This is part of our series – The Best Guide To The Top Hot Holiday Toys for 2012 . Please make sure to read the rest of the toy reviews in our Top Toys for 2012 Guide.
Every parent knows the frustration. The kids beg for some toy that they promise they will never grow bored of, and then by New Year’s the toy has become another expensive dust collector. Here is a collection of all different types of toys that share one important trait…the kids will still be playing with them in 2013! We should mention, all the other toys in our 2012 Toy Guide will also keep kids entertained, but these are toys that don’t fit neatly into any one category – but they sure are fun!
It’s Alive! This List is Growing Like a Weed
If you are reading this before December 24th, 2012 we are still searching for the best toys. This is a living, growing Holiday Toy Guide for 2012. Below you will see some of the top toys we have currently reviewed, but please check back often as we will continue to update our list as we review new toys. You can also see all of the toy reviews we have done by visiting our Toy section. More of a visual learner? Watch our Toy Review videos on our YouTube Channel.
Top Toys for 2012: Fun Toys The Kids Will Still Be Playing With In 2013
Best Toy For Future Nobel Prize Winners
Zometool Creator 1
Let’s face it, your not getting any younger and the window for you to win a Nobel Prize is just about slammed shut. This simply means the responsibility for representing the family falls to your kids, so you better start prepping them now. The Zometool Creator 1 construction set is an awesome building toy that has the incredible “side effect” of teaching your kids geometry and science. Yes, Nobel Prize winners have used Zometool type sets to visualize models, but don’t even mention that to the kids – just let them have fun building. Of course, during their Nobel Prize acceptance speech they should give you a shout out for buying them the best toys!
Full Review (and video) of the Zometool Creator 1 Construction Set
Price: Sells for About $59. Good for kids ages 5 and up.
The Toy With the Most Surprising Play Value
Gibout Giant Plush Building Blocks (BigBlox)
This toy makes no sense. Why is it that in my house filled with high tech toys, it is the no tech Gibout Plush Big Blox that get played with the most? These large plush building blocks (12 inch cubes) come in a variety of styles and colors and kids of all ages love them.
The Blocks can be stacked, tossed, sat on, used to build a fort, thrown, used as shields, used as weapons… basically they can be whatever your kids imagine them to be. Are they furniture? Are they building blocks? Who cares – they are fun, never need batteries and kids don’t get bored of them!
Full review (and video) of the Gibout Big Blox
Price: About $24. Great for kids of all ages
Best Game for Toddlers
Roll & Play by ThinkFun
Roll & Play is an excellent game for toddlers…which is a good thing because it may also be the only game for toddlers! Roll & Play introduces the concepts of game play in a very friendly manner. Take turns rolling a big, soft cube (yes, we have a thing for big soft cubes), turn over cards and do the things on the cards…or don’t! No hard and fast rules here, the idea is just to introduce toddlers to the idea of gameplay in a fun and rewarding way.
Full review (and video) of the Roll & Play by ThinkFun
Price: About $19. Great for kids ages 18 months and up
Top Toy For the Dino Or Truck Lover In Your Life
Matchbox Big Boots Ambusher
Some kids love dinosaurs. Other kids love trucks. Of course the coolest kids love Dinos and Trucks! For the Dino and Truck lovers in your life, there is the Matchbox Big Boots Ambusher. You get a super cool Dino catching truck, filled with secret compartments, slides, buttons to push and things that pop out….all the stuff that kids love in a truck! You also get a Dino and some Big Boots figures…who always land on their feet. This toy brings out the best in imaginative play and Dads will love it as much as the kids.
Full Review (and video) of the Matchbox Big Boots Ambusher
Price: About $40. Best for kids ages 3 and up.
Most Fun Way To Get a Workout…A Mental Workout
Turnstile by ThinkFun
Everyone is always talking about the need to exercise and workout. Sure, getting our body in shape is great, but let’s not forget about our minds! At least ThinkFun is keeping our kids’ minds in shape with Turnstile. Turnstile is a puzzle or maze solving game that teaches some great learning skills, but much more importantly – it is fun and addictive to play! Kids who enjoy puzzles will love trying to solve the Turnstile challenges.
Full Review (and video) of Turnstile by ThinkFun
Price: $19.95. Best for kids ages 8 and up.
Toy Most Likely To Put The Kids To Sleep…And That’s A Good Thing
Tranquil Turtle
Why in a guide to the fun toys of 2012, would we add a toy that is guaranteed to put your kids to sleep? Because that is exactly what the Tranquil Turtle from Cloudb is supposed to do, and it does it very well! The Tranquil Turtle is the perfect bedtime companion for kids. The plush turtle with a hard shell can project a beautiful ocean on the ceiling, act as a nightlight and play soothing sounds. Don’t tell my 8 and 10 year old boys that this is made for younger kids – they still put their Tranquil Turtle on every night, proving that everyone loves the idea of sleeping by an ocean.
Full review (and video) of the Tranquil Turtle
Price: About $40. Great for kids of all ages
The Most Fun You Can Have With Three Balls and a String
Astrojax
The Astrojax could have also won the award for Toy We Least Expected To Put In This Guide. The Astrojax is a string and three balls…you waiting for more…sorry, that is it! How can the Astrojax be that much fun? Simply because sometimes the most fun things are the simple things.
The Astrojax is somewhat like a 21st century Yo-Yo. You orbit the balls around, do all types of tricks and basically find yourself picking the thing up and playing with it…trying to get a new trick down. No batteries, no software…just three balls, a string and tons of fun!
Full review (and video) of the Astrojax
Price: About $19. Great for kids ages 8 and up
More Top Toys of 2012
This is just the start of our 2012 Top Toy Guide. Here are the rest of the top toy lists…
- Top Outdoor Toys of 2012
- Top RC Flying Toys of 2012
- Best Blasters And Toy Guns of 2012
- The Best Driving, Racing and Crashing Toys of 2012
- Top Spy Toys of 2012
- Best Toys for Moms and Dads (why should kids have all the fun)
- And much, much more…
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