If you don't know what a "digitoy" is, you're obviously not a tween who grew up on Club Penguin and Webkinz. The craze is alive and well in the form of new toys like these: You can buy the toy, then go online to enter a world where you communicate and share activities with virtual and actual playmates.

Our sister publication, ShopSmart, chose the best tech toys of this holiday season, and we also had one of our in-house electronics experts give them a try. (We did not formally test them.) You can find them at toy stores, mass retailers like Target, and websites such as Amazon.com and YoYo.com.

And don't miss our review of tablets made just for kids at Consumer Reports Online.

Moshi Monsters ($2 and up, ages 6 and older)
Buy one of the plush toys, books, or DS games—or just go online to check out this kids' social network with an educational focus. Kids can deck out their adopted monster's room, play games, solve puzzles, earn currency, and leave notes for pals.

Access to the Moshi Monsters site (pictured above) is free, but you have to buy a $50 annual subscription (or pay as you go) to unlock all sorts of extras.

Fijit Friends ($50, ages 6 and older)
These interactive dolls are huggable but high-tech. Choose from one of four personalities; all can recognize over 30 keywords, speak more than 150 programmed phrases, and dance to the beat of your background tunes. They also tell jokes and have cute sound effects (like sneezes).

And for the virtual component, your Fijit Friend can hear and respond to messages on the website, where new jokes and dance moves can be unlocked.