Christmas Toy Ideas

VTech InnoTab - the top toy for Christmas 2011?

Could an iPad for children be one of the top toys for Christmas 2011? Based on the stock - or lack of, it certainly seems that way. The toy I'm talking about is the InnoTab, which is the work of the same company that produce the popular Kidizoom range of kids' digital cameras - VTech.

I suspect part of its popularity is down to the price - a reasonable £79.99, which gets you a device that allows children aged between 4-9 years to read ebooks, play games, draw pictures, look at photos, watch videos and more!

As is the case with most of VTech's products, the InnoTab is designed to encourage children to develop and improve skills such as reading, spelling, maths and creativity. 

While its not as advanced as an actual iPad, the VTech InnoTab does share many of the same features - touch screen, G-sensor and downloadable apps. You can also purchase software on cartridges, but these are a little pricey at around £25. 

One thing children will love is that many of the games and activities feature familiar characters from TV programs and films, including: Mickey Mouse, Cars, Toy Story and SpongeBob SquarePants.

You can buy the InnoTab in pink or blue, along with accessories such as cases and adaptors, which are both highly recommended! I would say look out for the InnoTab in all good toy shops, but if things continue as they are at the moment you will probably be looking at empty shelves!

Top Electronic Toys

If you have bought electronic toys for children aged between 3-6 years there's a good chance you will already be familiar with VTech. Leaders in electronic toys with an educational slant, VTech's 2010 lineup is a strong as ever. First up, there's the Kidizoom Video Camera. Available in blue or pink they are the perfect gift for budding movie makers aged 4 years and up. Children can add fun animated effects to the action they capture and then play back on either the TV or PC. Expect to pay £45 for the Kidizoom Video Cameras.

Next up is the VTech Storio Animated Reading System, a toy designed to encourage chidren's reading skills. It features an LCD touchscreen which is used to operate the device and watch the stories unfold. The Storio comes with a Toy Story 3 cartridge included and more can be purchased separately. The Storio retails for around £59.99 and additional cartridges cost £16.99.

Also worth mentioning is the VTech Mobigo handheld gaming system for preschool aged children. Like the Storio it features a touch sensitive screen plus a slide out querty keyboard. It comes with a Shrek Forever cartridge, and additional games can be be purchased for £16.99.

Matchbox look set to repeat the success they had with Rocky The Robot Truck last year, with their latest creation Stinky The Garbage Truck. Stinky is a talking, singing and dancing truck who can eat and dump smaller toys and objects. From the Big Buddies range, Stinky retails for around £60.

Older children and adults will love Wow Stuff's latest creation, a plush monkey called Dave who packs some clever technology to produce lots of laughs. Dave The Funky Monkey comes with a pocket sized remote control which allows him to perform around 30 different actions including dancing, burping, snoring, waving and more. Expect to pay to around £24.99 for Dave but don't leave it too late if you plan on buying him as a Christmas Gift, rumour has it that he could be the number one toy for Christmas 2010!

Last years top toys Zhu Zhu Pets will be popular again this Christmas - for those who aren't familiar with them they are the small electronic hamsters that caused no end of stress for parents desperate to find them in stock last November/December. This year the Zhu Zhu Pets have been joined by a bunch of fighting hamsters! The Kung Zhu Pets are divided between two factions - the Special Forces and the Ninja Warriors, the even have their own Kung Zhu Battle Arena where the fights take place! Both the Kung Zhu & Zhu Zhu Pets retail for around £10 each, and their numerous playsets cost between £10-£30.

Whichever electronic toys end up under the tree this Christmas just make sure you have a decent supply of batteries!

The Zhu Zhu Hamster Are Back!

Last year Zhu Zhu Hamsters, or as they where known back then Go Go Hamsters were one of the UK's best selling toys. In the run up to Christmas online retailers were selling out within minutes of restocking.

Fast forward to this year and the Zhu Zhu Hamsters range of products has grown considerably. Many of the old favourites such as the Deluxe Funhouse, Spiral Slide and the Adventure Ball are still available but have been joined by new playsets, vehicles and hamsters.

First we will take a look at the current hamster lineup, which now includes some funky looking longhaired hamsters.

One look at the colour of her fur reveals where Peachy got her name, she’s famous for her home cooking and hospitality. Jinx has black and white fur and he’s a bit of a sports fanatic, his favourite sport is soccer and regardless of whether he’s training or playing in an important match he always gives 100%. Zhu Zhu Pets Kingston heads up the new longhaired hamsters, he spent some time living in London and quickly grew to love punk rock fashion and music. Fellow longhair Roxie discovered her calling - singing at an open mic night in an Icelandic coffee bar, she definitely looks the part with a streak of pink hair.

Next we will move onto the Zhu Zhu playsets, which as you know are what keeps both the hamsters and their owners entertained. The Zhu Zhu Pets Grooming Salon is possibly the biggest and best of the new range. It’s the perfect place for a spot of hamster pampering with it’s working hair drier and mini brushes. Fancy some junk food? Take your favourite hamsters to the Pizza Shop, it has a retro look and comes with some mini pizza boxes and chef’s hat. Looking for a home away from home? The Hotel Carrier is exactly that, it can hold five hamsters at a time and has a hand carry handle on the top.

Finally onto the Zhu Zhu Hamster Vehicles, the convertible sports car and Woody Wagon have been joined by a Police Car & Station, and a mean looking motorbike and sidecar - which is also known as the Hamcycle! Hamsters probably can’t swim so it’s a good thing that there’s also a Speed Boat & Dock. And for those cute little baby hamsters check out the pink Baby Hamster Stroller which holds two babies at a time and can be pushed by one of the adults.

Just don’t leave it too late if any of the new items are on your Christmas List, remember what happened last year!

Which Toys Will Be Popular This Christmas?

A couple of years ago I never paid attention to what most websites and the media in general refer to as the top or hot toys of the year. Sometimes I'd leave my Christmas shopping till late December, and one year I was still looking for ideas on Christmas Eve!

Perhaps it’s because I use the internet more now, but over the last couple of years I’ve begun to notice more and more websites featuring the toys tipped to be the best sellers every year. Often they come from individual stores, which seems a little biased as they are hardly likely to pick toys they don’t stock.

The better lists come from the Toy Retailer Associations which seem to combine the thoughts of several leading toy shops.

The Dream List is one of the best known in the UK, and it's released in October. The 2009 Dream List featured a LEGO game, transformer action figures and a Ben 10 car. One of the other toys on the list was the Kidizoom Digital Camera, and it certainly seemed to sell very well during late November into mid December - most online stores couldn't keep up with demand.

Although this year's list is yet to be revealed it's interesting trying to predict which toys might make it, and I expect to see at least one Toy Story 3 themed toy on the list. The film has been described as being the best of the series, and many retailers seem to be featuring the range prominently on their websites.

The Toy Story range of toys includes updated versions of Operation & Buckaroo with Buzz Lightyear and Bullseye taking centre stage. There's also a few new themed LEGO sets available based on some of the more memorable scenes from the film. While I'm sure they will all sell well, there's one toy that stands out and it's the Jetpack Buzz Lightyear figure. It's a fully articulated 12-inch figure that has a retractable helmet and says a number of phrases from the film.

Jetpack Buzz Lightyear is aimed at children aged four years and older and retails for around £40, though of course the price could rise significantly as we get closer to the big day and parents get more and more desperate to get hold of one.

Here are some more toys I think will be in demand this Christmas -

Stinky The Garbage Truck
Kung Zhu Pets
Fireman Sam Deluxe Fire Station
Leapster Explorer
Sylvanian Families Bus
Armouron
Dave The Funky Monkey