What are some new toys or games that children are asking for?

September 8, 2007 8:50 AM

What's on the kids birthday lists this year? Parents, please help me get up to date on popular new children's toys and games.

I'm helping a charity group edit their holiday gift wish list; they compile a list of toys and games that is sent out to the agencies that they serve. Kids pick items off the list.

I need information on new or newly popular characters, toys and games for boys and girls from 4 to 14. The other condition is that the gifts must be between $20 and $30 and available at a major retailer like Target, Wal-Mart or Toys R Us.

posted by JDC8 to shopping (13 comments total)

Webkinz!
posted by smackfu at 9:06 AM on September 8, 2007

Harry Potter is the obvious choice for 9-14.
Dora the Explorer is popular with younger kids.
Legos and K'nex are great for all ages.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 9:32 AM on September 8, 2007

Webkinz are hot with my 8 and 6 year old, ( M & F respectively) along with their counter parts lilkinz. They probably work the 4 to 9 year range. You can check them out at webkinz.com. After the kid receives one they go online to adopt it.
posted by bkeene12 at 10:34 AM on September 8, 2007

Disney's Princesses stuff, maybe? For girls 4-8ish.
posted by CrazyLemonade at 11:06 AM on September 8, 2007

stuffed animals or dolls that can be written on.
posted by k8t at 11:20 AM on September 8, 2007

Webkinz are incredibly popular, but they require the regular use of a computer with Internet access. Will the kids getting the gifts have access to a computer?Legos and K'nex are also popular, but they're often above that price range.

Here's some popular toys that my girls and their friends like that might work:

Apples to Apples (there's a Junior Edition too)
Blokus
Uno
Polly Pocket
Bratz (not my favorite but girls love them)
posted by Flakypastry at 11:22 AM on September 8, 2007

Since every kid's wishlist is different (the "in" thing for one kid may not even be interesting to the next kid) why not just purchase $20 Gift Cards for the places you mentioned (Walmart, Target, etc.) and let the kids spend them in whatever way they choose? (Kids in the age range you mentioned love getting Gift Cards - my kids did, and still do)
posted by amyms at 12:05 PM on September 8, 2007

The gift card option is on the table, but these ideas will be printed on cards and placed in various corporate lobbies for people to take and purchase the items.

Specific new item suggestions to add to a potential gift list are more helpful, like the Webkinz.

I'm sure that there are lots of new children's toys and characters that I don't know about, being a single male. Keep 'em coming!
posted by JDC8 at 12:24 PM on September 8, 2007

Also note that the gifts are donated anonymously, so there is no information available about the children, other than age or gender.
posted by JDC8 at 12:25 PM on September 8, 2007

Little Girls: The Candy Land board game is really popular with the younger crowd. Since it doesn't require reading skills the 4 years olds can play it. Coloring books, markers, and crayons. Jump ropes. Music CDs from tv series on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon such as Hannah Montana. Any sort of dress up costumes like princess outfits or ballerina tu-tus. Cute stickers. Any kind of posters to hang on their walls that have cute furry animals.

Little Boys: Yu-gi-oh cards. Anything related to the transformer movie (action figures, lunch boxes, stickers, coloring books). Posters of cool cars or action heros. Blocks, leggos and other building type toys.

Older Kids: Japanese anime and manga are hugely popular with the older kids these days in the form of books and DVDs (you have to review some of this stuff first because while some is child friendly, other stuff should have an R rating on it). Older kids would love a cheap mp3 player. While the i-pod is expensive there are some really cheap knock offs (target has some for $35-$40)

Age appropriate DVDs are usually a safe bet as well when dealing with any of the age groups you're looking into. That's all I can think of off the top of my head.
posted by GlowWyrm at 1:40 PM on September 8, 2007

I work at one of the major retailers you listed and boys and girls alike tend to throw screaming tantrums over High School Musical merchandise.
posted by Juliet Banana at 1:59 PM on September 8, 2007

My 12-year-old daughter confirms High School Musical merchanise, and adds Hannah Montana stuff (for the younger kids). Oh, and tickle repellant!
posted by MrMoonPie at 6:19 PM on September 8, 2007

eh, be really, really careful on anime stuff. I've (admittedly not recently) picked up stuff off the shelf in places like major book and toy stores that wasn't labeled as adult or even teen, and was stuff that would give my grandmother a heart attack. And a lot of anime tends to be sort of fad-ish
posted by Jacen at 10:24 AM on September 9, 2007