Wallets at the ready...children as young as three are being targeted with iPad-style gadgets and gizmos for Christmas this year.

Instead of board games, dolls and cuddly toys, parents of kids who have barely learned to talk will be bombarded with adverts for an array of computerised products.

Top of the list is a tablet-style gadget called LeapPad2, which features front-and-back cameras, video recorders and 4GB of memory.

It also boasts a music player with five LeapFrog Learning Songs, Cartoon Director and Art Studio creativity apps and a Pet Pad writing app.

The Toy Insider, as well as major toy sellers Walmart and Toys R Us, have all ranked the £99.99 LeapPad as this year's top toy.

But this year it looks set to take the gift world by storm with an updated version.

"It's going to be the war of the tablets," said Laurie Schacht, chief executive and president of Adventure Publishing, which issues the Toy Insider Hot 20 list.

"What the LeapPad 2 has done is it has really positioned itself not to be part of that tablet war but to be an item for younger kids that gets them ready to move into the older tablets."


TOY INSIDER'S TOP 5 CHRISTMAS TOYS

• LeapPad2

• My Magical Wand, Cinderella

• Lego Friends Heartlake Stables

• WII U Gamepad

• Words with Friends lux


Would you buy one for your pre-school age child?


More on Parentdish:

Children and technology: what products to start with and at what age?


Check out the Christmas must-buys according to Argos below.

Argos: Top toys for Christmas 2012

  • <p> Batman &lsquo;The Dark Knight Rises&rsquo; The Bat, &pound;34.99</p>
  • <p> Cinderella Feature Doll, &pound;29.99</p>
  • <p> LeapPad 2, &pound;89.99</p>
  • <p> Lego Monster Fighters Ghost Train, &pound;59.99</p>
  • <p> Minnie Mouse Precious Pets Tour Van, &pound;29.99</p>
  • <p> Star Doll Fallen Angel, &pound;23.99</p>
  • <p> Twister Dance, &pound;26.99</p>
  • <p> Vtech Innotab 2, &pound;84.99</p>
  • <p> Web Shooting Spiderman, &pound;34.99</p>
  • <p> Furby, price available in September</p>