Hottest Christmas Toys - 2009

Every year there are a collection of new and existing toys that end up being the hottest toys of the season. These toys are usually the hardest to find since they are in such high demand. If you are like me and have a girl to buy for, then you will appreciate this brief guide to the hottest Christmas toys in 2009.

The first toy that seems to be one of the hottest is the new Elmo Live Encore doll. The benefit of this toy is that it is great for either girls or boys ages 18 months to 6 years. Elmo Live Encore sings songs, tells jokes, stories and much more. He moves his mouth as he talks and sings and will even stand up, sit down and cross his legs. He retails at $49.97 - $69.99.

The next is the Rescue Pets Swim To Me Puppy. This little puppy comes in different breeds like Dalmatian or Golden Retriever and walks around for you and when you place him in water he begins to swim. He comes with his very own towel and water goggles. The best thing about this toy is that when you buy him, a portion of the profit goes to help and rescue real pets. You can find this toy for around $26.50 - $29.99 and is appropriate for ages 36 months to 10 years.

If you are shopping for girls who are addicted to High School Musical then the Disney High School Musical 3 Electronic Got The Moves Dance Mat is a great choice. This toy is a great buy at only $18.50 shipped. The dance mat plays hit songs from the High School Musical 3 movie and shows you some great dance moves by having you step on the pads as they light up. There are varying difficulty levels to help you learn at your own pace. This is definitely one of the hottest Christmas toys in 2009 that will encourage your child to get up and dance.

If your girl likes to bake just like you, then she may want the Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker. This neat set allows you to make and frost 4 different flavored cupcakes. It will teach your daughter how to measure and mix her cupcakes as well as allow her to bake them in the microwave. Then she can use the handy frosting gadget to make that perfect frosting swirl. The mixes are gluten free and you can by refills of the mix and frosting. This set sell for around $38 - $45 and is recommended for ages 8 and up.

Wholesale Dog Toys

Your pet dog probably gets bored easily and needs dog toys to pass the time away. Instead of letting the "the little darling" rip the throw pillows you have on the couch or nibble on the furniture, buy lots of dog toys instead. The market provides a myriad of dog toy options to choose from. Wholesale dog toys vary in kinds, product line, shapes and sizes, and your dog will love them all!

Dogs are like children - they play a lot! They always expect you or your children to play with them as well. If you cannot fully attend to your pets all of the time, then give them quality dog toys.

Buying dog toys at wholesale prices gives huge discounts and a whole lot of toys. If you buy dog toys in bulk and stock your dog will never run out of playthings. Purchasing dog toys in large volumes will enable you to share some of the toys to the pets of your relatives and friends. They do make great gifts.

If your pet dog is an expert at destroying dog toys, keeping a stock will save you the worry of buying a toy every time you turn around. A dog with no toys will surely turn its attention back to your expensive shoes, slippers, bags, and furniture.

You should also buy wholesale dog toys if your pet is teething. Chewing and nipping is one of their unstoppable addictions. There are great, top-notch and durable dog toys that you can purchase at wholesale prices. If you want a breakdown of the wholesale price of dog toys, you can start your search online.

Take your pick from a line of hard and soft rubber balls, dental health toys, rope, fetch toys, talking toys, rubber rings, puffy and furry dog toys. Whether they are stuffed or made up of latex, vinyl, nylon, or rubber, what matters most is their durability and safety.

Find Original Transformers Toys Online

Feel the urge to start collecting some of the original G1 Transformers figures form the 80's? There are many resources online that have a massive range of toys to choose from, but which ones are reliable? Even more, which ones actually have the toys you're looking for?

EBay
Pros - Ebay is one of the biggest websites in the world.
Without a doubt, Ebay is where you will find the widest range of Transformers Toys, due to the massive range of people out there trying to sell them and make a buck. You can find literally just about any toy or single toy part if you look hard enough, many still in their original boxes.

Cons - Risk. Since you are dealing with a complete stranger and not necessarily a business, the goods may not measure up, being missing parts, or even be fake! Although most of the toys online are authentic, there's a higher risk on Ebay of disappointment.

Big Bad Toy Store - bbts.com/
Pros - Big Bad Toy Store is the biggest online retailer of collectible figures. They have a comprehensive categorised Transformers section perfect for tracking down a specific item. The G1 items have a description and rating for quality, so you know exactly what you are getting.

Cons - From a stand-alone perspective Big Bad Toy Store has no real set-backs. Comparatively, you won't find as many items there as you would on Ebay.

TF Source - tfsource.com
Pros - TF Source is entirely dedicated to stocking Transformers, they have an excellent, categorised range and is similar in many ways to Big Bad Toy Store, but with an emphasis on Transformers only.

Cons - Like the above, the only con is a comparatively range to Ebay, TF Source s run very well with quality products.

