Sni

Something I get asked a lot is 'What's going to be the next big thing?' You see, writing for popular culture blogs, a national magazine, websites dolls all that other good stuff, it is often expected that I'll know everything about every trend around the corner. I don't, but I can certainly steer you in the right direction. The festive season brings all manner of difficulties; Turkeys that won't defrost quickly enough, where all the batteries went, who keeps prodding Grandma while she's sleeping, why does Dad keep bringing up the same old argument after dinner? That sort of thing. Through all this, the kids are more interested in their new toys than their family members, and really, I can't blame them.

But making sure you get the right things for them can be an uphill struggle. I know this, you know this, and even your drunken father, who can't keep his paper hat Mickey Mouse straight, knows it too. This year there are some very impressive toys on the market, and to help you beat the hassles of the season a little, I've listed twelve of the best toys for Christmas 2008 for you. These are some of the items that kids are crying out for this year, and while the shops may be having trouble keeping many of them in stock, there are various online outlets that have an abundance of them. So, what are they?

- Furreal Biscuit, My Lovin' Pup (Interactive Labrador puppy)

- WWE RAW Arena Playset (the full arena set for the WWE figures)

- Baby Born With Magic Potty (Interactive baby doll)

- Elmo Live! (the highly advanced interactive Elmo toy)

- Bakugan Starter pack and Bakugan Battle Arena (The brand new action and trading game)

- High School Musical Got The Moves Dance Mat (Learn 4 songs and dance routines from the movie hit)

- Ben 10 deluxe Omnitrix (Great replica of the device from the Ben 10 show)

- Gourmet Girl Cupcake Maker (Everything kids need to make delicious cupcakes)

- Star Wars Clone Trooper Voice Changer helmet (Great replica helmet with sound effects)

- Kota the Triceratops (Huge interactive Triceratops for dinosaur loving kids)

- Power Rangers Overdrive Tracker (Great replica of the device from the TV show)

- I Love Ponies, Honey My Baby Pony (Adorable interactive pony)

These are just some of the 1983 Fleer baseball cards items on the market for kids at Christmas 2008, and are all in affordable price bracket, which is good in these hard times. There are plenty of other ideal items out there, including board games, tech games, tech toys, creative toys and a massive range of other media-tie-in toys that will thrill your youngsters long after the Turkey has been consigned to the realm of cold sandwiches. So there you go, some tips to help you beat the rush and the tears. Now if you'll excuse me, I have tinsel to put up.

Andrew writes for the pop culture and collectible memorabilia site Starstore and its famous pop culture blogs, covering the latest and greatest in Saturdaymorning TV, music and comics merchandise and collectibles. He is also known as a nationally published music journalist, geek culture columnist and SF author. For more tips on finding the best toys and gifts this festive season, you can check out the 12 best Christmas Toys and Gifts Ideas site.