Top toys for the 2011 holiday season

Time to Play is out with its list of the top toys for the holiday season.

The trade journal said its staff culled the list from thousands of toys it reviewed and evaluated during the last year.

1: Angry Birds Knock on Wood Game by Mattel

Time to Play says: Mattel has taken the popular online game Angry Birds and turned it into an offline skill-and-action game. The Angry Birds Knock on Wood Game is a tabletop game that plays pretty much like the popular smartphone app. The pigs have stolen the birds’ eggs, and the object is to destroy the structures where the pigs are hiding.

2: Bayblade: Metal Fusion by Hasbro

Time to Play says: The onetime hit is making a comeback with many major design improvements to engage a whole new generation of kids. It features a new metal gear system and the introduction of an online virtual battle component. With a focus on customization and high-performance competition, each top comes with five interchangeable parts, ready for kids to build and rebuild to maximize performance for battle.

3: Big Action Construction by Fisher-Price

Time to Play says: The Big Action Construction site is a 360-degree playset with lots to engage kids from every angle. It features a preschooler-ready R/C truck that’s easy for even a 3-year-old to use because it has four simple buttons and color-coded steering. It’s easy for kids to drive the truck freestyle on the floor, but then kids can drive it onto one of the ramps to activate play.

4: DaGeDar by Cepia

Time to Play says: A classic, yet innovative, new collectible toy line for boys comes from Cepia, the makers of the popular ZhuZhu Pets. Cepia describes DaGeDar as supercharged ball bearings, which is essentially what they are — ball bearings with a rubber coating and cool graphics.... There are a variety of track sets available for fast-paced racing action.

5: FyrFlyz by i-Star Entertainment

Time to Play says: A new take on a classic yo-yo-like toy (in that it features a plastic piece that’s manipulated on a string). Each precision-balanced instrument is designed to spin on its axis. Simply by swinging the connected two strings and pulling to apply tension or letting go to allow slack, kids create a continuous movement — figure eights, rings, etc. Turn off the lights or take it out in the dark, and the multicolor LED lights turn the movement into a light show.

jerry.hirsch@latimes.com