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Cheap Toys - Deals on Toys That Are Great Quality
Frugal Is Hot Right Now!

By Kristen Ryan, About.com Guide

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There's no reason to go for broke when buying toys. Here are some hot, new, cheap toys for bargain hunters. And cheap doesn't mean cheesy, either. Each of the cheap toys on this list is under $20 and packs a lot of play for the money. Plus, find more toy recommendations for every age group.

1. Morph-O-Scopes

Photo © Ooz and Oz

Morph-O-Scopes are cool, distorted coloring pages that come with a flexible, cup-shaped mirror. Just place the mirror on the page and the drawings make sense. Clear as a bell!

The Morph-of-the-Month Club is under $10 and it includes links to 10 morphs, a mirror, a box of crayons and monthly links to a new morph.

This is a clever toy that requires concentration, sparks creativity and challenges kids ages 6 to 14.

Manufacturer's Site Read Review

2. Zolo HaHa Mirror Rattle

Photo © Kushie

Zolo HaHa mirrors are a great, cheap toy for babies. Babies love to see their own faces and the HaHa smiles right back at them. Zolo HaHa mirrors are under $10.

3. Star Fountain

Photo © Munchkin

The Star Fountain is a cute, cheap bathtub toy that costs about $10. The star spins and a blue light flashes while water shoots out like a little, round sprinkler. Any cheap toy they'll play with every night is a winner in my book!

4. Appletters Game

Photo © Appletters

Appleletters is a cute spelling game that comes in a little, red apple case. You can't miss it among all the other games in their boring, cardboard boxes. It works like dominoes but kids match letters, plus there are several other gameplay modes for more challenges. Appleletters is about $17.

5. Rainbow Brush

Photo © Rainbow Brush

Rainbow Brushes are cool markers that snap together so kids can draw or write in rainbow colors. The intro kit includes the markers and DVD with instructions on how to make beautiful art for about $10. New sets include flowers and dinosaurs. It's a cheap way to encourage the budding artist in the family!

6. Play-Doh Burger Builder

Photo © Hasbro

This new set includes five cans of Play-Doh, a press that makes pickles, onions and lettuce and a cool, new Play-Doh chip maker. The set is a bargain at under $15.

7. Cahootie

Photo © Cahootie

Remember making fortune-telling games out of paper at school? Cahootie is a creative take on the fun game. They have 11 different themes from "Would You" to "My Fab Family" and they each come with 40 reusable stickers, so it's never the same game twice. Cahooties are a great cheap toy at $7 apiece.

8. Crayola Lights, Camera, Color

Photo © Crayola

For the cost of a box of 64 Crayola crayons (under $5), you can have hundreds of cool, personalized coloring pages! Inside the top of the box is a code for Lights, Camera, Color. It's Crayola's new system that turns family photos into coloring pages. You can even add borders, funny bodies and cool backgrounds.

Want to give it a try? Go to www.crayola.com/colorme and enter code PR3RPCV3 for 24 hours of uploading and printing cool, custom coloring pages! This is a great, cheap birthday-party favor or stocking stuffer, too!

Manufacturer's Site

9. Hexbugs Nano

Photo © Hexbugs

Tiny, inch-and-a-half long, skittering, creepy crawly bugs! Hexbugs Nanos really behave like cockroaches and they're under $10. I usually have several crawling on my desk during long conference calls. Or, you could drop them down someone's collar for a cheap thrill!

10. Smilies

Photo

The Smilies from TechnoSource come in all different forms, from plush friends to bobblers, figurines and charms. They even have a free, online Smiley factory at www.smileycentralstudio.com where kids can create their own smilies. All of the cute Smileys are happy, cheap, and under $10.

Manufacturer's Site

11. Sprig Story Building Playsets

Sprig Toys is a great, eco-friendly toy company in Colorado. They make toys out of a plastic-and-wood material called Sprigwood that really smells like the sawdust it's made from.

The new Story Building Playsets are unique, cool AND cheap! I love the Little Red Riding Hood book, retold by Becky Jensen. It has a modern spin on an old story...and a happy ending! Not scary at all!

The books have puzzle pieces that pop out and little brackets made from Sprigwood. The characters and scenery slip into the little blocks and stand up so the scene is set as the story is read. My kids were all over this when we tried it out. The playsets start at around $15.