2008 Best Toys for Kids List

The hot-off-the-presses 2008 Best Toys for Kids list released today by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) gets back to the basics—toys for good, old-fashioned, make-it-up-yourself, belly-laughing play that’s great for kids. It’s a great reason to pass by the hordes of anxious, exhausted shoppers at the usual big box stores and try a new way of more relaxed, productive shopping for toys that are actually healthy for your kids.

All toys listed by product name, with manufacturer/vendor in parentheses

INFANT (0 – 12 months)
1. Busy Bee Discovery Flower (ALEX*) ∙ Ages 6 months+ http://www.alextoys.com With bright patterned velour and jersey knit, this interactive flower features, loops, knots, finger holes and a rattling bee! Each petal has a different surprise -- pull, poke, squeak, rattle, reflect and sing along to the melody! Provides sensory and tactile stimulation and encourages development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
2. Together Tunes Too (Neurosmith, manufacturer & Small World Toys*, vendor) ∙ Ages 6 months+ http://www.smallworldtoys.com Children will dance with delight as this musical ball teaches them all about shapes and colors! Soft and sturdy, it features bright colors and multiple textures for visual and tactile stimulation. As the ball asks children to find a color and shape, the music will play to encourage their exploration and keep them entertained.

TODDLER (1 – 3 years)
1. Wheely Bug (Prince Lionheart*) ∙ Ages 1.5+ (small size), and 3+ (large size) http://www.princelionheart.com Wheely Bugs are multi-directional: they go backwards, forwards, sideways, round and round! These ride-on bugs are great for both boys and girls, and have a magical mind of their own. Their bodies have a padded layer of sponge which is covered with a tough polyurethane skin that can easily be wiped clean.
2. Dexter the Digger (WOW Toys, manufacturer & Ravensburger*, vendor) ∙ Ages 1.5+ http://www.ravensburger.com Dex’s easy to use mechanical arm digs and scoops up the rattling boulders! A strong friction-motor and front bulldozer make light work of any obstructions. Rough, tough & strong, this heavy-duty digger is ready for any construction site.

PRESCHOOL LEARNING (3-6 yrs)
1. Magna-Tiles: 3-D Magnetic Building Tiles (Valtech Co.*) ∙ Ages 3+ http://www.magnatiles.com Magna-Tiles, 3-D magnetic building tiles. This creative, open-ended product develops concepts of math, science and creativity. Hours of fun, widely endorsed by both educators and parents!
2. Magnetic Mosaics Kids (The Orb Factory*) ∙ Ages 4+ http://www.orbfactory.com Kids love the surprise of watching a colorful seahorse or parrot mysteriously emerge from the black and white numbered templates. Use any of the 20 fun designs included in this kit or create your own masterpieces. The 1/2" magnetic foam cubes are easy to handle, and fun to use - with over 600 cubes in 12 bright colors.

PRESCHOOL PRETEND & PLAY (3-6 yrs)
1. Road & Rail Play Set- Railway Station (Plan Toys, Inc.*) ∙ Ages 3+ http://www.plantoys.com An architecturally-grand train station that conveniently converts to a tidy storage chest for the play set. Rail track and road track, made from eco-friendly rubbertree wood, encourage early engineers to integrate two transportation concepts. Colorful wooden accessories (painted with safe, non-toxic, water based dyes) include trains, cars, a bus, internationally varied little people and assorted green trees.
2. Stablemates™ Red Stable Set with Two Horses (Breyer Animal Creations, Div. of Reeves International, Inc.*) ∙ Ages 4+ http://www.breyerhorses.com Create your dream farm with Stablemates Red Stable Set. Made of durable plastic, this three stall barn features a storage area and comes with four corral fences, a jump, water trough and three racing barrels. Two Stablemates horses also included. Size: 11.375”L x 9.25”H x 7.625”D.

CONSTRUCTION
1. Circus Ring (Playmobil*) ∙ Ages 5+ http://www.playmobilusa.com Watch the trapeze artists soar through the air at the circus show. The opening of the big top is adjustable, and the diameter of the Circus Ring is 22.5 inches. Includes seven figures, ticket booths, and seating area.
2. Excalibur Castle (Le Toy Van, manufacturer & Hotaling Imports Inc.*, vendor) ∙ Ages 3+ Imaginations will soar with this three-towered Excalibur Castle from Le Toy Van. It’s a fabulous castle made of painted wooden panels that slot together easily on an 18"x20" base. Authentic details include working drawbridge and crane, a keep with dungeon and lift-up gate, wide ramparts that ring a spacious courtyard and a special feature knock-out wall. (Papo figures not included)
3. 24-foot BluTrack Challenge Pack (MJ Sports dba BluTrack®*) ∙ Ages 3+ http://www.blutrack.com Powered by gravity, fueled by imagination. This flexible dual lane track encourages children to be creative in designing track layouts for racing, jumping and looping. Kit includes 8 plastic ramps for advanced stunts.

