These toys are desirable holiday gift items – get yours before they sell out! For instance, Elmo has sold out long before Christmas in the past, leaving many disappointed kids on Christmas Day. This year TMX Elmo’s going just as fast.
If the four year old on your list is too hard to buy for, consider a gift card. Target is offering peppermint-scented scratch ‘n sniff gift cards for the holiday season. The little guy or gal can go shopping after Christmas and pick out their own gift (and with any luck hit the sales, and get more toys for the money).
All of the items are offered at Target on line, and in the Target stores. Price and availability may very by location.
V-Smile TV Learning System
Now your four year old can play video games, just like the rest of the family! V-Smile teaches important preschool basics using interactive TV gaming. The console connects directly to your home TV, and no additional equipment is required!. Kids can explore language, math, phonics, problem solving, comprehension challenges and more. Comes with console, game cartridge and adjustable joystick. Gives kids a learning advantage! Since this comes with one cartridge, you might want to pick up additional cartridges which are sold separately. ($49.89)
Aquadoodle Basic Mat
Just add water – and no mess! The pen holds quite a bit of water so you don’t have to refill it all the time. Parents who have reviewed this toy say their kids have loved it, played with it for hours on end, it has proved practically indestructible and wipes clean easily. You might want to consider buying a set of pens so that siblings can draw at the same time. Kids can draw, doodle, make letters and trace their hands and feet, etc. For ages two and up. ($19.79)
Aquadoodle Go N Doodle
A good toy to go with the Aquadoodle Basic Mat is the Aquadoodle Go N Doodle. This toy is also a no-mess plastic drawing toy. You just add water to the magic water pen and draw. Great for road trips and restaurants. For ages two and up. ($14.89)
Radio Flyer Pathfinder Wagon
This little red wagon in red plastic has a backrest, making it easy to pull your child in the wagon making a nice alternative to the stroller. This was a winner of the Parent’s Choice Award. The seats can be folded up for riding around, or folded down for maximum hauling capacity. Included are child seat belts (!), a large storage compartment , four molded-in cup holders that will hold cans, cups or juice boxes, an extra-long handle for easy pulling and Dura-Tread rubber tires for a soft, quiet ride. The front axle is designed for non-tip turning and the handle folds under for easy storage! ($69.99)
Planet Frog Habitat
Children can watch the natural process as tadpoles turn into frogs. The escape-proof, break-resistant pond allows tadpoles and frogs to swim and explore while you watch them.
Comes with a mail-in coupon to have live tadpoles shipped directly to you. Includes vented see-through lid, magnifier feeding cap, underwater viewing area, habitat surroundings and rock hideaway for shelter and guidebook with feeding and care instructions (frog food is not included). ($14.99)
Play-Doh Doggy Doctor
Kids can pretend they are a veterinarian with this set which gives them the equipment to remove ticks, bandage wounds, fix broken legs and more. The kit includes four 3 ounce cans of Play-Doh, a puppy with a Play-Doh tongue, syringe, plunger, tweezers, first aid kit and stethoscope. The included molds allow a child to create bones, doggy socks, teeth and more. For ages three and up ($12.99)
Plasma Car Red Ride-On Vehicle
The reviews of traditional Big Wheels were poor – people complained that the seat back didn’t’t hold up to tough kid abuse, and that the assembly-required parts were poorly marked and very difficult to assemble. This is a more expensive riding toy, however reviews of this toy reveal that kids love it and even a few moms have tried it indoors! Moving the steering wheel from side to side quickly makes the car go. Holds up to 220 lbs. on smooth surfaces, and 120 lbs. on rough surfaces. No batteries needed – totally kid-powdered using gravity, centrifugal force and friction to move! Some assembly required ($69.99)
LeapFrog Leapster Multimedia Learning System: Disney Princess
Your child (preschool to kindergarten) can become a princess as she masters early reading and math skills! Teaches more than 45 key skills including number recognition, counting and more in three learning levels. Parent reviews gave this the top five stars! There is a fireworks show where you touch the screen with a pen or your finger and fireworks appear. One feature will show the child’s name in the fireworks.
($24.99)
And last but not least…
TMX Elmo
No gift list for four year olds would be complete without Elmo! This toy will sell out very quickly and was not listed on Target’s on-line site at the time of this writing. My local Target store sold out their entire stock the first day that this toy hit the shelves. Check with your local Target store to see if you can get one (if that doesn’t work, www.amazon.com has them). The cheerful little red guy has three interactive tickle spots on his chin, tummy and toe respectively. When kids tickle Elmo once on any of his tickle spots, he starts to laugh and slaps his leg twice. Then he falls down into a sitting position and rocks himself back up to a standing position, all the while laughing hysterically. When kids tickle Elmo a second time, he repeats the pattern, then sits down again and falls back wards onto his back and starts kicking his feet while laughing even harder. After that he stands back up and asks to be tickled again. The third time he goes through the first two patterns, then rolls onto his tummy and hits the floor with his hand, laughing uproariously. Then he rolls onto his back, stands up again, and ends with a deep sigh. It’s quite a performance! Elmo requires two AA batteries. But beware, Elmo’s price has skyrocketed from the original list price of $39.99 to $134.00 on www.amazon.com, and as Christmas approaches, the price will probably rise even more steeply as supplies dwindle.
