The Best Toys of 2011

With the holidays fast approaching, we’ve compiled a list of toys for children of all ages. These aren’t your run of the mill legos or train tracks — these are gifts that will leave your kids (and you!) saying, “Wow.” Without further ado, our picks for the coolest toys of 2011:

    • Kid-Tough See Yourself Camera. My son loves my DSLR camera, but I’m not comfortable with him playing with it. Thankfully, Fisher Price has a solution that allows his curiosity and creativity to thrive — a durable toy camera that actually takes real pictures! With a 4x zoom, 1.8” TFT color screen, 256 MB memory, 1.2 Megapixel imager (with lowlight capability), SD slot and USB port, there’s nothing “kid” about this camera.
    • Triqo. Legos get an upgrade, thanks to this construction set from the Netherlands. Build a house, a hat, whatever your child’s imagination desires. Added bonus: these blocks are all made from recycled materials.

    • Baby iCan Play iPhone case. How many times has your child dropped your iPhone? With me, too many to count. Fisher Price has a new way to protect your fragile phone while still allowing your child the fun of playing with all their kid-apps. What really surprises me? Why someone didn’t come up with this sooner.
    • i-Helicopter. It’s a remote controlled helicopter, except the remote is an iPhone / iPod / iPad. I love products that mix technology with tried-and-true standbys — and this a modern twist toy helicopters looks so fun, I’m tempted to buy it for myself.
    • Doodle Track. Your child draws a track on paper using a black marker and then the doodle car follows the track. How cool is that? I have no idea how this one works, but I do know that it would keep my son entertained for hours.

    • PlaSmart Plasma Bike. Toddlers, meet the tricycle of the future. This little bike helps kids as young as 18 months ride on their own — no pedals or training wheels necessary. And, thanks to its unique design, it helps your little one learn to balance better than traditional models.

With that, I am off to Amazon to try and scoop up some of these fun new toys. Did you purchase any of them? Let us know what you thought!