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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Guestbook
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  • Blogs
    • Animal House
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    • ParenthoodNJ's Picks
  • Education
    • Money Matters - Kids
    • Back to School Guide
    • Preschools, Private Kindergarten & Child Care >
      • Preschool/Day Care Open Houses & Special Events
    • Child Enrichment Programs >
      • Art, Dance & Theatrical Schools >
        • Culinary Creations
      • Art & Painting Fun for Kids
      • Music and Writing
      • Paint Your Own Pottery & Glass Studios
    • Special Needs Children
    • LibraryPrograms >
      • Books for Kids
    • Summer Reading Fun
    • ParenthoodNJ Recommended Reading >
      • Books NJ Kids & Parents Love
      • Book Lists from NJ Libraries
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      • Foreign Language Classes
      • Other Foreign Language Resources
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      • Memorial Day Parades & Events in New Jersey 2014
      • July 4 Fireworks and Events in New Jersey
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      • Warren County Annual Events
    • St. Patrick's Day Parades & Events
    • LibraryPrograms
    • Child Enrichment Programs
    • Holiday Gift Guide 2011 >
      • Specialty Toy Stores
      • Plush Toy Review
      • Little Pim Review
    • Holiday/Seasonal Books >
      • Spring Holiday Books
      • Summer Holiday Books >
        • Summer Reading Fun
      • Fall Holiday Books
      • Winter Holiday Books >
        • Oscar the Kitten Review
    • Kid-Friendly Fun >
      • All About the Arts for Kids
      • Animal & Nature Lovers
      • Dinosaurs
      • Jr History Detectives
      • Knights & Dragons
      • Mad About Science
      • Outer Space Page
      • Pirates! Arrr!
      • Superheroes
      • Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Ships
      • Princess and Fairies Page
    • Kids Camps >
      • Camp Tour Dates & Open Houses
      • Summer Camps by theme
    • Other sites for events & activities >
      • Koddler Events New Feed
    • The Great Outdoors >
      • Amusement Parks
      • NJ Spraygrounds & Water Parks
      • NJ Ski areas
      • NJ Farms
      • County Parks in NJ
      • Rec Departments in NJ
      • Beach Towns
    • Zoos, Horseback Riding >
      • Zoos by county
    • Museums
    • For a Rainy Day
    • Sports & Recreation >
      • Indoor Rock Gyms
      • Gymnastics & Yoga
      • Skating Rinks
      • Soccer Programs
      • Swimming Classes
    • Historic Sites & Houses >
      • Revolutionary War History & NJ Sites
    • Theaters & Shows
  • Health & Safety
    • Travel Safety
    • General Health & Safety Resources
    • Safety Lessons for Kids
    • 10th Anniversary of Sept. 11
    • Fire Safety & Planning
    • Hurricane Sandy & Emergency Preparation
    • NJ Safety Resources
    • Warm Weather Safety
    • Winter Weather Safety
    • Swine flu and seasonal flu
    • Allergy Resources
    • Helping Kids in Need >
      • Holiday Fashion Show for Charity
    • Internet Safety
  • Misc Resources
    • ParenthoodNJ Forums
    • Shopping Deals
    • Adoption & Foster Care Resources
    • Pregnancy and Baby Resources
    • Entertainment & Party Planning >
      • Disney Frozen Birthday Party
      • Pirate Birthday Party
      • Superhero Birthday Party
    • Mompreneurs
    • Travel Resources >
      • Car Travel with Kids
      • Flying with children
      • Travel Safety
      • Travel Tourism by state
    • Green living >
      • ParenthoodGreenlist
    • Arthritis Walk
  • Classifieds
  • Child Care and Preschools in New Jersey

Holiday Toy & Gift Guide 2010

Holiday Shopping Deals, NJ Holiday Event Listings  & Holiday Calendar, Holiday Fun Page
Vote for your favorite holiday shows for a chance to win a Dunkin Donuts Prize pack!
Vote or enter our Holiday Traditions Contest
Click on pictures for reviews or buying information; prices (including best/worst deals) are meant as a guide and were true at the time of posting (retailers continuously change prices so we apologize if a "deal" is no longer current).
On this page:
Toys and Dolls, Potentially Hot Toys, A Little Bit Different, Books, Creative Play,
Educational Books, DVDs and Games, Educational Toys, Game Console Systems

ParenthoodNJ's Holiday Contest!!
Free to enter. Win prizes! Click here for details.

