Cindy Smart Doll
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The world's first seeing doll. Cindy Smart can read, tell time, recognise shapes, letters, numbers, colours and pictures with over 600 words and objects stored in her database - you just put a word up on her blackboard, and she will read it and spell it out.

The idea is that Cindy can help children learn maths, spelling, reading, the alphabet, numbers, to tell analogue time, penmanship, colours, pictures, and geometric shapes. Cindy even exposes children to foreign languages, because she will read words in different some languages.

Cindy Smart’s “eyes” are a revolutionary digital image processing system inside her body (just behind her brooch) and her CD contains 34 lessons of about 20 words each - you can print the words out on your own printer from your PC.

She has movable arms, legs and head. Her outfit, shoes, and socks are removable. She comes with a desk, a blackboard (that doubles as an analogue clock), a floor spacer to help set up her chair and blackboard properly, 20 word cards, math cards with symbols, 8 picture cards, 3 coloured objects, the complete alphabet on cards, and even the batteries.

RRP: $149 from Myer/Grace Brothers exclusively for a week, then at the usual Toy outlets. Distributed by Toy Group Australia http://www.toygroupaustralia.com.au

Baby Amore Doll
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This doll came out last year and is spookily real with it's lifelike facial movements. With the stomach that rises and falls when she's sleeping, she really looks and feels like a newborn baby.

She cries when she's hungry and when you feed her, you see and hear her drinking while her eyes open and close like a real baby.

If Baby Amore is still hungry, she lets out a different cry for more and when she’s full, she burps. When she's finished, you lay her down and she will snore!

RRP: around $40 available at usual toy outlets.

Disney Pop Dreamer Doll
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Gabrielle, Ella, and Ari are a musical trio inspired by their favorite Disney Princesses, Belle, Cinderella and Ariel. Each doll plays guitar, sings songs, knows which of her 3 outfits that she is wearing, and even knows her friends' outfits. The dolls can sing with their guitars on their own, as a duo if two dolls are present, or as a trio if all 3 dolls are together.

RRP: around $40 available at usual toy outlets, but can be hard to find.

Virtual Parenting Doll
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You may have heard Mega talking about a 'virtual baby' which is being used to encourage teenages to be responsible when it comes to birth control. An Australian version of this doll is called 'Baby Think it Over', and more information can be found at the Virtual Parenting website.