Hot Holiday Toys for 2011

This year, many toymakers are sticking to tried-and-true formulas to win customers, but these classic themes often have a new twist that makes them fresh. We’ve scanned the hot holiday toy lists from retailers, trade publications and blogs, and did a little digging ourselves to bring you a collection of toys that is sure to please.

Sesame Street Let’s Rock Elmo Source: Hasbro

Sesame Street Let’s Rock Elmo

Manufacturer: Hasbro
Price: $60
Ages: 18 months to 3 years old

Not only does this toy feature the much beloved Elmo from the "Sesame Street" TV show, but it is very interactive. Elmo can play a variety of instruments as children sing and play along with him. He sings six different songs. Young children will be amazed that Elmo can recognize when they are playing the Let’s Rock guitar, keyboard, or microphone.

More from CNBC.com: Hot Holiday Toys 10 Holiday Shopping Apps That Will Save You Money 10 Holiday Gifts for Gadget Lovers Xia-Xia Hermit Crabs Source: Cepia Xia-Xia Hermit Crabs Manufacturer: Cepia Price: $6 to $22 Ages: 4 years to 6 years old Looks like Cepia — the company that brought us the last truly smoking hot holiday toy, the Zhu Zhu pet — may have another hit on its hands. Xia-Xia (pronounced Sha-Sha) is a line of bright, colorful hermit crabs. Kids can have the Xia-Xia crabs share shells, and they will likely use the shells to store little things.

LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet Source: LeapFrog

LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet

Manufacturer: LeapFrog
Price: $100
Ages: 4 years to 9 years old

If you’re uncomfortable handing your 4-year-old your iPad, here’s a solution. The LeapPad Explorer is designed to look and work like an iPad or other tablet, but it has age-appropriate software that will help teach your children a variety of skills — from phonics and math to geography and science. The LeapPad includes a built-in camera/video recorder and a microphone, and it has two gigabytes of memory for storing pictures. Kids can download apps or use Leapster cartridge games, which is especially handy if they already own those games.

Hot Wheel Wall Tracks Starter Set Source: Hot Wheels Hot Wheel Wall Tracks Starter Set Manufacturer: Mattel Price: $30 Ages: 4 years to 10 years old How do you take a brand that’s more than 40 years old and make it new again? Now, the tracks can be hung on the wall, behind a room door, on a closet door. The combinations are numerous, and the tracks can even go around corners. But Mom shouldn’t be worried about the tracks leaving a mark. They are attached using 3M command strips and they come down without a trace.

Angry Birds Knock on Wood Game Source: Mattel

Angry Birds Knock on Wood Game

Manufacturer: Mattel
Price: $17
Ages: 5 years old and up

More than 12 million people worldwide have downloaded Rovio’s best selling app "Angry Birds." The board game version plays pretty much like the app. The object is to get revenge on the pigs for stealing the birds’ eggs by destroying the structures where the pigs are hiding. Mission cards tell you how to build the structure. Then you load the Angry Birds onto the launcher and fire away. Up to four players can join in the game.

Silly Hair Jewel Sparkles Doll Source: Lalaloopsy Silly Hair Jewel Sparkles Doll Manufacturer: MGA Entertainment Price: $35 Ages: 4 years to 6 years old The Lalaloopsy brand was a hot seller last holiday season, and this year should be no different. Classic rag dolls inspired the brand’s look, but the dolls are made of molded plastic. Since girls love to play with their dolls’ hair, MGA Entertainment has put out Lalaloopsy dolls that allow kids to do just that. The doll has long strands of bendable, plastic hair that girls can style and decorate.

Nerf Vortex Source: Hasbro

Nerf Vortex

Manufacturer: Hasbro
Price: $14 to $50
Ages: 8 years to 10 years old

Nerf is out with a new line of play guns that shoot greater distances and are more accurate, thanks to the round foam discs. There are four different guns in the line: the Vigilon, Nitron, Praxis, and Proton. They range in price and have different features, but all pack a lot of power.

