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Have you noticed that interactive pets are quite popular this year. They are so popular that they are out of stock in several locations around the country. If you are interested in any of them, you must think about getting yours very soon. Today, I wanted to focus on D-REX the Interactive Dinosaur. This is considered a very hot toy this year. He moves, he roars, he can be trained and he responds to your child’s voice. This little guy is going to make someone very happy indeed.

The bone shaped controller helps to train D-Rex to be a guard or attack animal. Of course, people do not get hurt with this interactive pet. And though he is scary looking, he is particularly happy with your child. His skin is soft, slightly strange, reptile type. If you scratch his head, he loves it. And he has a sense of humor. That would be most different from most T-rex animals. This crazy little guy will roar, fart, belch, eats, uses his noise sensor to find you, turns his head and blinks his eyes. One of the fun things he does is to guard. The child can put him in charge of kid’s room. He will roar if he detects movement. You get the dino and the controller in the box.

Recommended for ages 8 to 18 years. (These sound like a great deal of fun. Wouldn’t mind having one myself) Requires 5 C batteries and 2 AAA batteries.

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We are heading into the times when toys and games, game consoles and other goodies will be out of stock in the stores and online. I took a good look at my toy list and found that most of the hottest toys are already out of stock in many places. That does not bode well if you intend to wait until next month or if you are one of those last minute shoppers. Last minute shoppers often lose out on the best deals and the greatest toys because they put this all off until one too many minutes have past them by. Folks, this is like trying to find a hotel in las vegas when the convention is in town. You can’t do it! Isn’t it about time to wake up and smell the coffee? Do the research, get online, take a look what is out there and go for it now while there are some options available.

I have told you about some really awesome toys and games, consoles and others. For instance, the Wii console is out of stock in several locations. That was to be expected. The Wii Fit is also out of stock. Some of the toddler riding toys are gone because they are a hot item this year. Elmo Live is still available. If the names Fisher Price or Playskool are on the toy, they are getting depleted quickly. Fisher-Price Ready for School Learning Center is almost gone for now. U Command Wall-E and Hasbro Nerf N’ Strike Vulcan are both out of stock in most places right now. If the toy is interactive with the child, it is likely to be very popular and out of stock.

The Christmas buying season has begun. It’s getting earlier and earlier every year. I remember a time when no one set up Christmas decorations until two or three weeks before Christmas. Then it went to right after Thanksgiving, then right before. It has gone back to before the October day that I do not celebrate and soon it will be backed up to September. So, toys are getting sold quickly now. If you think that the last minute will work now, it is likely to be a madhouse and worse this year. Take a deep breath, make out your list and check the listings in the paper and online…and then GRAB IT because if it’s a hot toy, you will not see it in a couple of weeks. Happy Shopping.

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Twas the night before Christmas and all through the…….Perhaps, I should start with the fact that this is a story. I think it’s just fine to write a story on a toy blog, don’t you? A change of pace is called for today. So, in the spirit of good will and loads of Christmas shopping, this is the story of Daddy and the Robot with a narration by Becca.

Daddy was determined to build Rusty’s robot before morning though he was hitting what he called one snag after another. I don’t know what a snag is but it’s really, really bad. For one thing, there were over a thousand pieces in the box, some he had never seen before and he didn’t know what they did neither. When Daddy decides something, he means it so he’s going to finish by daybreak, a time when my brother and sisters always woke up and ran to the tree. Daddy set about assembling the robot for Rusty. Mommy told him that he bit off more than he could chew, whatever that means. I’m Rebecca but you can call me Becca like everyone else does. And I am 6 years old. Rusty is 10 years old and he wanted a robot ever since he saw it at the toy store.

Rusty was going to be really disappointed if he didn’t get his robot. Mommy and Daddy don’t mind giving us what we want sometimes. But Rusty has talked about the robot for lots of time, ever since I can remember, I think. That’s what Mommy says about me too. “She has been a good girl ever since I can remember. Of course I only remember about an hour back!” Then she laughs really hard. I don’t know what that means.

When Daddy opened the box, there were about a million pieces that poured out. Oh, I’m not supposed to zadurate. There was a thousand though. Boy, that looks really hard. It’s a good thing Rusty is over at Carl’s house tonight to play but gets to come back in a little while. I figured this is going to be boring so I decided to play with my dolls for a while and make up stories about them. They really have a lot of fun too. Oh oh, Daddy just screamed something about ball lock pins and children’s toys, whatever those pin things are. Sounds like he needs them though because it’s stuff in the box. Maybe I should go upstairs. Daddy screams a lot when he makes stuff.

The next day—Hey, I want to see too! Rusty! Stop it! Stop pushing me. I guess Rusty likes being a big brother because he can push me so much. But he’s really good at school. He helps me with bullies. Oh oh, Daddy got the robot fixed for Rusty! That’s beautiful. Hey, Rusty stop it! Daddy, make Rusty stop getting the robot to chase me. I want to see my presents too! Daddy!

