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.