Although this year's toy giving season has come and gone, Santa had a local group of elves to give him a helping hand-- the toy-testing team of NBC-11's Tech Now program, which reached a milestone on Dec. 18 when it aired the program's 300th episode. The testers, who are the children and neighbors of the network's producer and technology reporter Scott McGrew, worked all year long to rate the electronic offerings of the toy industry. And that translates into what makes it to the top of the toy charts when its comes to gift-buying ideas.

Although the Tech Now toy tester may well be every child's--and a few adult's--dream job. But it's not all fun and games, according to McGrew; there's a little homework involved, as well.

Once a week, the children gather together to play with and review products, usually before they are available in stores. A clip of the children playing with the toys airs on the show each week during its 6:30 to 7 p.m. time slot and then its in the hands of the buyers.

"I have high expectations," says McGrew semi-seriously. "They have to do some sort of written report. That's how they earn the ability to try the next one."

Tech Now's employee requirements are relatively simple: low salary expectations are essential. And a little nepotism never hurt, either. Ten-year-old Zachary McGrew is Scott's son and the veteran tester of the bunch. The rest of the group is composed of Zachary's neighbors and friends.

McGrew says, "The gadgets they are testing are oriented toward kids."

The pressure of deadlines and small staff also make the testers an invaluable resource to the show, McGrew notes.

"I work on the show part time, and we are competing against magazines," says McGrew, explaining that print media has a longer period of time to when it comes to meeting deadline requirements.

And he jokes, "My boss knows what I do, but sitting at my desk playing Xbox doesn't exactly cut it."

The children don't seem to mind their job's lack of salary, healthcare plan or retirement package. Zachary primarily heads up the video game department--except for the games whose content qualifies them for a mature rating. That's when Scott takes over. Zachary, who considers Burnout III-- an auto racing game--which is only available for Play Station 2 or Xbox, his favorite game in 2004.

But in the beginning it wasn't all fun and games, he says. Getting used to being on television took some doing. Now after five years on the show, the preteen tech wizard says he is comfortable in front of the camera. He still, however, recalls the initial nervousness that plagued his screen debut.

"At first I was really embarrassed," Zachary says. "I didn't know what to do. I had to read off cue cards."

Thirteen-year-old Corey Dodgson, the McGrew family's neighbor and babysitter, specializes in the "teenybopper" stuff. The new I.M. Free handheld wireless chat device--which allows the user to frequent online chat rooms while someone else hogs the family computer--is her favorite gadget this season. She liked the device so much, in fact, that she gave free babysitting services to the McGrew family in exchange for one of her own.

Samantha and Carlee Pavloski, who are eight and nine respectively, enjoyed playing with the Rocket Stomper, an air-filled gadget that launches a foam rocket when stepped upon.

"It has a bigger foam rocket so it doesn't go in your eye," Corey adds.

Although the children don't generally test toys that could be dangerous, Zachary usually handles the higher-risk gizmos for liability reasons.

This holiday season's thrill ride came from the Summer Sled, a snow-free sled that slides down grass. Scott took Zachary out to a park to give the snow-less sled a test run. He strapped a helmet on his son's head, and shoved him down a grassy hill. The sled, however, went a little faster than expected, and Zachary flew down the hill and crashed into the camera with a mighty 'thud.'

Fortunately, he wasn't harmed in the incident. The clip was so humorous that it aired on the show, McGrew says.

Tech Now airs on Saturdays from 6:30 to 7 p.m. on NBC Channel 11. More information about the show can be found at www. nbc11.com/technology/index.html