Toy Fair comes but once a year, and manufacturers pull out all the stops. TDmonthlyMagazine's reporters were at the 2012 New York International Toy Fair, getting the scoop on the toys that could be 2012's hits each day at the show. Don't forget to check out our list of Girls and Boys toys, too!
Crayola Digital Light Designer by CRAYOLA LLC
Using a digital stylus, kids can draw on this dome using light. Simply select the thickness of the line to be drawn, and choose from one of eight colors. Kids can also play games on the dome, like mazes, connect the dots, and more. Launch date: September 2012.
This wireless game controller sports classic a D-Pad and button layout reminiscent of retro 8-bit game consoles from the 80's and 90's. The 8-Bitty works with the iPad and iPhone to play apps using a game controller with real tactile input. It also works with Android devices as well. 8-Bitty supports iCADE's growing list of hundreds of retro game apps, including Atari Classics collection, Pac-Man, Super Mega Worm, etc. The 8-Bitty uses a completely open interface system, so that any app developer can easily add game support. Launch date: 2012.
Large Scale Thomas' Christmas Delivery Train Set by BACHMANN TRAINS
Wearing a familiar cap and armed with his trusty snowplow, Thomas hauls two festively decorated cars to bring BIG holiday cheer to one and all. Bachmann’s Large Scale Thomas’ Christmas Delivery ready-to-run electric train set (Item No. 90087) includes Thomas the Tank Engine™ (with hat, snowplow and moving eyes), open wagon with presents, coach, 5’4” x 4’3” oval of track (14 pieces), wall pack and speed controller, and DVD-format video instructions. Launch date: February 2012.
The Inflatable Play Cube for iPad safely brings tablet technology to small children while entertaining them with the playful faces of popular Nickelodeon characters. The cube is easily inflated with the included foot pump and features a protective case on a recessed and padded side to hold and secure the iPad. Once inflated it can safely be bounced and tumbled over to use in either an upright tabletop position for playing Apps or flipped on its side for enjoying videos. Launch date: September 2012.
Features 4 modes, Smartphone control mode, maze navigation mode with infrared obstacle detection and demo mode and battle mode. Recharged from USB port by integrated USB flip out USB connector. Fast and furious control using a Smartphone for drift and power slide maneuvers. Shoot at an other Carbots and hear the machine gun sound as your phone vibrates and your opponent. Carbot does spins and swerves from side to side. Shipped with dual transmitter iDesk Pet Universal Remote Control Smartphone adapter (Android and iOS) for increased control distance. Each Carbot three different user selectable frequencies (A,B,C) allowing for up to three Carbots to race and battle. Launch date: August 2012. — "This little guy not only runs rings around their TankBot from earlier, but continues to give you the choice of autonomous control or letting your smartphone (iPhone/Android) take the lead as to where it can go and how it’s going to get there...the little guy moves so fast (good set of wheels working) that I started to run after it at one point...the CarBot is an affordable cool little RC vehicle that you can control or let go off on its own. The battery lasts for plenty of time before a quick USB recharge is needed too." - Review and 4.5 star rating from Marshal Rosenthal at GadgetReview.com.
Soar & Spin kites feature 2 ways to fly - throw it or spin it around. Flyer set includes 1 flyer and 1 holding stick. Flyer features nylon body on a hard plastic frame with a 3D plastic head. To clean: wash with a damp cloth and wipe softly. Launch date: January 2012.
iBuKu Pets are fun, lovable characters that turn any smartphone into a cuddly pet. iBuKu Pets are not just a protective holder for mom or dad’s new iPhone (although they work well in this scenario too), but iBuKu Pets are intended to breathe life back into older used smartphones that have been placed aside in a drawer somewhere. Why not give that used smartphone to a child as a learning tool? One major issue with older phones is that their batteries often don’t hold the charge they once did. iBuKu Pets will have versions with not only a secondary battery inside, but also with the ability to wirelessly charge the batteries by simply setting the iBuKu Pet on a charge pad. Image a child never having to remove the phone from his iBuKu Pet, but rather setting him on his bedside table to charge at night. While charging, the iBuKu Pet will turn itself on as a nightlight when it hears the child wake up, or it will be an alarm clock for school-aged children. And when they wake in the morning, the iBuKu Pet is charged and ready for a new day of learning activities. Launch date: April 2012.
