And Advent Begins #HolidayGiftGuide

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This past Sunday, Advent began.  Have you gotten you child their Advent Calendar yet? Most don’t follow Advent exactly, instead counting down the 23 days leading to Christmas Eve.  These two adorable options from Playmobil are no exceptions.

For those children who love animals, the set #6624 could be perfect (I know, they call their sets by numbers rather then by names, which can be rather interesting when you are trying to find one).  This one is farm themed, and is very cute. Once a day, your child can punch out the numbered door and find a fun surprise inside, such as a kitty, cow, goat, or even a tractor. Weather you are country born, or just got a country soul, this is sure to please. About $25 at stores like Toys R Us and Amazon.

For the sporty kids, the Playmobil NHL Hockey set #9017 will score big. This set comes with everything your hockey fan would like, such as Once all the pieces are revealed,hockey figures, two child figures, flags, goal, Stanley Cup, puck bag, and who better then to break up disagreements then a Santa referee? There are other accessories included as well (including reindeer), one for each day until Christmas eve.  Around $27.

If you are looking for more hockey fun, check out the PLAYMOBIL NHL Hockey Arena. This one is full of interactive fun and has a movable goalie. Just as in real games, use the player’s sticks to block or to hit the puck into the goal. Use the joystick to slide the goalie back and forth to protect the goal. You can customize your team and rink with any NHL team stickers (included). The PLAYMOBIL NHL Hockey Arena retails for about $59.99.

For more character sets, check out the Star Wars Carbon Freezing Chamber Set. This one is not only one of our favorites, but it also made the KMart Fab15 Toy List. This set is great not only for kids, but for Star Wars fans of all ages.  Go on a quest to rescue Han Solo from Boba Fett. This LEGO scene comes with minifigs of Boba Fett, Han Solo and an Ugnaught native. Not only does it come with the Carbon Freezing center, but also a moving elevator, detailed central control and of course, all freezing functions. Warning- only freezes LEGOs, your little brother is safe. Available at KMart for $25, prices vary elsewhere.

Can’t get enough Star Wars? You will love Jakks Pacific new Star Wars Big Figs. These are all the fun of your Star Wars action figures, only much, much bigger. You can get the Big Fig 18-19″,  the “Massive” roughly 31″, and the “Colossal” 48″. Yes, that might actually be bigger then your child. Options range from Storm Troopers to the man in black himself, Darth Vader, and everything in between. They have articulated joints, so they are not just statue-like and hanging out. These are very, very cool- any kid will tell you these are a must, and on any Star Wars fan’s holiday wish list.  As the sizes and characters vary, so do the prices, from around $20 to about $99.  Visit http://www.jakks.com for more.

From the very big, to the very small- have you heard of TsumTsum? This Japanese craze has hit American shores, and kids are flipping out for these adorable animals which translated, mean “stack stack”. Fitting name, since that’s exactly what you do with them. The Disney Tsum Tsum Series One 9-pk is another one of KMart’s Fab15 list, and it’s easy to see why. This is the perfect starter pack, since it comes with 3 each of the small, medium, and large Disney themed TsumTsum. Also included is a collecter’s guide, and one of the medium toys is a “mystery character”. This pack is $16.99 at http://www.kmart.com or in stores, prices vary by retailer.

One last animal for our list is one of the latest in the Zoomer robotic pet line, Zoomer Marshall. PAW Patrol’s dalmatian fire dog is ready to roll, with more then 80 interactive rescue missions and tricks, 150 sounds and phrases, he plays the “PAW Patrol” theme song (and dances to it), has water cannons to shoot (not real water) and more. Just charge him up, pat his head, and get ready to save the day. AA batteries not included. Available from KMart’s Fab15 list from about $70, other retailer prices will vary.