For generations, the words ‘educational toys’ have caused children everywhere to step back with a disapprovingly raised eyebrow and the firm belief that such toys can’t possibly be fun. Luckily, finding good kids’ toys that pull double duty to be both fun and educational isn’t nearly as hard as it used to be. With all the creative and innovative learning toys out there, learning can easily be just as fun as playtime. Classics kids’ toys like card matching and flashcard games help teach young children skills like color and shape recognition and even phonics as they help improve memory skills. Magnetic letters can provide hours of play while teaching the alphabet and, with a little creativity, can last for years. For those kids just learning to read there is a wealth of fun Leapfrog and other book based kids’ toys that create an interactive experience with a kid’s favorite books and characters. Besides the obvious introductory reading skills, these kids’ toys can instill a love of books in kids as young as 2 and help prepare them for future reading. For the picky 5 and up crowd, toy personal computers and electronic games are a must. With a variety of games and levels of difficulty, these learning toys can last years and teach basic math skills and spelling in fun and exciting ways. Science kits are another great way to teach kids about the world around them. They inspire creativity and critical thinking skills that are sure to come in handy later.Good educational toys do more than just teach a certain set of skills; they can help foster a love of learning that will follow a child through school and to adulthood.

Creative toys are a wonderfully positive thing to bring to your kid’s life, and sometimes they can be overlooked in favour of TV and movie themed toys or video games. Creative toys are a much more productive prospect for children, stimulating their creativity and their minds and helping them learn while having fun. They can help to develop important coordination in young children as well as being great fun to use. Offered here are a few creative toys to be on the lookout for this year.

Glow Doodle is a child-sized drawing toy that allows children to draw and trace in three bright colours, by use of either a finger or the included stylus. The surface can be re-used and boasts an instant erase function. For more drawing fun there’s the In the Night Garden Aquadraw. Tomy’s Aquadraw has been a large hit with small kids, allowing them to draw and paint just with water. The In The Night Garden edition features all of their beloved characters from the television series and comes with a pen, roller and stamper!

A different idea for creative kids would be the Crayola Glow Station, that allows children to make all manner of marvellous designs on the glow surface, using the ‘light wand’ that is part of the package. Children can even create designs with the stencils that are provided, and will then see them glow in the dark. Toys such as these, along with traditional crayons, paints and other such things are a wonderful idea for Christmas, offering both education and fun for children.

