Summer Toys--Get 'Em While It's Hot

Most of the kids we know are counting down the days till summer vacation. For the past few weeks, we've been having a countdown of our own--the countdown to the release of the Summer Toy Wishes Hot Dozen list. We work with the magazine all year long and help with the selection of this list, and it's TOP SECRET until it's released.

Well, today's the day! And here they are (in alphabetical order)

BABY ALIVE SIP ’N SLURP
(Hasbro/Ages 3 and up/Approximate retail price: $19.99)
It was the 1970s all over again when Baby Alive became one of the hits of last holiday season. Well, that’s because this classic never goes out of style and seems brand new to each generation of little moms. And now there’s a new Baby Alive to love and care for. Just fill the sippy cup with “juice,” place the straw in the baby’s mouth, and watch her sip away. And, just like a real baby, inevitably, you’ll have to change her diaper. This is nurturing roleplay at its best.

BANZAI DOUBLE DROP RACEWAY
(ToyQuest/Ages 5 and up/Approximate retail price: $399.99)
Yeah, you’ve seen these inflatables for a couple of years, but you’ve never seen one like this. Connect the blower, connect the hose and get ready for twice the fun as two kids at once can slide and splash their way to the bottom. This amazing backyard waterslide features a cascading waterfall and soft-bottom landing pad. Check out the entire Banzai line.

BARBIE FAIRYTOPIA MAGIC OF THE RAINBOW: RAINBOW ADVENTURE ELINA DOLL AND DVD GAME
(Mattel/Ages 3 and up/Approximate retail price: $24.99)
Barbie’s always been magic, and the Fairytopia collection has been a major hit since it was first introduced. Now there’s a whole new way to bring the magic to life right in your living room. This high-tech Elina doll interacts with a DVD game by acting as the remote control in an adventure. Kids can fly Elina from the left to the right to make her capture magical gems and travel through Fairytopia.

BEN 10 ALIEN VOICE CHANGER WITH GLASSES
(Bandai/Ages 4 and up/Approximate retail price: $24.99)
Ben 10 is one of the hottest new action heroes on the planet these days. The star of the Cartoon Network show is a normal kid who one day found a mysterious Omnitrix. He strapped it on and suddenly was able to morph into all kinds of different alien creatures—for whatever challenges might arise. Now kids can bring out their inner aliens with this cool voicechanger. Speak into it and your voice comes out just like Four Arms, Heatblast or Grey!

CRAYOLA SIDEWALK PAINT SPRAYER
(Crayola/Ages 4 and up/Approximate retail price: $14.99)
You can be the Jackson Pollock of the driveway with this incredibly versatile and creative sidewalk paint sprayer. It’s easy to use, makes all kinds of great big designs and it washes off with just a spray from the hose. Fill it with Crayola’s special sidewalk paint and squeeze the trigger to deliver streams and swirls onto driveways and sidewalks. Spray pink or blue, or mix it together to make purple! Plus, this is a time to be outdoors and creative! Check out some of the cool activities Crayola has for you and your family this spring and summer.

DELUXE SPINNING WEB BLASTER
(Hasbro/Ages 5 and up/Approximate retail price: $24.99, refills $5.99)
What do kids love about Spider-Man? The ability to spin their own amazing webs with the flick of the wrist, of course. Now they can with this advanced Deluxe Spinning Web Blaster that straps onto the wrist and shoots an amazing spiral web that really looks like a web. Of course, it’s just silly string, but the effect is about as cool as it gets!

DORA MAKE A SPLASH SPRINKLER
(Imperial/Ages 3 and up/Approximate retail price: $9.99)
When it’s time to get wet, who better to have a backyard romp with than Dora the Explorer? The design is perfect for little kids, and Dora spins 360 degrees sending a gentle spray of water to keep kids cool while they’re off on their summer adventures. Be sure to supervise kids and make sure they put on plenty of waterproof sunblock.

HOT WHEELS RACING TIMER
(Mattel/Ages 6 and up/Approximate retail price: $24.99)
Want to know who really won that race? Now you can know exactly. The Hot Wheels Racing Timer is an easy-to-assemble unit that you set on the ground as you lay out a racecourse. (The race starts and ends in the same place.) Take off on your bike or on foot, and the first person across the finish line hears the crowd’s applause and hears the announcer reveal the clear winner. A digital LCD screen displays time and speed for up to two racers. It’s a great way to enhance the kind of classic, active play that Hot Wheels have represented for decades!

MOON SAND
(Spin Master/Ages 3 and up/Approximate retail price: $4.99-$19.99)
It became one of the surprise hits of last holiday season, and kids can’t get enough of this amazing compound that looks and feels a lot like regular sand, but Moon Sand feels like sand and molds like dough. Pop it in the oven (with parental supervision, of course), and you can preserve your creations as the heat makes them solid. Pop it in the oven again and the sand returns to its dough-like consistency. How does it do it? We have no idea. We just know it’s a lot of fun. New sets include more accessories and activities like making mosaics and molding and new colors including sparkles.

POKÉMON BASIC FIGURES AND DELUXE FIGURES
(Jakks Pacific/Ages 4 and up/Approximate retail price: $3.99-$9.99)
Hard to believe that after 10 years, Pokémon is still one of the hottest characters out there. Believe it. Beautiful styling and collectible matte-vinyl finishes make them great for display as well as play. The basic figures are three inches tall and come in single packs (with a marble) or multi-packs (with a surprise). Deluxe figures are five inches tall and have special abilities; Pikachu’s cheeks light up and Blaziken has fiery wrist bands. Kids are going to want to catch them all!

SPIDER-MAN 3 ACTION FIGURES
(Hasbro/Ages 4 and up/Approximate retail price: $7.99)
Spider-Man 3 is going to be one of the hottest movies of the summer. Everyone’s talking about the latest installment in the mega-hit action movie series. And now all the characters come to life in a finely detailed and beautifully sculpted collection of figures that feature Spidey in different guises from the movie. Kids will love to collect them or recreate the exciting adventures of Spider-Man 3. We particularly like the black costume Spider-Man, which shows him in a way we’ve never seen him before.

TAMAGOTCHI CONNECTION V4
(Bandai/Ages 8 and up/Approximate retail price: $14.99)
It’s official: Tamagotchi is a craze. And each version seems to get better and better with more things to do, more interactivity and cooler characters. Version 4 is no exception. It’s the most technologically advanced virtual pet yet, and kids have more control than ever over the destiny of their digital charges. In addition to the traditional nurturing play, now there’s even more “real life” play, as kids choose what classes their pets can take, what job they have and what salary to earn. (And where to spend it when they shop!)

Toy Wishes is available today at Toys "R" Us stores, and free with a purchases (check details at store), and it will be on newstands everywhere in a week or so.

So, let the summer fun begin!