Thursday’s Trend: Hot Holiday Toys for 2011

It's hard to believe that the holiday season is already upon us, but it is. With about 38 days till Christmas, I should be getting frantic about now, but truthfully, the holiday season doesn't start for me and my family until Thanksgiving. Translated, that means I have a tough time getting the Hot Holiday Toys. If you're unlike me, and you want to get a jump start on your shopping before Black Friday, take a look at a few of the Hot Holiday Toys for 2001.

Animal Planet's Air Swimmers

Animal Planet’s Air Swimmers are helium-filled aquatic animals that (currently) come in two varieties: Shark and Clown Fish. The radio-controlled Air Swimmers have fins and tails that move as if you’re watching an actual fish swimming around in water, and your kids will love them! Air Swimmers are easy to control and can be filled with helium at any helium supplier. Helium tanks are also available.

Lalaloopsy’s Silly Hair Dolls

The Lalaloopsy characters, Crumbs Sugar Cookie and Jewel Sparkles, have strands of stylish and bendable Silly Hair allowing your child to get creative with their hairstyles. Both Crumbs and Sugar Cookie wear adorable clothing, and they also each come with their own pet.

LeapFrog’s LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet

The LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet from LeapFrog is an electronic educational gaming system for children aged 4 - 9. The LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer features over 100 activities for young minds in the form of cartridge games, applications, videos, digital books, flash cards and downloadable content. You’ll be able to monitor your children's learning progress, but your children will find the games to be great fun, so they won’t even know they’re learning! This new LeapPad tablet features a 5-inch touch screen, a camera, built-in microphone, motion detector and 2 gigs of memory. Several games are available.

LEGO’s Ninjago Limited Edition Lightning Dragon Battle

The LEGO Ninjago Limited Edition Lighting Dragon Battle play set features four LEGO mini-figures, nine weapons, a helicopter (with hand-cranked rotor spinning action) and the Lightning Dragon, which features bendable limbs, tail and wings, and snapping jaws. You child will spend many creative hours with this set.

Matel’s Fijit Friends

Fijit Friends are adorable soft plastic robot friends that move and interact in fun and surprising ways. These colorful robots interact with your child by understanding what they say, and speaking and moving in response. Each Fijit Friend responds to over 30 verbal cues and can draw on a selection of over 150 built-in phrases and jokes. Fijit Friends also move and dance and come with their own music, but they're willing to dance to your child’s favorite music too. Sensors under Fijit Friends’ soft plastic skin let them know when they're being handled, so they'll respond by saying things like “That Tickles!”

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Kinect

The Xbox Kinect Sensor is one of the most exciting new innovations to hit the shelves. Using your entire body to control the onscreen action, without holding any controller in your hand, the Xbox Kinect System Bundle and the Xbox Kinect Sensor (the add-on) can provide you and your family with a world of fun.  Xbox Kinect is sure to keep everyone laughing, jumping and having a great time! Both the Bundle and the Sensor come with the Kinect Adventures game. Other fun and exciting Xbox Kinect games can be purchased separately.

Mind Candy’s Moshi Monsters Moshlings

Moshi Monsters, which began as an Internet phenomenon among children aged 6 – 12 (where its website allowed players to adopt a virtual pet, play games and collect a virtual currency called “rox”), now has a series of toys representing the online Moshi Monster and other characters called “Moshlings” (friends that the Moshi Monsters lure in with special seeds). Mini Moshlings (packs include three Moshling figurines) are also available and are inexpensive, so they will be one of the most sought-after toys for stocking-stuffing this holiday season. Get them early! Included, with the Moshlings and Mini Moshlings is a special code for your child to use online to unlock special bonuses.

Playskool’s Poppin Park Elefun Busy Ball Popper

There's a new Elefun The Elephant game for preschoolers! This new Elefun the Elephant comes with five colored balls, which are stored in Elefun's tummy. When your child drops a ball into Elefun the Elephant's left ear, he will shoot it out of his trunk. The trunk can be set to 4 different play modes, and activating Elefun’s left arm, allows your child to listen to one of 10 tunes while your child plays. Preschoolers are sure to have lots of fun dancing and playing with these colorful balls!

Playskool’s Sesame Street Let's Rock! Elmo

Kids can now rock out and dance along with the Sesame Street Playskool Let's Rock Elmo! Elmo now comes with a microphone and two instruments (a drum set and a tambourine). Your child chooses which instrument Elmo will play, and then plays the instrument that Elmo is not using. Elmo can also recognize other Let’s Rock instruments, which are sold separately. A button on Elmo’s foot allows your child to choose one of the six songs for Elmo to play.

Wow! Stuff’s My Keepon

My Keepon is an adorable dancing robot resembling a newly hatched chick. An excellent dancer, My Keepon has a tiny microphone in its nose, which detects the rhythm of any music being played or other rhythms like hand clapping. Once My Keepon hears a rhythm, it will begin to rock and dance in time to the music. Touch-sensors detect pokes, pats, squeezes and tickles, from your child, which elicits a response. My Keepon loves to chatter too and will do its best to get your child’s attention. This soft, cuddly doll has a lot of personality, which your child is sure to love!

Are there other toys  you think should be on the Hot Holiday Toys list for 2011? If so, let us know!

-Lisa Bakewell