And Becca grew up to be a wonderful wife and mother. Rusty, her brother, still has the robot and it still chases people. He makes it chase Becca’s children now. Isn’t life wonderful.

For information on buying robots with slightly less parts than in the story, please click on Discover This, Educational Science Kits and Toys.

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Frankly, that’s a hard call since you know your child and I do not. However, there are some basics to follow. I know that this is the time of year that you want to buy all those things that they want, some they don’t and some you just think are the cutest thing. And of course, you have to get your child the toys that other parents have gotten. After all, how can you live with yourself if you don’t provide the same opportunities that the kid down the street gets.

Now that we have had a good laugh, it’s time to face reality. Times are tough. Money is tighter than ever. How are you going to buy all the toys Junior or your adorable little girl want? You can’t. Toys are sky high these days. I did a review on a toy that the toddlers ride that costs almost or right at $300. Want reality? It’s only going to be good for the kid until he or she gets to 60 lbs and that is pushing it. And the closer the kid is to that weight, the less time they get. The only way that toy is even close to good is if you buy it the minute the child gets to a point where they can ride it. After that, it’s no good for riding. It will, however, be a wonderful entertainment for the kids…for about as long as it takes for them to realize they can’t ride it anymore. What a waste of money, in my opinion. The toy is simply too expensive for most of us. Now, the guy that’s got lots of money and wants that for a kid, great. When they outgrow it, donate the thing to some good cause so it can give more pleasure to someone else.

Okay, the kids want this, that and those. But you want them to have these, those and that. How do you work that out? Compromise works pretty well..up to a point. Talk to them. See what they REALLY want. I happen to know two girls and raised one that all wanted everything they saw. But really, they wanted only a couple of things. If they got those, they were happy. So, here are a few tips on buying toys:

1) If you know your kid doesn’t like something, don’t buy it. If you force the person to play with it, they will hate that toy forever. If you buy it and they don’t want it, the thing will sit in a closet somewhere until it’s discovered years later. I should know that one.

2) When they tell you what they want, don’t make it almost that or close to it. For instance, if they want a Hannah Montana doll, don’t buy Barbie or a baby doll. Do you have any idea what disappointment is to a kid who is so looking forward to getting that one special toy to find out they got something the parents wanted them to have? If it is not available, look into getting it later and, for heaven’s sake, tell the child that they are not getting that for Christmas if you can’t find it.

3) Buy within your budget. If you can’t afford the thing they want, be up front with them. Let them know ahead of time so there are no disappointments on Christmas.

4) Use the rule quality over quantity. These kids are smart. They know when you are padding the gift count. Get something that will last for longer than 10 minutes.

5) Do NOT go into debt for Christmas presents. If your children are that spoiled then they need to earn their own money and buy it themselves which will teach them something about money anyway.

6) Buy batteries! And buy the right ones. There is nothing more disappointing than to have the toy in hand but the kid can’t play with it due to no batteries. Buying the right ones is important too. If you have a dozen of this battery and it needs one of that, the end is the same. Check the packaging. Just buy a variety of batteries. You can have it covered that way.

7) Buy age specific for your child not what the box says. I have learned from experience that if you have children who have outgrown the item before they open it, they will ignore it. Buy things you know the child will be interested in.

8 ) If you have building kits, be sure to have all the materials and the right tools handy for it. There is nothing frustrating like having something that requires putting together but can’t because the tools are the wrong size, for instance. Building kits do not always have everything included. Read the labels. If it says NOT INCLUDED then take a hint. Get that item as well and include it in the wrapping.

9) Don’t wait till the last minute to buy toys if you want the hot items. They simply will not be there. Has no one learned from “Jingle All The Way”? It worked in the movie but you don’t live in the movies. You won’t end up in a parade as the hero. You will simply be the guy or gal that disappointed their kid on Christmas.

Above all, be responsible. Christmas is one day a year. It may be pretty important as a gift giving day but it is not the end of the world if your children don’t get a ton of presents. As a matter of fact, Christmas is really about something greater than that. It’s about the Lord and it’s His birthday not ours, loving your family, enjoying them. Commercialism has taken over the day so much that the real reason for the season has gotten lost in all the hype. Take the time to enjoy the day with your children and family. You cannot do that if you are worried about how to pay the bills or where to put all the loot. Just enjoy.

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I look at lists of toys that are available and not available at any given time. The problem here is that many of the toys I look at are not always there for someone to buy. One of the lists I just took a look at as large numbers of toys out of stock right at this time. That is likely to change soon since many will be getting more in. However, can you afford to wait for the possibility of not getting exactly what you want for that child of yours? The reality is that there are fewer toys available right now and probably will be that way for the balance of the season.

