Top Specialty Toys

Sure, you can watch the toy commercials on TV and read the advertising inserts in your local newspaper. But if you really want to know what the hot specialty toys are this holiday season, listen to the playtime experts at the Toy Industry Association.

Click on these links to find what's hot right now. Then, if you want to play even further, go to ToyAwards.org and register your vote for the 2011 Toy of the Year awards. Winners will be announced in early 2011.

In the meantime, happy shopping and merry everything!

Furnished School Building
Playmobil® USA
playmobilusa.com
Ages 4+
$169.99
The Playmobil® Furnished School Building includes nine figures, a school building with a functioning bell, a furnished classroom, a science room, an art and music room, and many other accessories. Kids can even write on the chalkboard. HEXBUG® Nano Habitat Set
Innovation First Labs, Inc.
hexbug.com/nano
Ages 3+
$29.99
The HEXBUG Nano Habitat Set challenges kids to build unique environments for their lifelike HEXBUG Nano Micro Robotic Creatures to explore. Kids use connecting track parts to create an infinite variety of mazes for their Nano to explore. The expandable set comes with two tiny, collectible, robotic creatures which scurry and explore, unpredictably finding their way through each new maze. The physics of vibration propels the bugs forward in a surprisingly lifelike way. My Take Along Puppet Theater
Playmobil® USA
playmobilusa.com
Ages 4+
$49.99
Create your own show and have the Playmobil® characters act it out with My Take Along Puppet Theater. The set comes with six figures, changeable scenes, four different sound effects, and many accessories that can all be stored in the puppet theater so you can take it along with you anywhere. Shrinky Dinks® Deluxe
Creativity for Kids/Faber-Castell USA
creativityforkids.com
Ages 7+
$24.99
This kit contains 10 sheets of pre-printed film with a variety of designs, including butterflies, flowers, cupcakes. Color in the designs using the 8 color pencils in the kit, shrink them in an oven, then use your creations to make charm bracelets, gift tags, hair clips, and more. The kit also includes a pencil sharpener and hole punch. Solitaire Chess™
ThinkFun Inc.
ThinkFun.com
Ages 8+
$19.99
In this addictive logic game, players set up the chess pieces on the board according to one of the 60 challenge cards, and then eliminate all but one piece using only the moves allowed in traditional chess. The innovative board stores all game components, making this game perfect for home or travel. UPPY™ Uglydoll®
Pretty Ugly™ LLC/Uglydoll®
uglydolls.com
All ages
$20
You'll never meet anyone more optimistic than UPPY™, the UGLYDOLL®. He's super positive! He's positive that the snack you have in your hand belongs to him, and that your bank account should be in his name, not yours. He's sure that you guys would make the perfect team, and that your team should make it's way down to the bakery to order something really delicious. You handle the money part and UPPY™; he can do all the eating. UPPY™ stands 14" tall.


More Hot Toys for the Holidays.