Hot Toys for Kids

Dec. 4, 2005— -- Christmas is only three weeks away, and there is one thing that most kids want, if not demand: That's toys, and the market is flush with them.

Family Fun magazine contributing editor Lee Woodruff compiled a list of hot items for the season.

Woodruff: This really is any age group. It can be a science experiment or a craft. It's nontoxic, so if your little kid starts to eat it, it won't kill them. But what I love about this is it's a toy. And when it's done, it's the same stuff that they use on the movie sets to make snow. And it's also a cool science experiment that teaches your kids about the atmosphere and how snow is made. And it's so easy: All you do is add water.

Woodruff: My 5-year-olds were able to work this easily, and it was as intriguing to my husband as it was to the kids. Its ears move to the music and the dots on the dog's face turns colors and moves according to how much the dog likes the music. There's a little book that comes with it, and it helps you interpret how much the dogs like the music that you're playing. It also functions as a speaker. You can plug it into your iPod, and sit at your desk and listen to the music.

Woodruff: This is for kids 3 to 5, and the tools talk. The drill says, "Here we go, you know the drill." And the kids can simulate playing on daddy's tool bench. But the tools are also a bit interactive, so it's fun.

Woodruff: These are wholesome dolls that each come with their own book that has a moral lesson on friendship or family. So it's toys with values. Who knew? And that's for kids 3 to 5 as well.

Woodruff: This is a great toy for 3 to 5 also. Boys and girls love this. You shake the car instead of winding it up and the cars race against each other.

Woodruff: Every little girl would want this. It's for 3 to 5 as well. It's a costume. And when the little girl twirls, the dress actually plays music from "The Nutcracker."

Woodruff: Basically, it's a computer in a pen. It can talk in different languages. It can play music. It can compute problems. It's ages 8 to 13, and it's a leading-edge computing platform. But the key to the whole thing is the paper you write on. The paper is interactive. So depending on the paper you write on … it translates or adds or subtracts or plays music. It's a really cool, "gee whiz" product.

Woodruff: This is the car for the child. This is your child's college tuition. So if your kid has everything …