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The holidays can be such an expensive time of year with all the gift giving and entertaining.  Every year I come up with a list of gifts for children that won’t deplete hip pocket national bank.  Here is the list for 2009.  Some new items and some good ole classics.

The 2009 Top 10 Children’s Christmas Gifts Under $15

Color Me Gem – Little girls can color their own gems and create their own designs. Go Paint Mini Canvas – The penlike brushes work only on this special paper so there is no mess!  Your child can paint anywhere. Webkinz – Each animal comes with a secret code that gives your child access to Webkinz online world where they can care for this virtual pet. Personalized <a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(’/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.originalsantamail.com” target=”_new”>Letter from Santa</a> – I ordered a personalized letter from Santa Claus for my daughter and she didn’t set it down for days. $10 Classic board games like Monopoly, Candy Land and Clue are always a hit and range from $10-$15 Baby Einstein Count and Compose Piano – This is an award winning toy and runs just under $15. Where the Wild Things Are – The book or the movie would run you under $15 and what a great lesson for children about families and imagination.  The DVD should be out in time for Christmas. Play-doh is one of my all time favorite gifts for kids.  Adults seem to enjoy it so it’s a great way to have some quality time with your children. Hexbug -  A clairvoyant crustacean stops or changes direction when it senses something is in its path or hears a noise. Hotwheels – Another classic that any boy would love to own.  The variety of styles is endless.

Remember…some of the best gifts you can buy a child only cost a few dollars.  Maybe this is a good year to help our kids understand that Christmas is about friendship, sharing and time spent with the ones we love.  Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Technorati Tags: 2009, Children's, Christmas, Gifts, Under

As the holiday season approaches and you start to consider the best Christmas gifts for 2009, you want to be sure that what you give will be a happy experience for those who receive your gifts. This means looking beyond simple Xmas cards, gift certificates, and a hasty trip to the shopping mall. Nothing beats the look of excitement and joy as others open your gifts and warmly offer their thanks, reminding you it is the thought behind the gift which truly counts!  

Look forward to their smiles again this year, with this list of the top selling gifts of 2009, prepared from research conducted with the largest online retailers.  

1. Wild Planet Hyper Dash by Wild Planet
This product won the 2009 Top Toy of the Year issued by Creative Child Magazine. Not only a fun game, it is exceptional in developing math and athletic skills. It also challenges skill, speed, coordination, teamwork and memory. 7-12 years.

2. Hot Potato by Fundex Games
Also among the best gifts 2009 is an electronic hot potato and potato chips and requires family members to frantically toss the hot potato and not get caught holding the spud when the music stops. Good for 2-6 players.

3. American Girl 300 Wishes – Board Game by Mattel
Included are 300 wish cards, five diaries and five wish keys. The “Wish Cards” dealt to players describe fun experiences, carrers and personal accomplishments they dream of having. The aim is to match the players’ wishes with the cards they receive. 8+ years.

4. Scooby-Doo! A Haunted House Game by Pressman Toys
Similar to the TV series on Cartoon Network, this 3D plastic game is packed with action as players move about the haunted house and try to reach the top level whilst avoiding booby traps and ghosts. Suits 2-5 players.

5. Math Whiz by Educational Insights
Provides hundreds of fun math facts and challenges kids on addition, division, subtractiona nd multiplication. It can also function as a calculator. There are eight skill levels and an easy to read display screen, as well as light and sound effects that greet the answers given. 6+ years.

6. Electronic Hyperslide by Hasbro Games
Three different games that allow for individual as  well as team fun and competition on the table top, with sounds, voice commands, and electronic lights. “Guess” a sequence of colors before the buzzer declares your time has run out.

7. Bananagrams by Bananagrams
A word game featuring 144 tile letters that are placed face down while players select their tiles.  Great for family fun while you travel as it is light, portable and easy to set up. No pencil or paper required.

8. Blokus Classic by Educational Insights
A strategy board game which is the most awarded game of the Century, so far (20+ awards). Suitable for up to four players, it employs a 400 piece game board and 84 colored playing pieces. Players try to fit all their pieces on the board, touching at least one corner of their earlier pieces and not adjacent to the pieces of another player. The winner is the first to get rid of their pieces.

9. LeapFrog® Match Up!
A fun game to improve memory and reasoning skills. Pressing a button provides a clue which must be matched with options that include rhyming words, animal sounds, and opposites. Three levels of play allow children to progress at their own pace. Suits individual play or with a friend.

