Geppetto’s has announced its selection for the hot toys for the 2010 gift-giving season. This year’s must-haves include a collection of games that inspire families and friends to gather in the spirit of play, along with modern eco-friendly takes on traditional classics. “Toy trends have made an interesting shift this year,” explains Brian Miller, president of Geppetto’s. “Toys that foster collaborative play, learning, and imagination are the top toy choices.” All can be found at Geppetto’s eight toy stores throughout San Diego County. (858/551-1070, www.geppettostoys.com)
The Ezy Roller is an award-winning sensation from New Zealand that has quickly become an American favorite as a tough and stable riding toy powered by easy right-left leg movements. Best for kids ages four and up. $99.
Blocks from Green Toys is an environmentally-friendly 18-piece building block set that includes a variety of shapes for building castles, towers, or any imaginative structure budding architects can dream up. Made in the USA, the blocks contain no BPA, PVC, or phthalates. They are produced using 100 percent recycled plastic milk containers and printed with soy inks. Ages six months and up. $24.99.
Tickle Monster Book/Mit Kit from Compendium brings out the inner tickle monster in children and parents alike. The Tickle Monster Laughter Kit will bring delight, giggling, and hours of enjoyment to reading time. Two big, fluffy blue mitts with poke-through finger holes make page turning and tickling easy. All ages. $34.99.
Bitty Bobble Pets from Creativity for Kids allows youngsters to color and decorate their own pet shop. Packaged in an adorable pet shop box, the set includes one clay dog, two bunnies, one turtle, and one kitty ready to be painted and adorned with oodles of accessories. Bitty Bobble Pets make the perfect gift for any aspiring artist, animal lover, or business owner. Ages six and up. $24.99.
Creationary Game from Lego Games is a collection of games that you build, play, and change. Test your imagination, creativity, building, and guessing skills to the max. An interactive game for three to eight players. Each game lasts approximately 30-60 minutes and includes three levels of difficulty to show off building skills while the others guess what is being created. Ages seven and up. $39.99.
Wits and Wagers from North Star Games is a trivia game for novice and experts alike. Each player writes a guess to a question such as “How many feet wide is an NFL football field?” and places it face-up on the betting mat. Feeling confident? Bet on the guess. Think someone else knows better? Bet on their guess. Strike it big and you’ll be cheering like you just hit the jackpot. Ages eight and up. $19.99.
Spot It! from Blue Orange Games is a little tin packed with hours of shout-out-loud fun. Each tin includes rules for four games, using the 55 cards. Each card has 8 symbols, and one of the symbols is shared with every other card. Spot the matching symbol and shout it out and see the laughter spread. Ages six and up. $12.99.
Inside Out! The Human Body from Smart Labs allows kids to explore the complex inner workings of the human body and literally see how it all works. The hands-on kit and tour guide is complete with removable squishy organs as well as representative skeletal, vascular, and muscular systems. Ages eight and up. $39.99.
Zoob Bot from Inifinitoy brings the excitement of robots to children’s imaginations. Explore and discover the world of robots with the award-winning building Zoob Bot creating set. Each set includes 50 Zoob pieces, four wheels, a pull-back motor, and a replaceable battery for light-up eyes that will unlock the inventor in any child. Ages six and up. $24.99.
T3 Solar Robot from Elenco is a sun and kid-powered toy. T3 easily transforms into three stellar intergalactic designs — a tank, robot, and scorpion. Perfect for young science fiction buffs, the T3 comes with easy to understand instructions that make it simple for any child to experience the animated benefits of solar energy. Ages ten and up. $24.99.