Transformer Land - transformerland.com
Pros - This store is massively categorised and has an excellent range, with sometime multiples of certain items in stock. Transformerland is an excellent place to find parts to toys (missing guns etc). This site is run by fans, and has the same attention to detail that any die-hard fan or toy collector would want in a collecting site.

Cons - Transformerland doesn't update as frequently as the above sites, although the range is impressive updates may take a bit longer to find ther way to the site.

Crave.com
Pros - A decent range by multiple sellers, Crave is a site similar to Ebay but focused directly on Transformers. There is an online community to interact with and help you to find what you're looking for.

Cons - Once again, since you're dealing with an individual and not an established business, a dodgy dealer could be in the lurks and send you poor quality goods. Although the word out is more positive than negative, it is a risk.

Amazon
Pros - The biggest and most trusted online retailer in the world has some G1 toys available for purchase. They offer a secure transaction with goods usually being in tip top shape.

Cons - As they are the biggest online retailer in the world, their prices aren't exactly rock bottom, and sometimes you can get stung by freight costs. Ordering form the US will usually get a decent rate, but since most toys are shipped from the US, ordering from overseas can be expensive on freight.

How is the safety of children playing with toys

Lets face it. Mothers are always interested to pay for child care, laundry, dishes, food, bills, takes care of pets and some even work for a living away from home. When children play in a game room or any room with their toys, is a bit 'out of breath for a busy mother, but one thing you do is look at all times the safety of your child while playing and you lose a second of rest .

Keep your children while they play. You may just want to be out to rest, but you play with your child can relieve stress and have more fun if you are hit and interact with them.
Never leave your child with a toy that is age appropriate for them to play. Read the safety instructions.
Be played as a toy is dropped, thrown, etc. beginning to break up the pieces and show wear. Check your child's toys cut to make sure they still hurt and used on or sharp edges or small pieces to swallow and choke.
AvoidToys>, cables, large or obligation. Children tend to wrap the wires in the neck to include their own, which can cause strangulation.
Use a toy shop for toys for your children, but make sure they can not fall to cover your baby's head or fingers.

One of the best and most vigilant of things you can do is check the Consumer Product Safety Commission website (www.cpsc.gov) for each retrieval recently. It 's always better to be safe rather thanSorry.

Best Toys For 18 Month Old Kids

If you've been thinking about the best toys for 18 month old kids remember children are absolute sponges when it comes to learning. When you think about all of the major milestones they learn in their first two years of life it really is amazing. Toys are an integral part of that learning process and foster development in your child. The right toys at the right time will bring a lot of joy.

18 month old children are really at a very unique age. They are still babies in many senses of the word but they are also beginning to exhibit some very independent behavior. By this age there are certain things you can use as a base to see that a child is developing normally, or identify when they may not be and seek professional advice.

What they can and can't do with simple toys and objects is a great indicator for parents and care givers. We may not have a handbook on parenting but there are a solid set of measures used to see your 18 month old has normal development.

Types of Development

Children develop in a few ways as they grow. Here are the major areas:

* Social Skills- how they might act socially and interact with people around them. This can be family, friends, other children, child care providers, and strangers. How they understand and respond to the emotions of others is another important social skill.

* Gross Motor Skills- Take in the major muscle groups that are used to walk, run, sit, stand etc. All of these things they will learn by the age of 18 months. There's also keeping balance, climbing and moving from one position to another.

* Fine Motor Skills - These include the smaller movement and many hand-eye coordination activities. Using the hands to eat, writing, drawing, get dressed, catch a ball etc.

* Cognitive Skills - This encompasses the brain activities of thinking, memory, problem solving, and reasoning (if you leave the room you are still there and will be back, for example). You could say that all developmental skills rely on the cognitive.

* Language Skills - This area includes not only speech but the body language and gestures in communication with others. It is clear that babies understand a lot more than they can speak to us about and they have many ways of letting us know there needs without speech.

What Should An 18 Month Old Be Capable Of?

Remember that all children can learn differently and thrive in some areas. But there are some ways to ascertain what is known as a normal development for an 18 month old. Once you can understand each of the developmental skill categories and where the average 18 month old should be, then you begin to see clearly which toys are going to be the best for them to learn with.

Toys designed to fulfill their learning needs will keep them satisfied, and advancing normally in their learning journey. The following is a guide and not by any means an exhaustive list, nor meant as professional advice. The list will help you to buy the right toy for this age group.

