5 Editors' Choice Toy Deals: Dora, Thomas & Friends, Star Wars, and more

Christmas! Hanukkah! Festivus! Kwanzaa! These words all signify a great season to be a child, so today we've rounded up five of the best toy deals out there for tots and toddlers. These toys will delight your favorite little Dora the Explorer or Star Wars fan. In all, we've got five Editors' Choice deals, but in order to make the most of these bargains, you have to make sure you order soon; shipping cutoffs are fast approaching, so click here to find details about when you need to place your order by.

1. Dora the Explorer Inflatable Ball Pit
   Price: $19 with 97-cent s&h
   Lowest By: $34

   Is It Worth It?: When you're a child (and even when you're not), nothing beats the joy that comes from diving into an enclosure packed with countless small colorful plastic spheroids. Now you can recreate that experience for your young one in your own home, with this fantastic Dora the Explorer Inflatable Ball Pit. Anything that involves Dora, is inflatable, or comes with a bunch of small orbs for frolicking has to be awesome, and this combines all three of those aspects and costs just $19 at Walmart. We say, pounce on it (in more ways than one).

   Orders placed by December 20 are guaranteed to arrive by Christmas.
   

2. Uncle Milton Star Wars Lightsaber Room Light
   Price: $14.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $5

   Is It Worth It?: True story: When Ewan McGregor was filming the lightsaber sequences for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the microphones kept picking up these odd noises. It turned out that Ewan was unconsciously making those unmistakable lightsaber noises with his mouth while waving the prop around. This is the magical power of the lightsaber. This Lightsaber Room Light is easy to assemble and mount on the wall, so that any Star Wars fan can control the eight color settings with the remote control ... and then wait for Boba Fett to attack.

   Got Amazon Prime, and need it by Christmas? Amazon charges the same with free shipping. Orders placed by December 21 at 11 pm ET using Amazon Prime are guaranteed to arrive by Christmas.
   

3. Nerf N Sports Nerfoop Slam Pro
   Price: $9.98 with $6.97 s&h
   Lowest By: $5

   Is It Worth It?: For a while there, when the NBA players were experiencing labor difficulties, it looked like there would be a prime opportunity for some savvy entrepreneur to start a rival Nerf basketball league. We know we'd pay to watch something like that. The basketball players have settled, and the season will happen, but you can play what-if with the Nerf N Sports Nerfoop Slam Pro, at Toys "R" Us for $9.98. Buy two so your favorite 5th grader can set up a full court in the living room, and thereby drive mom and dad crazy.

   Note that we saw this item available for in-store pickup earlier, but that option is no longer offered; however, the items still may be at your local store. Orders placed by December 19 with standard shipping will arrive by Christmas.
   

4. Educational Insights Eggspert
   Price: $15 with free shipping via Prime
   Lowest By: $20

   Is It Worth It?: This "answer system" toy lets kids or teams buzz in to respond to any question that's posed to them. Trivia is admittedly more fun when it's a race, so this toy allows you to trick your kids into learning. And even though it's intended for older children, anyone who has experienced a Level 5 meltdown from a baby knows the priceless value of something that can distract a distressed child with flashing lights and sounds.

   Orders placed by December 21 at 11 pm ET using Amazon Prime are guaranteed to arrive by Christmas. (Non-members need to order by December 19.)
   

5. Thomas & Friends Misty Island Discovery Playset
   Price: $22.39 via coupon code "NEXTORDER20" with $6.95 s&h
   Discount: $48 off

   Is It Worth It?: Even if you never fully understood why George Carlin and Ringo Starr played Mr. Conductor on the TV series, you cannot deny that Thomas the Tank engine is an institution in kids entertainment. Any deal that takes a full $48 off a Thomas toy seems worth looking into. Plus, a train-loving kid can never have too many track pieces.

   Orders placed by December 20 at 12 pm ET are guaranteed to arrive by Christmas.
   

Front page photo credit: WP Clipart