I mentioned on this blog a few weeks ago that we were part of a national toy test here in Kansas City. The 27th annual "Great American Toy Test" went to 45 cities in all, and KMBC brought the test here. We took dozens of toys to Operation Breakthrough and let the kids play with them, under the watchful eyes of their teachers. Now, we know the results.

Starting Thursday morning on First News, we'll unveil the "Fabulous 14" toys from this year's test. Literally thousands of toys were tested nationwide and these toys came out on top. The list includes games, DVD's, toy cars, and bikes. There's something for everyone. The toys on the list were enjoyed by the kids and admired by teachers and parents for their educational value, quality and, perhaps most importantly, their ability to hold kids attention for more than two minutes.

We've got five reports over the next week, showing parents the top toys and demonstrating why they stand out among the hundreds of choices in the toy aisle. Of course, many parents are just starting to think about holiday gift buying right now, so hopefully our toy test stories can help out. (If you've already finished your Christmas shopping, please refer to my previous blog post.) Again, tune in every day through next Wednesday (Thanksgiving Eve) for our 2006 Toy Test reports on First News. Then let me know what you think. Did we miss any great toys? E-mail me at jgish@hearst.com and let me know. Santa can always use a little help.