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Is it possible to find a toy that will give your child hours of fun and as well as valuable learning experiences?The answer is a certain yes…but it is worth remembering that educational toys aren’t all about ABC and 123.Teachers and children’s health specialists believe that toys that encourage the development of social and emotional maturity as well as physical and language skills are among the most valuable gifts you can give to a child under the age of seven.So before you rush to the mall and spend hours searching for that elusive educational toy, consider your child’s developmental age.With a bit of thought and planning, it is possible to find the perfect gift for a child you love this Christmas.BabiesLittlies aged between three and twelve months need toys that are safe and stimulating.To develop your little one’s visual perception, look for toys that have bright and contrasting colours, unusual textures and interesting sounds.Toys that make a noise or light up in response to the baby’s actions are a great choice. They engage a child’s attention and teach them about cause and effect.Because they are all about actions and reactions, these kinds of toys offer lovely opportunities for adults to play and bond with young babies.ToddlersYoungsters aged between 18 months and three years are ready to get active and to learn about the world around them.Look for lively toys that will develop your child’s language and motor skills.Outdoor toys like balls, tricycles, scooters and mini sport sets are great for your child’s co-ordination and confidence, while indoor toys like puzzles, blocks, dolls and musical instruments will promote communication and imaginative skills.When choosing educational toys for children aged three and four, it’s important to remember that young toddlers often prefer to play alongside other children rather than with them.This is called ‘parallel play’ and is completely age appropriate.It’s unlikely that children in this age group will want, or be emotionally mature enough, to share a precious new toy, so if you are buying for siblings, make sure each child receives a toy of their own.Pre-schoolersChildren aged between three and five are consolidating their social and cooperative skills as well as their thinking and learning capacity.Toys that encourage your child to share with other children are important for this age group. Simple board games like Ludo, Snakes and Ladders and dominoes will develop your child’s understanding of turn taking while also introducing early literacy and numeracy.Activities that promote role playing make wonderful gifts for children in this age group. Imaginative play using dolls houses, car garages, train sets and dress ups develop children’s social and language skills and are good educational choices.The development of fine motor skills is also a priority for pre-schoolers and valuable learning experiences can be had when you choose a toy that will expose children to art, craft and construction.In order to learn to write properly at school, kids need to develop strength in their hands and also determine which side, left or right, will be dominant.Old favourite like Lego and Meccano are terrific for this purpose, as are pencils, textas, scissors and Play Doh. Even the most reluctant young artists can be coaxed to enjoy colouring books containing their favourite characters and these simple gifts are a great way to engage children in fine motor skill development.Primary schoolersKids aged between six and ten have a vast range of interests, and as their literacy develops, the scope for activities that encourage them to read widens.A child’s interests will often determine the choices adults make for them, but one can rarely go wrong with activities that encourage children’s creativity.Models, jewellery making kits, science experiments and ever popular dinosaur sets are usually just as well received as the latest super hero or fashion doll and an added benefit is that children will be consolidating their reading and comprehension as they follow the instructions on the pack.While it’s easy to buy an electronic toy that will no doubt keep your child quiet, kids need active, imaginative activities that help their minds and bodies to grow.This Christmas, go for a toy that will teach your child something. When learning is cleverly disguised as fun, everyone is a winner.Sonja Walker 2009This article was written by Sonja Walker, a qualified teacher and busy mum. Sonja leads a team of highly experienced, specialist teachers and children’s health professionals at Kids First Children’s Services a unique integrated children’s education and health centre in Sydney’s Northern Beaches.Kids First offers a variety of programs for children aged 3 to 15, including its ‘Confident Little Kids’ program for pre-schoolers and after school skills and tuition programs for primary and high school students. Kids First Children’s Services also offers professional Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Educational Psychology, Clinical Nutrition and Dietary advice, Parenting Support and Counselling at its Brookvale centre.Contact Kids First Children’s Services on 9938 5419 or visit www.kids-first.com.au

Kits exist for almost every Harry Potter movie. The construction of the key elements are made possible through Harry Potter Legos kits. These kits provide a person with both a love the the Harry Potter movies and a love of Legos the opportunity to spend hours with both.

There are Harry Potter kits for every age group. One can find a very easy Lego kit to build the Flying Lesson, or get a very detailed a complex kit that will require several hours to put together. Many of the kits also include some type of moving parts.

A person who is especially fond of Hogwart’s Castle will find that there are two kits available that are equally challenging to build. Both of the castles are three dimensional and offer the Lego enthusiast many options to personalize the piece and make it even more unique.

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The best play toys for preschool kids are the ones that give them most fun without any hazards. The best preschool toys are the ones designed specifically for this 3-5 age level.Based on studies conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the following key facts have been identified regarding play toys for preschool kids:1.    Preschool kids are far along in cooperative, social play. They are now in the peak years for dramatic and pretend play. Age 5 is considered the peak year for this type of play. Kids at this age want all sorts of props to enhance play times.

2.    Simple toys no longer satisfy them. They prefer toys with realistic details and working parts.

3.    These are peak years for interest in playing with puppets. Playing with puppets offers the benefit of allowing kids to define and explore relationships. Most puppets are based on unknown characters, which give kids a blank slate to use their own imagination to develop and define the character and its relationships with others.

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There’s a sense in which some imagination may be lost with television, sure. I’m willing to buy that argument – or at least part of it. However, there’s another side to that argument that supporters of this theory may not be seeing, and that is the concept of toys deriving from said television shows.

