LEGO 3MP Digital Camera The LEGO digital camera looks like it is built completely from LEGO bricks, but it can’t be taken apart. LEGO bricks can be added to the top or bottom of the camera, so kids can integrate it into their buildings and creations. But this is no toy; it’s a full functioning 3 Megapixel digital camera, featuring a color 1.5″ LCD screen. Take high quality photos with the built-in flash, fixed focus and digital zoom. The camera holds up to 80 photos at a time. Let your imagination go wild!

First of all, this camera looks like it’s made of Legos but it can NOT be taken apart. It can, however, be used as an element inside your child’s other Lego creations, from forts and castles to boats and whatever the imagination comes up with.

The LEGO Digital Camera is cute and colorful. It’s available in pink or a mix of primary colors. It’s also durable. It’s the perfect fit for small hands and is easy for children to use — having only the essential functions/buttons.

The 3-megapixel camera has a rechargeable battery and can be connected to your computer by USB cable. Its memory holds 80 pictures. But like virtually all kids’ cameras on the market, the picture quality is no match for a standard digital camera. So if the quality of the image matters, you many want to consider buying an entry level point-and-shoot instead.

The toy maker, Digital Blue, recommends the Lego Digital Camera for children from 7- to 15-years-old. But many parents say it’s well suited for preschoolers while not as suitable for teens. There are, however, small parts that could pose a choking hazard.

The suggested retail price is about $60. However, the Lego Digital Camera is available for less online. And there are other digital kids’ cameras on the market (you can save some money while skipping the unique Lego design) that run from about $20 to $40, including the popular Vtech Kidizoom cameras.

Vtech Kidizoom Plus Digital Camera – Pink Little girls will have a blast taking candid pics with their Kidizoom Camera. Kidizoom includes a connector cable to plug in and watch a picture slideshow or view the 5-minute movies they’ve created on any TV or PC. Fun photo-editing features allow kids to distort pictures or add silly frames. The…

Vtech Kidizoom Plus Digital Camera With the KidiZoom, your child can become the family photographer with 4 times the fun: photos, photo editing, movies, music & games all in one! This sleek and durable digital camera lets kids to take photos, edit photos, view photos, record digital video movies, and play fun games! With the…

Vtech Kidizoom Camera No description available

Vtech Kidizoom Camera – Pink Vtech Kidizoom Digital Camera – Pink

Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera (Blue) Give a kid a camera and they’ll want to take pictures of everything they see, everywhere they go. This digital camera is tough enough to stand up to the ways kids play and the places they go. And now it has even more features, for better pictures in more situations! It’s equipped with 4X zoom…

Digital Blue Disney Pix Micro Camera Creativity Kit – Toy Story 3 This camera and activity book makes an ideal starter camera for kid ages 6+. The interactive photo book instructs kids to take photos that can be incorporated into fun activities with their favorite Disney characters. First, kids can take pictures with the pocket-size digital camera, then they can…

Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera (Pink) Give a kid a camera and they’ll want to take pictures of everything they see, everywhere they go. This digital camera is tough enough to stand up to the ways kids play and the places they go. And now it has even more features, for better pictures in more situations! It’s equipped with 4X zoom…

LeapFrog Leapster Explorer Camera and Video Recorder Leapfrog Enterprises Leapster 39400 Electronic Learning Game 39400 Kids Games

Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera – Pink No description available

Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera – Blue No description available

$129.98

Whether you buy it for fun or collect Lego, Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle is one range that you won’t want to miss. There is quite a range of Harry Potter Lego available, but the Hogwarts Castles are up there with the best. They range in price and offer different levels of challenging construction, so you will be able to find one that is perfect for any Lego loving child.

The newest in the range of Harry Potter Lego is Hogwarts Castle 4842. This is a great castle for eight to fourteen year olds to build and play with. It includes incredible details such as Dumbledore’s office with sliding stairs, the Slytherin and Gryffindor common rooms and much more to discover.

With a total of 1,290 Lego pieces, this set will keep children entertained for hours. The set includes Harry Potter and Hermione Grange, plus nine other characters exclusive only to the Hogwarts Castle 4842 set. This set is great value for money and is going to be the one to gift this season.

