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| E-toys |
Bratz Dolls E-toys (from £6)
The Bratz brand name shows no sign of slowing down it seems as the dolls enter their tenth anniversary year. Indeed they have achieved the unthinkable overtaking the sales of the crown princess of fashion dolls, Barbie.
This year’s celebratory offering is a range of party E-toys dolls. Chloe, Jade or Yasmin come with a huge range of party-going fashion including bags, shoes and accessories. The dolls and the accessories are compatible with the current Bratz range and it is clear that come Christmas morning, many girls’ bedrooms will be hosting their own ultra-cool parties.
The great attraction of the Bratz brand E-toys is the sheer number of different sets and accessories that are available, appealing to girls whatever their interests may be. The interchangeable nature of the accessories across the range is one of the main attractions, opening up many more play possibilities beyond the initial purchase. The E-toys are suitable for ages 6 years and upwards due to the large number of small parts and the RRP is £9.99.Moxie Girlz E-toys(from £14.99)
Continuing on the fashion theme is the Moxie Girlz range of E-toys. Like Bratz, these are girl dolls with attitude and the manufacturer plays heavily on the dolls encouraging a girl’s confidence, positive attitudes and energy to get up and get on with life. The E-toys are often marketed as having a career dream and achieving it through their range of interchangeable E-toys.
The latest range is also hoping to inspire creativity. Now the Moxie Girlz have Art-titude! This range of dolls come with a collection of two fashionable outfits that can be drawn on with the two included washable coloured markers to create individual designs limited only by a girl’s imagination.
The colour washes off with warm water ready to start all over again. The RRP for these dolls is £14.99. Anything that allows a girl to customise their dolls is bound to be a hit and, like Bratz, there is future collectable potential with the dolls being able to interchange outfits and be used with other Moxie Girlz play sets.
Barbie Puppy Swim School E-toys(from £17.97)
Having said that Barbie’s popularity in terms of sales is waning, she should not be written off yet. The first of her entries in the Girls’ Top 12 List combines those two great contenders for a girl’s attention; fashion and animals. The Barbie Puppy Swim School looks like it will be a hit with Barbie enthusiasts and first time users alike.
Designed for girls over the age of 3, the set includes a Barbie doll in a pretty swimsuit, a model of an adult dog and the two puppies to be ‘taught’, an inflatable swimming pool with a basket ball hoop to be filled with water (always a great attraction in a toy) and a number of clever surprises.
The adult dog will propel itself through the water by means of winding up its tail and can ‘push’ the puppies through the water due to magnets placed in all the E-toys.
Barbie can dry the puppies with her little towel by manipulating a switch in her back. Once the girl thinks the puppies are confident enough she can even launch them off the diving boards. This set ticks all the boxes for encouraging imaginative play and has an RRP of £21.99.
Baby Born E-toys(from £27.99)
Baby Born has been a regular feature in the Girls’ Top 12 List so it is no surprise to see her back. The great draw of Baby Born is the lengths the manufacturers will go to in bringing girls as realistic as possible a baby doll. Children have always loved emulating adults and giving a girl their own new born baby to look after makes sense.
This year’s Baby Born shares the features of its predecessors in that it will drink and then wet its nappy, but has an added ‘magic’. When the doll is fed its special ice-cream, it will appear to have a dirty face brought about by colour changing. A girl can then clean their baby using the facecloth provided. The 43cm doll is waterproof and so is safe to bath and comes with a feeding bowl and spoon, a potty, a nappy and a dummy.
As ever the very human nature of the doll’s face appeals and the human nature of the doll is reinforced with its own birth certificate. With an RRP of £34.99 Baby Born is one of the more expensive items in this year’s list but will doubtless be as popular as ever.
Ocean In My Pocket E-toys(from £16.97)
In My Pocket has now produced a number of ranges designed to help children imagine a whole world of their own from puppies to the jungle and this year’s top tip, the Ocean In My Pocket.
This play set is an underwater theme park set on a coral reef for all the creatures you might find there to play in. Lots of little hidden surprises all help to stimulate interest like the see-saw hidden away in an opening clam shell, merry-go-round that can be spun with a twist of the fingers and little swing. The set comes with a mummy whale and two babies and can be added to with a whole range of miniature creatures like starfish and crabs to mum and baby sets of dolphins and turtles.
There is something very attractive in small but perfectly formed pets and creatures that fit snugly in the palm of a hand and these will be no exception. The RRP is £19.99.
Baby Alive Bouncin’ Babbles E-toysfrom £21.95)
From her big blues eyes, bright clothing and cheerful expression to the noises she makes, the Baby Alive Bouncin’ Babbles Doll is sure to be treasured as a girl’s own baby. Although not as lifelike as Baby Born in looks, the Baby Alive doll is still designed to be a very interactive experience and is in some ways easier to ‘care for’.
The bouncin’ comes from a batteries required mechanism that is activated when the doll’s hands are held causing the doll to move up and down rather like a bouncing baby. You are supplied with three batteries on purchase. The packaging of this E-toys is extremely attractive as it is designed to resemble a crib and a girl will be just longing to pick up her baby to play with her and hear the cooing and gurgling noises she makes.
