Gift Guide: Hot Toys

Everybody's talking about the Zhu Zhu Pets, the wired little hamsters that are impossible to find. You can pick them up on Amazon.com for upwards of $35, when they were originally priced around five bucks.

But who needs a Zhu Zhu pet when you can snap up one of these hot toys for your little one -- from both local and national retailers.

Fisher Price Elmo's Tickle Hands -- $20-27 (varies on store)

Slip these furry red mittens on your kid's paws. When the child touches a surface, the hand begins to vibrate. Then they'll hear fun Elmo phrases and silly sound effects. The more you tickle, the more Elmo laughs. Press Elmo's nose to activate Dance mode.

The other big Elmo gift is Elmo Live Encore. This live-action figure tells stories, jokes, giggles and much more. But at $49-69 (depending on store), I personally think that's way too much money to spend on a talking doll. But that's just me. That's why I say, go with the hands instead.

Available at local Wal-Mart & Target stores

Disney Princess & the Frog Tiana Doll -- $25

Disney's first black princess is in hot demand, hurrah! Coming to you in Barbie action size. In stock at the Petersburg Wal-Mart, out of stock at Richmond area Wal-Marts. But you can still snap her up at local Targets everywhere:

Bella & Edward Barbie Dolls -- $24.99 each

Take your Twilight obsession to the next level. Play with them as Barbies! Available at most Richmond Target stores.

Uglydolls -- $6.99-50

These funny-looking dolls are all the rage at Richmond's own World of Mirth. With funny names like Trunko, Puglee and Ugly Worm, the dolls are a hit with teens and young kids. And the backstory is pretty cool too: two lovestruck artists were living apart. David Horvath put a drawing of Wage in one of his love letters to Sun Min-Kim. She made it into a plush doll and returned it to him...and Uglydolls were born! Now the artists are married and making a mint at Uglydolls. Love is bliss.

Automoblox -- $10.99-44.99

These cool wooden cars are for ages 4 and up. They're really "smart" cars -- which means your kid can take them apart -- from the wheels to the hood -- and figure out how to put them back together again. You can change parts of the car and make them into a wide variety of shapes. Your kids will learn creative problem solving and develop their gross and motor skills by playing with these vintage looking cars. Available at World of Mirth.

Sophie the Giraffe -- $23.99

Got a teething infant on your hands? Pick up this cute giraffe. It's basically a chew toy for babies, it's good to teethe on and it smells like vanilla. Yum. Available at World of Mirth.

Melissa & Doug Shopping Cart -- $49.99

I have a two-year-old son and let me tell you -- he loves a mean shopping cart! And judging from the boys I saw tooling around CMoR's shopping carts the other day, I think it's universal -- kids love shopping carts. This one has durable metal, pivoting front wheels and a folding doll seat. It looks just like real shopping carts and will have your little one going to market, to market. Available at Toys That Teach, Gayton Crossing Shopping Center or Stony Point Shopping Center.

Scientific Explorer Science Kits -- $19.99

Got a budding scientist on your hands? Pick up one of the many science kits at Toys That Teach. These are super cool science kits where you can make crystal candy, grow instant stalagmites, make sticky foam and much more. Because who doesn't want to erupt their own volcano for Christmas? I mean, really. Intended for ages 4 and up. Available at Toys That Teach, Gayton Crossing Shopping Center or Stony Point Shopping Center.

Sticky Mosaic Kits -- $5.99-$17.99

For your little arts-n-crafter, pick up a sticky mosaic kit. Follow the numbers and make colorful mosaics come to life. The mini versions are great for parents and kids traveling at the holiday. Available at Toys That Teach, Gayton Crossing Shopping Center or Stony Point Shopping Center.

Fisher-Price Kid Tough Digital Camera 2009 -- $49.99

Does your kid keep stealing your pricey digital camera? Get them a digital camera of their very own. This rough-and-tumble version from Fisher-Price has easy-to-use buttons and takes great pictures that can be printed and saved. For ages 3 and up.

Available online at Toys R Us.

Got an idea for great toys this holiday season? What do your kids want this year? Share it on our comments section.