Bugsby Reading System

Bugsby Reading System

The Bugsby Reading System by V-tech is for children, 3 to 7 years old. While the technology is not new, the books and stories are. The Bugsby pen is touched to a page and your child will hear the story, individual words, or other words and sounds associated with the various pictures. The initial set comes with the Bugsby pen and a story about him.

Zippity From LeapFrog

The Zippity Learning System is a gaming system by Leapfrog that incorporates learning and motion with the Disney characters that kids are already familiar with. Children aged 3 to 5 use an interactive mat and joystick (bopper) that is connected to the television to play the games. Game skills include learning letters, music, colors, shapes, numbers and more.

Smart Fit Park

Smart Fit Park by Fisher-Price for children ages 3 to 6 is another gaming system which uses a mat much like the game Dance Revolution. Children are motivated to walk, jump, stomp and run in 8 different games and races. Not only will your child exercise his body, but his mind as he learns letters, numbers, shapes and more while interacting with the games.

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.

Recommended for children over three years old, this Crusader Play Set will take your child away to another time, letting them imagine what it was like to be a crusader.

Crusader Play Set

This Crusader Play Set of five pieces includes a heavy duty plastic silver color armor breast plate (14″x15″) and shield (11″x16″) with dragon emblem, helmet with moveable face guard, and a 22″ sword with removable sheath. One size fits most children.

It’s not the most durable costume play set, but for the price, it makes a great secondary gift for the imaginative child in your life. If you son or nephew likes playing Knights, this play set will give them a little extra boost with their creativity and imagination.

If you’ve bought it, we’d love to hear from you – leave a comment below.

The best toys for 8 year old boys in 2009 are those that allow them to expand on their imagination.  By the time your son has reached this age, his imagination has been stimulated by a multitude of sources. You still want him to learn, but toys that are repetitive are going to be a little boring for him now. So you are going to want to mix in a little fantasy with the educational toys.

Boys will be boys and all boys like the old favorites, such as trucks, cars, airplanes, and so on. Give them a length of track and a couple of match box cars and they will race and crash until you have to call them to dinner.  They will be just as fascinated with the Tonka trucks that you grew up with, so give them a dump truck, a tractor-trailer, or cement mixer and watch their imagination takeover in the sandbox.

With the recent release of the movie Transformers 2, you are going to be hard pressed not to find these robots which transform into various vehicles on the store shelves. There seems to be an infinite number of Transformer action figures, and play sets available.  Rest assured there will be more than one favorite for your 8 year old boy.

Tech Deck skateboards

Another new hot item on the shelves in 2009 are the Tech Deck skateboards and skateboarding accessories.  These are tiny skate boards that have replaceable wheels, and some have figures attached to them.  With the various stunt accessories available there will be no limit to the imaginative stunts these toys will inspire.

Do you remember the Original Star Wars hit movie from 1977? This movie has become a cult hit that has lasted over 30 years. Just like most hit movies, there were some great toys and action figures created to perpetuate the Star Wars phenomena. You may be expecting to see the top Star Wars toys from the series of movies made after the original. Not today.

These are time tested and much desired toys that can still be found through collectors, Amazon.com, ebay.com and various other outlets. While these are the original toys, you can still find similar toys branded with the Star Wars name, such as those made by Lego.

Millennium Falcon – The ultimate toy, the Millennium Falcon lasted through all three movies and is tops on the list of all-things Star Wars to have.

The AT-AT all-terrain armored transport was so popular that children wished they could join the Empire and attack the rebels in it.

Oh no!

The Ewok Village was a sought after toy with many moving parts, including an elevator, a rock swing, a ‘throne’ for C-3PO, a net to capture people, and a fire to hang Han over. (Many years later, this toy was reintroduced for the Kevin Costner film Robinhood: Prince of Thieves)

The X-wing fighter was and still is, a must have for every child building up their Star Wars collection. Most impressive is if you can get it with the orange-uniformed and helmeted Luke. Kids have, and will spend many hours racing this through the Death Star and blowing it up.

There is no shortage of remote control toys in this new age of technology. The toys range from the micro cars to the Star Wars robot R2D2.  The top remote control toys for boys this season are just a couple of mouse clicks away, or a trip down to your local toy store.

