<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" Purchasing holiday toys for kids can be a daunting task. The number of toys to choose from is greater than ever. And with numerous toys recalled in recent years, safety is a big concern. For Good Housekeeping&amp;#039;s 2010 Toy Awards, the engineers at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute reviewed hundreds of toys and checked them to make sure they met recognized toy safety standards. We then had dozens of kids \u2013 ranging in age from 4 to 14, play with and evaluate the 50 that made it through our vetting process (we narrowed down the possibilities by assessing their fun, enrichment, and skill building potential). Our winners will provide hours of fun and foster children&amp;#039;s imagination, artistic and analytical skills, build hand-eye coordination and cultivate other important qualities. How We Tested Toys:  The experts at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute reviewed all the toys introduced in 2010 and selected those that seemed most fun and beneficial for children ages 4 and up. We made sure all toys complied to the toy safety standard, ASTM-F963 (or the equivalent standard).  Any toys rated for under 8 years of age were also dropped 4 times from a height of 3 feet on the drop tester to make sure they didn&amp;#039;t break into small pieces that could pose a choking hazard. Toys for younger children were also inspected for small parts prior to kid testing.  The toys were set up in the Consumer Electronics Lab and separated, according to age rating and category (science, art, electronic, etc.).  Over the course of four days, a group of 82 kids, from ages 4 to 14, played with whichever toys piqued their interest, as long as they were age appropriate.  The children were urged to try as many toys as possible throughout the day.  The toy testers were asked to fill out a survey after playing with each toy, to gauge how much they liked it. For children that were unable to read or required extra help, lab assistants provided additional support.  At the end of the day, the children were asked to list their top toys from the day.  Before Buying Toys:  Check package for any age-related warnings or safety alerts. Even without one, still be wary if you have young children and the toy has small pieces that can fit in their mouths.  Read the labels on toys carefully. The CPSC has stringent rules in place for the safety of the children. The age ratings are meant as a guide for safety (not just skill set). Be sure the toy is appropriate for your child&amp;#039;s abilities and interests. Make sure household art materials have an &amp;quot;ASTM D-4236&amp;quot; designation, which means that they have been reviewed by a toxicologist.  Check for sharp edges and pinch points (places that hinge or bend where a child&amp;#039;s finger could get caught).   Expert Tips for Using Toys:  Be careful before giving children secondhand toys. It&amp;#039;s important to check for recalls as well (available at CPSC.gov). If you are concerned that a toy may pose a choking hazard, you can do a simple at-home test: Try to insert small toy parts into a toilet paper roll. If they fit there, they could fit in (and obstruct) a child&amp;#039;s throat. Make sure older children keep toys away from younger children, as they may not be appropriate or could potentially be dangerous. Keep an eye on toys that have magnets. They are especially dangerous if a child ingests more than one, because they can be attracted to each other making extraction more difficult. Make sure you read the instructions first, as some toys require additional materials. You don&amp;#039;t want a child to get excited about a toy, only to find out he or she can&amp;#039;t play with it yet. Keep in mind that &amp;quot;fun&amp;quot; often equals &amp;quot;messy&amp;quot; for children. If you&amp;#039;re doing any type of craft project, make sure you have an appropriate space (table, floor covered with plastic, easel) prepared for it.  Find the winners of the toy awards in each category:  Ages 3-5 Ages 5-8 Ages 8+ Board Games  Next:  Crayola Magic Light Brush, $24.99 (Age: 3+) The Magic Light Brush provides a neater and mess-free way to paint. Each set includes six classic colors that appear clear until you paint them on special paper that reveals their true colors. Our testers loved the &amp;quot;magicness&amp;quot; of this product and parents liked how it wasn&amp;#039;t as messy as traditional paint. Spin Master Aqua Sand Polar Playground , $25 (Age: 4-7)  Children pour sand into water and watch sculptures take form. When Aqua Sand is taken out of water, it is instantly dry, so you can use it again! Children can pour it back into the water and create a new sculpture. Using the included tools and molds, children can explore their imagination and bring the beach right to their living room. Many kids loved playing with it, though a warning - you should put some newspaper down so the sand doesn&amp;#039;t get all over the floor. Patch Products Lauri Locktagons, $25 (Age: 3+)  Locktagons allow children to use their imagination to construct sky-scraping buildings using 216 building pieces that come in three different shapes. The kit also comes with stickers to decorate the buildings and an activity guide that helps develop logic, spatial awareness and fine motor skills.  