Top Holiday Gifts Get a Closer Look:

A review of the best selling holiday toys

by Daniel Sean Kaye

It seems as though everyone with a Web site has a Best Toys of 2007, Hot Toys of Christmas, or Must-Haves for the Holidays list for you to look at. Just search for any similar phrase online and you’ll get site upon site telling you that this gift or that gift is what your child is craving. But it’s easy to see that some sites are just steering you toward product while others are throwing anything they can out there, hoping you’ll buy from them.

Even though you can find dozens of “experts” offering you some very different suggestions, a few items seem to pop up in list after list. Whether these items are truly “hot,” or just ones the toy manufacturers have decided your kids should like, is open to interpretation. Regardless, the names keep appearing so they deserve a closer look.

The Nintendo Wii ($249.99 – although it’s so popular you may find it selling for double this price). This system is actually as much fun as its hype, although I did find some haters out there – the resolution isn’t as good as other systems was the only real negative comment and even that seems a bit silly. It has quite a few games to play, is fairly reasonably priced, and has features and “channels” good for most age groups. The wireless remote lets players feel like they are the characters in the games: it functions as a weapon, a tennis racket, a golf club, and allows you to box, bowl and then some (depending on the game). And it’s pretty easy to use, too. SAFETY FACTOR: My complaint with the system really has nothing to do with the Wii itself: Why do we need so many gun-themed games? Why have game systems immersed themselves in violence? Oh and there’s also the fact that if you can’t find it, vultures Online are selling it way over its real price.

SmartCycle Physical Learning Arcade System (Fisher-Price, $89.99). The tagline for this item says it allows ages 3-6 to do outside physical activities inside like a video game. Well, it’s true. It’s like riding a stationary bike as part of a game or educational lesson. The item plugs directly into the TV or VCR and your child is playing and learning. The item comes with games and educational activities. It also comes with an adjustable seat. It is easy to install and is pretty entertaining for little ones. Some of the games may seem complicated at first, but I think they can be grasped with a little effort. The nice thing is that it promotes math, spelling, and imagination. SAFETY FACTOR: I didn’t find anything obviously unsafe, except for the fact that it does stop kids from actually going outside to get fresh air.

I Can Play Guitar System (Fisher-Price, about $120 – although in many places the prices have been slashed). Ages 6 and older can learn how to play guitar by plugging this item directly into the TV and following videos based on color codes. The levels get more challenging, based on what the child can do. The item comes with cartridges, stickers, a guitar strap, cords, and a pick. It is easy to set up and is great for kids just beginning to play with complicated toys. Children using this toy do seem to learn and the two kids I saw playing with it kept remarking that the toy is very “cool.”

Power Tour Electric Guitar (Hasbro, $69.99) For older kids – ages 10-15 – this item encourages jamming while teaching how to play guitar. Kids can even download music from their MP3 players. It comes with a built-in speaker, which is much better than lugging one around with you. It also has flashing lights for the full rock star effect. If you’re into rocking out, the volume may bit a bummer and the limited songs that come with the item are pretty pedestrian. SAFETY FACTOR: Neither unit seems unsafe. The Power Tour item seems more focused on teaching hard rocking rather than learning how to play, but it is for older kids and if they want to rock-out, who am I to say that’s a bad thing?

Eye-Clops Handheld Bionic Eye (Jakks Pacific, $49.99 – although I found it for less in many places.) This fun item for ages 6 and older magnifies things up to 200 times their normal size. More than that, it allows images to be seen on TV so you can really study them. It also comes with LED lights to help get an even clearer view. SAFETY FACTOR: The plastic covering seems to make it virtually shatterproof (unless, of course, it gets in the hands of children under age 6 with intent to do damage). It is very popular around my area and all I could find was a sample they let me play with. They were on back-order.

Rubik’s Revolution (Techno Source, $19.99) What can you say about an update to a game that defined a generation? Ages 5 and older can play with this six-sided item, where each side is a specific game that communicates goals to players via the use of flashing lights. SAFETY FACTOR: As stated on the box, the item has small parts that may present a choking hazard for young children.

Though it is not a guarantee of safety, to date none of the items have been recalled or listed as unsafe and the people at the toy stores had not heard of any complaints or problems. Obviously, there are other popular toys available, but these items are well known and can be found in many places. Though, due to their poplarity they may be hard to find. Even the people at the toy stores I went to mentioned these when we discussed “toys people want.”