Motor Skills -Both Gross and Fine

* Enjoys pushing, pulling and dumping things

* Runs with rigid movements and can keep eyes on the ground

* Can turn book pages

* Can stack two blocks on top of each other

* Can remove hats, socks, mittens etc

* Scribbles with crayons and thick pencils

* Walks unaided with good balance

Cognitive Skills

* Identifies an object in a book

* Can laugh at actions they see as funny (using a box as a hat for example)

* Knows something out of sight is still there and looks for it

* Can fit objects the correct shape together (square lid onto a square box)

* Does problem solving which involves trial and error

* Can understand and follow simple directions with one step

Social and Language Skills

* Can seem a little selfish

* Will compete with other children for the toys

* Like to play alone on the floor with toys

* May still be anxious when separating from parents

* Actively looks for attention

* Can use eight to ten words that are said clearly

* Points to objects and uses one word descriptions

* Can play pretend games with adult

* Draw your attention to an object or to an action

* Can place words like Bye, Hi, Please and remembers to use them when prompted

* Can communicate frustration and make a protest

* Will ask for mum or dad in a specific manner

* Can recognize themselves in a mirror or in photographs

Best Toys for the 18 Month Old Child

So now a good picture of educational and developmental toys becomes apparent. With not too much trouble there are many choices available in toys and they don't have to cost the earth. Just be sure they are sturdy and safe as they are likely to take some banging and crashing together quite often.

Here are a few that come to mind:

* Large blocks

* Toys with wheels that can be pushed and pulled

* Simple hide and seek games

* Shape puzzles and games

* Dolls and soft toys

* Sturdy and colorful books

* Low climbing toys

* Crayons ( but protect your walls)

* Simple dress ups

* Basic role play (kitchen sets, tea party, shops)

* Simple puzzle and problem solving games and activities

Being 18 months old puts your child right into the middle of the toddler toys in the 1-3 years age group. Look for toys by Playskool and Little Tikes.

Dog Toys

There are all sorts of dog toys on the market today that cater to several breeds. New pet owners may be wondering, "What can dogs play with?" Manufacturers have developed certain dog toys that promote your pet's health and your relationship.

Tug dog toys allow you to play with your dog one on one. Tug toys come in a variety of sizes, colors, and types. Tug toys have been upgrade so that they can be tugged on and thrown. The manufacturers have accomplished this by attaching a ball to a rope that is attached to the toy itself. Tugging is such a natural function that dogs love it when you participate in it with them. You become the pack leader as this is one of the top bonding toys out there.

Cotton ropes are also another favorite among different breeds. Manufacturers have created a toy that cleans your dog's teeth and promotes fun. Dogs also love to play tug a war with these. The cotton rope dog toys come in a variety of colors and sizes to fit your specific breed. Some, if not all dogs, want your attention. This is just another dog toy that will leave you both laughing and feeling exhausted!

Fleece and plush dog toys provide dogs hours of fun. Plush toys come in a variety of sizes, colors, and shapes. I'm sure you have seen the Pets Smart commercial with the dachshund carrying the long skinny dog toy. This is just one example of the shapes plush toys come in. There are also fleece dog toys that talk. These toys may have squeakers in them which most dogs will make it a point to get them out. Fleece and plush animals provide hours of fun and a challenge if your pet is willing to take it on.

If you are still unsure what type of dog toys you should be buying for your dog, then ask a pet store's associates. They will be more than happy to help you. Happy dog toy hunting.

Top Toys for Christmas 2010

While there were a few organizations that came out with lists for Top Christmas Toys in 2010 in July as they usually do, these may or may not actually be the toys that are hot this Christmas. As you know, it's a combination of advertising, marketing message, and children that make up the popular toys every year. From the Beanie Baby craze to Cabbage Patch Kids to Tickle Me Elmo - it seems that every year there is a super popular toy that kids must have and that parents can't find.

Preparing for Christmas 2010

Fall is quickly approaching, which means it's time to start thinking about Christmas shopping. While you may not make any actual purchases yet, you should start to put together your lists. That way, if you see something on sale, you can buy it now and save time later. Also, if there's a toy that you see is becoming popular, you can pick one up. If you're really savvy, you could pick up a few and make a profit selling them or give them to family and friends to make sure they have the hot toy for Christmas 2010.

Finding the Top Christmas Toys in 2010

The good things in life are never easy and making your child happy on Christmas morning by having the most perfect toy is no exception. If you want to make sure you get your hands on the top toy for Christmas 2010, you want to make sure you stay up to date on all new news about the top toys coming out and trends that are happening.

A good way to do this is to set-up a Google Search Alert for "Top Toys Christmas 2010" or other similar terms. This will send you an email whenever there's new news about the most hot toys in 2010. This can give you a valuable heads-up - precious time - that can enable you to go to a store and get the popular item before it becomes too popular.

Listen to the Children

You can listen to the so called toy experts until you are blue in the face (like at Willy Wonka's factory), but you may not figure out what toy your child thinks is hot this year. For finding the perfect Christmas toy in 2010, you want to make sure you listen to what your kids are talking about. Even as Halloween and Thanksgiving come around, they may start dropping hints as to what they think the hottest toy in 2010 is. If you're lucky, it might not be the toy every other child wants, which would make getting it that much easier.