Futuristic playtime

Watch out, parents, the holiday season is almost upon us, and that means little Terence and Teresa are putting their lists together. And boy, are they a far cry from the Barbies and Buzz Lightyears of 10 years ago (when the Toy Retail Association’s pick for most innovative toy was Puzz3D). Gifts for the little ones have gone high-tech. Here are some of the most innovative toys for the season, as chosen by Toy Wishes magazine (www.toywishes.com):

Disney’s Ariel Magical Talking Salon: Voice-recognition software makes it so little girls can talk to a light-up mirror and bring their favorite Little Mermaid to life. $69.99.

Easy-bake Classic Oven: Your kid’s cookies never tasted so good. The light bulb has been replaced and now heats foods evenly. $24.99.

Hot Wheels Radar Gun: The cars are taken care of—now it’s time to find out how fast they’re going. The fun part is it’ll work on real cars and bikes, too. $29.99.

Ozone Inflatable Furniture: These cool chairs are perfect for little music lovers—they have speakers and jacks for CD or mp3 players. $34.99.

Amazing Allysen: Think Chucky was scary? Here’s an interactive doll that will remember birthdays, names and interests. $99.99.

The Smartglobe 2.0: Forget looking at an atlas—just touch a country on the electronic (and bilingual) Smartglobe to learn about it. $129.99