Christmas is the time of the year to shower the little children with Christmas toys. As parents, we will want toys that are meaningful, entertaining, fulfilling, educational and of course toys that make every little kid's face sparkle.
Toys like anything else follow trends. What are hot last year may not be the hottest toys this year.
Firstly, when selecting toys for kids, we should consider whether the toy is both meaningful and entertaining. Take for instance, in the last decade, getting a toy like a toy parrot would probably be good enough. A little child would be happy to receive a toy parrot as a christmas gift- something he can hold in his hands, and make play-believe with it. Fast forward to year 2008, just getting a toy parrot is not enough. With technology, we need animatronics so that the toy parrot will squawk, will talk back to you, with voice recognition to obey orders, to bobble and move its wings, to open its beak, even to record and sing songs. At the same time, to make the toy parrot a meaningful gift, the child gets to care and nurture the toy parrot and learn the meaning of responsibility and living. The toy parrot needs to be able to pick up a stick with its beak, animated with the best electronics so that it is almost like a real Squawker McCaw. The hottest toys for Christmas in 2008 simply got to shine in animatronics and realism. In this category, we have a toy puppy that can wag its tail at the voice command of your child, lift his paw, sniff a bone as he feeds it and obey simple voice commands by sensors fitted on his body, just like any real puppy does. There are animated toy puppies that can grow in size from a puppy when you take him home to a real size dog within a week - only to be "re-grown" all over again.
Secondly, the hottest gifts this year for kids are the "activity" gifts. The trend has absolutely been driven by movies this year. The High School Musical 3 movie is a good example. Children of 6 and above will all get to enjoy the fantastic fun from any dance mat that can be activated to produce songs from the well acclaimed movie as she try out her jives and her grooves to the music and the dance mat. These gifts are meaningful because they provide a focal point for friendship and peer support between your child and friends. They get to learn to bond with peers and to share and enjoy times together as friends in a fun-filled atmosphere.
Thirdly, the hottest gifts this year for kids to learn are the electronic gadgets that are both educational and interactive. Consider, for example, you can convert your TV into an educational learning tool by attaching a Game console to it and feed the console with both games and educational software. On one hand, the console allows your child to play interactive games and quizes, such as " Are You Better Than A 5th Grader?", and at the same time, he can select some serious learning about geography or wild life by using the appropriate software programs.
Fourthly, toys with newer technologies that blend virtual life with actual life are hot this year for kids. We have all heard of the virtual sphere called My Life. There are game toys that combine My Life with the fun of dolls, so that a small girl can select a virtual doll on a handheld set, select the clothes for that virtual doll, and decides on the daily routine for that doll. She can take the virtual doll to a virtual sphere similar to My Life. Moreover, she can get on the internet by Wi-Fi connectivity and connect with friends and play games with the virtual dolls with her friends worldwide!
Finally, there is still a place for the classic toys which are evergreen. These toys such as throw balls filled with air, small robotic toys and toys that resemble movie characters such as Superman, Spiderman, Batman, the Transformers and the Fantastic Four are some examples that come to mind.
This season, make your Christmas toys meaningful, entertaining and of course useful to your kids. After all, Christmas is the season to be merry and to show love.
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