Top Picks for Children's Gifts in 2010

For anyone with a toddler or young child, you have probably been asked about Santa a million times already this month, so it's no surprise that Christmas is almost upon us! With excitement levels running high amongst the youngsters, we decided to put together a list of great ideas for those of you who may be stuck on what to get the kids in the family.

1. Something Fun! Kids love TOYS! And there really are too many to choose from. Just make sure that the toys you choose are age appropriate (check the box for the age recommendation) and practical. You can never go past classics like Lego, dolls, trucks and stuffed toys.

2. Something Educational! Merging the fun of reading with the thrill of technology, there are many systems such as the Leapfrog Tag which make great Christmas gifts. Essentially, the child learns to read form having the story read to them in a fun and interactive way, with singing pictures and turning stories into games. These are great for reluctant readers who need that extra bit of joy to turn books into something they want to put down their other toys for.

3. Something Adventurous! Depending on their age, it might be a trike, bike, roller skates or even a "Ripstick" (kind of like a skate board, but kind of not), these two-wheeled rippling boards are the modern version of the rollerblade and skate board combined! Just make sure whatever you buy is also accompanied by a helmet, and in the Ripstick's case, some elbow pads and knee pads too!

4. The gift of Cooking! With Masterchef sweeping the nation, it hasn't failed to gather children up in its path! Kids all over Australia are becoming more and more interested in getting creative in the kitchen. Give them a helping hand by getting some kid friendly utensils, or even a book of great recipes for kids. If you want to get something extra special, do a quick Google search to bring up a list of cooking classes for kids in your area.

5. Movie Tickets are always a great idea for Christmas. With so many great kids movies hitting the silver screen in summer, there is no shortage of movies to choose from. This summer's kid friendly blockbusters include The Voyage of the Dawn Trader, Tangled, Yogi Bear, Gnomeo & Juliet, Megamind and Rango. The surge of 3D movies is continuing too this summer, to pop on your glasses and be prepared to be thrilled as all of these movies are also being shown in 3D too!