The holiday season has always been a showcase of the latest and greatest toys for both youngsters and college students. This year is no different.
The new toys of this holiday season are nothing short of amazing. They range from the smallest remote control cars to cats and dogs that interact with their owners. There have been major advancements, even in toys for pre-schoolers.
The Cutting Food Box, available at Professor Tinker’s Workshop in the Woodland Towne Center, allows pre-schoolers to practice their cooking skills before they even enter school.
John Tinker, who upon slipping on a lab coat and wig transforms into Professor Tinker, expects the realistic cuttable food, which comes complete with a small cutting board, to be very popular.
A gift guaranteed to please youngsters of a slightly older age group is the Playmobil series.
“They’re Legos with pizazz,” Tinker said. “Kids can actually create an entire universe with Playmobil.”
Playmobil is a very realistic series with a diverse assortment of different kits, including a submarine, which upon being placed in a bathtub, can dive down into the water and later resurface.
For youngsters who like to have a little more adventure, Professor Tinker’s offers Spy Gear. Equipped with the binoculars and other accessories, kids can be well on their way to becoming the next super-sleuth.
Professor Tinker’s also offers something for early-teens. MageKnight, a complete miniature card game, is similar to a Lord of the Rings-type format. According to Tinker, MageKnight is a very popular product. His best-selling products, however, are the toy guns.
“These are so hot, it’s unbelievable,” Tinker acknowledged. These aren’t just any gun replicas, though. “I have replicas from World War II. Some are from the Civil War and American Revolution,” he added.
Perhaps Tinker’s most dynamic toy are the Z Cars.
“These are micro cars. They are the world’s smallest remote-control cars,” Tinker said. They definitely are small, being about the size of a Hotwheels car. “We just got the motorcycle version of them in. Z Cars are the hottest things we have for Christmas for 10 to 15 year olds,” Tinker said.
Other items are expected to sell well this Christmas due to the movies that made them popular. Anything associated with Harry Potter is expected to fly off the shelves quicker than you can say Hogwarts.
Spiderman gear, especially the web blasters, are expected to sell equally well, according to Chuck Elliott of the Meijer Toy Department. Elliott also expects Fur Real Friends to be a holiday hit.
“They’re a dog or cat, like a Pound Puppy, but they actually interact with the kids,” he said.
As for toys that particularly interest college students, the Playstation 2, Game Cube and other game systems will once again be a big seller.
According to Best Buy, great gift ideas for college students also include “toys” like the XM Satellite Radio and Canon’s Elura 40MC Mini DV Camcorder.
MP3 players are expected to be very popular this season, too. Gift givers can also never go wrong with a DVD player or other similar equipment.
There are a countless number of great options to choose from when shopping for a toy-lover this holiday season. Whether it be a for a pre-schooler or a college student, there should be no problem finding the perfect gift that they will find fun and exciting.