The toy companies want your business. They want you to shop at their outlets or the stores that carry their products. That’s why they are in business. But not everyone has the sense to order the number of toys of a certain kind anticipating the trend in toy purchases. No one can really predict that with any certainty. So, when it comes to purchasing toys or any other hot item, it is imperative that you get it while you can. It’s that simple. Now, I don’t work for any toy companies. I just supply a small, at the moment, service in making you aware of what types of toys are out there and sometimes even telling you whether they are truly hot or not. Most of the toys I have mentioned here are currently hot selling toys. Some are old standards but are worth mentioning anyway since they are still out there. I like to occasionally give a history on some long standard toys. \

My advice, if you are able to follow through on it, is to find the one item or toy that your child wants and grab it while it is available since many of them will not be there in a short few weeks. And I do hope you are able to acquire the items that you truly desire.

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I deliberately do not post individually where to get all those toys that I post on here. The reason for that is that there are several places that they are available usually. When there is only one place, I will most certainly post that place. The reason I do not post the individual places is because I do not wish to promote one company or store as being better than the rest. I do not believe that they are like that. The reality is that most of what I post here is going to be available at places like Walmart, eToys, Amazon, Target, ToysRUs, Hasbro, Mattel, Fisher Price and some on eBay. For the most part, these are the places I find the toys I post here.

However, there are some other places I look like those science kits come from a place called Discover This. There are lots of other stores, online and brick and mortar, so it would be great if you do the research yourself on some of these. I will definitely tell you when it is a one of a kind type store. I also find great toys at KBToys.com and Disneyshopping. KAPLA had some unique building sets. But if you would prefer that I post where to find them, I can do that. I will have to give a list though since I would rather not promote one particular place over another.

Any thoughts here on this? I would love your feedback on this subject. Please comment regardless of how you feel about it.

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A flip and play table makes it all the more fun since it’s new every day. With this table, the child can play on one side and have loads of fun. Then the next day, flip it and it’s a whole new world. The table stands 13 inches up, perfect for a young person who is just learning to stand or just did learn to stand. There is a lever that activates an attached train that goes in a circle. And a button next to the lever activates a train sound. There are three each of letters and numbers to insert, a flipbook of circus animals, a clock with hands that spin, a mobile of spinning balls and a miniature rotary phone.

When the child tires of that side, just flip it over and the fun begins again with building blocks of squares, rectangles, pyramids, circles plus cat and dog heads too. All of this is included in the set. That really isn’t all. You can also add to this table of fun with other accessories which are available separately. Right before you open the case with the new table inside, just grab a cup of coffee from your new capresso machine because you owed yourself the indulgence! Then make a kid happy with this very nice table of activities to keep a young mind busy for quite a while.

Recommended for ages 1 year and up. 2 AA batteries are required which are included in the set.

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This will be sticky so you will always see it up on top. During my research to find good toys for this blog, I have seen and now realize that most of the baby toys, toddler toys and some older children toys are made in China. Many of the well known American toy manufacturers are having many toys made in China to save on costs, I would assume. However, since there have been many recalls concerning toys as well as baby items, I will be unable to inform you of those that are made in China since it is really hard to find that out without looking at the packages. This is where you must do your own research. I will try to find toys that will be fun, entertaining and educational, if possible. I am opposed to buying toys made in China for the obvious reasons. But I will not stop posting them here. This is a personal decision that I cannot make for anyone but myself.

Just be aware that many toys are now made in China. The list is large of those manufacturers that have their toys made there. Very well known toy manufacturers are on that list. For instance, I stopped at an international discount store in our area and found, to my shock, that ALL of the baby toys on the shelf were made in China. You had no other options. Just be aware of this.

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On this blog, I intend to give you all the information that I can on the toys available. Sometimes, that will not be much. At other times, I can give you more. My aim is to make you more aware of what’s out there, what might be recalled for whatever reason and other pertinent information. For that reason, I am talking about Shining Stars toys that normally I would not mention.

Shining Stars toys are a product of China. Frankly, with all the recalls coming out of China, I am ready to not buy a single thing that comes out of there. Recently, they had yet another recall on chocolates from an extremely well known brand. You would definitely recognize the name. I cannot in good conscience recommend these toys.

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Tonka is a name I remember from way back. The Tonka brand trucks were manufactured for the first time in 1947 in a factory meant for garden tools. Mound Metalcraft Company was located in the basement of a school house in Mound, Minnesota near Lake Minnetonka. The first year, 6 people put together 37,000 trucks in that basement factory. Naturally, the baby boomers loved the toys so there was an immediate success story. All of the first production was sold out in a short few months. The creators of Tonka trucks believed that toys should be durable and long lasting. And now 250 million trucks later, they are still making sturdy, durable toys.

For more information on this rather extensive line of toys, please go to the official website for Tonka where they have far more than just a list of toys. There are games and puzzles for the kids, coloring pages, videos, demos and much more information than I could give you here.

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