Barbie Fashion Fever Fashionista dolls, Zhu Zhu pets (no surprise there!), Moxie Girlz Jammaz dolls, Crayola Beginnings Color Me A Song, Hasbro Scatterpillar Scramble, LeapFrog Text and Learn, Tickle Me Elmo (yep, the original Tickle Me Elmo is still a favorite!), Little Mommy Baby Ah-Choo Doll,and Fisher Price Imaginext Dragon World Fortress.

See the Toys”R”Us Hot Holiday Toy List

We’re seeing plenty of Zhu Zhu pets in the top sellers this year. There’s a very interesting laser tag game that keeps appearing in toy merchants’ top selling toy lists this 2009 Christmas and holiday season. Laser tag, for the past decade at least, has been a popular activity for kids’ birthday parties and simply for weekend family fun. Now laser tag can be played at home. The 2009 Lazertag System 2PK by Hasbro is getting good reviews due to its realistic and pleasing sound effects and vibrations, responsiveness, and all-around good features.

Ucreate Music is a new system from Mattel, similar to the UDance, but it involves mixing music like a DJ or music producer. It looks great with a ton of features, including the ability to download new loops and share musical masterpieces. As easy as it is to use, it’s also quite sophisticated with its many options. Kids in the tween years will love this one.

Top toy lists can certainly influence children and their wishes for presents and gifts this Christmas, but sometimes they miss some special toys that will especially delight kids this holiday season. Amazon has a regularly updated list of toys that customers have added to their wish lists, and therefore has access to the toys that are “Most” wished for today, at this moment! The following shows these most coveted toys.

And, of course, toy vendors can certainly provide us with more gift ideas simply by showing us regularly updated lists of toys that are currently topping the sales lists. The following are the current bestselling toys at Amazon’s online toy department store:

Sometimes, kids simply want the latest, newest, freshest toy out there, and the following showcases the hottest new releases in toys.

According to these lists, Bakugan and Zhu Zhu Pets seem to be the most popular or trendy franchises for the holidays in 2009. However, we’re still seeing more educational choices, such as puzzles and games, in these top toys lists.

Each year, Amazon.com releases its Holiday Toy List, showcasing the most desired and recommended toys kids want for the holidays. The toy list is again organized by children’s age groups and by price, and, like last year, they’ve showcased the toys through videos–an improvement, I’d say! See the Amazon’s Holiday Toy List 2009.

Zhu Zhu Pets toys are hot, hot, hot, appearing on most major top toy lists this holiday season. However, they’re also selling out and many sellers have upped the prices. They’re sure to please little fans, but parents need to decide if they’re worth the extra dollars.

Scene It? Twilight Deluxe Edition by Scene It, featuring clips from the popular Twilight movie. Great fun for fans, and a good party game.

Printies Design Studio by Printies. Kids make soft stuffy toys with this kit. First, they design their stuffed toy online, print out the pattern onto included fabric sheets, and then create the cotton toy.

Princess and the Frog Just One Kiss Tiana is a new favorite doll based on the movie, The Princess and the Frog. The doll features lights and sounds…and the frog!

Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid by SpinMaster. For fans of the super-hot collectible toy game series, this one is sure to delight. One Bakugan and six Bakugan Traps combine into a very impressive Maxus Dragonoid creature. Kids can play with the 7 Bakugan individually, and/or combine them. Crayon Town

Disney Netpal by ASUS is an 8.9 inch Netbook with a 5 hour battery life designed for kids. It also comes in a swirly pink design that little girls will love: Disney Netpal by ASUS – 8.9-Inch Netbook – 5 Hour Battery Life

Nanovor Nanoscope Digital Collectible Game

Candy Jewel Factory Oven by Girl Gourmet Sweets

LEGO Star Wars The Battle of Endor (8038)

Star Wars Clone Turbo Tank Vehicle

Crayon Town

Included on the list are:

Transformers Bumblebee Helmet – Role-playing at its buzziest!

