Dr Toy's 2008 Top 10 and Top 100 Lists

Childhood Specialist, Dr. Toy, aka Stevvane Auerbach, announced her annual Top 10 and Top 100 lists of the very Best Children's Products for 2008 just in time for the holiday shopping to begin. And wouldn't you know it Briarpatch's I Spy Private Eye game, which I recently reviewed, made the list for one of the 10 Best Games! Here is a rundown of a few other toys and products that are worth checking into:

Around The Table
Top 10 Puzzles & Logical Thinking Games
$12. 95
Nothing could be more engaging than colorful conversations between parents, children and relatives of all ages. That's the simple concept behind an inexpensive, portable card game from Around the Table Games. It's been reaping huge benefits among folks who may sit together but rarely, truly converse together. Three versions of the game, Family Talk, Family Talk 2 and Grandparent Talk, are on store shelves now.

Nana Star and the Moonman and Moonman Lovie Plushie
Top 10 Best Language/Learning/Math & Reading Readiness products
$15.95/$19.99
The second storybook in a series of comforting messages about friendship and faith, this sweet story is geared particularly for young readers who may not like the dark or are feeling lonely. The enclosed bonus audio CD includes The Moonman Song performed by Chloe Dolandis. A huggable Moonman Lovey, a soft character doll whose head glows like the light of the moon, softly plays bedtime or naptime music.

HABA Building Blocks Sevilla
Top 10 Active Toys plus Best 100 Products in Construction Play category
$70
Could stacking these blocks inspire a future architect in the family? The colors and forms of these building blocks are quite striking and the small structures inspire even grownups. Created for little hands, the 25 wooden pieces include a block with rattle, bell, mirror, prism, magnifier, and even a peep hole. Each block is handcrafted from beechwood and has been designed to combine with other HABA building blocks. Suitable for children ages 1+.

ImagiPLAY PuzzlePlay Rainforest
Top 10 Toys
$19.99
A quality product that is beautiful to look at and ideal for small hands and growing minds, this PuzzlePlay is both a clever playset and puzzle in one. Kids will engage in hours of imaginative play with the creatures of the Rainforest, then challenge the other side of their brain piecing the puzzle together.

Kids Fly Safe Child Aviation Restraint System (CARES)
Top 10 Socially Responsible Products
$74.95
Here's the first-of-its-kind harness for toddlers which loops around the back of the airplane seat and augments the regular seat belt. CARES is an innovative child harness that weighs less than a pound and provides extra support to children who weigh between 22-44 pounds on an airplane. It replaces, happily, the need for parents to lug a bulky car seat around the airport and onto an airplane. Plus it assures parents that their child will have the proper harness protection they need, as car seats often don't fit properly on a plane seat since they were designed for the back seat of an automobile.

Kids Preferred and Intellitoys smart-e-bear
Top 10 Technology Toy
$79.99
Designed primarily for non-reading 3 to 6 year olds, smart-e-bear encourages children to discover and explore through a library of literally thousands of award-winning songs, interactive stories, educational games and other content that parents can selectively purchase through the Internet and download to the toy with a super-easy USB connection. The squeezable, adorable animal will enchant little ones with its "smarts" from hearing a song to reading a story to playing a game. There's always something for kids to discover as the software changes and grows with the child's interests from the nursery to elementary school.

Head on over to Dr. Toy to check out the rest of the lists!