Free Shipping Deals! Avoid the stores and shipping charges. Real Simple Magazine's list of online retailers offering free shipping

Toys and Dolls

Picture
Noukies Noa doll
Our Plush Doll Review

Disney Pook a Looz Plush- all ages; 12-inch stuffed toys from Disney; include Alice, Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Nightmare Before Christmas, Muppets, Tinkerbell, Toy Story & more. Sell from $12.50 to $30 depending on character & store. Many can be found at the Disney Store (some are selling 2 for $20 for a limited time), Toys R Us, Amazon (tended to be most expensive but also had more selection).
Uglydolls - all ages; soft-covered characters in a variety of sizes & colors; their website includes some online kids' games; you can buy directly or find a store in NJ; small 7-in ones are $10, large 14-in are $20 and 2-ft ones are $50;
Noukies - mostly for all ages (some are not suitable for under 2 yrs); very soft plush animals and dolls in various sizes; have a no-tears repair/replacement program; they can be difficult to find in the US but ebay often has them; price varies from $8 to more than $60 depending on the size, character and availability
American Girl Dolls - ages 3 & up (mostly for choking hazards) & some for girls 8 & up; pick your own Bitty Baby's hair (not real hair, just plastic), eye & skin color; ($45 for 15-in baby, book, toy bear & outfit); 18-in dolls start at $95 for the doll, outfit & book (better deal getting a ready-made doll than picking your own); dolls mostly available at American Girl although you might find accessories cheaper at other retailers like Amazon
Disney Princess & Me Dolls - ages 6 & up; 18-in dolls that seem like a cross between over-sized Barbies and smaller American Girl dolls; characters include Tiana, Aurora, Belle & Cinderella; doll comes with several items including a Princess Magazine and Honorary Princess Certificate; sold at Disney Store, Amazon, Toys R Us; $49.50 average price at Disney & a little more at Toys R Us; Amazon sold many for twice that
Corolle Dolls - ages infant & older; different lines from 12-in Babicorolle for babies, Mon Premier & Les Classiques for 18 months & older, 14-in Miss Corolle dolls & 16-in Les Trendies dolls for ages & 3; prices vary by line & specific doll but they start at $29.99 retail & some are as much as $65; retailers include Buy.com, Sears, Toys R Us, but  you can find some Babicorolle under retail price at Amazon


Books

Christmas and Winter Holiday books - books suggested by ParenthoodNJ for all ages this holiday season
Oscar the Christmas Kitten (Robert & Beverly Kynor) - preschoolers and older; a heartwarming story of a kitten who is lost around Christmas (see review here); available at FHL Publishing and Borders; $13.95
Sports Illustrated Kids: All Access - for kids and adults who love baseball; see our review here; retailers include Walmart, Barnes & Noble and Amazon; $13.50
Amazon had best price (with free shipping)
Holiday Deals! Check out our list of retailer deals, special prices on selected items & ways to save
Little Pim Fun With Languages

Tips on Toy Safety
& Recall Info from BabyCenter

Picture

ParenthoodNJ Holiday Fun

Winter Holiday Events Listings
Winter Holiday Calendar
Annual County Events

Winter Holiday Books

Winter Holiday Contest
Winter Holiday Fun Page
The Holidays w/Kids & Dogs


Educational Books, DVDs and Games

Picture
Little Pim Language DVDs
Little Pim- Foreign Language DVDs for ages 0 to 5 in Arabic, English (ESL), French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian & Spanish - see our review
Leapster 2  Learning System - ages 4 to 8; Leapfrog's handheld learning system with more than 40 games with popular characters including Disney Princess and Toy Story; green or pink console or limited edition princess Leapster; average price $39.99 plus the cost of games; sold at Leapfrog, Amazon, Toys R Us, Walmart (which sells bundles of the console & games), Target
MobiGo Learning System - ages 3 to 8; V-Tech's handheld; touch-activated screen and a QWERTY slide-out keyboard; dozens of games with popular characters including Disney Princess, Mickey Mouse & Cars ; comes in blue or pink with one game cartridge; average price is $59.99;  sold at Vtech, Amazon, Sears, Target, KMart, Walmart & Toys R Us; Walmart has best price of $49.54 (if you can get them); Amazon also good price of $49.99 with free shipping