The RRP is £24.99 and the doll is recommended for children of 3 and over.
The RRP is £24.99 and the doll is recommended for children of 3 and over.
Zhu Zhu Pet Grooming Salon E-toys(from £17.74)
The Zhu Zhu Hamsters phenomenon marches on and this year they are being pampered within an inch of their tiny lives in the Zhu Zhu Pet Grooming Salon before returning down the tube back to last year’s hamster balls.
The play set comes with an array of cute accessories. Adult supervision is necessary for assembly. Once you have constructed the salon your (separately purchased) hamster is ready to go. They work by reading in-built codes which tell them what to do next. The hamster will run up the ramp and then need to be guided into position in the chair ready to be combed, have its hair dried by the working hair dryer and look into the lit up mirror. The toy is recommended for ages 3 and upwards but an older girl will probably get more from it.
The good news is that the play set has been specifically designed to align with existing Zhu Zhu play sets, although it must be done in the right way for the electronics to work properly. Once preened and looking like a superstar the hamster will scurry back down the tube. The RRP is £22.99.
FurReal Go Go Walking Pup E-toys(from £59.99)
Continuing with the pet theme is the FurReal Go Go Walking Pup. The name is not just a clever pun; the toy is designed to give a girl the sense of looking after their own real pet dog. It’s RRP of £59.99 makes this the top priced toy in this years Girls’ Top 12 List.
The dog has a high quality furry coat to be stroked and is remote controlled by a series of buttons on the handle of it lead. The dog moves forward on wheels hidden below its feet and fur with a smooth motion and will wag its tale and bark to let its handler know how much it is enjoying its walk. This toy has a very high level of mobilisation and portability and requires 4 AAA batteries to operate.
Tender Care Twins E-toys(from £19.99)
The Top 12 is a shaggy dog story as AniMagic introduce their Tender Care Twins. These plush, non-identical twin puppies called Mitzi and Max are designed for a high level of interaction and as newborns will require a lot of care and attention to be lavished on them by their new owner.
The twist is that they interact with each other, as well as the child playing with them, giving another level of enjoyment: They will whimper when parted from each other and bark happily when reunited. When fed with the provided feeding bottle they make delightfully greedy slurping noises.
The set also includes a stethoscope so that the budding vet can check their puppies are doing well by listening to their heartbeats. With a RRP of £19.99 these puppies represent good value as they are sold together. The 6 AAA batteries required are also supplied.
Sylvanian Families Motorcycle and Sidecar E-toys(from £17.50)
The ever popular brand of Sylvanian Families has brought some delightedly old fashioned charm into Christmas this year with the introduction of the Sylvanian Families Motorcycle and Sidecar.
With a RRP of £24.99 the set includes the racoon family’s grandparents George and Mildred Mulberry, apparently reliving their youth by burning up the country roads on their machine! The motorcycle has a sweet little pannier for storage and the sidecar can also hold all those essential little Sylvanian accessories in its storage space. Both the racoons have beautifully detailed outfits including soft leather helmets, scarves and goggles for George. George and Mildred are bound to get home safely and not get lost as they also come with tiny maps. As ever all Sylvanian figures and sets work with each other.
In a Top 12 full of technology and complicated sets, Sylvanian Families offer some simple pleasure as an alternative and are suitable for 3 years and over.
Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale Doll E-toys(from £14.97)
Barbie comes back for a second appearance in the Top 12 as Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale Doll. Trying to make traditional fairytales marry with high fashion is not easy, but Barbie has been doing this for years and pulls it off. This is another spin off from the successful Barbie virtual actress career which has seen her take roles in Rapunzel, Barbie and the Nutcracker, Swan Lake and many others. Each of these films has seen a fashion doll to accompany it and storm the toy charts.
The Fashion Fairytale is the third film in which Barbie E-toys plays herself and centres on her travelling to Paris and saving her Aunt’s fashion business with the help of some sparkle fairies. Fanciful stuff, but it does produce another range of very beautiful Barbie dresses to thrill any little girl’s imagination. The lead doll has a dress bodice that lights up and the dress itself is easily transformed into a second, high couture, outfit. The doll also has a musical function.
The RRP is £21.99 and the typically glittery Fashion Fairytale Barbie Doll is recommended for ages 3 upwards.
JLS Collector Character Dolls E-toys(from £14.99)
The music industry these days is about so much more than records, particularly with the talent shows sucking in Saturday night viewing so it is not really a surprise to see JLS Collector Character Dolls in the Top 12 Girls’ E-toys List.
With an RRP of £14.99 desperate girl fans will doubtless want to collect them all, but they can also centre their attention on their favourite. Whether it is Marvin, Aston, JB or Ortisé be prepared for screams of delight. The packaging for the different E-toys is adorned with a rather gushy personalised message centring on the ‘we love you all and it’s a privilege to do what we do’ theme. As you would expect the dolls are dressed in fashion so sharp you could cut yourself.
The recommended age is 3 and over. Apart from their features these E-toys typical male fashion dolls and will probably end up taking one of the Barbies in the Top 12 for a bite to eat.