iloveRobots Blazor, $40 (Age: 5+)  Blazor is a scarlet-colored raptor dinosaur that has three different action modes\u2014search and destroy, guard, and direct control. This guy may be the most high-tech dinosaur that we&amp;#039;ve ever seen. Those who played with Blazor didn&amp;#039;t want to stop! Playmobil Great Dragon Castle, $155 (Age: 5+)  This castle comes with several different items such as a large red dragon, different characters and even some skeletons. Our testers loved playing it because they were able to imagine ways of saving the dragon and which characters to lock in the dungeon. The Great Dragon Castle is big enough for two kids to play with individually or at the same time. This game was great for open-ended make-believe \u2013 and both boys and girls enjoyed it.  Fisher Price Big Foot the Monster, $100 (Age: 3+)   No need to fear, Big Foot is here! Although large and hairy, this cuddly creature has an incredible personality and many realistic functions such as chew, burp or roar. With the included remote control, you can use the toggle to make Big Foot walk backward and forward. If you press one of six buttons, he will perform many actions\u2014happy, angry, sleep, fun, ball, or exercise. The majority of children enjoyed playing with him since they said it was easy to operate and fun. They especially loved when he would roll all over the place. Toy Story 3 Buzz Lightyear Deluxe Wing Pack, $50 (Age: 6+)  Everyday is Halloween when you can dress up as Buzz Lightyear. Children can become their all-time favorite Space Ranger by going to &amp;quot;infinity and beyond&amp;quot; with this wing pack. The pop out wings expand over 30 inches and allow children to explore their imagination. All who played with it enjoyed bringing the Pixar hero to life. While the pack itself makes some sound, the kids enjoyed using their own voices to save the day! Spin Master Olivia 2-in-1 Transforming Playset, $30 (Age: 4+)  The Olivia 2-in-1 Dollhouse is unlike any traditional dollhouse we&amp;#039;ve seen before. Not only does it provide a traditional house setting for the user, it also turns into a pirate ship playhouse when you arrange it in a different orientation. Our testers loved the duality of this toy and the ability to create different scenes. The compact size and handles make the dollhouse easy to transport. Patch Products 3D Sneaky Puzzle Singin&amp;#039; Sea Creatures, $15 (Age: 3+)  This 3D floor puzzle consists of 46 large and colorful puzzle pieces that pop to 3D with the included plastic glasses. If you happen to take a closer look, you will be able to see hidden letters of the alphabet and numbers submerged in the bright oceanic image. All the kids who played with it found it fun to solve and awesome to put together! Moma Modern Play House, $20 (Age: 3+)  This is a beautiful and updated version of a traditional dollhouse. It includes a variety of furniture options and different cardboard nestings that resemble the different rooms of a house. While only a few testers gravitated towards it, those that did thought this was a really cool toy they would want to play with again. Parents commented that the set was very nice and well-made.  Next:  Mattel Loopz Game, $30 (Age: 7+) Loopz is a great memory-testing game that our testers loved. It&amp;#039;s really a new-fangled version of the old classic Simon. It provides various challenging games that range for solo play or multiplayer. The testers thought this was an entertaining game and liked how it was a bit more challenging than other games they tested. They also enjoyed the competitive factor with each other and themselves. Spin Master Magic Fabric Creation Studio, $25 (Age: 6+)  Magic does exist in the Magic Fabric Creation Studio \u2013the fabric sticks to itself! Being one of the few arts and crafts games that require no glue, heat, or sewing, parents were fast fans. Creativity and invention soar through this game as children are allowed to make an endless amount of puffy characters. Kids loved that they had their own creation to take with them when they were done. Wild Planet Hyper Dash Extreme, $20 (Age: 6+)  A follow up to one of our winners last year, Hyperdash Extreme allows up to six children to play at once in this game of extreme speed. The tagger calls out specific numbers and colors, in which children have to grab the correct one. The game gets harder as the tagger begins to call out commands for double digits, reverse order, and even mathematical functions making it a mentally challenging game!  Wild Creations Talking Strength Ball, $30 (Age: 7+)  Exercise just became more technologically advanced. Talking Strength Ball allows you to create your very own exercise regime in a matter of seconds, in addition to lighting up and talking. It features several speed and endurance modes to enhance your training experience. If you are making progress, colors will change, marking different programmed revolutions. Next:  Hasbro Cuponk!, $15 (Age: 9+)  Children will master the game of Cuponk with a little practice and good aim! The game challenges children to sink a ball into a cup and either hear sweet sounds of victory, or boos from opposing opponents. If the ball makes it in, the cup lights up and extreme gorilla sounds erupt! You can either design your own shots or use the provided cards for inspiration.  