The holidays are quickly approaching and it’s always a mad scramble to find the perfect gift for your loved ones. Every year there is always that one “it” gift that is on every ones list and that’s usually the gift that is very hard to find the closer you get to the holidays. We are going to list a few gifts that we suggest will be hot this year that you should try to find now before they are all sold out. It’s pretty interesting to note how times have changed since I was a kid many many years ago.  These are all gifts that the whole family can enjoy no matter what their age is.

The list is in no particular order.

1. Kinect for the Xbox 360 – This is fast becoming the “it” this season as you’ll find that many local and online retailers are sold out of the Kinect right now. The Kinect is a new motion controller for the Xbox 360 that makes you the controller. Basically your movements are translated by the device and then projected in the game. Anything you do in real life, your character does in the game. The Kinect Bundle is selling for $149.99 retail and includes the Kinect device and the Kinect Adventures game.

2. PlayStation Move – Sony also released a new motion controller this year for the PlayStation 3 in the form of PlayStation Move. Its very similar to the controller used on the Nintendo Wii except that the PlayStation Move also utilizes the PlayStation Eye camera for 1:1 tracking. The PlayStation Move Starter Bundle is $99.99 and includes 1 controller, the PlayStation Eye camera, and Sports Champion game.

3. Nintendo Wii 25th Anniversary Super Mario Edition – The Nintendo Wii is still a great gift to give to children thanks in part to a lot of family friendly games on it. If you don’t already have one, I would suggest picking up the limited edition 25th Anniversary Super Mario Edition which comes as an all red Wii with the new red Wii Remote Plus controller. It also includes Wii Sports and The New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Very nice limited edition that you can get for $199.99.

4. Nintendo DSi XL 25th Anniversary Super Mario Edition – Nintendo also has a limited edition red Nintendo DSi XL on sale this holiday season for Super Mario’s 25th anniversary.  The bundle includes a red DSi XL that Super Mario livery on it as well as a copy of Mario Kart DS and pre-installed versions of Brain Age and Photo Clock. You can pick this up for $179.99.

5. Apple iPod Touch 4th Gen – This I hear is one of the top items kids are asking for this year. The new iPod Touch 4th gen features the new Retina Display that was first seen on the iPhone 4. It also now features a front facing camera for Facetime video chatting as well as a new rear camera that can record HD video and images. The new iPod Touch is thinner than the previous model but has much more processing power. You’ll be able to enjoy music, videos, all the latest games and apps on it. There are 3 versions of the iPod Touch based on what capacity you want – 8gb for $229, 32gb for $299, and 32gb for $399.

6. Apple iPad – This is another one of Apple’s touch devices for the more mature crowd. The iPad is also considered on of the top gifts this holiday season as the popularity of tablets continues to rise. Considering that the iPad is one of the only usable 10″ tablets around right now, its really your only choice. The iPad does pretty much everything the iPod Touch can do except that it does not have front or rear facing cameras but you can get it with a 3G data plan. The iPad starts at $499.

7. Apple iPod Nano – The new iPod Nano is what I would consider the top when it comes to dedicated MP3 players. It lost a few features with the newest model but it also gained quite a bit. The new Nano is much smaller than the previous model and now features a touch screen interface similar to the larger iPod Touch but slimmed down to its bare essentials. The new Nano is a great work out device because of its size, portability and compatibility with the Nike+ system. The Nano comes in a wide variety of colors to suit any taste with prices starting at $149.

8. Astro Gaming A30 Gaming Headset and Wireless Mix Amp – Actually, any gaming headset would make a great gift but I chose the Astro Gaming A30 Gaming Headset and the Mix Amp because these are what I personally use and recommend to all my friends and colleagues. They feature interchangeable cables so you can use them with your gaming system, PC, Mac, MP3 player or mobile phone. You can purchase the complete audio system for $199.95.

9. Amazon Kindle – E-Book readers are still a big hit among the older crowd and Amazon’s Kindle is probably the best one out there. Not only does Amazon have the largest selection of books available, but the new Kindle is actually very nice. It can run for quite a while inbetween charges and the screen is easy to read in any light condition.

10. Smartphone (iPhone 4, Android or WP7) – Smartphones are everywhere now and you can’t walk into a carrier now without being bombarded by smartphones. There are so many to choose from now that there is one to fit any budget. The iPhone 4 and the numerous Android phones are still tops with the new comer this year being the Windows Phone 7 devices. Each has their strengths and weaknesses but you can’t really go wrong with any of them.