With the bad economy, many people are looking for gifts that children will enjoy but won't break the parents' bank. There have been enough banks that have gone under, thank you very much. One of the best children's toys now available is the Disney Fairies toy line. There is a wide variety of well made dolls, toys, and accessories to help your young child indulge in their imagination and act out the story of the Never Fairies of Pixie Hollow in Never Land. Best of all, many of them are under $25.

The Disney Fairies toy line was first introduced in January 2006 to support the Disney Fairies books. The first book was Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg by Newberry Honor-winning author Gail Carson-Levine. It was a story extension from the Tinker Bell fairy character from Peter Pan and it became a world-wide best seller.

According to the book, the sound of a newborn's first laugh travels around the world and if the laugh makes it to Never Land, it becomes a fairy. Now who wouldn't like a story that begins that way. Tinker Bell, when she wasn't bothering Peter Pan lives in Pixie Hollow, in the heart of Never Land, and has several friends: Terence, Silvermist, Rosetta, Iridessa, Fawn, and Vidia (sort of). They all, except for Vidia, live in The Home Tree; think of it as an organic apartment complex for fairies. Each fairy has magic powers that is related to their individual talent.

What is wonderful about this story line is the multicultural community of the fairies and the distinct personalities that each fairy has and to which any child could relate. Walt Disney has created a world that your child can experience through books to the internet with the Disney Fairies website, to toys and video games to movies to television to music. There is a variety of interactive choices that helps the child to learn about being part of a community, sharing, friendship as well as struggle and dealing with negative feelings such as anger and jealousy. With the support that the toys have in the entertainment world that Disney created, these toys are destined to be collectors items as well as provide hours of fun and imaginitive play.

And don't forget, Disney continues to publish books for the Disney Fairies Series and are always a great way to help your child's imagination. I would buy a book for a child any day over a toy.