Game Console Systems

XBox 360 - Microsoft's gaming console, the first high-definition gaming system that also acts as a DVD player What makes it a hot holiday item? Kinect, offers interactive game play but without any controllers because it uses a motion sensor & allows voice control; XBox 360 4 GB console retails for $199 & XBox with Kinect retails for $299 (4 GB) & $399 (250 GB) review of XBox 360 with Kinect
Play Station 3 (PS3)- Sony's gaming console that also acts as a Blu-Ray player with 1080 pixel resolution; What makes it a hot holiday item? Besides being touted as the best Blu-Ray Player, there is the Playstation Move that offers a more interactive gaming experience with a special camera and wands; kid-friendly games like Eyepet to more gritty games for hard-core players such as Resident Evil; PS3 sells for about $299 and if you already own it you can get a Move starter bundle for about $99; if you don't, pretty much everyone is selling the PS3 with Move for $399 but you might find a good starter bundle at Walmart; not as many games yet but several in production; summary & review of Playstation Move
Wii - Nintendo's gaming console which was the first interactive system where you use controllers to be part of the action; What makes it a hot holiday item? It allows for interactive play & even fitness while appealing to a broad user base; lots of games for the family to enjoy together; retails for $199 but you can get it with Wii Fit Plus at Walmart for $249 & there are various other starter bundles

Which "interactive' console suits you?
Our summary of the pros & cons based on in-depth reviews, including those from MSNBC and PCMag
XBox 360 with Kinect - Pluses - no controllers; will get you moving with a good selection of dance & exercise games as well as family games such as Kinectimals; might be a happy medium between Wii & Playstation Move, offering better graphics than Wii & a larger selection of games (so far) than Move Minuses - you need a lot of room: the sensor needs to be 2-6 feet off the floor & 1 player needs to be 6 feet away from the sensor while 2 players need to be 8 feet away plus you need 6 feet of side-to-side play space, so if you have a small room, it won't work well; some people complain of lag time between when you move & when your character moves on screen
Play Station 3 with Move - Pluses - acts as a Blu-Ray Player, possibly the best; don't need as much room as Kinect; great graphics that will appeal to the hard-core gamer or those who feel the Wii graphics are lacking; great game for kids with Eyepet that really shows off the console's potential; Minuses - you need a wand controller as well as a regular controller, sometimes two wands for certain games, which can be a bit of a learning curve, especially for younger players; not as many games available right now but more options coming
Nintendo Wii - Pluses - lots of kid-friendly games & for those who want some exercise, there is the Wii Fit Plus; easy to get started, especially for younger users; wide variety of games; with a retail price of $199 for the console or with the Wii Fit Plus at Walmart for $249, it is the cheapest complete system Minuses - simple graphics will not appeal to the more discerning gamers who would probably prefer the visual aspects of the Kinect or the Move; lag & jerky response from the Wii controllers

Potentially Hot Toys

Some of the hot toys this year?

Airhogs Hawk Eye Helicopter - ages 8 & up; indoor, flying helicopter that takes up to 5 min of video or several photos that can be downloaded to your computer; sold at Walmart, Amazon, Target & Toys R Us (best price); $64.99
Sing-A-Ma-Jigs - 3 to 6 years; plush toys that sing when squeezed; characters have different vocal ranges and can sing alone or harmonize with other Sing-A-Ma-Jigs; average price about $13; sold at Toys R Us, Target, Amazon (most expensive), Walmart has best price of $9 if you can find them
Zhu Zhu Pets - ages 4 & up; toy hamsters that squeak and zoom around; also have outfits & other accessories; average price $10 but can be found for as low as $4.99; available at retailers including eToys, Target, Toys R Us, Walmart and Amazon
Disney Princess & Me Dolls - ages 6 & up; 18-in dolls (see doll section for more info); sold at Disney Store, Amazon, Toys R Us; $49.50 average price at Disney & Toys R Us; Amazon sold many for twice that