Rubik’s Cube 360 – no cubes here–balls in this new brainteaser.

Battle Strikers Tournament

Bop It by Hasbro

Vtech – Kidizoom Digital Camera – Orange

Transformers Movie 2 Leader Optimus Prime

Barbie and The Three Musketeers Corinne Doll

The winners of these prestigious toy awards are…

Activity Toy of the Year – Crayola Color Wonder Magic Light Brush, Crayola LLC

Boy Toy of the Year – Bakugan Battle Brawlers Battle Pack Series 1 Spheres, Spin Master

Educational Toy of the Year – LeapFrog TAG™ Reading System , LeapFrog

Girl Toy of the Year – Playmobil Horse Farm, Playmobil USA, Inc.

Electronic Entertainment Toy of the Year – Fur Real Friends Biscuit My Lovin Pup, Hasbro

Game of the Year – Bananagrams®, Bananagrams LLC

Infant/Preschool Toy of the Year – Fisher-Price Elmo Live, Fisher-Price, Inc.

Most Innovative Toy of the Year – Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro, Spin Master

Property of the Year – Bakugan Battle Brawlers, Cartoon Network

Outdoor Toy of the Year – Crayola® 3D Sidewalk Chalk, Crayola LLC

Specialty Toy of the Year – Create Your Own Pop-Up Books, Creativity for Kids®/Faber-Castell USA

Top Toy of the Year – Bakugan Battle Brawlers Battle Pack Series 1 Spheres, Spin Master

• Fur Real Friends Biscuit My Lovin Pup A large interactive puppy with a large price tag as well!
• Fisher-Price Elmo LiveSo cute! Elmo tells long stories, encourages, and interacts like no other Elmo plushie to date.
• RipStik G Caster Board A cross between a skateboard and a snowboard.
• Playskool Kota My Triceratops Dinosaur If you have the room for it, this ride-on interactive baby Triceratops is a blast for young kids.
• Radio Flyer Classic Rock and Bounce Pony with Sound For children ages 9 months and up. The pony neighs when it detects motion.
• EyeClops BioniCamThis electronic toy takes pictures and videos for close-up discoveries.
• LeapFrog® Tag Reading SystemWe love this interactive learn-to-read system.
• EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles This cool set uses real infra-red night vision technology so that kids can see in the dark. Great fun.
• Vtech – Wall.E Learning Laptop A QWERTY keyboard flips down on this learning laptop with LCD screen built into the Wall-E robot character. 15 learning activities keep kids busy.
• Oregon Scientific Interactive GlobeIt’s a great learning experience, although we like the LeapFrog Explorer Smart Globe a little better. Learn geography through truly fun and addictive games.

GOAL IS MORE IMAGINATIVE, MAKE-IT-UP-YOURSELF, BELLY-LAUGHING PLAY FOR KIDS AND EASIER SHOPPING FOR MOM AND DAD

Toys don’t get much better than these. If you’re a kid just wanting to have fun, or an overworked parent looking to keep holiday shopping simple, check out the one expert-selected holiday toy list that cuts through all the heavily-hyped electronic razzmatazz in favor of safe, creative toys with staying power.

The hot-off-the-presses 2008 Best Toys for Kids list released today by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) gets back to the basics. It features toys for make-it-up-yourself, belly-laughing play that’s safe, fun for kids and supports their physical, cognitive, and social development. These toys are a great reason to bypass the hordes of anxious, exhausted shoppers at the usual big box stores and try smaller toy stores with better selection, good service, and a priority on toy safety.

“Many toy shoppers are surprised to learn that there is a whole world of engaging, unique, well-made toys that they never see in huge, impersonal, one-size-fits-all stores. These are the toys you will find on the 2008 Best Toys for Kids list and in your local neighborhood toy store,” notes Kathleen McHugh, President of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association.

“The people at your locally-owned toy store are from your community. They hand-select a wide range of safe, highly creative toys you don’t see advertised,” continues McHugh. “These toys may not be the ones your kids bug you to buy them, but they will be the ones they play with over and over.”