Wowwee Paper Jamz Guitar, $25 (Age: 8+)  Paper Jamz is a sleek guitar that allows anyone to transform into a rockstar. The guitar offers four different modes: Perfect Play provides the user with 3 different popular hits, Rhythm lets the user control the beat of the song, Freestyle allows you to create your own song and Karaoke allows you to sing and play with the three songs included. Testers thought this was a neat game and loved how they could pretend they were rockstars. They enjoyed the versatility of this product, but wished that it included more songs.  iloveRobots, Prime-8 Gorilla, $80 (Age: 6+)  The Prime 8 Gorilla is a remote controlled robot that has the ability to move around other objects with its big circular, wheel-like arms. The testers loved this toy&amp;#039;s ability to move past other objects in the room. They also loved that they had complete control over where the Gorilla was going to go.  Next:  MASTERMINDS Towers by Pressman Toy, $12 (Age: 6+, Players: 2)  Players stack their animals in their towers then take turns asking yes and no questions to determine the order of their opponent&amp;#039;s tiles. Ask questions like, &amp;quot;Is the elephant above the giraffe?&amp;quot; Child testers liked that it took skill to win this game, not just luck. Parents liked that the game required logic and strategy to play, and that the kids got better with practice.  Hasbro uBuild Connect 4, $20 (Age: 6+, Players: 2)  As part of Hasbro&amp;#039;s new uBuild line, you construct the board for the game first. Then, like normal Connect 4, you try to be the first player to get four of your color checkers in a row \u2013 horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. To add a fun twist to the game, bumpers are set up that can bump checkers out of the way or make them get caught. Kids liked that they were able to create their own boards, though they found initial setup too timely (parents had to help). One parent commented that it was good to work on math skills such as angles, but was nervous there were too many small pieces. Telestrations made by USAopoly, $30 (Ages: 12+, Players: 4-8)  Combining Pictionary and Operator, players get a starting word to illustrate and then pass it to the next player who guesses what it is. They then pass it on and the next person draws the word, and so the game continues until everyone&amp;#039;s sketchbook is passed to every player and returned back to its owner. Either play for skill or amusement \u2013 by choosing to score based on correct answers or the funniest. Tester loved this game and found it very amusing. Parent also enjoyed themselves and thought it was a great game for the family. Hasbro Guess Who? Mix N&amp;#039; Mash, $20 (Age: 8+, Players: 2-4)  You can either play the traditional way of asking yes or no questions to identify the mystery character, or play with challenges \u2013 like who can build the funniest face or the face of someone you know. Children liked having to guess the character and parents liked that it required logic to play. Konexi from Zimzala Games, $20 (Age: 10+, Players: 2-4)  Players take turns building words off of each other in a manner similar to Scrabble. The new challenge is taking the board 3D. You take turns adding letters trying to create longer words \u2013 whether upward, downward, or sideways, in order to score more points. While some children found it challenging, they liked that it wasn&amp;#039;t the typical word game since it also required balancing and problem-solving skills. It&amp;#039;s like a cross between Scrabble and Jenga!  Hasbro Nab-It, $20 (Age: 8+, Players: 2-4)  In this Scrabble-esque game, the objective is to build crossword-style words. But there are twists, since each tile has letters on both side and you can stack letters on top of one another to try to &amp;quot;own&amp;quot; the word. Children liked that it was challenging and required forethought and problem-solving skills to win.  Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cheese Touch Board Game by Pressman Toy, $20 (Age: 8+, Players: 3-6)  This game is great for imaginative play - different cards have players trying to guess who said what, what a player is acting out, yes/no to questions asked to other players, who will answer like them, or the choice of a random question. Right answers mean you move ahead, wrong answers mean you get the Cheese Touch. Kids loved that the game was based on one of their favorite books and parents liked that it was entertaining for the kids. Hasbro Scrabble Flash, $30 (Age: 8+, Players: 1+)  Scrabble Flash cubes use innovative technology to recognize when words are formed. There are three games you can choose to play. In one, you try to create as many words as you can in 60 seconds\u2014sliding, moving and shuffling the cubes around to place them in order. In another, you take turns competing to make five letter words out of the tiles. The game is great for building vocabulary and working on fine-motor skills.  Out of the Box Word on the Street, $25 (Age: 12+, Players: 2-8)  In this game each team takes a turn drawing category cards. They must pick a word that fits in that category, and then move each letter tile that matches a letter in their word one space towards their side. Kids liked the challenge of coming up with great words \u2013 ones that would use letters they needed and more letters in general. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/childrens-products/toy-reviews/a18156/best-toys-of-2010-honorable-mentions/>