Amy Carney Bevins

MUST HAVE HOLIDAY TOYS

Amy's 2009 Hot Toy and Game Picks

(Infant, Preschool) Muddy Pigs

Perfect bath time buddies for your little one. These two little piggies have made a mess and gotten covered in mud spots. Like magic, your child can clean them up with a little warm water and the included wash cloth. Once the pigs are dry, the spots reappear and the pigs are ready for more scrubbing fun! Your child will love to clean these pigs up while they get themselves scrubby clean too!

Approximate Price - $7 www.munchkin.com

Awards – Creative Child Preferred Choice

(Elementary, Preteen, Teens/Adults) Djubi

“Hook it, launch it, catch it.” Djubi will have your family on their feet in this new twist on the classic game of catch. Launch the special foam Djubi balls up to 100 feet and catch them with the deep-pocket racquets. Vary your launch angle and tension to send the balls flying sky-high or straight ahead. Perfect for burning off those holiday calories and winter wiggles, Djubi is great for the whole family.

Approximate Price - $30 www.djubi.com

Awards – ASTRA Best Toy for Kids, Día del Niño – Best Games for Latin Families

(Elementary, Preteen) Maxi Kick Scooter

Get ready to race, roll, swerve and speed. The lightweight Swiss-designed Maxi scooter gets kids outside “surfing the sidewalks.” The three-wheeled design increases stability while the unique pilot/joystick steering gives the ride a skateboard-like feel that kids love. For younger kids the Mini Kick is a perfect choice.

Approximate Price - $150 www.kickboardusa.com

Awards – Parents Choice Award, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, Middle East Toy Fair Award, Universal Design Award, red dot Design Award

(Preschool, Elementary) Jungle Snugglies Puppets

Fill playtime with a jungle adventure. Jungle Snugglies lion, elephant, monkey, tiger and zebra puppets are roaring good fun. These charming puppets combine bright colors, soft textures and engaging faces to bring the imaginary jungle world to life.

Approximate Price - $12 www.manhattantoy.com

Awards – Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award

(Preschool, Elementary) Sprig Discover Rig/Adventure Series

Lights, sounds, songs and more – all without batteries. The Discover Rig is on a kid-powered adventure through the African Serengeti. This eco-friendly truck is made of Sprigwood™ - a child-safe, bio-composite material made from recycled wood and reclaimed plastic - and uses “push and pump action” to generate hours of imagination expeditions. With the Rally Racer, have an Arctic adventure. Explore the Australian Outback with the Baja Scout. The Adventure series is a non-electric companion series that expands play options. These well-made, cleverly constructed vehicles are sure to please.

Approximate Price - $10-50 www.sprigtoys.com

Awards – Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, iParenting Media Award, Creative Child Preferred Choice/ Seal of Excellence, Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products Award, Scholastic Parent & Child Editor's Choice, TIA's Toy of the Year (TOTY), NAPPA Gold Award

(Preschool, Elementary, Preteen, Teens/Adults) Go Go Sports Girls

If you have a girl in your life that is in to soccer, dance, gymnastics, tennis and more, she’ll love the Go Go Sports Girls. The dolls are perfect as playmates for younger kids and team mascots for older girls. These absolutely adorable dolls also come with a positive message – be healthy, have fun and chase your dreams. Just what we want to teach our daughters about having a healthy body image and lifestyle. Each doll has a special message printed on her belly that is unique to her sport (Suzi swimmer has “Dream big, swim fast.”) and comes dressed to play with the appropriate gear. Go Go Sports Girls send a wonderfully age appropriate message and are just right for girls of all ages.

Approximate Price - $23 www.gogosportsgirls.com

(Elementary, Preteen, Teens/Adults) Q-BA-Maze

Art, architecture, motion, physics, entertainment and engaging fun. Q-BA-MAZE is more than just a marble maze. The colorful, durable pieces join together in numerous ways allowing for unique, creative constructions filled with engineering feats. But that is just part of the appeal. Drop the silver balls into your creation and the action really begins. As they drop through the mazes, the balls create motion art, adding silver flashes to your construction. Follow build plans or design your own masterpieces – it’s a toss up whether you’ll have more fun building or racing marbles through Q-BA-MAZE.

