Christmas is fast approaching and you need to know what the top toys of 2009 for your 8 year old child are. The great thing about 8 year olds is that even though they are old enough to be disappointed when they don’t get what they asked for, they are young enough to enjoy the toys that are fun and entertaining.

For your 8 year old girl who is fast learning about fashion Barbie is still one of the top selling toys around. Not only is Barbie popular, but so are her friends. Your little girl will have hours of play dressing up both the male and female dolls, driving them around in their Barbie car or jeep, and interacting with the various career play sets available.

LEGO Star Wars Anakin's Fighter

Your 8 year old boy is going to be bowled over with any of the current Transformer action figures, as well as the Star Wars toys. They will have hours of imaginative fun fighting battles in the air, over the seas and on land. There is no stopping the creativity your 8 year old will exhibit while re-enacting the scenes he’s watched on the television and in the movies. LEGO Star Wars Anakin’s Fighter is said to be one of the most wished for Star Wars items this year. Your child may be different, though!

While being creative with their imagination is important for your 8 year olds, there are educational toys that are just as much fun. You may have a hard time keeping your child off of the computer, but with the multitude of educational software available you can direct them towards PC video games that enhance their scholastic experience. So don’t forget to check these items out and add them to your Christmas list.

Remember when you were a child and your favorite toy was any tree branch that looked like a pistol or a rifle. Or how you could turn a peg style clothespin into an angel?  Kids today have just as great an imagination and it’s up to the parents to stimulate that imagination whenever possible.

Some of the top pretend toys for those imaginative children are not sticks and clothespins any more. A trip to the local toy or department store will allow you to find any number of toys that will do the same thing.  The most popular pretend toys for girls are dolls.  Any kind of doll will do the trick but if you have a little diva in your home, you will want to check out the Barbie collection.

Barbie’s have been the top toy for pretend for over 50 years.  Every little girl likes to play dress up and Barbie, with all her friends, is the ultimate dress up toy. Your little girl can pretend to be anyone, and with today’s assortment of career and social sets that carry the Barbie logo, she can immerse herself for hours in the pretend world of glamour, career, dating and family life.

GI Joe with Kung Fu Action Grip

For boys, the top toys are just about any action figure.  From G.I. Joe to Wrestlers, and every possible cartoon or super hero in between.  Give your young son an action figure and he can entertain himself with only the thoughts in his head.

Long car rides are quickly reduced to galactic journeys.  There is no end to the activities he will come up with when you put a couple of exciting action figures in his hands.