A great cartoon will not only entertain us and make us laugh, but it can actually enhance our creativity when developed the right way. For instance, if we’re talking about a cartoon in which the main character gets himself into all kinds of crazy situations, the child playing with the toy can still certainly use his or her imagination to pretend their toy in similar binds. Not only does that make use of their imagination, but it takes problem-solving skills to get the character OUT of the messes. Add into that an antagonist or two, and we’re good.

If there is good writing on the show – especially when humor is used – there is a sense in which the adventure is never finished, and that can spill over into toy play. If there are lessons taught in the show, then just maybe our children are absorbing these lessons, are associating the characters with the themes, and will play with their cartoon toys in a similar fashion. It’s just up to us as parents and guardians to get involved with our children’s activities and teach them good play habits.

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Action figure toys have been in action for quite some time, dating as far back as the 60s. The first action figure was the G.I. Joe, a soldier toy that was basically designed to be a doll targeted at boys so that their playtime wouldn’t be labeled as “playing with dolls.” G.I. Joe functioned like a male military Barbie with changeable clothes and accessories. Since their conception, G.I. Joe action figures have been a staple of the toy line market, joined by other action figure franchises like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers, Gundam, Spawn, and countless others that are often based on popular cartoons and comics.

It’s subtle, but action figure toys actually have a lot to say about cultural views of gender. For starters, they represent how even activities like playtime are segregated according to what’s seen as appropriate for girls, and what boys should do. Boys play with action figures while girls play with dolls, yet both toys are essentially the same concept. Action figure toys also represent stereotypical attitudes toward the separate roles and characteristics of girls and boys in our society. Girls participate in more domestic, passive activities, and boys take part in active endeavors-Barbie shops, cooks and takes care of her baby sister Kelly while G.I. Joe runs around with guns and shoots stuff up.

True, girls and boys gravitate towards certain activities and tend to have certain characteristics, but one wonders how much of that is attributed to biology and how much is due to cultural standards. Gender isn’t always so clean cut-there are also people who sometimes transgress the boundaries of gender roles.

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Best selling Christmas toys, is a popular online search every year before Christmas, and Christmas 2008 is no exception. The reason being of course that these lists help busy moms and dads select toys that are guaranteed to fill their children with great joy when they open their gifts at Christmas.

Using a combination of great retailers and manufacturers like Amazon, Mattel,  Fisher-Price, Hasbro, etc. I have produced a short list of the best selling Christmas toys 2008 that will help you to make your selection easier and faster, and, help you save money along the way.

My top 5 best selling Christmas toys for 2008 are as follows;

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Engaging The Young Minds

As most parents would agree, young children can be quite a handful. It often proves to be quite a task keeping them engaged for long hours at a stretch. A lot of companies have come up with numerous toys that not only attract the attention of the kids, but also eggs them on to discover new things and learn in the process.

Educational toys are a particular favorite of parents as they come as the perfect foil to keep the kids busy and educate them at the same time. A wide range of quality educational toys are available for children as young as 3 months. These toys are not only fun, but can also be quite unique. Here are some suggestions that might help you choose from the different educational toys available in the market.

