Walking onto the showroom floor is like a glimpse into the future of toys at Toy Fair 2014. Much of what you will see has release dates months into the future. Our team walks those floors, looks in the booths, plays with some toys and brings you the best of what we saw so you can get a head start on your holiday and birthday planning for the year. The most prevailing theme of the year that we were able to pick up on was building products for the girls and a general push by major brands to capture what you would generally consider a boys market of construction. So take a look at the new hot toys we have picked to receive the BSCKids Bestie Awards in no particular order.
Let’s Imagine Elmo
We have a soft spot for Elmo and this year he becomes even more interactive with Let’s Imagine Elmo. He has three hats that allow him to switch into three different themes which include cowboy, sea-captain, and prince Elmo. What was great are the different types of learning games he plays but also all the different ways you can play with him like squeezing his nose, tickling him, or even bouncing him around, he reacts to all of it. Elmo never goes out of style and every year he become more and more lifelike for the children to play with.
Bring the learning adventures from the Elmo the Musical segment on Sesame Street off the screen and into the family room with the interactive LET’S IMAGINE ELMO plush! This cute 13-inch Elmo pal comes with three different hats that unlock different imaginary themes and play modes. Place the crown on Elmo’s head to play a game of “Prince Elmo Says,” pop on the cowboy hat to learn about numbers in the “Countin’ Cowboy” game, or put on the sea-captain hat for a fun “Sounds of the Sea” game. Kids can also tickle his belly, squeeze his nose, or bounce him for a fun reaction.
DOHVINCI art and design kits
There is always something good to be said about art and design products that are easy to clean up and don’t make a huge mess. When PLAY-DOH has a new super top-secret compound that is much thinner than their regular blend and it allows you to use a Styler tool that feels like a glue gun, but without the burn. Just put the compound container in the back of the tool and you are ready to go. The compound sticks to pretty much anything so think things like, decorated wood boxes, Holiday Ornaments, self designed picture frames, as well as many other possibilities. It cleans up quickly and if you make a mistake, no worries, it is easy to fix. I was able to make a cool looking ornament when I had the tool in my hand, so even for those artistically challenged, this will be a great product. It can all store in a very nice box that you and your designer can take anywhere, which multiple colors of the compound.
Now Creativity Pops off the Page with NEW DOHVINCI art and design kits; an entirely new art experience from the makers of PLAY-DOH brand modeling compound! Featuring an ALL-NEW patent-pending design compound and an innovative Styler tool, the creative experience is highly intuitive, enjoyable, unique and completely engrossing for kids of all ages! Simply pop your favorite color into the Styler and squeeze to easily create your own beautiful 3D art designs. With so many colors and application techniques, no two designs will be the same, and since the design compound sticks to other surfaces such as wood, glass, duct tape, and paper – the creative possibilities are endless!
Furreal Friends Pom Pom, My Baby Panda Pet
Over the past few years, the Furreal Friends family has been one of our top toys due to the look and technology of the toy. This year is no exception as POM POM the panda is introduced. The panda is always a great choice and POM POM is another toy that interacts with the kids making all sorts of baby panda noises. You can talk to her and she will respond back to you with all sorts of cute sounds, shake her rattle and she will try to come get it from you. Since we all know that having a real baby panda wouldn’t be the greatest pet, POM POM comes to the rescue as a playtime buddy for your child.
What’s black and white and cute all over? The FURREAL FRIENDS family welcomes an adorable new arrival, POM POM, MY BABY PANDA pet! The POM POM, MY BABY PANDA pet has so much to learn and she needs your help. Shake her rattle in front of her and she’ll walk to you, making sweet panda noises as she goes. Children can even talk to her, and POM POM, MY BABY PANDA pet will really respond to their voice with happy sounds to show her love. This panda’s poseable legs make her easy to cuddle and give a big “bear hug.” After a day of playtime, children can feed POM POM, MY BABY PANDA pet with her bottle, she’ll kick her legs and make sweet feeding sounds.
VTech Kidizoom Smart Watch
While I did say these were in no particular order, the Vtech Kidizoom Smart Watch did amaze us right out of the gate with all of the cool things it does. It can display an analog watch face, digital watch face, capture video or pictures, an alarm clock, stopwatch, games, and a voice recorder, which I believe has voice changing effects. The price point is under fifty dollars (likely) and it is not as bulky or heavy as one might think. Word is the target range will be as early as 3 and up to around 9.
VTech Doc McStuffins Big Book of Boo Boos
Sometimes even when you just see a prototype you know something is going to be hot. With our daughter watching Doc McStuffins everyday any toy based on the show is probably going to do well. But with Vtech’s great track record with interactive books, the Big Book of Boo Boos interactive book is going to be HUGE when it comes out.
GoldieBlox
GoldieBlox is building with a purpose. We were told that girls like to know the “why” of the building equation and GoldieBlox puts a story around the building experience. Not to worry though, if you want to build on your own that is supported also and they even have an expansion pack for larger building. The new book, GoldieBlox and the Dunk Tank allows you to read the story and then build a cool looking Dunk Tank with 3 design ideas. All GoldieBlox toys are compatible with each other.
