ShareThisWith the economy in tatters, Santa might bring a little less than in years past. But just in case parents want to give the jolly ol' elf some tips, we have taken the guesswork out by testing a handful of the top toys of the season.
These five toys were at the top of our reviewers' lists. Some would require a significant investment. Others -- and that means you, Elmo Live -- would be more of a strain on your nerves. But all in all, these are fun and entertaining for the kids and for you.
Elmo Live (Fisher-Price, $60, ages 18 months up)
Remember that scene in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" when Max the dog is envisioning the little Whos down in Whoville enjoying all of their toys -- but the Grinch, he is not, because of the noise, noise, noise, noise? Elmo Live might remind you of that. You can see 3-year-old Abby going eye to eye with the red furry Muppet, delighting in every joke, story and song. "Come closer," Elmo says in that sing-songy voice. "Elmo has something important to tell you ... Elmo just wanted to say that Elmo loves you." As little Abby claps in delight and hugs her new best friend, Mom and Dad beam and think, "Totally worth the money and stress of tracking one down. So lifelike! So cute!" Elmo can stand up, sit on the little stool that comes with him and react to what you or your child is saying.
But then Elmo will tell a long, involved story about a giant, complete with screams. Mom's and Dad's smiles will slip a little, and they'll think, "What's he saying? I can't understand half of it." That's because the mechanism that helps him move can be loud. And then Elmo will sing a rap song and dance. And while Abby will be boogying her little heart out, Mom and Dad will wonder when it will end. But Mom and Dad, if you can let your heart open as wide as Elmo's little mouth and as far as his little arms can stretch, he'll worm his way in. And for that, Elmo and little Abby say, "Thank you. You're Elmo's best friend."
-- Anne Glover
KOTA the Triceratops (Playskool, $299.99, ages 3 up)
This robotic dinosaur will captivate any child at first roar. KOTA eats, sleeps and burps, with the help of 10 sensors that respond to touch, sound and weight. You roar, and he roars back. You feed him toy leaves, and he munches, then burps. You scratch under his chin four times, and with each repetition he yawns, rolls his eyes and eventually nods off. Kids up to 60 pounds can climb on and bounce to one of four songs. KOTA's interactive nature makes him a household personality, much like a pet. However, be forewarned: He does not walk, unlike his rival Spike. KOTA is a sizable investment, but there are some deals (as low as $236 at online stores) and he will take up the space of a small piece of furniture. If the reactions of two girls, ages 3 and 8, are any indication, KOTA will be on many gift lists.
-- Amy Hollyfield
Spike the Ultra Dinosaur (Imaginext, $140, ages 3-10)
In the dinosaur smackdown this Christmas between KOTA and Spike, I'm putting my money on Spike. He may be smaller, but this T rex can stand up on his hind legs. No snoring or falling asleep if you rub his chin. He blinks, snarls, sniffs, growls and swishes you with his tail, all at the touch of a button. My kids, ages 6 and 10, loved playing with him. Spike comes with a bone and two "boulders" that he can pick up with his mouth and then pretend to spit out as if he is really mad. If you can only get one dinosaur this season, make it Spike. One note: Ask Santa to take out Spike's battery pack and charge it up on Christmas Eve; that takes four hours. If you wait until Christmas morning to do it, you might have a very impatient little dino lover on your hands.
-- Sherry Robinson
EyeClops BioniCam (Jakks Pacific, $79.99, ages 6 up)
You have to love a toy that sneaks in a science lesson. We loved the BioniCam that allows you to move around and capture images at 100x, 200x or 400x magnification. You can record the images and view them on the color LCD screen, so no fussy slides, eyedroppers or one-eye focusing problems we've encountered with traditional microscopes. Then you can take images on the enclosed thumb drive to your television or computer and look at them on a larger screen and print or e-mail your findings. Holding the focus steady was a bit tricky for the two 6-year-olds who tried it out, but they mastered it eventually. The three 10-year-olds had no problem coming up with nifty images of their hair, pencil erasers, leaves and the dog's ears. The gross-out factor of a dirty toenail magnified 100 times was high (and we mean that as a compliment). Your young scientist will enjoy this one.
-- Sharon Kennedy
Wynne Mickey Motors Raceway (Disney, $48.88, ages 3-7)
The longer I'm a parent, the more I learn I don't know anything about what my kids are going to like. I would have sworn that the Mickey Motors Raceway was going to get a half-hour of attention and then nothing. Wrong. They keep coming back to it. They keep having the same fight over who gets to be Mickey. They can race those cars in a circle over and over and over and over. The secret lies in simplicity and repetition: My 2-year-old son figured out quickly how to wind up the cars with the simple pump and then release them with the hand lever. The cars race around in a circle, or onto an elevator the children can raise or lower. Once up the elevator, the cars go down the tracks (which are a little flimsy) that are elevated above the normal racetrack. The cars are moving fast, so they make it back to square one pretty quickly. More pumping, more racing, more keeping them involved. It's short, simple and repetitive to grownups, but the action keeps my kids playing with it.
-- Matthew Waite
(Sherry Robinson can be reached at robinson(at)sptimes.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)
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