I can attest to the fact that I surf the net to read Holiday Gift Guides for gift ideas when I do my holiday shopping as it makes the mad shopping rush less stressful. So, I figured that you, my readers may appreciate some recommendations from me as well. So, here’s my 2008 Holiday Gift Guide for the Kids featuring toys of $25 and Under:

1. NMC Toys are a retailer of quality European and American Toys. Many of their toys have received awards and meet or exceed USA safety standards while some selected toys offer a lifetime guarantee from the manufacturer.

School Bus Puzzle $19.95 (Ages 3 and up) -  This 20 piece jigsaw puzzle is perfect for little hands. See the joy in your child’s face when they put it all together.

My 1st Blocks $23.99 (Ages 1 and Up) - 6 brightly colored blocks fit into this 8″ long wagon. Whimsical train design screen printed on the side of the wagon will sure fit into every child’s room.

2. Schylling - From Classic Preschool, Pretend Play, Tin Toys, Fun & Games, Music, Outdoor Toys, to Science and Construction, they have over twenty different product categories where you will find over 125 new products for 2008! Check out some of the coolest toys below:

Gone Fishing Game Wind Up $2.99 (Ages 3 and up) -One of my daughter’s favourite toy. Made of plastic. The objective is to catch as many fish as possible with your fishing pole.

Flower Fairy Dress Up Set $14.99 (ages 3 and up). For the adorable little angel in your life. The set comes in a plastic carrying bag and includes wings, headbands, wand and tutu.

3. ImagiPLAY is another of my favourite store as it sets itself apart from the rest through its motto, “Toys with Integrity.” By producing quality products that connect with nature, have eco-friendly sources, and hold educational value, ImagiPLAY works to benefit the earth we share and the people that inhabit it.

Dolphins and Turtles Puzzle $14.99 (ages 3 and up) - This 7pc hand-crafted, hand-painted Dolfins and Turtle puzzle stands up to brighten any room. Great intermediate puzzle. As beautiful to look at as it is fun to put together! Because the pieces are double-sided, this puzzle is equivalent to a 14pc puzzle, since you don’t know which side is up.

PuzzlePlay Sea Life $19.99 (ages 3 and up) - A playset and puzzle in one! Kids will engage in hours of imaginative play with these versatile 16 pieces of creatures of the sea.

4. Briarpatch has been an innovator in the development of games and puzzles for children of all ages since its inception in 1992. Today, with more than 275 awards received, Briarpatch maintains an inspiring, fun and educational product line and is a highly respected leader in the toy industry.

Sea Monsters Board Game $20.99 (Ages 5+) - Set sail for the New World across uncharted waters where players must navigate through typhoons, get blown off course, drift out to sea or worst, a Sea Monster may appear out of nowhere to wreck your ship! Absolute FUN!

Clothespins! Game $12.99 (Ages 5+) - Comes with 4 Game boards and 66 playing cards. This is a fast paced, strategy game where players score points by completing clotheslines of matching patterns or items of laundry.

5. Kobold Toys - First opened in Panama City, four years ago and have since built a reputation as a highly successful toy store that brings children the best educational toys available in the global market. With its online store, Kobold Toys have made shopping convenient for busy parents who appreciate the flavours of global toys.

It’s Time To Call 911 $7.95 - Featured in ABC News, Good Morning America and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, this is a great book that teaches your child about emergency situations, how to dial 911 and what to say to get help in an emergency.

Dancing Alligator $18.99 - Made of rubberwood, this brightly painted green alligator is sure to thrill your toddler as it makes a rhythmic click-clack sound while being pulled. Ideal for toddler of age 12-18 months.

For Ages: 1+
Made In: USA
Manufacturer: Holgate Toys
Dimensions: ea block 1-3/4″

Did you know that by the time babies are a year old, they should be able to play stacking or balancing games? Thus, the Holgate Baby Blocks would make the perfect  toy to help your baby develop her creativity, hand-eye coordination as well as build fine motor skills.

Each set contains six blocks made from hard maple wood and on each side of the blocks, there are pictures, numbers and alphabets. The rounded edges of the blocks received a two thumbs up from me as a great safety feature for babies. There are numerous ways to play with these blocks but for the younger babies, you can start off by stacking them up towerlike and letting your baby knock them down.  My 18 months old niece had a blast with these blocks as she was already able to sort them by colors. We have also started teaching her to recognize some of the pictures and when she grows older, we will use these blocks to teach her simple three letter words.

Overall, I would highly recommend these Made in USA Holgate Baby Blocks as they make delightful and educational toys for babies and toddlers alike.  Get yours today from NMC Toys!

Let me tell you why I am a big fan of ImagiPLAY’s Counting Bunnies Toy. Three words :

• Eco-Friendly
• Non-Toxic
• Fun

Like any other parent, recalls on toys have resulted in a lot of concern over the type of products that our children should be playing with. Many parents are now in favour of environmental friendly made toys as opposed to the regular plastic made ones. At the same time, we want to ensure that our children enjoy these eco toys and that they are made to encourage development and creativity in children. ImagiPLAY’s Toys Of Integrity has definitely not disappointed me.

The Counting Bunnies by ImagiPLAY is a great tool or toy to teach numbers 1 to 10 to young children. The handcrafted set comes with eight bunnies numbered from 1 to 8 and two carrots with number 9 and 10. The pieces are small enough to fit the hands of younger children and colourful enough to retain their attention.

Now, the main objective is to line the bunnies up in the proper sequence of numbers so that they are able to get the carrots. However, there are numerous ways for parents to work with their children to get the numbers right. It all depends on each person’s creativity. 

On a final note, I would highly recommend this toy to those who have children of age 2+ to 4.

