Top Toy of 2008

The festive season is such an exciting but expensive time, especially for families with young children. With kids being targeted by TV advertising, it is an almost impossible task to decide what toy to purchase with our hard-earned cash.

Many of the UK’s leading toy shops are members of the British Toy Retailers Association, representing over 150 companies responsible for selling over 90% of the toys sold in the UK. It is an independent body based on 50 years experience and it serves as the voice of retailers taking into account what customers are requesting, what excites children and keeping abreast of the latest trends. Every year, following the international toy fairs where all the latest innovations are introduced, they print a list of what they found to be exciting and what they expect to be the top sellers for Christmas that year.

Now when I was a lad the ultimate high-tech toy was a Triang electric train set. Nowadays there are truly incredible toys such as toy dogs that obey your spoken command, dolls that drink, sleep, eat, cry and even pee !! and a complete host of electronic toys which range from voice changing masks to games consoles to funny little machines that detect weird mutants loitering in the very air that we breathe.

Let’s have a look at a few of this year’s stars and we’ve simply got to start with that loveable puppy. It’s made by FurReal and named “Biscuit - My Lovin’ Pup“. It certainly isn’t cheap at £119.95, but this amazing life-sized Golden Retriever puppy obeys your every command. He sits, lays down, gives you his paw and has a number of sensors that tell him when you’re touching him so that he can wag his tail and make strange “puppy-like” noises. Leave him alone for a few minutes and he nods off and begins to snore.

Let’s move from cuddly and cute to high-tech, sci-fi and absolutely weird. The Catcha Beast is a little hand held, battery operated toy that finds invisible beings that live in the atmosphere around the user. Once the monster is detected then it has to be wound into the machine. It’s very difficult to explain, if you click on the following link, there’s a video that shows the gadget in use. The Catcha Beast retails at £17.95.

Our final offering is priced halfway between those earlier toys. Elmo Live is a much loved character from Sesame Street and sells at £59.95. He’s another amazing creation with the ability to speak, sing, sit and stand together with crossing his legs whilst seated on a chair telling stories. He isn’t voice controlled like Biscuit the dog, but he does a number of actions if you squeeze his tummy, nose, foot or back.

So there we have it. Our top three toys for Christmas 2008. Check out our top toy website for lots of other great gifts.