Kid-Tough Song & Story MP3 Player (Fisher-Price) Ages 3+, $69.99
According to our mom reviewer, "My five year old could barely wait for me to open the package to this gift. He ran to get batteries and immediately popped in one of his favorite books on CD. Since then I have caught him raiding our CD collection (he asked me to copy Fuel for him so he can have his own copy) and has also enjoyed classic kid's music by Laurie Berkner and Putamayo for Kids. It also could not have come at a better time since he was scheduled for a doctor's visit an hour away from our home the next day. He listened to his Magic Tree House CD the whole ride there and the entire time we were in the waiting room. He now keeps it in the car to listen to when riding to and from school. The earphones fit him comfortably, the buttons are easy to use and the volume cannot go too high (a plus for parents concerned about their children's little ears). A great travel alternative to portable DVDs."
 

Treasure Hunter (Wild Planet) Ages 4-10,  $24.95
Our testers, boys and girls aged 4 through 9, had a blast playing with this toy, an advanced game of hide and seek. Hide the treasure, and use the map to find it. The treasure chest breaks into two parts. The bottom part—the treasure—emits an electronic signal that beeps up to 40 feet away. The top part—the map—beeps and flashes red as you get closer to the treasure. Our testers had so much fun with this toy that it occupied them for hours, reported our mom-tester. They played with it outside as "pirates," and inside for just plain fun. Requires 6 AAA batteries.

Digi Makeover (Radica)  Ages 8+, $59.99
Our 8- and 9-year-old testers had so much fun with this toy. They have played with several plug-and-plays before, but never one that would let them see what they'd look like in a fashion makeover. The set, which includes a built-in camera, allows them to snap a picture of themselves and go to town. There are tons of new looks, and they had fun making themselves look sophisticated as well as crazy! There are over 50 hairstyles to choose from, including various lengths and colors—if that's not enough, you can accessorize too. A real winner and fun for all!

Zoundz (Zizzle) Ages 5+, $49.99
This psychedelic electronic gadget had the parents of our testers reminiscing about Woody Allen movies and the Groovy 70's, but honestly they commented that this was a "very cool gadget." It has a translucent white board that lights up and, depending on the placement of the various shaped play pieces, it plays music. The pieces have a real tactile feel, from fuzzy to smooth, and each creates a different sound. The clear ice-cube-like piece records a snippet of sound. Our testers had a blast recording and playing it back. Zoundz has a bunch of uses that take some time to figure out. Beware of the alarm clock—it can really have you wondering "what's that noise?" if you forget you set it! Kids of all ages really enjoyed this strange but fun gadget.

Hot Wheels Radar Gun (Mattel) Ages 6+, $29.99
According to our mom tester, " this is an excellent toy for my 7-year-old.  I never felt like he was using a weapon which was great.  It's simply a laser which can electronically tell the speed of things. Whether it be a whizzing ball, a butterfly or a bike rider, he has such excitement finding out the speed of things. This is a great learning tool!  My son used it to calculate which things go faster and by how much."
 

20Q Music (Radica) Ages 8+, $14.99
We just loved the 20Q handheld game when it first came out, and this latest twist on the classic 20 Questions is just great! Our tester, a music buff, had a great time trying to outwit this little gadget. "What makes it so great for travel is that it's small, has a built-in light for day or night play, and has a trans-reflective screen which means you can see it better. You can try and figure out bands, instruments and more. A fun gadget for car and plane trips!" he reports.

Cosmic Catch (Hasbro) Cosmic Catch (Hasbro) Ages 7+, 24.99
Our testers, ages 7–10, had such a great time playing with this electronic ball that they rallied all the kids in the neighborhood to play as well. The Cosmic Catch ball calls out commands of play for four games: Pass Around, Reverse Catch, Elimination, and Code Buster. It comes with six hand tags to identify players. Our testers loved this game, and the parents loved the fact it got the kids moving!
 

Disney Cars Personal CD Player (Disney/Memorex) $29.99
Fans of Lightning McQueen will love this portable CD player that has the CARS theme. It's a perfect travel gift for kids that want to enjoy their music or stories on the go - and it's the right price. It holds once CD, and features a Bass-Boost System. It has shock resistance in case you hit bumpy roads as well as jacks for headphones.
Our 5-year-old Cars fan "just loved it!" reported his mom. "I loved the peace and quiet on our longer car rides!"