There are other Lego Hogwarts Castle sets available that are a bit pricier. By all means, collect them all, as many a Harry Potter fan may just do. This Hogwarts Castle set is the newest one released and because it is a bit cheaper than the others, would be probably the best set to start your Harry Potter Lego collection.

Purchasers of this Lego Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle set have been very impressed with both the contents of the set and the final product. It contains three instruction books to keep anyone entertained for hours on end.

Kids love all of the secret hidden items, such as Sirius’s face hidden in the fire. Once built, they can explore Hogwarts castle to their heart’s content. A lot of Harry Potter fans are very much into the finer details of the book and movie series. This Lego set stays true to all things Harry Potter, which is why this Hogwarts Castle is going to be such a popular item this season.

Overall, the Lego Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle is a beautifully crafted set. It’s a very large set, with lots to do, build and explore. Lego has once again provided another great challenging construction project that will satisfy any Harry Potter fan. Whether you are a Lego construction aficionado, or a serious fan of Harry Potter, or both, this Hogwarts Castle set is a must-have item this holiday season.

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A little girl, about 4, tells an elderly man who inquired about what she wanted for Christmas: “Zhu zhu pets … they’re like hamsters, only you don’t have to clean up their mess.”

That’s the scoop on Zhu Zhu pet hamsters.

What are Zhu Zhu (pronounced Zoo Zoo) pets, you ask. They’re motorized, interactive hamsters. And they’re a huge hit with young children. They’re shaping up to be the must-have toy of Christmas 2009.

Armed with a touch of artificial intelligence, these hamsters squeak and squawk while darting around like their live counterparts, creating a “real” hamster experience without the … mess.

Unfortunately, they’re really hard to find. Most stores are sold out and prices online are soaring.

Already, Walmart and Toys ‘R Us report they’ll get only one more shipment before Christmas, with the majority of those hamsters earmarked for people who pre-ordered. And Target is limiting them to four per customer. Meanwhile, third-party sellers are listing the Zhu Zhu hamsters on Amazon for about $50.

Christmas shopping for toys for kids, other than your own, can be tricky.

It’s not just a matter of buying what your children are clamoring for, or even getting one of the season’s hot Christmas toys. The personal beliefs of the parents are crucial factors to consider when selecting Christmas gifts for someone else’s children.

If the parents of a child on your family’s holiday shopping list are ethically opposed to certain things, you shouldn’t buy toy representations of items that evoke those issues. Even if they’re the hottest toys for Christmas.

Violent video games and toy guns are just a couple of examples of popular Christmas holiday toys and gifts that might offend some parents. In many families, the children are not allowed to play with these types of toys because the parents believe the items promote violence in our society. While you may not share their beliefs, it is important that you respect them, especially when involving the children.

Much less obvious, but just as much an issue in some families is small, stuffed “dolls” – such as a Raggedy Andy – being given to a toddler boy. While giving gender bending toys to infants and toddlers is now common practice, it does remains a point of contention in some families.

If you’re not familiar with the beliefs of a child’s parents, perhaps it would be best not to select one of these popular toys for children on your Christmas shopping list. Even if it’s one of the hot Christmas toys this holiday season.

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Toy Fair 2009 has finished its run. Toy Fair is where the toy industry gathers. Often manufacturers can do an entire year’s worth of business in the four day the trade show operates. With over 20,000 attendees, 350,000 square feet of exhibit space, 100,000 products with over 7,000 never before seen in the world, 1200+ exhibitors, and 1000 global media representatives, you can see that toys are a serious business.

I spent three days at Toy Fair this year. As the consumer cannot attend Toy Fair, I wanted to share with you what I see as the trends in the toy industry. While I can’t say that I saw all 100,000 products, I certainly walked every inch of the exhibit space, all 350,000 square feet of it. I came away with what I see as five trends that we will see reflected on toy shelves and they all have to do with the economy.

1. Less New Toys – There will be less new toys this year. I noticed that many manufacturers have not expanded their line and are focusing on their basics. There appeared to be fewer newer manufacturers, especially in the small entrepreneur category. Although, there are certainly those mompreneur that are committed to getting their product to the market regardless of the economy. They feel that strongly about their product.