A Little Bit Different

Strong Start Solar Laptop - for ages 4 & up; preschool games & activities, plus 10 number buttons that convert to a musical keyboard; uses 3 AA batteries while solar panel recharges; $39.95 at Young Explorers; Amazon sells a similar solar laptop for $34.95
Recordable Story Books - all ages; Hallmark offers 15 titles for $29.95 (but you can now take $10 off) where you can record your voice; Amazon also sells books ranging from $5 to $20, depending on the title; a great gift idea for the child who doesn't live nearby
Personalized Books - kids who can read will appreciate this more but all ages will enjoy literally becoming part of the story when his or her name is included in the narrative; Identity Direct sells the major brands such as Disney Fairies for $12.99; DH Books also offers personalized books for $12.95 for superheroes like Batman, Scooby Doo and Sesame Street and other titles for $10.95

Find
FAO Schwarz
items at Toys R Us
and
our list of
Specialty Toy Stores

Creative Play

Lego Duplo Play with Numbers - for ages 2 to 5; big blocks ideal for little builders and for a bonus, they can help teach numbers; $25; can be found at retailers including Walmart, Amazon (the cheapest with free shipping), Sears, Target,  Toys R Us (seemed most expensive). Note: some retailers call it Duplo Learning 5497
Fisher Price Little People Farm - ages 1 to 5; barn that makes sounds, Little People animals & farmer; the youngest will learn what sounds animals make & older kids will enjoy playing with the set (& hearing the sounds); really any Little People set is a great imaginative toy that grows with boys & girls; the farm retails for $40 but you can find it for less at Toys R Us, Walmart & Amazon but best price at Target for $29.09
B. Toys Parum Pum Pum Drum - suggested for 18 to 24 months (but preschoolers will enjoy; see review); a drum and other instruments including a tamborine and maraca; retailers include Target (in stores only), Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Barnes & Noble (BBB & B&N were most expensive) $20
Felt Tales Storyboards - ages 2 (with parent) & 3 to 7; parents & kids can create stories & scenes with felt people & animals; fosters imaginative play; various boards/scenes from farm animals, to pirates to princesses; average price is $19.95 at Buy.com, Babaluinc & sometimes Toys R Us, which but you can find them cheaper; for example, a pirate & princess on are selling on Amazon for $15
LeapFrog Enterprises Inc.

Educational Toys

Encyclopedia Britannica Talking USA Puzzle - for ages 4 & older (choking hazard for under 3 yrs); talking puzzle has a voice that identifies the state name, capital city and nickname for each of the 50 states; retailers include Amazon, Toys R Us, Target, Walmart; $25
Learn & Groove Musical Table - for ages 6 to 36 months (although my 4-year-old still loves it so you'll get a lot of mileage out of it); you can get bilingual spanish/english; available at Amazon, Leapfrog, Walmart, Target, Toys R Us and Ebay (these are pretty durable so used should be fine, but confirm condition); best price $35.54 (with free shipping) at Amazon
Learning Mats - ages 3 & up; Melissa & Doug wipe-off mats for letters, numbers & more; great as a small gift; perfect for travel; $10 to $12; sold at Melissa & Doug; best price about $5 on Amazon (w/shipping chg); you can sometimes find a generic version of these in the $1 section of Target but they're not as well made
Lamaze Plush Learning Toys - infant to toddler; cute animals with crinkly limbs, jingling parts and different textures for little ones to explore; variety of animals including Stretch the Giraffe & Henry the Hippo; about $10 to $12; sold at Amazon, Kohls, Babies R Us

Hi-Tech Wish Lists for Santa

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You can avoid the long lines at the malls & hop on your computer to tell Santa your holiday list.

Kids (with parents) can chat with Santa online, send him an email & even get a personalized email from Santa Claus.


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