Disney Princess & Cars MP3 Players (Disney Store) $99.50
Older kids, aged 6 and up, will love these MP3 Players.  They are a little bigger than the new iPod shuffle, but the are kid friendly.  The princess is adorned with rhinestones. is pink and features Belle, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty on the back. The Cars MP3 features Lightning McQueen on the front and back.  Both feature a built-in FM radio with 20 pre-set channels, a 65K full color display and holds up to 512 MB.  Younger kids will definitely need help uploading songs and images, but older kids will be able to do it themselves.  The nice thing is that for a little more than the shuffle you can a lot more stuff.  We didn't try this, but apparently you can download music videos.  Maybe we'll have a chance to try that too!  It includes a rechargable lithium battery, USB cable.  Our testers liked uploading pictures of their friends, and storing stories for longer car rides. "My daughter liked the fact she could listen to Hanna Montana in the car and High School Musical.  She loved that she didn't have to listen to my music" reports our mom tester.  Our 9-year-old boy tester just "loved to have his own MP3 player.  He didn't upload pictures, but liked having his own music - just like Dad!" Where to buy: Disney Store: For store locations in the U.S. and Canada, call 800-757-5933.

Disney Pix Micro (Disney Store) Ages, 5+, $19.99
This cute little camera actually takes quite good digital pictures, see photo right. (Self portrait of Madison)  For under $20 you can take up to 40 pictures. You don't get a viewing window, but you do get a little pint sized camera that a 5-year-old can manageably take pictures with. My 8-year-old daughter, who has already broken one of my digital cameras tested this one out and loves it -- as you can see by her smile! Where to buy: Disney Store: For store locations in the U.S. and Canada, call 800-757-5933.

FLY Pentop Computer  (Leap Frog)  Ages 8 and up $99.99   
Our tester had this to say about the FLY Pentop Computer, "What I like about the fly pen is its map, calculator, fly tones, and buzz phrase game. The map is fun and easy to study with because I can touch a state and it tells me the capital, and it is easy to be quizzed on a geography test because it has a game that asks me the capital of the state or vice versa. The calculator is awesome because I can just draw a calculator when I don't have one, and it even tells me what I punch in so I don't mess up. Fly tones is my favorite program because all I have to do is draw a keyboard or set of drums and then tap them to make music and I can even record the music and make it my start up sound. The buzz phrase is fun because it can tell me jokes or my fortune by just writing the command and then tapping it twice and it answers any yes or no question in the fortune telling program. Overall, I think this is a great learning tool and a very fun gadget for kids!" Included with the Pentop are Earbuds, a Carrying Case FLY Launch Pad Guide, 17 Games, 35 FLY Paper Pages, 3 Interactive FLY-FX Cards, Interactive Map, 1 Silver Face Plate and  1 AAA Alkaline Battery.  You'll want to purchase the FLYstyle: Speaker a $14.99 accessory so you can hear it better.  

Nintendo DS (Nintendo) $149.99 
The Nintendo Game Boy line of products have been extremely popular with young and not-so-young gamers for years.  The mother of our 8-year-old reviewer reported, "The Nintendo DS, when first announced, was big news...being the first dedicated handheld gaming device to feature two displays with one being a touch screen. Being a kid at heart, I was as eager to get my hands on it as my daughter was."  The DS has integrated WiFi wireless communications and a microphone that can be used in game play. It can play new DS games as well as Game Boy Advance games, but not the older Game Boy Color and earlier games. Our mother/daughter reviewer continues, "If you're a Game Boy fan or are shopping for someone who is, seriously consider upgrading to the DS. It has a rechargeable battery and backlighting that's actually really good, unlike the Game Boy Advance SP. Parents will no longer worry about their children's eyes, and older folks will be able to see the screen. The improved screen and backlighting have brought out higher levels of color and detail.  The touch screen is great and will lead to more innovative games, as might the integrated microphone. The only drawback is the unit's size and the design, which will be hard for very young players (6 and below) and those with small hands. Overall I highly recommend this product -- only now I have to figure out how to get it away from my daughter so I can play sometime!"