I Am T-Pain Mic Source: T-Pain Mic I Am T-Pain Mic Manufacturer: Jakks Pacific Price: $40 Ages: 7 years to 14 years old There will be plenty of “autotuning” microphones being wrapped up this holiday season. In addition to Jakks’ T-Pain Mic, WowWee has added a microphone to its popular Paper Jamz line, and First Act Discovery has introduced Voice Rockrz.

Poppin’ Park Elefun Busy Ball Poppers Source:Playschool

Poppin’ Park Elefun Busy Ball Poppers

Manufacturer: Hasbro
Price: $30
Ages: 9 months to 3 years old

Playskool’s Poppin’ Park Elefun Busy Ball Popper plays 10 tunes as it blows balls up into the air. This toy helps young children develop hand-eye coordination and motor skills, and helps teach them about cause and effect. The toy’s trunk turns to adjust the direction of the balls that pop out, and is sold in either pink or blue.

Lite Sprites Source: WowWee Lite Sprites Manufacturer: WowWee Price: $15 to $50 Ages: 4 years old and up WowWee has created Lite Sprites, a line of fairy dolls. The magic of this brand rests inside the Lite Wand, which can be used to collect and share color among the Lite Sprites and the objects in their world. The wand holds as many as 50 different colors, and it can capture virtually any color — not just primary ones. There are several different characters in the Lite Sprites collection, including the evil Bleak, who tries to rob the world of its colors, and a number of playsets so that kids can create their own world.

Alien Conquest Source: Lego

Alien Conquest

Manufacturer: Lego
Price: $60
Ages: 8 years old and up

Legos are a classic holiday staple, but this year the brand has two really hot lines, Alien Conquest and Ninjago. Alien Conquest includes several pieces, the Alien Mothership, the Earth Defense HQ, and the UFO Abduction. Kids can use the toys to pretend a large invasion of aliens is attacking Earth and attempt to destroy them.

Bogo Source: Razor Bogo Manufacturer: Razor Price: $90 Ages: 8 years to 10 years old If you are looking for a toy that will get your child moving, this may be the one. Razor has developed a pogo stick, the Bogo, with wide foot pegs to offer stability when going for height. It also is easier to maneuver thanks to its frame, which is crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum. The real attraction, though, is its bow-assist spring, which adds a boost of power and will make bounces higher than a traditional pogo stick.

Air Hogs Hyper Actives Source: Spin Master

Air Hogs Hyper Actives

Manufacturer: Spin Master
Price: $50
Ages: 2 years to 15 years old

Spin Master is once again raising the bar on affordable, micro radio-controlled vehicles. How fast is the Air Hogs Hyper Active? It can reach a scale speed (the speed it would reach if it was life-sized) of more than 450 miles per hour. It also has a long range, which is essential for a speedy car like this one, and it has multiple bands so that kids can race their friends. As many as 10 cars can be run at the same time.

Fijit Friends Interactive Toy Source: Mattel Fijit Friends Interactive Toy Manufacturer: Radica Price: $40 Ages: 6 years to 9 years old Each Fijit friend has its own personality, and soft, squishy skin that reacts to touch. The robots dance to the beat of music and have voice recognition software that allows them to recognize 30 different words and phrases. They also have more than 100 responses to recognized words so that they can interact with a child.

My Keepon Source: Wow! Stuff

My Keepon

Manufacturer: Wow! Stuff
Price: $50
Ages: 6 years old to 11 years old

My Keepon is a Toys ‘R Us exclusive and the toy retailer says it is out of stock on supplies of the toy’s “presells” at this time. On its surface, My Keepon isn’t impressive as far as toy robots go, but based on its large Internet following, this guy has a lot of charm. A tiny microphone embedded in My Keepon allows it to hear the music you play and respond. My Keepon also reacts to poking, patting, squeezing, and tickling.