Grandparents Magazine's Holiday Gift Guide Has The Best Gifts for 2005

Grandparents can be sure of choosing the coolest toys and games for their grandchildren this holiday season, with a little help from Grandparents Magazine's 4th Annual Holiday Gift Guide. The online guide is available free to grandparents, parents, teachers, and others at http://www.GrandparentsMagazine.net.

Each year, Grandparents Magazine sends a large selection of the year's new toy offerings to its nationwide force of kid toy-testers, who try out the products and report their findings. Only the best make the list.

This year's Top Picks include some familiar brand names from past years, including LeapFrog, Fisher-Price, and Hasbro. Other highlights include retro toys like Weebles and hot properties such as Star Wars and American Girl, as well as innovative new offerings like the new Nintendo DS system.

In addition to Top Picks lists for both younger and older kids, the guide covers this year's best choices in dolls, board games, building toys, puzzles, crafts, and more. Special breakouts list the best bargains (under $10) and splurges (over $50). Other sections look at Electronic Gadgets, Pretend Play, and Educational.

Following are the two Top Picks lists; for detailed reviews from the testers, go online to Grandparents magazine at http://www.grandparentsmagazine.net.

Grandparents Magazine 2005 Top Gift Picks

For children ages 8 and up:

- Best Building Toy: Dino Attack: T-1 Typhoon vs. T-Rex (Lego), Ages 8 and up, $69.99
- Best Toy (Girl): Felicity Doll, Book & Accessories (American Girl), Ages 8 and up, $100.00
- Best Toy (Boy): Star Wars Saga Edition Mission Lightsaber Battle Game (Hasbro), Ages 8 and up, $49.99
- Best Craft Kit (Girls): Fashion Angels Design Sketch Book (The Beadshop Online), Ages 8 and up, $14.99
- Best Craft Kit (Boys & Girls): Lite Brite FX Flash Art (Hasbro), Ages 3-8, $19.99
- Best Electronic Gadget: Nintendo DS (Nintendo), $149.99
- Best Travel Toy: Disney Personal DVD Player (Disney), $139.99
- Best Educational Toy: Turbo Twist Extreme (LeapFrog), Ages 6-10, $34.99

For children ages 8 and under:

- Best Toddler Toy: Playskool Weebles Tree House (Hasbro), Ages 18 months to 4 years, $29.99
- Best Educational Toy (Infant):Learn Around Play Ground (LeapFrog), Ages 6 months to 3 years, $59.99
- Best Educational Toy (4-8): Pocket VSmile (Vtech), Ages 4-7, $89.99
- Best Building Toy: Lego City Police Station (Lego), Ages 5 and up, $69.99
- Best Game: TV Mini Golf (Hasbro), Ages 6 and up, $49.99
- Best Doll: Emma & Paul Drink and Bath Baby Dolls (Corolle), Ages 3 and up, $41.99
- Best Craft Kit: Lite Brite FX Flash Art (Hasbro), Ages 3-8, $19.99
- Best Electronic Gadget: Read with Me DVD System (Fisher-Price), Ages 3-7, $39.99
- Best DVD: Robots (Fox), Rated PG, $19.95
- Best Travel Toy: Disney Personal DVD Player (Disney), $139.99

Links to purchase all items can be found on the site. Because some products are still undergoing testing, Grandparents Magazine will continue to update the gift guide as new information comes in.

About the Gift Guide
The gift-testing process begins in February, at the American International Toy Fair in New York City, where manufacturers show off their newest offerings for the holiday season. Grandparents Magazine looks over the selection and then contacts suppliers, asking them to submit their best to be kid-tested. Hundreds of entries come in each year. Children test the toys at their homes, at their grandparents' homes, at day-care centers, in kindergartens, or in public school settings. Parents, grandparents, and teachers send the results to Grandparents Magazine, which posts the best in this annual Gift Guide.

About Grandparents Magazine
Determined to give grandparents an online resource to find fun, free things to do with their grandchildren, Katrina Hayday Wester launched Grandparents Magazine, the only online magazine for grandparents. As founder and CEO, Ms. Wester operates the entire site on her own. The online magazine offers articles, song lyrics, links to children's activities, sweepstakes, and more. Members receive a monthly newsletter with articles, recipes, craft ideas, and other features. The best part is that membership is free! Visit http://www.grandparentsmagazine.net and join in on the fun … for grandparents, grandchildren, and anyone who loves them.