Four-year-old Lucca Dyck plays with a Light-Up Learning Camera while wearing a reversible dragon/knight hood during the Canadian Toy Testing Council's Toy Report press conference in Ottawa. (Pawel Dwulit/Canadian Press)Every year around holiday time parents scramble to get their little ones the hippest and coolest toys on the market, a task that can daunt even the most knowledgeable parent. The Canadian Toy Testing Council's Toy Report tries to help reduce some of the guesswork, and this year low-tech toys were a big favourite.

It might seem like déjà vu for adults scanning the toys on this year's list. Traditionally popular items such as Monopoly and old-fashioned comic book kits have been updated for a new generation.

"A lot of toys this year went back to basics," says Cynthia Richards, a member of the CTTC board of directors. "They were simply different spins on toys that have stood the test of time."

Children from more than 300 families rated hundreds of toys using six key criteria: safety, play value, assembly, design, function and durability. An adult committee then reviewed these toys to create the final list.

"We make sure kids do the picking," Richards said. "Only those that are really 'wow' toys are set aside and then looked at by members."

Any family can participate in the toy trials, which last between six and eight weeks, but parents are required to attend a training session and pay a membership fee of $30 per year.

What's hot

Simple, environmentally friendly toys proved popular among not only children involved in the testing, but also their parents. One well-liked green product was a sandbox play set. The kit includes a bucket and shovel made from recycled plastic.

A wide selection of gender-neutral toys, such as a light-up learning camera by Vtech and the Explore 'n Grow and Tumble 'n Twirl Top from Playskool/Hasbro, earned Children's Choice awards this year. Games also won the approval of the toy testers, including Too Many Monkeys by Game Wright.

Games also made a strong showing in the Best Bet category. The award winners included Murder Mystery Mansion and Take a Letter by University games, Backseat Drawing by Out of the Box, Uno Moo! from Mattel, Monopoly City from Milton/Bradley Hasbro, Richard Scarry's Busy Town Eye Found It! by I Can Do That Games, Gobblet Gobblers from Blue Orange Games, and Colour Code by Smart Games.

Other Best Bets included both high- and low-tech toys, such as Track Turbo Racer RC by Lego, the Playmobil Vet Operating Room, and the Paper Beads jewelry-making kit by Klutz Inc.

Dress-up kits for would-be knights and princesses were also a top choice among the children doing the toy tests.

The Songs 'n Smiles Silly Town by Fisher-Price won the award for battery-operated toy of the year. The multicoloured plastic toy features a tumble-down slide, building blocks and pop-up buttons.

Other items on this year's CTTC list include:

• Abstract Workshop by Djeco
• Yamslam by Blue Orange Games
• Wedgits on Wheels by Imagability
• Curious George Discovery Beach Game by I Can Do That Games
• Dr. Seuss One Fish, Two Fish Memory Game by I Can Do That Games
• Villa Paletti by Wiggles 3D
• 36 Cube by Think Fun

For a complete list of all the toys, see the Canadian Toy Testing Council website. (www.toy-testing.org/).