Download a free app to begin playing this update of the classic game Life. The app syncs with each player’s turn on the game board and shows appropriate clips from Vin Di Bona’s America’s Funniest Videos and humorous animations as they travel around the game board. Additionally, players can create their own “Peg Person” avatar and use the app’s virtual spinner on their iPad. Includes game board, 4 car movers, 52 pegs, money pack, 4 rubber pads, Quick Start Guide. iPad not included but required to play the game. For 2 to 4 Players. Launch date: February 10, 2012.
GameChanger is an electronic, multiplayer game board that works with the iPad. Featuring interactive animation and sound, GameChanger adds a whole new dimension to the traditional board game by creating a different experience every time you play. Kids are given the option of playing 6 different games; The Magic School Bus® from Scholastic or Animal Mania, plus 4 action games. The iPad simply slides into the GameChanger cradle, and one of the included game skins can be placed on top of the board. Parents can download the App, which is free with GameChanger purchase. The game pieces themselves interact with the iPad, which asks questions and assigns tasks, so players always know whose turn it is. A “spin” of the wheel on the iPad lets players move their pawn across the game board. Since the game board and the iPad are connected, all game play is completely guided and tracked. Launch date: February 12, 2012.
Dixit Journey is the version of the award-winning game of storytelling through imagination and clues where one picture is worth a thousand words. In this new version featuring a gallery of artistically designed cards that offer simple images for easy individual interpretation, younger players now have the chance to stretch their imaginations and incorporate their best vocabulary skills, all in the fun of creative play. The challenge is for the leader of the round to give a clue that is subtle enough to ensure that at least one player (but not all) will understand which card is his/hers and vote for that card. Points are scored in relation to the identification of the storyteller’s card. The players move their icons on the scoring track based on the number of points they earn each round. Launch date: June 2012.
Great for backpacks and carry-ons, this fun and friendly, go-anywhere travel buddy puts an international twist on the message of friendship. Globe Clip keeps bracelet in place during knotting. Numbered slots keep threads organized for written and video instructions featured online. Slide-out drawer features 20 pre-cut Prism® threads in 10 different colors. Easy instructions included. Launch date: February 12, 2012.
FirstBIKE is a developmental training bike which enhances motor skills, builds confidence, and teaches proper two wheel balance and cornering. FirstBIKE Balance Bikes do not use a drivetrain- there are no pedals or cranks, no chain or sprocket, and no training wheels. Deleting these complicated parts makes it possible for children to safely reach both feet flat to the ground on a much lighter weight bike, giving them a boost in control and self-confidence. Feet are used as stabilizers, for propulsion and for braking. Children as young as two years old can use FirstBIKE Balance Bikes and benefit from the fast-track program of two-wheeled riding. Training wheels make it impossible for children to feel the sensation of balance. They also prevent children from leaning their bikes in the direction of a turn because training wheels hold the bike fixed in a vertical position.
The new Handy Science Kits, exclusively from GeoCentral, will have kids learning from real science experiments. There are four different kits including Water, Color, Magnetism and Light. Each kit includes 6 experiments that strengthen a child's powers of observation while being interactive and fun. The Water Handy Science Kit teaches experiments like how to make fish swim, float objects and explore paper. With the Magnetism Handy Science kit you can do experiments like navigate through a magnetic maze, attract objects through water or build force fields. The Color Handy Science Kit teaches how to change colors, make colorful super bubbles and make rainbows. The Light Handy Science Kit teaches how to use the sun to tell time, magnify objects or block light. Launch date: 2012.