Thanks to Mom Central, I was given the opportunity to review a new line of games launched by Cranium. I took the games Let’s Play Count and Cook and the Let’s Go To The Zoo Seek and Find Puzzle home to the delight of my 4 year old daughter.

I love the fact that Let’s Play Count and Cook can be enjoyed with a minimum of 2 players. The objective of the game is to pick any of the recipes in the cookbook and gather all the ingredients for it.

To start off, players have to put all the tokens face up on the game board. The player whose birthday is coming up next gets to start first by rolling the die and moving your chef the number of spaces shown, going in either direction on the play path. If you land on an ingredient you need for your recipe, add the token to the recipe. If you land on a star, add a special ingredient to the recipe -anything you want. If you are the player who manages to collect the last ingredient, you win the game! The winner gets to open the secret window for a surprise (find out for yourself!).

Let’s Play Count & Cook Game includes the game board, 20 ingredient tokens, 4 chef movers, recipe book, and die. My daughter gives it the thumbs up as she gets to pretend play with the game. Even my 8 year old son finds it interesting enough to join us in the game. Overall, Let’s Play Count and Cook is ideal for teaching counting, matching, turn taking and working together. Retails at $12.99 from Cranium.

 Let’s Go To The Zoo Seek and Play Puzzle is not the typical puzzle that springs to mind. Apart from putting the pieces of puzzles together, players also gets to search for animal and shapes in the puzzle such as peacocks and polar bears, lemurs and lions. How the game is played : Once the puzzle has been pieced together, each player is given three cards from the beginner or advanced deck.  Then, each player takes turn to search for the puzzle for the items on the cards. Mark your discovery by using the dry erase marker to circle it. The advantage of using the marker is that you can wipe the marks off with a dry tissue. However, it can get tiring wiping them if there are too many.

Let’s Go to the Zoo Seek & Find Puzzle comes in a box with 24 puzzle pieces, 30 cards and an erasable pen. Great for age 3 to 5 as these younger kids get to brush up on their spatial thinking, counting, color and letter matching and fine motor skills. However, I would not recommended it for older kids as it can be less challenging to them. Retails at $9.99 and available from Cranium.

1. Wizard Watergames (Price $9.59)

How long will it take you to get the pieces in place? From Tomy, these best-selling Wizard Water Games are addictively fun to play! Tic Tac Toe invites the player to move colored balls into rows. Star Catcher scores points by shooting the balls up to the star, and then droping into the scoring tubes. Ring Toss is just like the name says- try to get as many rings on the pegs as possible! Perfect for at home or on the road. For children ages 3 and above.

2. Take Along Water Colour Set (Retails at $2.59)

Create fabulous fridge art and school projects with this Melissa & Doug Take-Along Watercolor Set from Lights, Camera, Interaction! Contains 12 vibrant non-toxic colors. Brush and mixing tray included.

3. Play-Doh Case of Colors - Hasbro (Price $5.29)

Use your imagination to build, sculpt and decorate with this Play-Doh Case of Colors that includes 10 two-ounce cans of Play-Doh modeling compound. The variety of colors makes for endless possibilities for creative, colorful fun! Cleaning up is easy; just remove the excess compound, allow the remaining compound to dry, then scrape or vacuum it away. Suitable for age 2 and up.

Simple turn the switch “on” to activate the motor & blow gazillions of bubbles! Comes with a 115ml bottle of Gazillion bubble solution.

Perfect for car seats and stroller canopies, this Tag Along Chimes Set from Infantino® features a lovable lion and adorable elephant that attach easily with convenient, magnetic fasteners. Your baby will be fascinated with the melody of chimes, bright colors, and soft textures of these fun take-along toys! Recommended age : Birth to 24 months.

Like any other parent, I am sure most of you will be budget conscious this holiday season. So, here’s a list of toys that your babies or kids will enjoy and yet do not cost you a lot. In fact, everything listed below retails for $10 or less only:

1. Playskool Mr. Potato Head Opti-Mash Prime (Retails at $9.99)

2. NA Bear Mini Dude-a-Loos Crinkle Assortment (Retails at $9)

NA Bear Mini Dude-a-Loos Crinkle Assortment. Bright and zany characters with engaging textures, noisemakers and interactive features for fun play. Choices include a dog, cat, monkey or giraffe.

3. Band-A-Ball (Retails at $10)

A weaved exterior with a chime ball in the center, this colorful and unique toy inspires cause-and-effect learning and fun! Ideal for age 3m+

4.  My Peek-A-Boo Book (Retails for $10)
Children develop into eager readers when they’re engaged at a young age. My Peek-A-Boo Book offers age appropriate language and activities that promote curiosity and motor-skill development. Ideal for age 6m+

5.  Water Drums Tub Tunes (Price $8.98)
Playing music can happen anywhere - even the bath thanks to Tub Tunes Water Drums from Right Brain! Kids can experiment with music, using these fun floating drums as a great addition to bath time. Tub Tunes Water Drums are easy to use - kids can start with a simple rhythm, and then begin to improvise their tunes or use the easy-to-follow, waterproof rhythm chart to create their favorite drum beats! Water play certainly takes on a completely different meaning thanks to the musical mayhem of Tub Tunes Water Flutes from Right Brain! For ages 4 years and above.

With Christmas coming up soon, I will start reviewing products that make great gifts for the season. The toy that I picked this time is The Flix Video Camera from Disney, a rather inexpensive video camera.

The package comes with  Disney Director software, which includes storyboards, sound effects, film footage, music and character voices from Disney films and TV shows. The High School Musical version of the software is also included with this hand held video cam.

Just plug right into your PC and let Disney’s Magic Director help you add special effects. It is easy to use and share with your family.

With a retail price of $100, your kids can be the star of their own Disney movie!