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Copyrights reserved by the author. If you are in doubt, please click on 'Copyrights' and read the details. Why the best thing about new toys is that they always break by J. G. Fabiano
Christmas used to be a lot different when my daughter was young. She used to send my wife and I out to buy whatever was the most popular and hardest to buy presents of that particular year. Watching the crowds this season brings back memories of waiting in lines for hours at a time to buy a Cabbage Patch Kid or Pilot Barbie. Now that she is on her own I can't help but wonder what the parents of young children are buying this Christmas to make them the most popular on the block. Apparently, one of the hottest gifts this year is a high-powered pogo stick that uses air compression rather than springs. The Razor Pogo Stick is composed of lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum and a pump that can be adjusted to provide more resistance for greater lift. You have to provide your own ladder to get your kid off the roof or out of a tree! Another big favorite of young kids this year is books - as long as they're about Harry Potter. The young wizard-in-training has had his hands full during his first few years at Hogwart School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As if excelling on and off the Quidditch field isn't enough, Harry has heard evil voices in the walls, fought off trolls and saved the lives of his friends. I am thrilled to report that a series of books is a most wanted Christmas present this year but kids should be careful about taking them to church where, apparently, they are considered encyclopedias of evil by people with neither imagination or common sense. Toddlers on the go this year - and when aren't they? - can enjoy Go-Kart styling, with a combination of Power Wheels reliability and Fisher-Price fun. From its high-back bucket seat to its low-riding comfort and push button starter on the steering wheel this is just the thing to get your kid on the fast track to the nearest traffic jam. All that's missing is a cell phone so each junior driver can crash into the china cabinet. A remote controlled kayak is supposed to be another hot gift this year. Unfortunately it is so popular you have to get your name on a waiting list just to stand in line. Strangely, there is no line at the counter where they sell paddles. And, a quick word of advice here to all new parents. Never, ever get taken in by the words, 'Starter Set.' A starter kit for a radio-controlled monorail system is big and sophisticated and has more things that can go wrong with it than the Big Dig. Any starter kit for anything always comes with a gazillion extras that will eventually require you to take out a second mortgage on your home unless you want the world to think you don't really love your kid. You think I'm making this up? Wait till you come across the Lego Universe. Yes, there is a Lego replica of the universe and if you buy all the component parts it will eventually take up more room than your known universe. Even Sesame Street, with all its good old-fashioned values, has sold out. This year you can buy the whole street. The set, maybe the original for all I know, includes a car with trailer and quad bike, lots of gray plastic track, a functioning bridge and car wash, a service station, a campground, a control unit, figures of Elmo, Ernie, Cookie Monster, and a Big Bird. Put this up on your front lawn next summer and wait for the busloads of tourists to arrive. The baby Annabell doll is supposed to be big this year, especially among kids, who like to be spat on. You feed her with a bottle, she makes sucking noises and when you take out the bottle she burps. Isn't that great? I can't wait till they bring out Gassy Jack and Diaper Doll. In fact, I think they already have! Apparently Rapunzel Barbie is the big Barbie of Christmas 2002. Collector Edition Rapunzel Barbie - of course it's a Collector Edition, and limited to only how many you want to buy - is inspired by the classic fairy tale of the princess with the endlessly flowing hair. Dressed in a delightful pink gown accented with pink and green flowers and a purple underskirt, Rapunzel waits patiently for her prince to climb the tower and save her. Just wait till next year for Collector Edition Prince Who Climbs The Tower. And, after that, the children of Rapunzel. Wouldn't it be interesting if they were all born with some sort of a genetic disorder that made them all bald? American capitalism - you gotta love it. The Beyblades tops starter set is in step with our war fever this year. It's not enough that they spin, they have to fight with each other. Each pack includes one unique customizable battling top, one launcher and one ripcord. There are 25 tops that belong to four different categories: Attack, Defense, Endurance and Combination. I wonder if they will come out with a top that represents sanity? I guess these are the kinds of toys that help our kids grow up to be all that they can be. There are other toys on the market that promise to at least maim one's child if they don't entirely bring out the killer instinct. The Freestyler Board is one of them. The ultimate gaming accessory for a 'full-body experience' during PS2 skateboard and snowboard games, the tilt-sensor controlled Freestyler board is actual size and has a realistic shape. It provides an exciting, true-to-life gaming sensation, two programmable foot-operated buttons to allow for greater gaming flexibility and a hand controller so the full experience can include falling off and breaking something. Micro Pets are destined to be one of the more interesting gifts this year. The manufacturer states that these mini-robots are the latest innovation in micro technology. Cute, cool and collectable, what aren't these days, micro pets are interactive friends with big attitudes! Just what we need; robots in the house with attitude. With 10 great designs to collect, you can teach your Micro Pet to react to your voice. They move, play tunes, their eyes flash - they even let you know what mood they're in. Micro-Pets also interact with each other. The big question here is will your Micro Pet lift its leg whenever you pass a fire hydrant. I also have to wonder if they lay eggs in the form of little batteries. One of the cutest of the "must have" toys for this Christmas season is the Dance Maker 2. An electronic dance machine it promises to create 'a dance contest in your own home." It comes with 12 dance sequences and three skill levels. Following flashing lights create your own music and dancin' feet. Now how about that to make you the envy of the neighborhood! I was surprised to see that a popcorn maker was one of the more asked for toys this Christmas season. It is said that children all over the country want to make their own popcorn. Simply place the kernels into the popcorn maker and in less than five minutes your delicious popcorn will be ready. It also comes with a recipe book packed with great ideas for you to try. I must be missing something but what I want to know is how many different ways can there possibly be to make popcorn? As a teacher I am thrilled to report that there are many educational games out there that will actually help develop your child's brain rather than turn him or her into a willing consumer drone of the Great American Military Industrial Complex. There is one call Leap Pad that has three books; an award winning learning system that includes 20 interactive learning games and activities. I wish there had been something like this when my daughter was growing up but, then I would have missed all those great father-daughter times when all that other junk broke or she just plain got bored with them and we made up our own games or just hung out together and did stuff. I know which times I remember the best. The End
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