Tranquil Turtle is the first Cloud B product that combines both sight and sound features in one soft, comforting character. Glowing in a relaxing aquamarine or amethyst color, the shell projects a magical underwater light effect with a gentle wave motion and plays soothing sounds to help children sleep. Launch date: February 2012. Awards: 2012 NAPPA Honors, 2012 The National Parenting Center - Seal of Approval
Primary Science Mix & Measure Set by LEARNING RESOURCES INC.
Measuring madness is coming to the kitchen. Enticing, chunky tools are contoured for little hands. Scale, bowl, 3 self-standing spoons and 6 unique cup designs help children visualize quantities as they make mystery goo, puffy paint, slime and more. Activity Cards included. Launch date: February 2012.
This two-toed BABY SLOTH PUPPET is taking it easy and wants to be carried everywhere. This fascinating creature comes from the rain forest. BABY SLOTH PUPPET measures 15-inches tall. Launch date: 2012.
Our Eco Green Acrylic Paints come in 54 vibrant colors and are "NO-VOC", or "LO-VOC" products that do not bring toxic fumes and chemicals into the studio, school room or play area. Launch date: January 2012.
Introducing the Gummylamp; an homage to the most iconic candy the world has ever known. It looks and feels like an actual Gummy Bear, just 100 times bigger and infinitely more useful. Squeeze its belly and, instead of getting fingers sticky, a high-powered LED light switches on, illuminating the immediate space around the user. Gummylamps are powered via either two AA batteries (not included) or by electricity (DC to USB cord included). Gummylamps come in five colors: red, green, clear, yellow and orange. Features one hour and infinite timers.
Celestial Buddies, an original line of educational plush characters, is inspired by planets and other celestial bodies. Each plush planetary pal is designed to capture the unique variations of the actual object it represents through fabric, color, size and shape. "Celestial Buddies is a unique, innovative plush toy series not replicated in today’s market. While most Solar System toys are for school children interested in science, Celestial Buddies has a much wider age appeal from babies all the way up to adults," Jessica Silbert, owner and president of Celestial Buddies, told TDmonthly.
The Monster Eater's Battle Under the Bed - Book & Plush by DANDY INNOVATIONS
The Monster Eater book and plush animal was designed by a mom to help other parents who are dealing with a child who is convinced there is a monster in their room and won't sleep. The story helps show children they are empowered to defeat the monsters themselves with the aid of a Monster Eater. "There are plenty of stories out there who tell of monsters - none are stories about helping the children to overcome their fear to sleep in their rooms; and all night. Comes with a handy 'Monster Repellent' spray bottle," Wendy Lasater, CEO of Dandy Innovations, told TDmonthly. Separately, the book is $8.99, the Monster Eater plush doll is $24.99, and the bottle of Monster Repellent is $2.99. Launch date: October 2011.
Doodle Roll 6” All-in-One Craft Kit by IMAGINATION BRANDS CO. LLC
This larger size measures 6 inches wide for bigger hands and rolls out to 30 feet of blank paper. Like its smaller version, each roll comes with two end caps to keep the paper in place until it's time to unroll. High quality non-toxic crayons are included with each kit.
Everyone gets ten dice. Someone says “Go.” Then everyone rolls and rolls as fast as they can until someone gets all their dice on the same number. It’s a fun, fast frenzy. It’s TENZI. It's "Super-simple to learn & super-fast to play," Steve Mark, executive Dice president of CARMA GAMES, LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2011. — In a February 2012 survey about games, Mary Porter Green, owner of The Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., told TDmonthly that she sells 6+ copies of Tenzi each month. — In a February 2013 survey, two out of 11 retailers told TDmonthly that Tenzi was their best selling game. — Glisyn Lewis Jarrells, manager of Imaginations Toy & Furniture in Blacksburg, Va., told TDmonthly in a March 2013 survey that Tenzi is their overall best selling product. They sell around 15 copies of the game each month.
