Etoys.com was emblematic of the bursting of the dotcom bubble when it filed for bankruptcy in 2001, but the business itself has emerged from the proceedings as a highly viable discount online toy store. Children do love to visit toy stores, but it can often be difficult to keep them from nagging you to purchase everything in sight. Web shopping through a venue like etoys lets you maintain control of the shopping experience and avoid the trek to toy stores often staffed by unhelpful people in a disorganized environment.

Etoys is well organized, letting you search the site's offerings by age appropriateness. This feature is overlooked far too often in most online toy vendors, but the year by year separation of toys makes it a breeze to find what you're looking for to put a bright smile on your child's face. The store has a good number of plastic classics that kids fall for, but it also sells some higher end products like an oaken rocking horse for $39.95, and a fine set of cribs in the $200 price range.

You'll also find a good selection of children's software in a well organized store. It's easier to find good educational and age appropriate software than it is from the big box stores or dedicated gaming retailers that often completely ignore the children's educational game market. Frequent sales pepper the website, and the lack of clutter and focus on children's toys make it a better choice for this purpose. Generalist websites like Amazon might have big selections, but the breadth of the stock is often overwhelming for parents. Etoys is rather like Goldilocks enjoys her porridge - just right.