Kids

Toy Story
Getting the right present is all about letting your kids’ imaginations run wild.

words by > Joanne Cronrath Bamberger

Tried and true? Or hot and new? That’s the annual toy-buying dilemma many parents face this time of year.

Regardless of which winter holiday your family celebrates, many moms and dads are already racking their brains about how to best navigate the closest toy superstore to find exactly the right playthings for their kids. It can be daunting to battle against the barrage of TV ads aimed at young children for the newest and the shiniest, but one expert on children’s play says if parents keep one word in mind, they should be able to select gifts their children will love.

“Just think storytelling,” says Dr. Michael Brody, Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland. “One of the reasons for play is for children to have an outlet to tell their own stories. So to facilitate that, generic toys that don’t come with a pre-packaged story are the best.”

Brody suggests that parents search for age-appropriate blocks, generic dolls, tea sets and cars. These are the toys children play with repeatedly, he says, not the ones that feature television and movie characters—they get forgotten once they’re out of the packaging.

“Parents often remark that children prefer the box a toy comes in to the toy itself,” says Brody. “There’s a reason for that. Children can use their imagination to turn a box into so many different things.”

As for the multitude of toy commercials that can influence holiday wish lists, Brody says they present a good opportunity for parents to talk with children about the purpose of commercials. Even children as young as five or six years old can be encouraged to be critical consumers who can react to advertising with some healthy skepticism, according to Brody.

OF COURSE, there are some toys that even the most skeptical kids are going to want to get their hands on. And there is no reason why the season’s hot and new toys shouldn’t complement the tried and true. Here’s what your kids will be talking about this month:

Jim Silver, editor-in-chief of Toy Wishes, says the sleeper hit of this year’s gift-giving season is going to be the High School Musical game, based on the wildly popular Disney TV movie, a combination board game and interactive DVD game. $24.99 www.entertainmentearth.com

The iFlip is a portable video player for iPods complete with an 8.4 inch screen; it might prevent holiday-time arguments over whether to watch It’s a Wonderful Life or White Christmas. $200 www.ilounge.com

The Kid Touch Digital Camera from Fisher-Price is a child-friendly camera with big buttons and oversized grips for little hands that could start them on their way to becoming the next Ansel Adams. $70 www.fisher-price.com

The Uncle Milton Gel Colony Ant Farm features a bright green gel habitat that serves as both food and water, as well as tunnel building materials for the little guys. $24.97 www.wonderbrains.com

The Little-Leaps Grow-With-Me-Learning System is an interactive DVD system, featuring new characters that guide the nine- to 36-month-old set (with their parents) through alphabet learning, songs and movement activities. $39.99 www.leapfrog.com