ARTS & CRAFTS
1. Sticky Mosaics Jewelry Box (The Orb Factory*) ∙ Ages 6+ http://www.orbfactory.com Make a magnificent mosaic treasure box for all your crown jewels and tiny prized possessions. Sticky Mosaics make it as simple as peel and stick. Follow the numbered template pre-printed on the jewelry box and decorate it with self-adhesive gems, glitter tiles and holographic foil.
2. Wikki Stix Tons of Fun (Omnicor Inc. / The Wikki Stix Co.*) ∙ Ages 3 – 11 http://www.wikkistix.com Hours and hours of activities for tons and tons of fun! Wikki Stix provide, clean, creative fun with no glue, no paste, no mess! ake critters and creatures...play Do-Wikki....plus travel activities for take-along fun. Includes 96 Wikki Stix One-of-a-Kind Creatables. Made in USA.

MUSIC
1. Schoenhut 44-Key Baby Grand Piano (Schoenhut Piano Company, Inc.*) ∙ Ages 5+ http://www.toypiano.com This dynamic new line of 44-key Baby Grand and Upright Pianos, launched to coincide with Schoenhut’s 135th anniversary, features True Piano Sound … without the use of electronics. The mid-sized piano is less intimidating for small children who want to learn to play the piano.
2. Learn to Play Piano (Melissa & Doug*) ∙ Ages 3+ http://www.melissaanddoug.com Do-Re-Mi...this piano could be one of your favorite things! Brightly painted upright piano features 25 keys and two full octaves to give kids a wide range of notes to play. Includes an illustrated songbook and color-coded key chart.

GAMES YOUNG (3-7 yrs)
1. Zingo! (ThinkFun, Inc.*) ∙ Ages 4 - 8 http://www.thinkfun.com In this fast-paced, energetic variant of Bingo, kids get a kick out of pulling the Zinger forward to reveal two mystery tiles, then try to be the first to call out the tiles that match the images on their cards.
2. Qwirkle (MindWare*) ∙ Ages 6+ http://www.mindwarewholesale.com Qwirkle is played by creating rows and columns of matching colors and shapes - it's Dominoes meets Scrabble - since the simple play requires no reading, the whole family can play. Younger ages love to match while older players make strategic multiple-tile moves that earn maximum points.

GAMES OLD (8 yrs+)
1. Set Cubed, a Curious Game of Clever Connections (Set Enterprises, Inc.*) ∙ Ages 8+ http://www.setgame.com An exciting new game that challenges a player’s ability to find SETs by combining the dice in his or her hand with those already on the board. Set Cubed adds an element of strategy to the visual perception game of SET. It also requires players to take turns, so the need for speed is eliminated.
2. Bananagrams (Bananagrams*) ∙ Ages 7+ http://www.bananagrams-intl.com

SCIENCE
1. Wind Power — Renewable Energy Science Kit (Thames & Kosmos*) ∙ Ages 8+ http://www.thamesandkosmos.com This science kit offers a hands-on introduction to one of the fastest growing sources of clean, renewable energy. Experimenters ages eight and up can build a wind turbine complete with electric generator, adjustable rotors, and wind speed indicator to harness power out of thin air. The kit includes more than 20 experiments with wind turbines, such as powering an LED, lifting a weight, and charging a rechargeable battery.
2. Geyser Tube (Be Amazing! Toys*) ∙ Ages 8+ http://www.beamazing.com This toy is the perfect marriage of a great, popular activity with all the cool chemistry and physics that makes the Wow! happen. Everyone knows what happens when you drop Mentos into Diet Coke—now you can make it even better!

ACTIVE
1. The Original Flying Turtle (Mason Corporation*) ∙ Ages 3 – 12 http://www.masoncorporation.com Everyone's favorite zip-around zoomee made right here in the good old U.S.A! Climb aboard the low seat, brace your feet on the bars, and start swinging. In seconds, the Turtle's off and flying! Sturdy enough to hold up to 150 pounds, the Flying Turtle scooter comes fully assembled with skateboard wheels and easy-grip steel handlebars.
2. Mini Super Sports Disk (OgoSport, LLC*) ∙ Ages 4+ http://www.ogosport.com The OgoSport Sports Disk is sure to get you and your family up from the couch! Indoor and out, in teams, or individually, the Sports Disk provides safe, year-round fun. Great for advanced play or to develop motor skills – the play possibilities are endless!

WOW (PUNCH)
1. Multi-colored Ball of Whacks (Creative Whack Company/US Games Systems, Inc.*) ∙ Ages 8+ http://www.usgamesinc.com Six brilliantly contrasting colors transform the Ball of Whacks.
2. Karito Kids World Collection (Karito Kids by KidsGive*) ∙ Ages 3+ http://www.karitokids.com Open her world, her mind, and her heart with these multi-award winning soft bodied play dolls and hard cover books representing modern-day girls from around the world. The “WOW” factor is that every purchase helps another child and the owner decides how they want to help by activating online and directing the donation to one of four areas: school, home, health or food. Teach kids to be aware and care and have a real impact in changing their world.