Between myself, two of my sisters and my brother, we have 8 boys among us.  Every birthday and especially Christmas, I have one thing on my mind, What will I buy everyone?  I try to be creative and not repeat toys, but it is getting harder and harder every year.

I go through the same process every time.  I walk into Toys R Us and walk up and down, down and up the aisles.  I call my siblings asking them what their sons want and then walk up and down some more.  I realize that this year, I need to research before I go out.

Thankfully, the Toy Industry Association (TIA) has launched two helpful web sites for consumers.

ToyInfo.org – Here you will find all in one place, all the information you need to choose the right toys for your family.

Some of it’s features are:

• Videos, free downloadable play guides including a guide on Intergenerational Play, recall and safety information, discussion boards and more.
• Sign up for automatic recall alerts to be notified of any toy recalls.

I had fun learning all about the history of toys with their toy timeline and reading about all the toy trends.

ToyAwards.org – Brand new web site for consumers that lists the best toys of this year as selected by toy industry experts.  There are the Oscars for Entertainment and now there is ToyAwards.org for toys.

Some of it’s features are:

• Showcases 81 top toys that have been nominated for the 2010 Toy of the Year Awards, recognized as the “Oscars” of the toy industry.
• Features a free, downloadable gift shopping list which parents and caregivers can take with them to the store to help guide them in selecting the most innovative and desirable toys this holiday season.
• Register to win your choice of one or more of 11 prize packages.
• See what the top toys are from a list of several categories including; Activity toy of the year, boy toy of the year, girl toy of the year, outdoor toy of the year, specialty toy of the year and more.

I was browsing through several of their pages and was surprised to see a lot of toys that my son has been asking me for.  With all the choices available to consumers, it definitely pays to research.