RC Mercedes Speed Demon 4WD Racing Car

For that boy that is going through the dinosaur age, the Animal Planet Radio Control T Rex Dinosaur is going to give him some real imaginative action.  If he’s into the space age, don’t overlook the 48 inch tall Tekno Mega Mech R/C Robot. If he’s a race enthusiast, there are the ever popular remote control cars such as the RC Mercedes Speed Demon 4WD Racing Car.

Remote control toys provide hours of fun and entertainment for those creative minds.  But you may have to fight off dad for the controls.  There’s just something about remote control toys that bring out the kid in everyone.  The magic of making a toy do what you want it to do without physically touching it will spark interest in every  child who is fascinated with “how does it work?”

Even more magical are the helicopters and hover boats that are remote controlled.  And still to this day the small gas engine airplanes are still a hit with the guys, young and old.  It is advisable that these be supervised by an adult due to the use of gasoline.  Besides, dad will be more than happy to run that remote control for their boys.

It would seem that toy trains are not just for children.  There are many train hobby and enthusiasts still around.  Whether you set up a train around your Christmas tree every year, or have a massive train layout in a dedicated area of your home, train accessories are a must  have.

The more imaginative people will have a whole village set up with great country side scenery.  Accessories can be anything from power supplies to train cars, buildings, trees, and/or bushes.  But where do you get these items from and who carries the best quality?

Thomas Tank Engine

For years, Lionel Trains and Train sets have dominated the market.  And that has not changed. Though there are other name brands of trains, the accessories are not limited to just one brand name.  Other brands of trains and their accessories are;  Life-Like Trains, Marklin, and Thomas the Tank Engine.

One important component in the accessories would be track sets which come with separate pieces of straight and curved track to build an oval. Some include a special piece called a switch or turnout, to move trains on to another track.  There are many configurations, and additional track sets can be purchased to create any size train track you desire.

Once you have purchased your train and tracks sets, built your scenery, and populated your small town or towns, the imagination holds no bounds for expanding your railway and the communities it will pass through.  The top toy train accessories are any and all items that help the train enthusiast build his fantasy world.

No longer is the kitchen the domain of little girls and their mothers.  Today’s children are now allowed to experience every aspect of creativity and play.  If your son likes to help cook in the kitchen, it’s okay.  With this in mind, we will examine what the top kitchen toys are for both boys and girls.

Once upon a time, kitchen sets were for girls and a construction sets and trucks were for boys. But with unisex becoming more popular these day, manufacturers are now designing intriguing sets that fit well into your child’s playroom no matter what gender they are.

In looking over the different types of kitchen sets available, we found that some of the best sets were of the long lasting durable material such as sold by the Pottery Barn Kids. While they may seem to be a bit on the pricey side, the durability will ensure long lasting enjoyment compared to the plastic and vinyl versions of all in one play sets that are available in the cheaper department stores.

Pottery Barn Kids offer a Retro Red Kitchen suitable to boys or girls, a Pink Retro set designed especially for that little Princess in your house, and the Gourmet Set.   Of the three main sets, the Gourmet offers the most selection of mix and match, and is more like today’s modern kitchens.

Any parent would be proud to watch their child hard at work using their imagination at the Island, or stove.  There are no more realistic sets on the market.  And they will be sure to hold your child’s interest for hours at a time, preparing meals just like Mom and Dad, or Grandma.

Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid

If you’re like most parents you might have no idea what a Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid is let alone why your child would want one. Needless to say, it’s a generational thing. That aside, this is warming up to be one of the hottest toys for Christmas 2009. It is actually part of a very popular strategy game among children. As you may have guessed by the imposing name, this is a sought after super-power in the game.

The game combines skill of the players (aiming the Bakugan) along with strategy (placement of the cards) for a winning combination that kids (and some parents) love. This may seem like an expensive game, but if your child plays with neighborhood kids, this might very well take him over the top on Christmas morning 2009. And if not, it’s bound to make him happy if he (or she!) plays the game.

The Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid is recommended for children aged 5 to 15. You should note that there are small parts which can be a choking hazard. That aside, if bought for the right child, it could be the best toy they get all Christmas.