info here.

1. Guatamalan Worry Dolls

Guatemalan worry dolls

At the top of the top ten Christmas toy list this year are the adorable small handheld Guatemalan worry dolls.  Made for children who are past the age of placing small objects in their mouth the worry dolls are perfect for children who are still scared of the dark.  The box contains a small leaflet that tells your child how having the dolls near you as you sleep will relieve them of any worries.

More info here.

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Please Bear

Thankyou Bear

Bully Bear

Thirty two cards to a pack, 16 different bears are featured with captivating and easy to remember rhymes. ‘we know that everyone enjoys Bears who tidy all their toys’ and ‘a bully bear is no one’s friend And will be lonely in the end’ Each card helps a young child understand either good or bad behaviour in a very easy and fun way.

Designed specifically for young children to learn good manners and social skills they can be used for playing games like Bear Snap and Memory Bears, or for the basis of role play, comment and discussion. Nose Picker Bear ‘it really is an ugly pose To stick your fingers up your nose’!

Avril Lethbridge, creator of the concept says ‘I think children identify with these little bears, they are cute and colourful and get some important lifestyle messages across to young children in a fun and non-patronising way’.

Each card has a colourful picture of an appropriate bear with its name at the top and two lines of descriptive rhyme at the bottom. The catchy rhymes are easy to learn by heart and will soon become locked in a child’s memory.

The cards, which come in a presentation folder are just £6.99, and are light and easy to post, making them ideal stocking fillers.

The cards are the first in a series of games and products that will cover various etiquette issues, such as Table Manners, Relationships in the Playground and Making Friends.

Packs cost £6.99 inc VAT and are available from www.nicebearnaughtybear.com

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