10. Math Mat Challenge Game
Our final selection for best Xmas gifts 2009 is a clever and exciting math game that includes an interactive, talking floor mat. There are four different games and two skill levels that help develop skills in numbers, addition, counting and subtraction. Kids step on the mat when they have the answer. The game gets faster as scores get higher.

Technorati Tags: 2009, Best, Christmas, Gifts

The holidays can be such an expensive time of year with all the gift giving and entertaining.  Every year I come up with a list of gifts for children that won’t deplete hip pocket national bank.  Here is the list for 2009.  Some new items and some good ole classics.

The 2009 Top 10 Children’s Christmas Gifts Under $15

Color Me Gem – Little girls can color their own gems and create their own designs. Go Paint Mini Canvas – The penlike brushes work only on this special paper so there is no mess!  Your child can paint anywhere. Webkinz – Each animal comes with a secret code that gives your child access to Webkinz online world where they can care for this virtual pet. Personalized <a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(’/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.originalsantamail.com” target=”_new”>Letter from Santa</a> – I ordered a personalized letter from Santa Claus for my daughter and she didn’t set it down for days. $10 Classic board games like Monopoly, Candy Land and Clue are always a hit and range from $10-$15 Baby Einstein Count and Compose Piano – This is an award winning toy and runs just under $15. Where the Wild Things Are – The book or the movie would run you under $15 and what a great lesson for children about families and imagination.  The DVD should be out in time for Christmas. Play-doh is one of my all time favorite gifts for kids.  Adults seem to enjoy it so it’s a great way to have some quality time with your children. Hexbug -  A clairvoyant crustacean stops or changes direction when it senses something is in its path or hears a noise. Hotwheels – Another classic that any boy would love to own.  The variety of styles is endless.

Remember…some of the best gifts you can buy a child only cost a few dollars.  Maybe this is a good year to help our kids understand that Christmas is about friendship, sharing and time spent with the ones we love.  Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Technorati Tags: 2009, Children's, Christmas, Gifts, Under

Your Ben 10 fan has been begging you for an Omnitrix watch for a while now and finally you give in. You sneak a moment when he’s in bed to order one online. Oh no, your search brings up at least four different versions – which one should you choose? Presumably your Ben 10 fan had one in mind but you want to get the best, most appropriate one right? So here’s a little help …

Alien Force Ultimate Omnitrix (4 Stars)

Looking just like Ben’s brand new evolved Omnitrix from the new TV series, the Alien Force Ultimate Omnitrix features lights, cool sound effects and alien voices. Kids will love acting out action-packed alien games with their own real-life Omnitrix – the perfect roleplay accessory for boys! Attach the mini transparent figures from the 10cm Alien Collection Figures (sold separately) to the face of the watch to unlock the aliens’ light and sound effects! The Omnitrix includes a cool transparent Swampfire figure to get the action started!

This Omnitrix from the new Ben 10 Alien Force range should have rocked our childrens’ worlds. It will no doubt be a must have for any Ben 10 fan addicted to role play fun but it’s not quite as good as it could have been. The accuracy to the watch in the new show is fantastic. You attach the mini translucent alien figures to the top of the watch to activate each alien. This reveals the alien’s voice and name, like on the show, and is super cool. The strap is an improvement over that on the Omnitrix F/X but isn’t as good as on the Deluxe Omnitrix. It can be hard to get on until you get the hang of it and sometimes has trouble staying snapped shut.

To get more than the one free mini alien figure you need to buy the 10cm Alien Collection Figures. However, the full alien range is not yet available which may cause disappointment. The Ultimate Omnitrix does have lights and sounds without any alien figures attached but your Ben 10 fan is likely to want more than the one alien that comes with it … you’ve been warned!

The Ultimate Omnitrix can be a little more glitchy than other Ben 10 toys. The face can be reluctant to stay completely down and the alien figures can get stuck after a few times of clicking onto the top of the watch. The alien figures can also be hard to put on and take off but it does hold up to rough play like the other toys in the range.

Overall this new Omnitrix is a good solid toy and will be money well spent to keep an avid Ben 10 fan’s collection up to date.

Deluxe Omnitrix (5 Stars)

The Ben 10 Deluxe Omnitrix is packed with power: lights, sounds and a LCD screen featuring full screen aliens make this the most powerful Omnitrix in the collection. With each click of the dial another alien appears on the LCD screen. Be ready – when Vilgax attacks, your Ben 10 fan has just seconds to choose the correct alien for the job. It’s a race against the timer to defeat evil and collect some bonus points!