Toy store owners who are toy and play experts have selected the 2008 Best Toys for Kids (listed below). The list includes toys for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and older children, and guides parents to toy selections according to different types of play. Details about each toy can be found at www.astratoy.org.

INFANT (Ages Birth-12 Months)

1. Busy Bee Discovery Flower (ALEX) Ages 6 months+

2. Together Tunes Too Block (Neurosmith, manufacturer & Small World Toys, vendor) Ages 6 months+

TODDLER (Ages 1-3 Years)

3. Wheely Bug (Prince Lionheart) Ages 1.5+ (small size), and 3+ (large size)

4. Dexter the Digger (WOW Toys, manufacturer & Ravensburger, vendor) Ages 1.5+

PRESCHOOL LEARNING (Ages 3-6 Years)

5. Magna-Tiles: 3-D Magnetic Building Tiles (Valtech Co.) Ages 3+

6. Magnetic Mosaics – Kids (The Orb Factory) • Ages 4+

Preschool Pretend & Play (Ages 3-6 Years)

7. Road & Rail Play Set – Railway Station (Plan Toys, Inc.) Ages 3+

8. Stablemates(TM) Red Stable Set with Two Horses (Breyer Animal Creations, Div. of Reeves International, Inc.) Ages 4+

CONSTRUCTION

9. Circus Ring (Playmobil) Ages 5+

10. Excalibur Castle (Le Toy Van, manufacturer & Hotaling Imports Inc., vendor) Ages 3+

11. 24-foot BluTrack Challenge Pack (MJ Sports dba BluTrack(R)) Ages 3+

ARTS & CRAFTS

12. Sticky Mosaics Jewelry Box (The Orb Factory) Ages 6+

13. Wikki Stix Tons of Fun (Omnicor Inc. / The Wikki Stix Co.) Ages 3 – 11

MUSIC

14. Schoenhut 44-Key Baby Grand Piano (Schoenhut Piano Company, Inc.) Ages 5+

15. Learn to Play Piano (Melissa & Doug) Ages 3+

GAMES FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN (Ages 3-7 Years)

16. Zingo! (ThinkFun, Inc.) Ages 4 – 8

17. Qwirkle (MindWare) Ages 6+

Games FOR OLDER KIDS (Ages 8 Years+)

18. SET Cubed, a Curious Game of Clever Connections (Set Enterprises, Inc.) Ages 8+

19. Bananagrams (Bananagrams) Ages 7+

SCIENCE

20. Wind Power — Renewable Energy Science Kit (Thames & Kosmos) Ages 8+

21. Geyser Tube (Be Amazing! Toys) Ages 8+

ACTIVE

22. The Original Flying Turtle (Mason Corporation) Ages 3 – 12

23. Mini Super Sports Disk (OgoSport, LLC) Ages 4+

TOYS TO WOW KIDS!

24. Multi-colored Ball of Whacks (Creative Whack Company/US Games Systems, Inc.) Ages 8+

25. Karito Kids World Collection (Karito Kids by KidsGive) Ages 3+

The 2008 Best Toys for Kids list, along with an easy-to-use Toy Store Finder for locating independently-owned toy stores, can be found at www.astratoy.org.

Toy Wishes Magazine hosted its annual Holiday Preview on Tuesday, October 7th, 2008, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. In its 10th anniversary, Toy Wishes Magazine presented the exclusive first look at the hottest toys and kids entertainment products of the 2008 holiday season. The highlight of this year’s event was the eagerly anticipated unveiling of the “Hot Dozen,” the list of must-have toys for the 2008 holiday season.

This year’s Hot Dozen includes many of the toys we have already featured here on our site (see link to the Hot Dozen below).

Amazon is now a partner with Toy Wishes, and showcases this year’s Hot Dozen here: Toy Wishes Magazine’s HOT DOZEN

Toy Wishes Magazine’s HOT DOZEN