Children's Top 10 Toys For Christmas and Beyond

Every year there are top toys that become very difficult to get hold of. One example a couple of years ago was a very expensive robot dinosaur that cost parents a lot of money. Many friends I know of bought these for their children and after Christmas they were never played with again. So I'm not giving you here the latest results from the news on what is selling really well I'm giving you my own experience and the experience of friends who came up with this list of what we feel are the top ten toys for Christmas.

Firstly it has to be a traditional but ever popular toy, lego. Lego comes in various sizes depending on how old the child is. Large lego pieces are suitable for very young children as they cannot be swallowed and for older children more challenging smaller pieces. There are scores of different models that you can buy, often models that relate to films that have been on the cinema such as Indiana Jones and Harry Potter. I have found that vehicles always prove popular whether it be cars or rockets. The beauty of lego is that you can choose a box to suit your budget.

Next is a cuddly toy. Girls especially love these and whilst we tend to buy them for babies, it isn't until they are around the age of 5-10 in my experience that they really get the full comfort and adoration for them. Dogs and cats are always popular, nothing too large and anything that has a cute face and feels soft to the touch.

My third choice isn't cheap but my goodness the children just play and play this and never get bored of it. The Nintendo DS ( pink if you are buying for a girl!) is a constantly best selling toy and quite rightly. You can buy endless games for it. Most younger children from the age of 7 enjoy the virtual pets ones, expecially Nintendo dogs. They can blow bubbles for the dog to play with buy accessories such as ribbons for their fur, feed them and cuddle them. With certain games you can connect to another consule so children can play together with them. These are great for plane journeys, long car journeys and as a last resort will give you some quiet time at a restaurant if you are with adults that are keeping the meal lasting longer than the children would like! A great buy.

Number four is the new swimming Baby Born doll. Children from age five would love this to play with in the bath. It actually swims and then can be wrapped in a towel and dressed etc. I have found all girls to go through a phase of loving baby dolls. I have a seven year old that has asked for this for Christmas and yet last year she stopped playing with dolls. So if you know a child that is asking for a doll this one would be enjoyed every day and especially on bath days.

Number five is a board game called Jenga. It is suitable for boys or girls and for any age. You build a tower of wooden blocks and one by one you take it in turn to take the blocks out of a tower. Eventually they crash and you shout JENGA. It gets everyone together and although we have a cupboard full of board games Jenga is the one that my three constantly take out. Another excellent choice would be Connect 4.

Number six may not be described as a toy for Christmas but I'm including it as I know plenty of boys and girls that would love to have this to open as a Christmas toy. The Apple ipod comes in a huge range of colours and is still very trendy with children and teenagers. Younger children seem to find the Zen stone easier to use but older ones just love the Apple ipod and being able to see videos of their singers etc. It is lightweight and seems robust too. Also very easy to use.

Number seven is something, anything to do with Bratz. So much more popular than Barbie with slightly older children of say age six and above. I personally love the doll that you can style and put make up on. Comes in a good sized box too.

Number eight will be Barbie. Only for younger children. My ten year old girl loves Bratz but would be horrified to rececive anything with Barbie. My seven year old still likes Barbie but her peers have already moved to Bratz. So if you are buying for a child aged six or younger then I would stick to glamourous Barbie. Lots of dolls to choose from. Mine always liked ones that dressed in cool clothes rather than looking like a princess and the ones that have a dog or cat with them were very popular.

Number nine would be magnetix. Only for older children but for girls they do girlie pinks and pale coloured balls and for boys more primary based ones. The magnets means that you can construct and make all types of creations with these toys. Children also enjoy finding places within the home for these. I would never buy these if you have any younger children in the house as they are just begging to be swallowed by a toddler but for children aged eight and above these work very well.

Last but not least is a book for Christmas. If you know a child that likes to read look at the current best sellers and buy a book. My ten year old daugher loves Jaqueline Wilson and Meg Cabot. My seven year old girl is currently a big fan of Enid Blyton and my twelve year old loves Garth Nix and Charlie Higson.

All the toys above have been popular with not only my children but friends' children too.
You can find pictures of the toys mentioned on www.helpful-ideas.com

Merry Christmas x

The Role of Toys in Your Child's Development

The main purpose of toys is to bring joy to children. It adds more fun to their games. But one can never underestimate the power of toys. Toys are very helpful in preparing your child to learn bigger things. Although it may only seem that they are just playing and having fun, there are a lot of things that they can learn. There are educational toys that give your child the fun of playing and learning at the same time.

Toys have been your child's constant companion since he was still a baby. Small colorful toys helped him discovered the different colors and shapes. It also introduced him to the different sounds in his surroundings and allowed him to distinguish the different textures. Through toys, your child discovered the fun of using his senses.

At preschool, your child is more active. Although he has outgrown those colorful toddler toys, his interest to discover and create new things is continuing to take its toll. He starts to learn new things like associating his toys with the things in his surroundings. He learns to do role playing and takes his imagination to a new level. He also learns to appreciate and create new things out of the different colors and shapes. Their toys can aid you as well in teaching him how to write, count and draw. You can also teach him responsibility by assigning him a task to organize his toys after playing. You can teach him to socialize as well by asking him to share his toys with other children.

When your child is older, there are a lot of board games that you can introduce to him that will enhance his analytical skills. Game boards such as chess and domino help develop the strategic skills of your child. If you want to widen his vocabulary you can teach him how to play scrabble and word factory. This will also introduce your child to the different rules and regulations and the limitations it brings. He will also learn the value of sportsmanship and humility through this.

Children's interests vary as they grow. If your child does not show interest to any board game, then don't force him. You can ask him about the sports he is interested in and support it. He will surely learn a lot from it. He will be able to socialize by playing with a team and value the significance of teamwork. He will also learn about discipline and hard work in order to attain their team goal.

You may have not noticed it, but toys play a very important role in the development of your child's well being. His desire for toys change over the years because his needs varies from one stage to another but this does not mean that what he has discovered and learned with the previous toys he had will be forgotten. He may not be able to remember how he played when he was still a baby or how much he liked to put things together, but it will show in the person he has grown into.