The kids pick this year's top toys
November 17, 2009
Francine Kopun
FEATURE WRITER
If the Canadian Toy Testing Council rated everything kids play with, Tupperware would probably win every year, followed by pots and pans and my-finger-is-a-gun for boys.
But there are no guns of any kind on the list of top toys chosen by children for the non-profit council this year.
Hundreds of new toys were reviewed during six to eight weeks of play in homes with children in 2009. The complete list of all the toys reviewed on the CTTC website runs to 10 printed pages. Playmobil dominates the highest category with 37 three-star toys, ranging from a police seaplane to an Egyptian chariot. Barbie, in all her latest incarnations (including Newborn Baby Doctor and Preschool Teacher) also got high marks. The Lego Track Turbo Racer RC made the Best Bet awards.
Those winnowed from the larger pack of three-star toys for the top 10 Children's Choice Awards were the toys children couldn't stop talking about, says Janet Hetherington, editor of the CTTC Toy Report.
They include a modern spin on the twirling top, by Playskool/Hasbro; a camera by VTech for ages nine months and older, and a sand-and-water table by Step 2. Children also loved a line of dress-up clothes by Creative Education of Canada, including a knight cape, hood, sword, Snow White/Sleeping Beauty reversible pinafore and princess slippers.
Jennifer Hicks, a mom of two boys, 8 and 10, and a 4-year-old daughter, says the knight costumes, princess dresses and fairy slippers are a hit in her home.
So is Webkinz Jr., aimed at 3- to 6-year-olds, which made the council's Best Bets, a list of toys that also rated highly.
Webkinz are plush pets with a related website where children can play games with cartoon versions of their toy.
Other toys on the Best Bets list include The Sort and Spin Blender, for children ages 12 to 36 months by VTech – essentially a shape-sorter with a blender function – and a Playmobil Vet Operating Room.
"That whole pet thing is huge," says Hetherington. "Kids love having little pets. They get into the imaginary play."
Though toys are not tested for safety, obvious concerns like choking hazards are reported to Health Canada for follow-up.
"The mandate of the council is to test toys for parents so they can choose quality toys," says Hetherington.
Read more on the toy report.
Toronto Star