Toy Fair Top 16 Picks

Toy Fair, just ended and here is a summary of toys that that truly popped for me.  Trust me when I say, this is only a smattering of toys that were presented. 

Tech – Kids emulate their parents, that’s just a fact which is why you see so many kids with their parents  cameras, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and every other gadget they can get their hands on. Toy makers have finally caught and are introducing products at more affordable prices and with kid-friendly content. I wish these products were introduced earlier because for better or worse, my daughter continues to find apps to buy.

1) VTech has introduced the InnoPad,  featuring learning activities,  ebooks and is, of course, child-friendly. I previewed the new 2) Fisher Price iPhone Case with it’s FaceTime feature where your child can converse with family/friends, at their recent Play Lab Toy Fair  Preview along with their 3) Smart Screen Lap Top.  4) Leapfrog World Map and Solar System – LeapFrog’s best-selling Tag Learning System combined real books and advanced learning technology. This year, new titles are being introduced for the Tag Learning System which include  World Map (available now) and Solar System Map (available October.)

Community/Creative Play – Yes, keeping your kids tech saavy is a must but getting your kids to engage in creative play and build a community is also important.

Lego’s foray into combining a social and competitive aspect to their Lego building sets introduced 5) Ninjago, featuring spinner and challenge cards. Zhu Zhu pets is expanding its universe with the addition of 6) ZhuZhu Babies which harnesses the same magical, whimsical charm as ZhuZhu Pets, just on a much teenier, tinier scale. Spinmeister 7) Moon Dough Magic Zoo is guaranteed to keep your kids engaged making zoo animals.

8) Glow in the Dark HEXBUG Nano Starter set is a cool addition to the current HEXBUG line. Just turn off the lights and let the fun begin. The Glow in the Dark HEXBUG is a micro robotic bug that when switched on, skitters around to work its way through the maze. What’s not to love, creepy crawly things that light up in the dark! Your kids will love it.

Dolls – 9)Best Pals, a line of soft dolls created by Kathy and Janet Lennon was introduced in 2010. My daughter and I both adored the dolls. My daughter still carries them everywhere and we even had our Christmas pictures taken with them. With the introduction of Best Pals with designs by Jim Shore, the dolls are moving into the collectible arena. That said, whether you are a collector or would like a soft doll your daughter will have forever, Best Pals and Best Pals – Jim Shore designed dolls will bring a smile to your child’s face.

Collectibles – SpinMaster’s 10) Zoobles Mamas and Zoobling adds 3 new themes – Zoobles Petal Point, Chillville and Pinegrove. SpinMaster follows super successful Bakugan with 11) Redakai which takes trading cards to the next level with amazing 3Dmatik™ technology, these trading cards containing 3D and animation effects. MegaBrands 12) Dragon Universe adds more Dragon Eggs and vehicles to add to the current collectibles of eggs and aircrafts.

Active. Kids can jam along with 13)  Fisher Price‘s  new Rock Star Mickey, as he lights up the stage with his jammin’ guitar and rockin’ moves.

Outdoor – 14) Razr introduces the Razr Graffiti, Razr e-Spark and Razr BoGo Pogo stick that should keep your kids on the move.

Old School Toys with A New Twist – 15) Hasbro’s Easy Bake Oven who has given millions of girls the chance to cook by lightbulb is removing the lightbulb. Woopee, no more light bulb burns. 16) Techno Source’s Tetris Link Game takes the addictive video game Tetris and brings it to the table as players battle by linking those iconic Tetris game pieces and blocking competitors from linking their game pieces.’

Games – Skylander’s Spyro Adventure  is  a boldly innovative adventure game where players collect real-world interaction figures and teleport them directly into the game using a mystical Portal of Power™.