10 Hottest Holiday Gifts for Kids
Never know what to buy your grandkids? The Toy Insider tells which toys are going to be at the top of every grandkid’s wish list.
By Laurie Schacht
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1. The Wii U (from Nintendo)
Billed by many as "The Electronic Toy of the Season," this is the newest generation of the ever-popular Wii games. The console allows kids to watch television, movies, and play games on the TV or on the hand-held console. It also allows kids to interact with their TV shows—learning related information and playing games based on them.
Perfect for ages: 9+
Price: $299 and $349
Available at: Best Buy -
2. Silverlit Porsche 911
Car fans get ready! This sleek sports car is designed to run using the power of kids' iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad as the remote control. Car goes in all directions, speeds up, slows down, and its lights all work, just like a real car.
Perfect for ages: 10+
Price: $79.99
Available at: Silverlit -
3. Zynga Games Words with Friends (from Hasbro)
If kids love playing Words With Friends on their computer or phone, then they'll love this new board game, too. Similar to the mobile game and to Scrabble, Words With Friends Luxe Edition allows players to take turns placing tiles onto the game board, building upon opponent’s word creations with their own.
Perfect for ages: 13+
Price: $39.99
Available at: Hasbro
Want to Win Words With Friends? Click here to enter our Words With Friends giveaway -
4. Furby (from Hasbro)
This adorable new friend is more than just a stuffed animal. Through a combination of interactive programming and robotic engineering, Furby has a mind of its own. Kids can feed it, speak to it, tickle it, or play music for it, and Furby responds. If kids play nicely with Furby, it will develop a sweet personality. Pull, shake, and turn Furby upside-down, and a mischievous demeanor may evolve. When kids first get Furby, it will speak "furbish" and the more Furby interacts with its owner, the more English it will start speaking. Each Furby can also recognize another Furby; place two side-by-side and they will interact, including dancing together to the same tune or having a conversation.
Perfect for ages: 6 - 10+
Price: $59.99
Available at: Hasbro -
5. Monster High High School (from Mattel)
Girls will flip over this playhouse based on the popular web site and dolls. The two-story school includes furniture, stickers, and decorations for dolls and kids to have a creepy good time! Dolls not included.
Perfect for ages: 6-8
Price: $70.99
Available at: Mattel -
6. Hexbug Warriors Battling Robots (from Innovation First)
Fun and budget-friendly, kids love these mechanical bugs that zoom around and do battle! Two fully-armored Hexbug Warriors Battling Robots are included with the Battle Stadium, along with enough track for kids to create the ultimate battleground. All of the track pieces are expandable and interchangeable for unlimited creative play.
Perfect for ages: 6–10+
Price: $29.99
Available at: Amazon
Want to Win Hexbug Warriors Battling Roborts? Click here to enter our Hexbug Warriors giveaway -
7. Skylanders: Giants (from Activision)
If your grandchildren are into video games and battles, they’ll want Skylanders: Giants. The newest part of the popular Skylanders series, Skylanders Giants are bigger than ever. Giants incorporates a toy figure into video play where kids connect the figure to a video screen, then Giants battle enemies and solve puzzles on screen.
Perfect for ages: 6-9
Price: 74.99 for starter pack
Available at: Amazon -
8. Chuggington Railway Wilson’s Wild Ride (from Tomy)
This awesome new play set allows little conductors to build a track spiral more than two feet tall! They can pull the lever when Wilson the train enters the storm machine to activate lights and sounds and start the rumbling storm—then down he comes.
Perfect for ages: 3-7
Price: $39.99
Available at: Amazon -
9. Lil Princess Enchanted Castle (from Mega Bloks)
Your little princess or prince can enter the fairytale world of make-believe by designing and decorating a beautiful three-story palace for Princess Ivy and her horse, Chestnut. Set Includes Princess Ivy and magic pop-up tiara, her pony, Chestnut, chairs, a table, a mirror and food for the pony, as well as stickers to decorate the castle.
Perfect for ages: 1-4
Price: $34.99
Available at: Amazon -
10. Rocktivity Sit to Stand Music Skool (from Playskool)
Packed with music, fun, and learning opportunities, this table features more than fifty musical activities, including songs like “ABC” with three ways to play! This toy helps teach little ones simple concepts through music including classic shapes, colors, numbers, letters, and opposites in either English or Spanish. Table legs detach for seated play.
Perfect for ages: 0-2
Price: $44.99
Available at: Hasbro -
Meet the Toy Insider!
Grandparents.com Contributing Toy Editor Laurie Schacht, aka The Toy Insider Mom, scours the toy aisles to find the best and hottest toys out there for kids. She is also CTO (Chief Toy Officer) of Adventure Publishing (The Toy Insider, The Toy Book, The Licensing Book and The Big Toy Book). -
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Comments
Wow this is just an amazing list right there but I think pretend play toys must also be included there.
Out of nine grandchildren not one of ours was interested in any of these new high priced toys except one and of course he wanted the most expensive one , from ages 1-22 these were not to exciting except to the 13 yr old. Please find less expensive toys that us low income GP can afford... Thank You
Hello all, It's the editors of Grandparents.com! We hear you about the pricy gifts, and want to tell you that we have several other gifts pieces planned for this holiday season including "Kids Gifts for $10 and Under" and "Inexpensive Gifts You Can Get at the Dollar Store/Drugstore." The gifts featured in this piece are the hottest toys of the season, the ones everyone is talking about. But rest assured, we'll be featuring lots more ideas for every price range and budget!
P.S. I'm hoping, though, that GP.com will soon also provide a list of less expensive Christmas gifts for kids?