Toys have always been a love of mine. When I was a child I was excited by the mystery and surprise of receiving a new toy. Later, with my own children, I was able to revisit the world of toys. I even considered having a toy store.

Once again, Christmas is almost upon us and many of us are combing the stores, scratching our heads, or searching online for toys to buy. I now have five wonderful grandchildren. They are between five months and six years old. I’m excited to be looking for toys for them. In recent years I have done this search almost exclusively online. I find there is a wealth of information on the toys that are available and the prices are great.

For the babies on my list I am considering:

Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper – This toy was in my granddaughter’s nursery and all the very young children loved it. They loved putting the balls in the spiral track and never seemed to get tired of the balls coming out the top. I’m not sure if any of them figured out why the balls were coming off, but it was a lot of laughs and fun.

LeapFrog Learn & Groove Music Table – One of the good things about this musical table is that the baby can play with it if it is flat on the floor. Then, when they start to get up, baby can grab it and press the various activity buttons to hear sounds and music. I like this toy because it is suitable for children from 6 months to 3 years.

Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo – Nothing likes the baby more than jumping. Once a baby is able to hold their head up well, this is a great toy to try out those legs without putting any weight on them. There are toys around him. Some of them will make sounds when the baby jumps. Others are great at catching or hitting. The seat rotates 360 degrees. It is very portable and can be easily stored.

Fisher-Price Amazing Animals Sing and Go Choo-Choo – This is a lovely train. It is suitable for crawling babies. One of the wonderful things about this is that there are no tracks for the train to fall off of. The colors of the train and the animals are beautiful. By placing one of the animals in the engine, the baby will get a song. The train lights up, plays music and makes sounds.

For the toddlers on my list I’m looking at:

Fisher-Price Come on baby come on! Bounce and spin zebra – This comes as a zebra or a pony. It’s great for toddlers who can climb on and rock on. It is close to the ground, so any spillage will not harm the child. In addition to rocking, the child can spin on it. Helps with balance and beginning coordination. It is a fun toy.

LeapFrog Fridge Farm Magnetic Animal Game – This magnetic game can be placed on any metal surface such as the fridge at the best height for the baby. The animals are large enough not to be a choking hazard. Initially, the baby will delight in pressing the buttons to activate the sounds. As the baby grows and matures a bit, she will begin to match the body parts of the animals and match the animal to the sounds. Even if they don’t match, they get a silly name for the animal. It’s portable so kids can play with it on the floor out of the way while preparing dinner.

Melissa and Doug Deluxe Standing Easel – I believe that an easel is a necessary part of every child’s life. Once a child can stand up and hold a crayon, an easel will allow for hours of entertainment and creativity. This particular easel is sturdy and allows for painting, chalk, crayons, and dry erase.

Fisher-Price Musical Tea Set – This is a lovely set of play plates in beautiful pastel colours. What child doesn’t want to imitate the adults in their life and serve them food? Constructed of durable plastic, he’ll stand up to those occasions when tea falls out of little hands. The teapot is dear and plays “I am a small teapot.”

Tonka’s Toughest Power Truck – Kids need trucks in their lives and no one does them better than Tonka. I’m sure we had this same truck when our kids were little. It’s tough and stands up to a lot of abuse. We have always restricted these larger Tonka toys to the outdoors, but they can be used indoors with supervision.

For the four to five year olds on my list, I am considering:

LeapFrog text and learning – At this age children want to do everything adults do in their lives. With everyone running around with Blackberries and I Phones, this gives this age group their own handheld device. It also allows them to start exploring words and start spelling.

LEGO Duplo 5380 Building Set – Like Tonka, Lego has survived and improved over the decades. It continues to be a favorite among boys and girls. One of the benefits of buying Lego is that you can add it on a birthday or the next Christmas.

Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera – Again, just like mom and dad, kids love to take their own pictures. They don’t care about composition, they just soar. They are delighted that their photos are uploaded to the computer with everyone else’s photos. These cameras are nearly indestructible and reasonably waterproof. A kindergarten teacher uses them in her classroom and the kids love them.

Baby Alive is potty trained – This doll has the most huge and attractive blue eyes. She eats, pees and poops. She also talks and has lines like “oh oh I made a stink” that make kids laugh out loud. It is possible to present it before the age of four when the children themselves are being trained. At a younger age, the child playing with it needs supervision. she is lovely

Barbie and the three musketeers – After 50 years, Barbie is still a highly sought after item. The Barbie and the Three Musketeers series of dolls and accessories is this year’s version. The concept is based on the theory that girls can do anything they set their minds to, even become musketeers! In addition to the dolls, there is a magical castle and a carriage. What fairy tale would be complete without them?

For our six to eight year olds my list includes;

transformers – These action figures that are also three-dimensional puzzles delight the children who own them. Even young children who don’t know the comics or the movies are entertained by their own adventures. The best sellers are Optimus Prime, Ultimate Bumblebee, Devastator and Megatron.

Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid – While adults scratch their heads in amazement, little children get involved with these marble spheres. This is an extension of the Japanese game Bakugan in which the warriors face each other. I think what’s fascinating about these marble-like magnetic warriors is that young children who have no background in strategy gaming can invent their own way of playing with them. I like this game because it will last as players get older and more interested in learning the game.

mindflex game – Without a doubt, this is the number 1 selling game this year. Since its introduction earlier this year, it has intrigued gamers looking for more than just mind games. This game of the future has players using sensors and by their concentration skills they control the speed of the fans on the console. Many customers who have already purchased it report an increased ability to concentrate in their children. It is recommended from the age of 8.

Nintendo DS Lite – This video game system is ideal for quiet moments and travel. It seems that there are endless games that can be played on it. It has the ability to connect wirelessly so gamers can test their skills with others around the world. One of the most popular applications for this portable device is Mario Kart DS.

LeapFrog Tag Reading System – I see my grandchildren in this age group very interested in learning to read by themselves. This is another great product from LeapFrog to help them do this. This system has won many awards for the more than 17 learning activities it has.

Here are a few from my pick that I think meet the criteria for durable, long-lasting, and fun.