60th Anniversary – Thomas and Gordon Set (Learning Curve) Ages 3 and up, $99.99  
Thomas the Tank Engine is always a holiday favorite and this year you can celebrate 60 years of Thomas & Friends in print with this special set.  This set features a Thomas engine with an " exclusive sneezing facial expression."  It also includes Gordon, destinations, a stop and go station, a piece of "golden track", and a Thomas and Gordon story card. Our tester (and his parents) were thrilled to receive to review this as his "first train" set!  Both he and his parents love it.

Playskool Weebles Tree House (Hasbro) Ages 18 months - 4 years, $29.99 
We tested the Weebles in a classroom of children 18 months to 24 months. What a success! According to the teacher, they are sturdy and wonderful activities to promote hand/eye coordination. The music and motion are excellent attractions as well. Another tester, a 20-month-old in a family environment, loved it as well. Our 20-month-old tester especially liked putting the figures in the “water” wheel and turning the crank to get them spinning. His mother reported, "This activates fun sounds and music which kept him entertained for long stretches of time – a nice break for his parents who usually spend most of their time chasing after him as he runs around the house!" The Treehouse includes 3 Weeble figures that children can, among other things, send down a slide, place in a swing and rocking chair, and slide down a chute through a door. 

Cabbage Patch Baby (PlayAlong Toys) Ages 3-6, $29.99  
Cabbage Patch Baby dolls are back! Our almost 4-year-old tester was given this doll to review by her grandmother and she loved it.  Her grandmother commented, "Cabbage Patch Baby is just one more appealing doll in the series of Cabbage Patch Kids. This doll is definitely a winner for a range of ages!"  Our tester has played and played with this and it's definitely a perfect gift for a little girl (or boy)! 

My Little Pony (Hasbro) Ages 3 and up  $6.99
Introduced in the early 1980's the My Little Pony toys were the rage.  Well they are back and the are bigger than ever.  A whole new generation of children are being introduced to these cute little ponies with names like Wind Wisher, Sparklesnap and Sunny Daze.  Little girls seem to really enjoy brushing their manes while playing with their friends.  They go really well with the My Little Pony Butterfly Island Adventure Playset which our testers loved.

My Little Pony Butterfly Island Adventure Playset (Hasbro) Ages 3 and up  $39.99
Our reviewer's eyes lit up when she saw the box with ponies inside. Tested at a school for differently-abled children she attempted to open it up herself, but then handed it to her teacher and signed "open" once the ponies were set up for her she placed the ponies in the butterfly cart and had the ponies ride around, providing our 3-year-old reviewer with endless entertainment. 

Tonka Mighty Dump Truck (by Hasbro, Ages 3+, $16.99)

Our tester had these as a child, so he was thrilled when he could give this to his son, a 4-year-old to test.  He said that although his was made of all metal, this was still pretty cool.  His son absolutely loves it and it's in the back yard, constantly full of dirt, mulch and rocks!  The father reported that the only downside was that he had to buy the Tonka Mighty Front Loader and Tonka Mighty Yellow Crane, which he also said were excellent!

Children's Tin Tea Set (Schylling) Ages 3 and up, $16.99
Tea for two or four? This cute tea set comes with four cups and saucers, four plates, a teapot and tray. It has a really nice floral pattern that our testers loved.  According to the mother of our reviewers the her daughter, and friends, had frequent "tea" parties in their "cafe."  It was a big hit -- and continues to be one!