Approximate Price - $20-75 www.q-ba-maze.com

Awards – National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, Best New Product – Tokyo Gift Fair

(Preschool, Elementary, Preteen) ChickyBoom

Crashing chickens and tumbling wagon wheels make for laughter and learning in this colorful, beautifully-made wooden game. One by one, the chickens “fly” off the rocking perch, but will the remaining ones crash or balance? While simple to learn, there is a surprising amount of hidden learning (fulcrums, relative weights, strategy, etc) in this well-constructed and appealingly designed game. ChickyBoom is accessible to young players and engaging for older ones, making it a great family choice.

Approximate Price - $25 www.blueorangegames.com

Awards – Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, Parents Choice Silver Award, Dr. Toy’s Best Vacation Products, ASTRA Best Toys For Kids Award, National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, Creative Child Seal Of Excellence, NAPPA Honor Award, Protégez-Vous/ Option Consommateurs Recommandé, Green Parents’ List Check Mark

(Elementary, Preteen, Teens/Adults) Cornerstone

Who can climb the highest in this exciting, challenging and visually appealing family game? Imagine a cross between Jenga and Blokus with dice for an added randomizing twist. You’ll hold your breath as you add a teetering tower, cheer as you successfully execute your offense and defense, groan when a tower collapses and relish the feel of the solid wood playing pieces. Work together or play head-to-head. Cornerstone is destined to become a family classic and won’t have time to gather dust on the shelf because you’ll play it so often!

Approximate Price - $40 www.goodcompanygames.com

Awards –Mensa Select Awards, Parents' Choice Silver Award

(Preteen, Teens/Adults) Funny Business

The name’s the game! In this absolutely hilarious game, you create company names for unusual business mergers. What would you call a merger between a pet shop and a plumber? An electrician and a nursing home? Will your answer be chosen as the group favorite? This uproariously funny game will have your entire family involved in laugh-out-loud fun!! Great for parties or family game nights, Funny Business is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Approximate Price - $28 www.gamewright.com

Awards – Dr. Toy’s Best Pick Award, NAPPA Honors, The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, Tillywig Toy Award, Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award

(Preschool, Elementary, Preteen, Teens/Adults) Jelly Flyer

Catch it, toss it, indoors and out, night or day. The Jelly Flyer is a fabulous durable, flexible flying disc made of high-tech silicone. Squish it up to take it with you, play a painless game of frisbee tag, teach beginners and challenge frisbee aficionados. Jelly Flyers come in 4” and 8” sizes and 6 bright colors, including glow-in-the-dark. Perfect to get out those winter wiggles!

Approximate Price - $2-8 www.noodleheadfun.com

Awards – Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award and Seal of Excellence

(Elementary, Preteen, Teens/Adults) Yamslam

A pinch of Poker, a peck of Yatzee and a bushel of fun! Yamslam is a dice-rolling, chip collecting game with the perfect combination of luck and strategy. Quick to learn and play, Yamslam appeals to all ages. Yamslam also sneaks math skills like counting, probability and odds into such an appealing package that kids won’t even know they’re learning. Yamslam’s brightly colored storage tin opens to reveal the play surface, making it a great travel game. So let the dice roll with Yamslam!

Approximate Price - $20 www.blueorangegames.com

Awards –

National Parenting Center

Seal of Approval

(Preschool, Elementary, Preteen, Teens/Adults) Fuzz That Wuzz

Can you imagine your child cuddling a water bottle? Each adorable Fuzz That Wuzz stuffed animal is made from over 10 recycled plastic bottles (both the outer fabric and high-quality stuffing are made from 100% PET recycled plastic bottles). With Wigglezzzz Puppy and Swingzzz Monkey and their pals, recycling is more loveable than ever.

Approximate Price - $8-25 www.marymeyer.com

Below is a list of the

2008 Most Popular and Playable Toys

featured on NBC and MonkeySee.com

Gymnic Hop Ball

Approximate Price - $25-30

www.gymnicballs.com

Awards – ASTRA’s “Best-For-Kids,” Creative Child Magazine Seal of Excellence