Wooden Toys

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In this article, we will provide you with some popular Christmas toy ideas that will help you hunt for 2008 hot Christmas toys.Every year, the markets are flooded with different kinds of toys for Christmas. So, it becomes of prime importance to keep yourself updated, so as to make sure that whatever you are buying is in line with the trend. There were times, when kids were satisfied with any toy they got, but, today, they want the latest thing. They have become choosy about the toys also with which they are going to play. In the present times, it has become the most difficult task to convince kids into using something. Now, pls Check out the following popular and hot Christmas toys for 2008.1. Star Wars ToysStar Wars is an epic science fantasy saga that has been revealed to the audience in the form of six movies. It was initially created by George Lucas and made a debut in 1977, with the last film being made in 2005. The animation movie ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ came out in 2008. There will hardly be a child who is not a Star Wars fan and would not like to receive Star Wars toys as Christmas gift, be it the video games, action figures or other toys.2. Doll with a Musical PottyIf your child is still an infant, who does not understand anything about video games or Playstation, then a doll with a musical potty is just the toy that you can gift him for Christmas. The crying, potty-going doll made its debut in 1991 and its latest version comes with a flashing, musical potty. The first doll to boast of ‘human functions’, it is expected to be one of the hottest-selling toys for Christmas 2008.3. High School Musical Toys’High School Musical’ is the name of a very popular American television series that was released, for the first time, in 2006. Its sequel – ‘High School Musical 2′ came out in 2007, while 2008 saw the ‘High School Musical 3: Senior Year’ hitting the screen. Today, High School Musical toys rank amongst the most popular toys for Christmas. Right from the dolls based on ‘High School Musical’ to the video game series, you will find everything in the market.4. Sesame Street Toys’Sesame Street’ is the name of an American educational children’s television series that premiered in 1969. The longest running children’s program on American television, it has been shown in 120 countries till date. No wonder, the toys based on ‘Sesame Street’ characters retain one of the position amongst the top 10 Christmas toys for 2008. Amongst them, the most popular is Elmo Live, an all-singing, all-dancing version of the red puppet.5. Ben 10 ToysBen 10 has wooed the kids of today. The hero of an American animated television series, by the name of ‘Ben 10′, he made his debut on Cartoon Network in December 2005 and still has children going ga-ga all over him. Omnitrix, a watch-like alien device that transforms Ben into the alien of his choice, is the most popular Ben 10 toy amongst children. Apart from that, there are Ben 10 action figures, games and cards.6. Cupcake Maker ToysThis Christmas, introduce your child to the joy of baking. How? By giving him/her a Cupcake Maker as Christmas toy. It will serve as an educational toy, making your children learn about the basics of cooking, such as measuring and mixing. At the same time, the Cupcake Maker will let them have lots of fun, just as a toy should be, by letting them decorate their cupcakes with various types of accessories, giving their personal touch to each.7. Nintendo DS Gaming ConsolesAnother one of the popular gaming consoles by Nintendo, DS is a dual-screen handheld console. Built along a clamshell design, the console has two LCD screens on the inside. While the upper one is used as viewing screen, the lower one acts as a touch-screen. It was released in 2006, as a slimmer, brighter, and more lightweight version of the Nintendo DS. Its latest version – Nintendo DSi has been released in Japan and will be available in other countries by mid-2009.8. Doll ToysIf the recipient of Christmas toys is your daughter, then rest assured that dolls never ever go out of fashion. Whether it is Cinderella Barbie Doll, Baby Annabell Doll or Bedtime Lullaby Fifi Doll, dolls will always be amongst the best toys for your baby every year and that includes 2008 as well. Just make sure that you buy the latest model of the doll or the one that you Little Princess has been eyeing for a long time.9. Bakugan Battle Brawlers Toys’Bakugan Battle Brawlers’ is a Japanese anime series that debuted on TV Tokyo in April 2007, on Teletoon in July 2007 and on Cartoon Network in February 2008. It revolves around a gang of children, called Battle Brawlers, who have the power to wield creatures known as Bakugan. Go ahead, buy a Bakugan game for your kid and see him beaming with happiness on Christmas.10. Roary the Racing Car ToysChildren and cars have a long-term association and it was further strengthened by the debut of ‘Roary the Racing Car’, an animated children’s television show. Set around a motor racing circuit, called Silver Hatch, the series showcases the adventures of Roary, a red, single-seater racing car, and his race car friends. From Roary the Racing Car Sliver Hatch Turbo Race Set to Roary the Racing Car 10 inch Bike with Sounds, the options before you are many.