“Kids this age are very concerned with their privacy. Not only from Mom and Dad coming into their rooms, but from little brothers and sisters coming in as well and taking their stuff," says Stacey Genovese, Engineering Director, Good Housekeeping Institute.

"So we found this great door alarm and every time the door opens and you break contact an alarm sounds, and it gives you a time stamp every time the door opens. "

However, as a parent going in and out of a child's room, an alarm could be very annoying. "But the Wild Planet Door Alarm Kit includes a key that you can stick in and prevent the alarm from sounding," says Kathleen Huddy, Textiles Director, Good Housekeeping.

Kids are also very into making movies and taking pictures, but parents might not want to spend hundreds of dollars on a digital camera or a digital camcorder.

"With that in mind, RCA has come out with a small digital camcorder," says Genovese. "It stores up to 30 minutes of video and runs with two AA batteries. There is a little USB port on the side so you can plug it right into your computer. Do all your movie editing and your kid has everything they need for under $100."

Another top tech gift for kids was the Hasbro I-Fish Speaker. “It's a great companion for their MP3 players," says Genovese. "The fish lights up to the music, spins around and makes all kinds of underwater sounds in response to their music."

The December issue of Good Housekeeping recommends four other toys and gadgets for teens and tweens, including crystal stickers for a girl’s cell phone and an electric guitar that plugs into an MP3 player. To learn more, visit www.goodhousekeeping.com.