Every year at this time, hundreds of moms and dads race to the stores to find just the perfect toy for each of their little ones.  As a mother, I am no different. Each Christmas season, I find myself running around, checking websites, deals, and sales, in an attempt to buy something each of my three children will love!

Aside from my deal blogger friends, I rely pretty heavily on Google, Fisher Price, and Target for good recommendations as a starting point to all my shopping.  This year, I discovered The Best Toys Guide and quickly added the site to my list of resources.  The Best Toys Guide provides a list of the top 20 toys in 2010, which spotlights new toys and gadgets like the XBOX Kinect for children of all ages and the Fisher Price iXL for preschool age children.

Before you can purchase toys that are best for your child’s age and development, it is helpful to know what the learning traits and goals are at each stage of development. For babies ages 0-12 months, toys should focus on discovery – bright colors, lots of textures, and chipper sounds. The perfect example of this type toy is the Discovery Ann B. Dextrous, which is also on the “hot” list this year.

Because toddlers are always busy and moving, push toys, toys with buttons and sounds, or role play toys become quite appealing at this stage.  The Bright Starts Peek-a-Zoom toy is a fabulous toy for toddlers this year! Any of the Toy Story 3 related toys are huge with both toddlers and preschoolers this year, as they are both challenging and fun to play with! My favorite item in this category is the Playskool Toy Story 3 Mr. Potato Head – Spud Lightyear.

For me, shopping for the next age group (ages 5-8) is so much more challenging! This is the group where the majority of toys are no longer gender neutral! As curious and inventive as children are at this phase, they are also most definitely either princesses or hulks (although silly bands seem to work quite well for anyone)!

At ages 9-12, you will begin to see your child’s personality and perspective coming into bloom.  If he or she really loves his music, the Jamz Guitar Toys might be a really great fit for him, while the American Idol All-Star Challenge DVD game might work best for her.

Teenagers (age 13+) usually prefer video games or electronic devices as opposed to “toys.” The list is nearly endless for possibilities here.  Just know your teen – know their likes and dislikes, hobbies, and friends.  Here’s a great list of some of the top toys for teens this year, including new game systems, accessories and more!

My goal as I shop is to not only find toys that are both age and gender appropriate for my two boys and one girl, but to also find toys that will grow with them.  I don’t want to run out and grab the latest “hot toy” if it’s something they will be tired of or bored with in just a few short months. So for me personally that usually means I resort to some form of electronic or digital toy that has games for various stages of their development, things such as the Leap Frog learning toys, the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, and games for our computer.  All three of my children are very “hands on” learners, so giving them an electronic learning game provides the kinesthetic challenges they all crave.

Happy Shopping!

Image sources: XBOX, Spud Lightyear, Kindle