Will you be able to buy great sought after toys for your children this year, with the economy the way it is….you bet you can.  From my full hot list of toys this holiday season, here are some of the very best, but at very affordable prices. 

For your youngest set Manhattan Toys Cirque Du Soleil Twisterella is a great stacking toy with rattles and squeakers and crinkle paper that will inspire your infant .  I love the colors and feel of this entire collection.  Retail is $28.00    Mega Brands has a Smart Builders Piano that is made for little hands filled with lots of musical activity.  For 12 months and up, parents and  their children will love the music they make and all the silly combinations they can create  $29.99      As we look to our toddlers, (2+) Knex has Kid Knex and a full line of Sesame Street friends.  Our pick is the Abby Cadabby Building Set.  It’s a 30 piece set and includes her dress and activity sheet and comes with a storage tub.  Suggested retail is $15.00 

In the 3-5 age, Club Penguin will rule.  All the kids know about Club Penguin which is based on the popular cyber playground website. They will all want the collectable plush and  you can begin collecting for $9.99.  Rare RockHopper plush will be available in limited quantities.    Want a great game at this age….Guess What I am is a blast!!  The child who is wearing the face has no clue who they are, and that child has to guess based on hints….fun for everyone and no reading involved.  $19.99

6-8…I have to give you a boys and girls choice in this age, because both will fly off shelves faster than you can say “holiday shopping”.  Two of the hottest items of the season are also the most affordable.  Let’s start with the boys.  Can you say Bakugan?  These are magnetic marbles that burst open to reveal Bakugan warrior action figures when they roll onto the real metal Gate Cards.    There are full board sets and smaller sets but you can begin to play for as little as $5.99, and the full board is $19.99. 

For girls, the rave is Clickables!  Not only is this a jewelry box with charms and bracelets and necklaces featuring Tinkerbell, but it’s also an online and offline play pattern.  For the first time, girls playing offline can exchange information through their jewelry, and magically it will appear online in their virtual Pixiehollow Worlds.  You have to play it to believe it.  This new groundbreaking technology is awesome, and the price to play, $9.99 to $29.99 depending on the set. 

Of course, the Bella Sara cards continue with Baby Bella Trading cards.  These new cards show the beautiful foals and the teacher cards reveal to the caretakers how to help the babies learn and grow online.  Priced from $3.99 to $14.99.

It is harder in the 9+ age to find affordable items as well as games that will keep your kids interest (I know…I have 3 of my own). As the kids get older they are really into high tech and high performance, but there are some great board games on the market and more than anything, they really encourage teamwork, and they bring the family together.  The New Monopoly is an old favorite with some new twists….and you won’t see Park Place on this set.  This Here and Now World Edition set includes favorite cities voted on by five million people worldwide.  Harry Potter Clue is another great board game based on the popular books and movies.  Both are at $34.99.  Remember that the prices I list are suggested retail, shop around!

Have questions, ask me at www.thetoyinsidermom@aol.com and our full list will be live October 16th at thetoyinsider.com