Top 10 Toys of 2006 for Twelve Month Olds

Trying to find the perfect toy for your twelve month old is not always easy, especially as it gets close to Christmas. There are some great toys out there this year, some new and some that are a bit different. Here are the top ten toy picks for your twelve month old in 2006.

1. Bubblegum Playland Ball Pit- These are becoming more and more popular and this is certainly one of the best ball pits around. You have to be careful when choosing a ball pit. Most are inflatable and some are not very durable. Bubblegum Playland ball pit has been given high marks on just about every review site for its durability. The manufacturer's age recommendation is 3 years and up but most people agree that this toy is more suited for the one to two year old range. The only downside to this toy is that it only comes with 75 balls which are not enough to even cover the bottom. You will need to purchase an extra 200-300 balls. Also, make sure you buy an electric air pump because this is a very large toy and it takes a long time to blow up. The ball pit is about 5-6 feet wide when inflated and has a large spiral down the middle which you can drop balls into. The ball pit goes for about $40 from Toys R Us.

2. Fisher Price Learning Home- This is not a new toy but it is incredibly popular. This toy is good from about six months to three years old. This toy is basically one wall of a house, both inside and out. Each side is loaded with different activities such as a doorbell, light switch, shape sorter, clock, and much more. The Learning Home runs about $65 at Toys R Us.

3. Bounce and Spin Zebra- This is a newer toy this year which is very popular. It is aged from twelve months to three years old. This is a ride on zebra which bounces up and down. As your baby gets older, you can switch it so that it bounces and spins all at once. The zebra ranges from about $40-45 at Toys R Us.

4. Drop and Roll Dinosaur- This toy is very good for six months and up. It has many holes which the baby can put balls into. The balls will bounce down stairs and roll down the dinosaur's neck and out of its mouth. It lights up and plays music and sounds. The dinosaur ranges from about $30-35 at Toys R Us.

5. Learn and Groove Alphabet Drum- This is a wonderful noisy toy but so much fun for baby. Beating on the drum will reward baby with music, lights, and letters. This is aged six months to three years. The drum runs about $20 at Toys R Us.

6. Leap Start Learning Table- This is a great table for when baby is learning to pull up. It is loaded with different activities such as letters, numbers, shapes, colors, sounds, and more. This toy also develops motor skills with things to spin, roll, open, and close. The Learning Table can range from $30-45 at Toys R Us.

7. Little Leaps: Grow-With-Me Learning System- This is basically a video game system for your baby or toddler, only with learning! There is a mode for baby with bright buttons to push and then as baby gets older, you can flip it over to operate the joystick mode. You hook this up to the TV with your DVD system and there are tons of different educational games you can buy for it. The Learning System goes for about $40 at Toys R Us and additional games retail for about $20.

8. Bead Maze- Almost every doctor's office has one of these and our kids are always fascinated by them, and now your child can have one of his own. It has a wooden base with a roller coaster of beads to push around by hand. This toy is popular from about twelve months through the preschool years. One Step Ahead has a large one that retails for about $50.

9. Activity Cart- This toy is not as well known but is a fantastic toy for a one year old. It is a five-sided cart loaded with tons of activities such as shape sorter, music center, magnetic ABC tiles, a sliding maze, and a giant mirror. This cart retails for $100 but you can often find it on sale at One Step Ahead for about $70.

10. Tow Mater Ride On- When it comes to ride on toys, there are tons of great ones out there. But a really fun and different ride on this year is the Tow Mater car. Tow Mater is a character from the movie "Cars" and is a very funny character. There is also a ride on for Lightning McQueen, the main character of the story. But Tow Mater is without a doubt, one of the funniest characters ever created. He has a truly country-southern accent and this ride on talks! It also lights up and steers and has a high back so that your baby can use it as a walker as well. You can find Tow Mater for about $30 at Target.

These toys are the top ten picks for your twelve month old for 2006. They are sure to keep baby entertained and a happy baby makes our jobs as parent so much easier!