The Best Toys for Boys and Girls Ages 6-12

Kids and tweens are growing up faster than we did when we were children back in the day. And its so hard to pick out the right toy that will get them squealing and jumping up and down thanking you (or Santa) for the best gift ever! Here's a list of my top 5 picks for this tough age group that I'm sure will keep them entertained for hours and hours!

1. Nintendo DSi $169.00 (sold at various locations, including Walmart, Best Buy, Gamestop and Target)

Now, before you say "Not another video game player? AGHHH!!", let me give you the skinny on this great toy. Nintendo has always been a "kid-friendly" franchise, and because of this, their main focus is to keep your child entertained while they learn a thing or two. And the Nintendo DSi is full of new and fun things for child to do. It plays previous Nintendo DS titles, plus there are few new ones made specifically for the DSi, with titles for both play and education. It has two cameras that let your child take pictures and video and alot of editing tools to make it their own. Then they can send it via Wi-Fi to their friends' emails or to their DSi's. It allows them to record their own voice for video and upload music tracks and mp3's. And there are a ton of games and applications exclusive to the Nintendo DSi that can be downloaded directly from the DSiware Shop using DSi points. (Psst...if this sounds like fun to you, the parent, try to take it away from them while they're sleeping so you can let your inner child explore!) Gamestop is running a promotion that if your child had a Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo DS, or Gameboy Advance, you can trade it in towards the purchase of the Nintendo DSi (go to www.gamestop.com for details).

2. Hannah Montana Karaoke System with Video $69.99 (sold at www.etoys.com) (for girls)

This is a great gift for girls because they can sing along to their favorite Hannah Montana songs and any other Karaoke CD+G disc they have! It comes with one microphone, a video output for tv connection, various controls so they can sing at their best, and a screen so they can see the lyrics! Very stylish and very modern!

3. Transformers 2 Revenge of the Fallen Roleplay Helmet-Bumblebee $39.00-49.00 (sold at various locations)
(For Boys)

Unless you have been living under a rock, Hasbro's re-invention of the Transformers franchise is scorching the movie theaters and toy stores with a variety of old and new Autobots and Decepticons. But if the boys want to defend the earth from the Decepticons, this helmet is perfect. It features voice-mixer features, that allow them to sound like Bumblebee. It even has "conversion" sounds so they can pretend they are "transforming" from car to robot and back! It has adjustable straps to fit any head size (yes, it fits you too Dad!).

4. Guitar Hero World Tour for Xbox360, PS2, PS3, Wii $ Price varies (sold various locations)

For the older kids, this game will make them feel like a rockstar! Your child can either be a guitar rock-god, or if you get the entire package that includes a microphone, drums and a bass/guitar, they can form their own band and rock out to a huge song collection that comes with the game, or downloadable songs that can be purchased through the game's online store. There is a Beginner mode for those who are starting out, all the way through Expert mode for those more experienced players! You can create your own band member, change their outfits and earn "money" playing different "gigs" to purchase new outfits and instruments for your character. Rock On!

5. Brain Quest Board Game $29.95 (sold at www.youngexplorers.com)

This is a great board game for this age group because it makes your child feel good about being smart. It has over 1,000 questions specific to their grade level (1st through 6th grade) in subjects learned in school, such as math, social studies, science, etc. They get awarded bonus points for answering questions at a higher level, so it encourages your child to study and want to learn more. It helps them develop throughout the school year and have fun learning. Once you are done with the questions, there are add-on packs you can purchase separately to help them continue building their brain!