Hot new toys for 2006

Younique Gemz dolls (Ages 5 and up)
Today more than ever, our society is multicultural and multiethnic. In June, toymaker YNU Group will launch their new line of Younique Gemz fashion dolls, meant to celebrate diversity and to better serve children from all backgrounds through better ethnic representation. Each of the nine dolls will be named after gemstones and will each represent two or more people groups through distinct skin tones, facial characteristics and eye colour and shape. Also to be launched are complete clothing lines for the dolls, as well as the Younique Gemz Scrapbook, which will give kids and their parents the opportunity to celebrate their heritage by mapping out their family history. For more information go to www.youniquegemz.com. (Coming June 2006.)

SuperMom Action Figure (Ages 15+)
It's no secret that moms are super. In fact, you might even call them heroes. Happy Worker, a toy and gift maker, has developed a toy that celebrates the super-multitasking abilities of modern-day mothers. The SuperMom action figure depicts a mother in her two most common personas, the calm, hard-working professional and the overworked mother who shops, cooks, cleans and gets the kids ready for bed after a long day at the office. With interchangeable calm and frazzled heads, and a baby that goes from happy to crabby, SuperMom shows all sides of daily life for our heroine. The figure comes with eight accessories no mother is without, including a cellphone, mile-long shopping list and the mysterious bottomless purse every mother has. For more information on SuperMom, go to www.happyworker.com.

The Backyardigans (ages 18 months and up)
If your tot adores this popular kids' TV show, he's sure to love the new line of toys available in Canada this spring only at Toys R Us. The products include plush cuddly characters (some even sing when you press their bellies) and an array of puzzles as well as a memory game and DVD. For more information or to view products, visit nickjr.com or toysrus.ca

So whether you're shopping for the kid around the corner or the kid at heart in your office, following these suggestions might just give you the one-up on gift giving. With a super mom and space-age sand, these might just make your present the one that's toy-rific!

Would you buy these toys for your kids? Discuss with other readers in our forums!