lapiluv is the only wearable attachable activity center for parents to play with their children, mixing technology and traditional toys. Launch date: September 2011. Awards: 2012 PAL AWARD; 2012 Creative Child Top Choice of the Year Award
Lay-n-Go Lite (patent pending) is an 18 inch travel/mini activity mat that converts into an easily transportable satchel allowing for a quick and effortless clean-up of small toy pieces in seconds. Toy collections used on the Lay-n-Go surface are easily spread out for hours of fun at restaurants, on airplanes, in cars, at Grandma's house, etc. Once playtime is over, the drawstring is pulled and the activity mat is instantly converted back into a soft storage bag. Lay-n-Go Lite is small, but like its big brother/sister, it is a smart and easy personal activity mat, cleanup, storage and handy little carryall solution in one. Awards: 2014 TDmonthly Top Toy Award
Bobble Bots™ Moshi Monsters™ Moshlings by INNOVATION FIRST LABS, INC.
Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters Moshlings are a set of cute and cuddly bobble-head mini robotic pets that bring the hugely popular online world of Monstro City to life for its 50 million fans worldwide. The explorative and collectible, battery-operated Moshlings use patented HEXBUG Nano vibration technology to buzz around their unique configurable 3-D “dollhouse” replicas of the same streets, yards, buildings and houses found online in Monstro City. Each Bobble Bots Moshling has its own unique, bubbly personality, and some are rarer than others. For example, Snookums the baby tumteedum is a common, prehistoric Dino who yearns to be cared for; Gingersnap the Whiny Cat is a rare Kitty who loves melted cheese and strongly dislikes any form of work; and Sooki-Yaki the caped assassin is an uncommon gadget-loving Ninja highly trained in martial arts. Launch date: Spring 2012.
Kaboom! A colorful cloud of smoke billows out of the cauldron in the old Magician's Kitchen, where the magician's little apprentices are learning the art of cooking up magic potions. Each ingredient must be tossed carefully into the pot, but hidden areas in the board may trip yplayers, causing their ingredients to go flying. Once all the ingredients are in place, its time to light a fire under the cauldron for the final test to see who can make the potion the fastest. Launch date: 2011. Awards: 2011 Kinderspiel Des Jahres Nominee
Tilt and see images flip magically to teach the alphabet, numbers, opposites or animal babies. Special lenticular printing makes these cards interactive and captivating for young children. Colorful illustrations make learning fun in English, Spanish and French. High-quality, durable flashcards are easy to clean and maintain. Reclosable ring keeps cards together. "Our flash cards utilize an unique lenticular printing process and provides the ability to learn in 3 languages," Ilango Sankaralingam, president of Smart Play LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2012.
Wits & Wagers Party is the latest version of the award-winning party game. It mixes the fun of Vegas-style betting with hilarious new trivia. Do you know what percent of bank robberies are committed by women? Of course not, and you don't need to! That's the fun. No one knows the answer, but everyone can take a guess. Wits & Wagers Party will instantly get large groups of people playing and laughing together. "Wits & Wagers Party is the simplest and most accessible version of the Wits & Wagers brand, the original trivia game where you do not need to know trivia to win," Luke Warren, PR Director for North Star Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2012.
Writer's Bio: Justina Huddleston graduated Magna Cum Laude from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing in 2009. After graduating she was the on-site director of the Boston Children's Museum gift store for a year, selling educational, developmental, and creative activity toys that tied in with the museum's exhibits. Justina also interned at children's book publisher Candlewick Press before moving from Boston to Los Angeles, where she is now Editorial Director of TDmonthly Magazine. Read more articles by this author
Writer's Bio: Justina Huddleston graduated Magna Cum Laude from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing in 2009. After graduating she was the on-site director of the Boston Children's Museum gift store for a year, selling educational, developmental, and creative activity toys that tied in with the museum's exhibits. Justina also interned at children's book publisher Candlewick Press before moving from Boston to Los Angeles, where she is now Editorial Director of TDmonthly Magazine. Read more articles by this author
