The hottest toys to inspire, educate and wow kids (and parents) over the next year
I could get in some serious trouble at the Toy Fair. While they don’t allow children on the miles-long show room floor, big kids like me touched, tapped, poked, prodded, played with and yes, even broke, plenty of toys all on our own.
The biggest take-away this year, toymakers are betting that you and/or your kids already own (or will soon buy) an iGadget (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad). The price of admission to many of this year’s must-have toys is a touch of tech.
Here are my top “editor’s choice” picks:
Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn AppTivity Monkey
Ages: 6 months+
In Stores: July 2012
Price: $30
This is a plush toy with an iPhone or iPod touch case embedded in its belly. Download the free app and then place the smart device in the monkey’s case, where it is well protected, so your child can interact with an app by squeezing the monkey’s paws to learn about numbers, letters, colors, and more. Even without an iGadget, kids can listen to songs and phrases.
Master Moves Mickey
Ages: 2+
In Stores: August 2012
Price: $70
Move over Elmo, Master Moves Mickey is taking it to a whole new level with his music and moves! In the latest feature plush from Fisher-Price and Disney, Mickey Mouse is dialed up in his freshest dance gear and ready to get down with a whole new set of 15 break dancing moves. With a signature handstand, Mickey’s moves are hotter and hipper than ever! He even teaches you how to bust a move on your own.
VTech- Switch & Go Dinos
Ages: 3-8
In Stores: Fall 2012
Cost: $16
Here’s an interesting twist on the ole’ Transformers idea. It’s a toy car that turns into a dinosaur, with a built-in LCD screen for customized animation, dinosaur and vehicle sound effects and educational dinosaur facts. In dinosaur mode, action buttons trigger interesting facts about each dinosaur as they come to life to exclaim up to 30 expressions, such as, “I’m a herbivore. I chow down on plants.” and “They call me spine-lizard because of the long spines on my back.”
The Nat Geo WILD ANTEATER BUG VAC by Uncle Milton
Ages: 5+
In Stores: Fall 2012
Cost: $30
I’m all about getting kids outside to explore, play and learn about the world at large. This toy is perfect for that. At the touch of a button concealed under this Baby Anteater’s “Tail”, you can quickly and safely collect and observe live ants and other small critters. Then, you can remove the Baby Anteater’s belly and a look at the bugs inside via built-in microscope. When you’re finished with the close-up observation, kids can safely release the critters back into their environment. No harm, no fowl, no “ew” factor for squeamish moms who aren’t so crazy about those creepy-crawlers.
Activision Skylander’s Giants
Ages: 6+
In Stores: October 2012
Cost: $TBD
Skylanders broke ground bringing perennial child favorite’s – action figures – into the videogaming world. So, it’s a toy and it comes to life when you put it on the “Portal of Power” and it appears in a video game. New features unveiled at the Toy Fair include bigger, better and monster-sized Skylanders’s Giants and action figures that light up when they get near the Portal.
Skylanders Giants is slated for an October 2012 release date on the PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles. No price has been set as of yet, though the original Skylanders game retails for $69.99.
Mattel’s Digital Camera Barbie
Ages: 6+
In Stores: August 2012
Cost: $50
Barbie dolls have come a long way since the days when they were pitched mainly as wife material for a matching Ken doll (sold separately). You can buy Computer Engineer Barbie, Chef Barbie, and even Doctor Barbie. And soon … Digital Camera Barbie?
The new offering from toy giant Mattel is exactly what it sounds like — a Barbie doll that doubles as a digital camera. By pressing Barbie’s belt buckle, your child can turn on a lens hidden in Barbie’s back to take up to 100 photos. Photos can be viewed using a screen built in to Barbie’s shirt or uploaded to a computer via an included USB cord. With a retail price of $50, she may very well be the weirdest possible way to introduce your girl, aged 6 and up, to the world of digital photography.
Mattel’s AppTivity Line
Ages: Varies
In Stores: May/July 2012
Cost: $20 (for different sets)
Matchbox cars are a childhood staple of boys and girls alike. But forget about playing with them on rugs and on plastic roadways. Matchbox cars are about to leap into the 21st century thanks to Mattel’s new AppTivity line. Once you download the required app from the app store, your child can use the AppTivity toy — in this case, a special $20 AppTivity Matchbox car — to interact with your Apple product, driving the car on a virtual roadway.
The AppTivity line hopes to appeal to kids of all ages with versions of the most popular iOS games such as Fruit Ninja, Cut the Rope, and Angry Birds.
Note: Tecca writers Fox Van Allen, Randy Nelson and Marielle Moon also contributed to this report.
