2007 Holiday Gifts For Your Kids

    While Santa is putting the final touches on his list of which kids have been naughty or nice, parents everywhere are scrambling to malls, shopping centers, toy stores and onto the Web in search of the perfect holiday gifts for their kids. This year, it’s easier than ever to go over-budget when buying your kids what’s on the top of their holiday wish lists. Among newly divorced parents, absentee parents, and those who feel guilty for having to hold down a job (instead of focusing exclusively on raising their kids), spending a bit extra on their kids’ gifts is all too common.  


10 TOP TOY PICKS FOR THE HOLIDAYS              

Toys like Barbie dolls, Lego and classic board games are a proven favorite year after year, and always can be counted on to provide countless hours of fun. This year in particular, anything having to do with Disney’s High School Musical (including the DVDs, books, games, and dolls) are also extremely popular.           

 For less expensive and collectible toys, Webkinz (www.webkinz.com) and Littlest PetShop (www.Hasbro.com/littlestpetshop/) are extremely popular among kids in the five to 10 age group. With the shopping days before Christmas dwindling quickly, the following list features Divorce360’s top 10 toy and gift picks (listed in alphabetical order), should help you easily choose something that’s affordable - and equally important, age appropriate – for your kids.           

1.  American Girl dolls. 
For anyone with a daughter who plays with dolls, you probably already know that the American Girl dolls (and Bitty Baby dolls for girls, ages three to six) aren’t just another popular toy line. These dolls and their related products, accessories and clothes, have become a nationwide phenomenon. Created in 1986 by Pleasant T. Rowland, the company was acquired by Mattel, Inc. in 1998. These dolls aren’t available at your local toy store, however.

You’ll need to visit an American Girl Place retail store in Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta or Dallas, or visit the Americangirl.com website to purchase them. (According to the American Girl Web site, you have until December 20th to place your order and guarantee Christmas delivery, although rush charges will apply.) The dolls themselves are priced around $100 each, however, a wide range of accessories, designer outfits and books are available and sold separately. There’s also a bi-monthly American Girl magazine that makes a great gift. Oh, and a movie is in the works for a July 2008 release. Mattel reports that since 1986, more than 13 million American Girl dolls and 117 million American Girl books have been sold worldwide.
 
The American Girl Place stores are much more than retail shopping destinations. They’re designed to offer young girls a memorable experience. In addition to displaying all of the dolls, books, outfits and accessories, these stores feature a live show, an American Girl themed café, and even a beauty salon for the dolls that are actually staffed by professional hair stylists.

This season’s offerings from American Girl include the Julie Albright doll and a vast collection of outfits and accessories for her.Julie, whose parents are divorced, is the first new character to join American Girl’s historical line of dolls and books in five years. According to the new series of six books that tell her story (each sold separately), Julie is a nine-year-old girl from San Francisco who is growing up in the 1970s. The 18-inch tall Julie doll’s outfits are colorful and historically accurate.

“The ‘70s were a time of profound change. People were adopting new views on politics, on women’s roles, and on concerns for the environment, to name just a few issues,” said Ellen L. Brothers, president of American Girl. “Although the 1970s represented a period of societal upheaval, they were also a time of positive change for many Americans. Our hope is that Julie’s stories can still touch and teach girls of today. More than any American Girl character before her, Julie bridges the past and present and allows moms to share their personal experiences with their daughters. I hope Julie’s stories will inspire girls today to find their own voice, speak up for themselves, and to effect change in their own lives, no matter what obstacles they face.”