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Jeanne McCullough of The Children’s Store in Boise, Idaho

“I have sold hundreds of the EcoAquariums (1) with African dwarf frogs from Wild Creations since I found them several years ago. They just go, go, go! They are a constant in the store.

“This year, WOW toys (2) for 1- to 5-year-olds have gone over big. They’re little friction cars 5- to 6-inches long, though some are bigger. There is a variety, ranging from a little pink car, to a Jeep, to a fire engine. The whole line is just amazing. Ravensburger is the distributor. There is a table display on the floor, and kids just love them.

“The simple RC toys (3) for little kids from KidGalaxy are popular. There’s a really cute little robot that makes noises and has lights that go on and off. A dinosaur goes around in a circle until you push a button, then he goes straight. They’re really basic for kids age 3 and up.

“We started to carry the bounce-on animals (4) from Marky Sparky Toys recently. The price point is a little lower, and they are a little different from some of the others we’ve carried. There’s a turtle, a dinosaur, a pink dog and a blue dog.

“Darda cars (5), distributed by Schylling, are popular here. They are small pullback motorcars that take off on a track and do super loops. I’ve seen kids as young as 5- year-olds, and up to about age 10 or 11 playing with them. The track is in front of my office, and I’ve seen adults playing with it.

“The Toysmith Battat Take- A-Parts (6) are good for 3- to 5-year-olds. They’re cars that come with a little battery-operated drill that the kids use to take them apart and put them back together. There’s a plane, a tow truck, a car, and more. Those do really well for us, especially with little boys.

“SnapCircuits (7) by Elenco are good for older kids, girls and boys, about age 8 and up. We sell those constantly. There are a lot of different ones, but the 100-piece set sells the best. For the holidays, I bring in the 300-piece set along with some other Elenco items. I always carry the 100-piece sets.

“I like the Rockboard (8) from M-Y Products. It is a different kind of a scooter. You push down the front and then push down the back and it goes; it has a chain in it.

“I sell Do-A-Dot Art! markers (9) like crazy. They’re self contained paint, washable and made in the USA. I have given them to children as young as 2, and they love them. Kids can daub the paint onto pictures in Do-A-Dot’s cute little books, and make little dots all over the place. Other companies make similar things, but Do-A-Dot is the best. They’ve been around a long time.

“I should also mention Folkmanis Puppets (10). They’re just beautiful. I have carried different brands of puppets over the years, but the Folkmanis ones have done the best.”

Arial Englander of Henry’s Toyshop in Mill Valley, California

“The Mini Kick threewheeled scooters (11) from Kickboard USA are selling well. They’re a great ride-on for young kids. They’re completely stable, well designed and lightweight.

“PlanToys (12) are very popular, and a green company as well. The packaging is recycled, the dyes are soy-based and the toys themselves are made from recycled rubber wood. The pretend food and the train sets do particularly well for me.