Presents for the Children - A Dozen Dream Toys 2009

Shopping for Christmas toys this year won’t break the bank, says the Toy Retailers Association (TRA) today. The TRA’s annual ‘Dream Toys’ list, the industries official prediction of Christmas best-sellers, only contains toys priced under £50, ensuring an affordable and enjoyable Christmas for everyone.

This year’s Dream Dozen
Bakugan Battle Pack, Spin Master (RRP £19.99) -  A game for two to four players, which combines the skill and action of Beyblades with the strategy of Yu-gi-oh! Bakugan® (or ‘exploding sphere’) are small spheres that magnetically morph into powerful Bakugan® warriors when skillfully rolled onto the game’s metallic gate cards.  There’s hundred’s of refreshed cards and brawlers to collect and trade along with  new accessories to enhance any  Bakugan® Master’s collection.   Extend your collection and game play with Card Booster sets or master the art of the curved ball using the Hand Launcher and get ahead in the game!

Battle Strikers starter Set, Mega Brands (RRP £9.99) -Recently voted No.1 in Hamley’s Top Ten Christmas Toys, Battle Strikers Turbo tops are now a Xmas 2009 must-have! The toy beat the likes of Barbie and Transformers to the top spot making it one of the most anticipated boys toy in years. Battle Strikers finally hit the toy shop shelves on 27th July with George Sampson battling it out against fans at Hamleys and the Entertainer Westfield, London.  A new unique twist on the old children’s favourite the spinning top, these super-charged tops, requiring no rip cords, are launched with a powerful motorised launcher, gaining speeds of up to 6,500 RPM! 

Ben 10 Alien Force Kevins DX Action Cruiser, Bandai (RRP £29.99) - Taken from one of the most popular animated TV shows Ben 10 Alien Force Kevins DX Action Cruiser, is just like Kevin's cool green car in the show, packed with unique features which can switch to battle mode.  Shoot DNA alien capsules filled with planetary powder when switched to battle mode.

Bendaroos Mega Pack, Spin Master (RRP £19.99) - Bendaroos™ are magical, flexible building sticks (available in rainbow, neon or glow in the dark) which offer a unique combination of moulding and construction and adhere to all surfaces but lift away without any mess.  

They can be made into 2D shapes and characters which you can use to decorate picture frames, ceramics, glass and other surfaces.  Alternatively why not make your own 3D models by twisting Bendaroos™ together or scrunching tinfoil to create large body shapes and then winding them around before adding extra features and decoration.

GO GO Pets Hamsters, Character Options (RRP £9.99) - Go Go Pets are an ever-growing collection of electronic interactive hamsters that are cute, cuddly and incredibly playful but without all the smell, mess and fuss of real rodents. They really are the perfect pet that parents can finally agree on.  This toy ticks all the boxes when it come to what kids want; a desire to collect, interact and nurture, to name but a few. Plus, with a massive collection of accessories, from hamster runs to cars and skateboards to keep the furry friends occupied, a whole world of fun is there ready to be enjoyed.

There are four hamsters in the initial litter with more on their way, but already youngsters just can’t get enough of Mr Squiggles, Num Nums, Pipsqueak and Chunk who are the hot topic in playgrounds around the country.

GX Racers Tightrope Terror, Flair (RRP £22.99) - The most extreme 1:64 performance cars ever to hit the market – and guaranteed to be top of boy’s Christmas wish list!  GX Tight Rope Terror Track Set is probably the most impressive kit for Flair’s GX Racers – which have patented technology designed around the power of the gyroscope and ripcord.
 
An expansive set up, high off the ground and covering long distances, the Tight Rope Terror Track Set connects any two points in a room and will see the GX Racing Cars achieving extreme speeds and performing amazing stunts. The kit includes a track set, line walking stunt gyro, rip cord and car body.

Kidizoom Multimedia Digital Camera, V-Tech (RRP £49.99) - The Kidizoom Multimedia Digital Camera allows kiddies to get behind the camera and take photos of their very own pictures. It can even capture video too!  Its ultra-tough and features large bumper handles for little hands. With interchangeable faceplates for personalization, simple editing software for distorting photos and a cable for hooking it up to a PC or TV for playback.

Just like a grown-up camera, with a 16MB of internal memory, an SD Card slot and 1.8 inch LCD display.

LEGO Games Minotaurus, Lego (£17.99 ages 7+)  - You’ll be a-MAZE-d at this game of logic and trickery from LEGO!   BUILD the maze using the template provided then PLAY to be the first Knight to reach the secret temple in the Minotaur’s labyrinth! Watch out for opponents blocking you as you travel through the maze and take care as other players can challenge you by moving the Minotaur playing piece to send you back to the start! The playing time can be adapted and you can also CHANGE the number of spaces the Minotaur can move and the layout of the maze.

Monopoly City, Hasbro (RRP £24.99) - What you build up, your opponents can bring down! In the fantastically exciting new board board: MONOPOLY CITY, players can build as soon as they buy, building their portfolio from the first roll of the die and sabotage their opponents properties by building sewage plants or prisons on the competitor’s property. MONOPOLY CITY also allows players to build their own empire in the centre of the board using brand 80 3D buildings!  Age: 8 years +        

Princess Peppa’s Palace, Character Options (RRP £39.99) - Children just adore the adventures of Peppa and her family of little brother George, Mummy and Daddy Pig. There is however, one adventure that Peppa loves above all others and that’s playing at princesses. This is the inspiration behind the most successful theme yet for Character Options’ delightful collection of play-sets.

Nothing is too grand for Peppa and when her beautiful palace folds out, it reveals a well appointed banqueting hall with thrones for both King and Queen. There are many other rooms in which to have adventures and lots of accessories that you would expect to find in any royal residence such as beds, table and chairs, oven cauldron and even a guardsman for protection.

Sylvanian Families Caravan, Flair (RRP £44.99) - This fabulous Caravan opens up to reveal a very well-equipped kitchen, seating area and shower room – complete with its own WC! By unfolding sections, more space storage and sleeping areas are created – ensuring plenty of room for the whole Sylvanian Family.
 
With over 30 accessories, including an ironing board – girls will have hours of holiday fun in the sun. With numerous accessories to purchase separately, including a traditional family saloon car to tow the Caravan, a Camping Set (in case more room is needed for extra guests) and a seaside set with deck chair and wind break – girls won’t want to wait for summer – making Christmas the perfect start for their Sylvanian Family holiday.

Transformers Movie 2 Voyagers Figures, Hasbro (RRP £22.99) - Voyager figures feature larger scale characters from the TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN movie. Figures include realistic styling with conversion from vehicle to robot and feature the fantastic new Mech Alive technology to really bring the action to life.