Tip Sheet For Santa
Toy Wishes Magazine reviews 50,000 toys each year, features 500 or more new ones, and selects 12 - the hot dozen - based on which ones they predict to be the most popular toys for the year.
On Wednesday's The Early Show, editor-in-chief Jim Silver shows off some of the highlights, including the fast-paced interactive Balloon Lagoon, the ultra-competitive Nitro Battlerz and the nostalgic re-release of the original Cabbage Patch Doll.
Silver predicts the biggest-selling game of the year will be an educational video game for young kids, ages 3-7, called V.Smile.
Here is Toy Wishes Magazine's complete list, with its descriptions of the toys:
BALLOON LAGOON
(Cranium/Ages 5 years & up/$19.95)
It's all the fun of a day at the carnival! Four fast-paced activities keep kids (and adults) challenged and amused as they race to collect balloons, flip the frogs in the pond, spin the wheels to match the picture, fish for letters in the lake, match the treats as they spill out of the snack shack, and do it all before the musical Merry-Go-Round timer stops. It's the perfect combination of skill, change and thinking.
BARBIE AS PRINCESS ANNELIESE AND ERIKA
(Mattel/Ages 3 years & up/$19.99)
Barbie is back in the movies this year, starring in two roles in "The Princess and the Pauper," a reworking of Mark Twain's famous story. These two stunning dolls feature Barbie in her costumes from the film, and both come with a special pet. Each of the dolls sings the original songs from the movie's score; put the two dolls together and they'll even sing a duet!
BELLA DANCERELLA
(Spin Master/Ages 3 to 8 years /$29.99)
So many girls, even the youngest ones, dream of being a ballerina. Now those dreams can come true, at least in make-believe. Bella Dancerella is a complete ballet studio that includes costumes and ballet accessories as well as an easy-to-follow video that will have little girls dancing along in no time. A great way to encourage activity with a favorite way of playing.
BRATZ TOKYO-A-GO-GO DANCE N' SKATE CLUB
(MGA/Ages 3 years & up/$89.99)
You already know those Bratz dolls are hip, trendy and totally put together! Now the stylish gang can enter a retro-disco dream world with this club playset that includes a lit dance floor, revolving DJ booth, roller rink, lounge, working speakers, exclusive doll and many funkadelic accessories!
CABBAGE PATCH KIDS
(Play Along/Ages 3 years & up/$29.99)
They're back in a big way this year - and better than ever! The original, one-of-a-kind, adoptable doll is ready to delight a whole new generation of kids. Both old and new fans will love the great looks, high-quality clothes and, of course, the thrill of officially registering the adoption and their doll's unique name and identity.
E-L-M-O
(Fisher-Price/Ages 18 months & up/$29.99)
Who'd have thought that one of the biggest novelty songs of the disco era would become a classic preschool hit? It has, and now everyone's favorite Sesame Street Elmo gets into the act, singing and playing along as he goes through all the motions to spell out the letters in his name. Amazing!
INTERACTV
(Fisher-Price/Ages 3 years & up/$39.99)
Watching TV just got more interactive and more educational. Kids watch DVDs of their favorite characters (like Barney or Dora the Explorer) and use the electronic tablet to answer the questions and play along. Easy for parents to set up and super easy for kids to operate, this brings TV to life in a whole new and wholesome way.
MS. PAC-MAN TV GAMES
(JAKKS Pacific/Ages 5 years & up/$20.00)
You don't need a console to bring home videogame excitement. Simply plug it into the TV and you're ready to play five classic Namco games, including Ms. Pac-man, Galaga, Pole Position, Xevious and Mappy, all designed to give you hours of fun - at an extraordinary value!
NITRO BATTLERZ
(Radica/Ages 8 years & up/$39.99)
Ultimate competition and ultimate thrills! These customizable R/C cars are built for power and built to compete. Create your vehicles and a challenging dome and get ready for super competition. Dramatic design and a sense of power ramp up the thrill of racing - and crashing. This awe-inspiring set brings new excitement (and incredible value) to the R/C category.
TAMAGOTCHI CONNECTION
(Bandai/Ages 8-14 years /$14.99)
Remember the craze these critters caused the first time around? Now the original virtual pet is back and better than ever. Different modes of play, a pause button ("Hooray!" say parents) and new pets make this a new experience. Best of all, owners can interact wirelessly with other owners and take interactive play to new levels, even creating new generations of pets. Get ready for kids to fall in love with Tamagotchi all over again!
VIDEONOW COLOR
(Hasbro/Ages 6 years & up/$75.00)
It's a kid's personal video player. Last year, VideoNow made the list for its breakthrough technology, and this year, it's gotten even better! Now the videos are in full color and the durable unit features the coolest design ever that's totally portable and goes anywhere. Plus, kids can choose from a whole library of favorite shows to create their own personal video collection with hits from Nickelodeon, special programs from Hilary Duff, Tony Hawk and much more.
V.SMILE
(VTech/Ages 3-7 years/$59.99)
Even the youngest kids are fascinated by video games, but sometimes they are just too small to play. No more! VTech has created a fantastic learning system that takes the play of video games and creates an exciting, interactive educational environment that's just right for preschoolers. Plug the unit directly into the TV, insert one of the many different "Smartridges" and kids are playing and reinforcing language, math, problem-solving skills and much more, all with their favorite characters.