ROCKFORD, Mich. (WZZM)-- There are a lot of "hot toy" lists every year, but some of those toys need trying before you buy them. WZZM 13's Lauren Stanton brought home her video camera and with the help of a house full of kids, put some of the hot toys to the test.
They're all the rage this holiday season, the Sing-a-ma-jigs are plush toys that sing. The fun part is when you put a couple of them together, they harmonize. They're adorable to watch, but kind of annoying when you try to make them sing a whole song. You have to push their belly with every word to get them to sing. But, at around $10 a piece, they're a fun stocking stuffer, just not sure how much play they'll get.
Another hot toy this year is the Moon Dough. It's like PlayDough, but it's supposed to never dry out. It feels sort of like mushed cotton candy and we found it's a crumbly mess. The kids played with it a bit, but made a huge mess with crumbs of it all over the floor. Hot or not, Santa can keep this at his workshop. It sells for $2.99 for a small tub.
If you have boys, you're familiar with Nerf guns. The latest mega gun is the Nerf Stampede. You need six "D" batteries, which is different for the usually battery-free Nerf toys. It comes with clips that can hold up to 18 bullets so you can fire automatically. T he boys LOVED it. It only jammed one time, so that was a good sign. If you don't mind Nerf bullets all over your house, the latest Nerf weaponry is the bomb. We found it for $44.
Finally, the big ticket toy of the year is the XBOX 360 Kinect. There's no remote, everything is controlled by your hands, your movements and how you speak. The technology is a bit touchy, you have to make sure you're 6 to 8 feet away from the TV, otherwise it won't pick up your foot movement. We had to stop a few times so it would pick up our commands, but that just takes adjusting.
Just playing a game of beach volleyball was a riot. Whether its for the kids, the whole family or just a great time with friends, if you have the cash, the Kinect is where it's at. Prices vary on this, usually an XBOX 360 runs around $199, to add the Kinect it's another $100. Check around to see who's offering the best individual and bundled prices.
By Lauren Stanton