2. Games – Games are what is hot this year. Games for very young children, games for children of all ages, family games, electronic games, adult games, games to play by yourself, games to play with a crowd. The industry sees a trend that we are going to be going out less. We will entertain at home and they are betting that we will purchase more games to play while we are hanging out at home.

3. Green – Green and organic toys continue to grow. This was the niche where people did expand their line. Manufactures went out of their way to tell you where their product was made, what it was made with, how it was packaged, and more. If you are interested in green products you will be pleased with what you will see at the toy stores.

4. Repackaging – Manufacturers know that we have less money to spend so they are repackaging or redesigning to lower the price point. For instance, you will be able to purchase 50 blocks in a set instead of 100 blocks. There were also a lot of smaller art kits. Another company took the electronics out of their toy to lower the price. People are also looking for ways to package their toy differently to lower their costs.

5. Special Needs – In this economy, the manufacturers know that they need to find new markets to sell to. The Special Needs community is growing and the toy industry is noticing. Many more people were talking about how their toy could be used for a child with a disability. Parents who are raising children with disabilities are going to benefit from this if the retail toy stores market the products well.

Mara Kaplan is an expert in Play & Children with Special Needs. You can read her reviews on the toys she saw at Toy Fair by visiting her website http://www.letkidsplay.com

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Interactive electronic pets, with realistic noises and movements that mimic live animals, are proving a huge hit of Christmas 2008 despite their price-tags.

Two of these best selling toys this Christmas are from FurReal Friends line of toy pets.

The first is Biscuit My Lovin Pup. This voice-activated toy dog can respond to six commands and like any good canine, he can wag his tail and hold up his paws. This plush, oversized pet is 21-inches high when sitting. Biscuit costs $200, but you can save $51 online and get free shipping, too.

Another of the hot Christmas toys from FurReal Friends this holiday season is the Smores pony. This 3-foot-tall electronic pet seeks to fulfill your little girl’s dream of having her very own pony. Smores won the 2007 Toy of the Year award for Best Girls Toy of the Year.

With Smores, your child is sure to feel like she is playing with a living, breathing pony. Soft to the touch, Smores has a fur coat and mane that feel just like a real pony’s. Her markings and color are based on an actual miniature pony. Smores also has built-in sensors all over her body, allowing her to respond to kids in amazingly lifelike ways.

Smores costs $299.99 but you can save over $100 online now and get free shipping to boot.

An easy-on-the-budget FurReal Friends option this Christmas is Squawkers McCaw the parrot. This electronic toy is one talking, squawking and completely unpredictable play pal. Surprisingly lifelike, this plush animatronics parrot has a vocabulary of over 45 words, phrases and sound effects, not to mention his entertaining signature “Squawk, Squawk, Squawk” song and dance. Squawkers is available online now for $49, a 30 percent discount.

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There are numerous great electronic learning toys for children to choose from, with the LeapFrog line of toys being one of the best. Leapfrog makes sturdy educational toys and tools for children of various ages.  Of course, Christmas related games are also a tons of fun, as well as this year’s hottest dolls for little girls and action figures for little boys. Video games are also a sure-to-please selection.

While teens may seem somewhat harder to buy Christmas gifts for, you can’t go wrong with an iPod. This amazing marvel from Apple is sleek, comes in fabulous, trendy colors and holds scads of songs so they can listen to their music on the go. There are other MP3 players on the market that are just as good and less expensive as well. If you don’t want to go the electronic route, consider giving a gift card to their favorite stores or for iTunes.  CDs and DVDs are always a big hit.

For adults, there are plenty of Christmas gift ideas to choose from, but it really depends on the lifestyle of the recipient. If you have a traveler in your life, look for travel friendly gifts such as neck pillows, noise reducing headphones, lap desks, or bags that can compress clothing to fit better in suitcases.

For that special  “techie” in your life, try a nice GPS system. Books are also a good choice. For the woman in your life, a foot massager or a day at the spa is a great choice.

There are so many great gift ideas and hot Christmas toys out there, you should have no problem making someone smile this holiday season.

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