Gift guide: top preschool toys for 2009

November 8, 3:31 PMJacksonville Children’s Toys ExaminerNicole Franklin

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Rocky the Robot for preschoolers!

photo by Nicole Franklin

Preschoolers ages 3-5 are at one of the most fun ages to buy gifts for!  Boys and girls of this age group like to role-play, use their imaginations, be creative, play board games, play sports, make music, and more!  Parents can take the opportunity this holiday season to purchase toys that will grow with their preschoolers and will keep them busy for hours.

Best Toys for Preschoolers 2009

• Playdoh Burger Builder - Playdoh now lets kids create and build their own hamburgers ($15).  Children can press out toppings, make burgers, and even make fries for a great pretend dinner  while playing restaurant!  Kids may like to create dessert with the Playdoh Magic Swirl Ice Cream Shoppe!
• Strawberry Shortcake Berry Cafe - Strawberry Shortcake can invite her friends over to have warm treats, make smoothies with the whirling blender, and even take a ride on the bird that flies around the cafe ($35).  More friends and accessories are also sold to go along with the Berry Cafe.
• Leapfrog Scribble & Write - This Leapfrog learning toy ($20) teaches children how to trace the lights to practice drawing shapes and then move on to upper and lower case letters.  This is an all-in-one learning toy and can be connected to the computer to give parents more ideas to reinforce the skills.
• Giant Sandwich Stacking Game - With oversized sandwich bread gloves, children have to make the correct sandwich ($35) according to the directions on the menu!  Some games are fast paced and some are memory based, but all are fun!
• UNO Moo - Kids need to match colors and animals and be the first one to get all their animals back in the barn in this fun game ($20)!  Watch out though, the farmer is "wild" and makes the game even more exciting.
• Monty Rex - Playskool has created a soft, walking dinosaur ($70) that will stomp, roar, chomp on pretend food, and sneezes.  He comes with 3 songs to dance along to and includes more information about the dinosaur for a learning bonus!
• Baby Alive Whoopsie Doo - Preschoolers will love to role-play with this realistic baby doll ($30) that drinks and poops in her diaper!  She gets upset and cries when she needs to be changed and is happy and coo's when she's full and clean.  The doll comes with 2 juice packets, diapers, a bottle, rattle, and t-shirt.
• FAO Schwartz Big Piano - Kids can dance and make music on this 24 key floor piano ($65) that measures 70 inches long.  There is a play and record mode for kids to listen to the music they have created!
• Rocky the Robot - Matchbox created an interactive dump truck ($60) that has sensors to move, dance, and say over 100 phrases!  Kids can use the toy just like a classic dump truck and when all the fun is over for the day, Rocky even snores while sleeping.
• Easy Score Soccer, Hockey & Lacrosse - This sports set ($50) from Little Tikes give kids the opportunity to play soccer, lacrosse, and hockey!  The net adjusts to become bigger as needed and 2 hockey sticks (that easily become lacrosse sticks) are included along with a puck, lacrosse ball, and soccer ball.
• Loving Family Dollhouse - Fisher Price created the dollhouse ($70) with the most accessories and features that parents can find.  This multi-level folding house gives preschoolers the opportunity to pretend with the babies, mommy and daddy, grandma, sister and brother, friends, and pets!  There are over 20 rooms and accessories to add even more fun!
• Leapster2 - This handheld game ($50) has a variety of learning games for preschoolers to play with that include their favorite characters!  As an added bonus, the Leapster2 can be connected to the computer so parents know what their children are learning and kids can play more games online and collect awards. 
• Handy Manny's Repair Shop - Kids can give Manny the blueprints and will be walked through the steps to complete the project!  A pretend power drill and saw are included to help "repair" projects if they break.  The repair shop ($100) comes with over 20 projects to build with 40 pieces.

More Gift Guide Information:  Hot Toys 2009, Toddler Toys 2009, Baby Toys 2009, Big Kid Toys 2009, Toy Reviews