Fantastic, entertaining and robust. It will send the imagination into overdrive. If you want to keep your Ben 10 fan busy using their imagination for play then this is the toy for you.

Build wise the quality is higher than that of its predecessor the Omnitrix F/X. The thick fabric strap fastens with velcro so is easy for a young child to put on and off. The main watch part is made of chunky plastic and comprises a black and white LCD screen. It can be quite large on the child’s wrist and is larger than the F/X.

There are three playing modes. Battle mode sees Ben 10 running around until a villain approaches at which point the Omnitrix sounds an alarm to alert you. At the bottom of the screen you are then told which alien to choose and you are timed as you dial through the aliens until you find the correct one. When you hit the watch to select the winning alien you see them fighting the villain and then you find out if you won the battle. Normal mode allows you to select the alien by turning the dial and hitting the watch. You get to hear the Ben 10 sounds and are shown a few images of your chosen alien. Status mode shows statistics for battles won and lost and includes set up options such as sound.

For Ben 10 mad children under 5 years old the Deluxe Omnitrix presents a few obstacles. Battle mode is not suitable for children who cannot read yet as they will not know which alien they need to choose to fight the battle. Also moving between modes may take time for them to get used to as they are likely to get lost trying to get to where they want to be. But after a week or so for a persistent fan they will work it out.

For the older child more used to gaming consoles the play and the graphics may be a bit weak but for those children who love role play and want to imagine themselves as Ben 10 this is a must have piece of kit.

Omnitrix F/X (2 Stars)

The Omnitrix F/X provides a good role play experience with its flashing red and green lights and transformation sound effects taken directly from the TV series. Turn the dial to choose between the 10 aliens and see them in silhouette on the face of the Omnitrix which is backlit for an easier view.

The Omnitrix F/X is a great stimulus for the imagination. It is well made and withstands the usual dropping and wall bashing dished out by children. Although seemingly pricey for a plastic strap, turning dial and red and green lights, the daily use it is likely to get means you will see value for your money. The sounds are authentic and children seem excited about hitting the dial before they “transform”. It is perhaps more suitable for Ben 10 mad children under 5 years old as there is no gaming for them to contend with. In fact it does little more than make noises, flash lights and display alien pictures on the dial so you would expect it to be a lot less expensive than the deluxe version but you will be sadly disappointed. Comfort wise the F/X is also lacking with its plastic strap which can be difficult for young ones to strap on and can be a little big for the smaller wrist.

Omnitrix Alien Viewer (1 Star)

The Omnitrix Alien Viewer allows you to view cool scenes from the TV series and watch Ben transform into different aliens by inserting one of the various disks available – three of which are included. Other disks are available with the 10cm Ben 10 Collectible Action Figures (sold separately). Each disk features 8 animation cells showing Ben’s transformation into an alien. The viewing aperture is 1cm in diameter. It is true to scale for realistic role play.

The Omnitrix Alien Viewer could be a nice little addition to your child’s Ben 10 toy collection. If he collects the 10cm Ben 10 Collectible Action Figures he will soon have a great collection of the disks that are included with these toys enabling him to watch Ben in more and more guises. But beware it is not just a smaller version of the other Omnitrix. It has no lights or sound and so to an excited child it seems to do nothing at all other than look like an Omnitrix when worn, although this alone does encourage imagination. Viewing the aliens is also not ideal as there is no back light. You need to point the viewer at a strong light source and get the angle just right to see anything and then the images are tiny. Changing the disks can be fiddly and the disk storage is limited. Knowing young boys keeping track of these small parts is not going to be their top priority. If the disks are lost the Omnitrix becomes pointless.

Conclusion

The Deluxe Omnitrix is superior in comfort and diversity of play in that it incorporates some video game style play as well as role play fun. However the new Alien Force Ultimate Omnitrix matches the one worn by Ben in the new TV series and includes the latest alien heroes. Either choice will no doubt be a hit with your Ben 10 fan.

© 2009 Chloe Alice Wilson

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Molly playing with Crayola Tadoodles paints. Go to: www.squidoo.com for Mollys top 10 toy picks for toddlers ages 1-2 … toys top 10 toddler paints for christmas gift ideas girls

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