You can see the top toys for Christmas (and other holidays of the winter season) here: Amazon’s Top Picks in Toys 2009.

Hyperdash has been selected in many toy lists each year, and it’s no wonder. We love the game that has kids thinking on their feet–literally. It’s an Edutaining Kids Top Pick as well, as it fits perfectly into our expectations for a quality “edutaining” toy. Hyper Dash puts a new spin on the term “active learning”–it promotes listening, memory, and math skills, as well as giving kids a little workout. Intense fun! For more information about this fun and educational toy, see Wild Planet Hyper Dash.

Zhu Zhu Pets are one of the most wanted toys this Christmas, but their scarcity has led to toy stores upping the prices. There are many other alternatives to be found, thankfully.

Some of the toys that appear on both Amazon’s list and our Edutaining Kids Holiday Gift Guides include Crayola Glow Dome which allow kids to draw on a dome and have their drawings projected onto the ceiling in full glow in the dark glory, LeapFrog My Pal Scout and LeapFrog My Pal Violet (cute little stuffies that actually say your child’s name after they’re programmed, LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table, and more.

The list of most wanted, wished for, and hottest toy ideas is categorized into children’s age groups and interests. This year’s list is a little more Web 2.0 with its video component and sliders–great fun!

You can see the top toys for Christmas (and other holidays of the winter season) here: Amazon’s Holiday Toy List 2008.

Hyperdash is selected as the number one holiday toy for 2008, and it’s no wonder. We love the game that has kids thinking on their feet–literally. It’s an Edutaining Kids Top Pick as well, as it fits perfectly into our expectations for a quality “edutaining” toy. Hyper Dash puts a new spin on the term “active learning”–it promotes listening, memory, and math skills, as well as giving kids a little workout. Intense fun! For more information about this fun and educational toy, see Wild Planet Hyper Dash.

More toys that appear on both Amazon’s list and our Edutaining Kids Holiday Gift Guides include Fisher-Price Smart Cycle, EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles,LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table, and more.

Our Top Picks for Digital Cameras for Kids

Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera

This camera truly does live up to its name–it is “kid-tough”. It’s durable, easy to use, and looks funky. Available in both pink and blue.

Picture quality is questionable, as with all digital cameras designed for kids. If you’re looking for quality pictures, go for a “regular” digital camera that is inexpensive enough that you won’t lament too much if it breaks.

We love the chunkiness of the camera and its ergonomic features. The LCD window is a not-very-healthy 1.5″ and full color. The viewfinder is two-eye so there is no squinting required. This latest model is waterproof as well. It comes with the necessary USB cable for computer connection.

What’s different than older models of the same camera is the lack of SD slot. However, it has 64 MB of flash memory built in, so there’s room for many pictures straight off.

For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Waterproof Digital Camera Pink

Kidizoom Digital Camera by Vtech

Although this camera boasts video and sound, its image quality is poor. Its 1.8″ LCD screen is acceptable, and a tad larger than the one on the Kid Tough camera, but still not great for little eyes. It has a dual viewfinder (so kids don’t have to squint), and more advanced features, although sometimes more is less when it comes to the target market–preschoolers.

For more information, user reviews or to buy: Vtech – Kidizoom Digital Camera – Blue

Because lower-end adult digital cameras are really quite inexpensive these days, we recommend getting one of those for kids approximately ages 6 and up, depending on the maturity of the child and the care with which he or she handles the camera.

Have a digital camera and looking for ideas for activities with the kids? We have some great suggestions in our article, Fun and Learning with Photos – Digital Cameras, Photography, and Kids.