By tapping into girls’ strong verbal skills, our story + construction set bolsters confidence in spatial skills while giving young inventors the tools they need to build and create amazing things.
Lum Lums
While we don’t like to pick favorites, when a Lum Lums made its way into our house, our daughter was just giddy with excitement. They are a new set of dolls that will light up when you either tough their pet to them, or if you touch both of their hands. You can even hold hands with a friend and then both of you touch the doll and it will light up. Our Lum Lums already has a special place in my daughter’s room and she has played with her everyday since she got her.
This brand new collection of sweet and adorable pocket-sized dolls, pets and accessories light up with the magical power of friendship. Little girls will experience the treasure of friendship and see that they can create their own magical world of light, in a circle of friendship that truly shines bright. There are endless ways to connect with friends and Lum Lums! When girls hold their Lum Lums by both their hands, creating a special circle of friendship, all the dolls in the circle magically light up! Girls can include an unlimited number of Lum Lums dolls and friends into their glowing circle of friendship
Max Tow Truck
A tow truck that can pull the family dog, the baby and your groceries! If I was a kid again I could only imagine the fun (and trouble) I could get into with this toy. Not only can it pull things, but also push them as well, nothing can stand in its way! Oh the block towers this will demolish.
Get pumped for the ultimate in toy trucks – Max Tow Truck! One of the most powerful toy trucks to hit the market, this beast has dozens of sound effects and phrases, can climb objects and most importantly, it can pull and push up to 200 pounds!
Fur Ever Families Mega Bloks
This is pretty classified at this point, so we were not able to take pictures or video, but I can tell you a few things. Fur Ever Families is a mash-up of Mega Bloks building sets that incorporate crafts. Yes you can decorate your sets with all sorts of cool craft type projects, and they also come with very cool animal pals to play with. Consider thing one of the new hottest toys for the girls construction push in the near future, we are super excited about it and I want to say you can swap out tails of the animals, but don’t quote me on that.
Last Letter
The illustrations were wonderful, with enough going on to keep this game fresh for pretty much forever. It is a game where the last letter of the word the person says before you about the picture dictates what word you get to say. This is a great game to get your kids talking and thinking, plus I am sure that there is going to be much laughing as well trying to come up with creative ways to use that Last Letter. A game that you can take with you on vacation that changes every day.
Our fresh take on this simple last letter game will inspire creativity, laughter and fast thinking. Race to come up with a word that is pictured on one of the cards in your hand. Your word must begin with the last letter of the word previously called. Call your word first to discard a card. Be the first player to get rid of your cards and you win! Unique illustrations encourage creativity and allow for countless interpretations and a new experience each time you play.
Sketch Wizard
This one was on the list as I have two kids that love to trace to get better at drawing. They have tons of those how to draw books and are always tracing objects, but sometimes it can be difficult with a book and the binding, plus forget about actual objects or video screens. Crayola has solved all of those problems with the Crayola Sketch Wizard. This was one of the products we got to try hands on at Toy Fair and it works amazing. Tracing a 3D object, check, tracing something on an iPad screen, check, book cover, check, it does it all.
Unlike existing tracing devices, the Crayola Sketch Wizard enables kids to draw from 2D and 3D objects as well as images from smartphones and tablets.
Sew Cool Sewing Machine
A threadless sewing machine, who would have thought… Sew Cool Sewing Machine takes the danger out of sewing (specifically the needle) so that younger children can get their first sewing experience without all the help needed from an adult. It works a bit by weaving together fibers from the felt material and also a little heat I believe, to create stitching that is very sturdy. We were able to pull on the seams and they weren’t going anywhere. There are a few projects and pre-cut shapes you can use, but your imagination is the limit. There are extra refill packs, but it may also work with some of your own felt, if it is the same kind of material, just don’t quote me on that one.
Now girls can start sewing in a safe and creative way! The Sew Cool Sewing Studio is a revolutionary threadless machine that’s perfect for first time sewing experience. Has everything you need to start sewing right away. Create 9 projects from start to end. Included are patterns and pre-cut shapes for purses, pouches, characters and more. Encouraging imagination and hand eye coordination, young sewers will love it because they can do it by themselves.
ZOOMER MINIS
Last year Zoomer made our best of list, and this year puppy Zoomer, aka Zoomer Minis has made the list. Zoomer was great but a little pricey so Zoomer Minis bring the price point way down and still keep all of the good things that make Zoomer a stand out product. Zoomer Minis come in all different styles and colors and they include the interactive moods as well as the touch sensors that made Zoomer a hit. Smaller in size, obviously Zoomer Minis will also be able to come out play more often as you travel around with your children
Girls can now have a teacup sized ZOOMER™ that matches their own personality and style. Each of the seven pups has its own name and style. There’s one to match every outfit! They have the same iconic LED eyes as ZOOMER™ that truly bring him to life. ZOOMER MINIS have five ways to play, including interactive moods, touch sensors, music player, mini games and poseable legs. These adorable little guys make the perfect purse pup.
Shark Mania
What a great game…this year there were only a few stand out games for us and Shark Mania was at the top of the heap. It is a game where there is much risk and reward for those that want to race to Shipwreck Island, on your turn you can grab gold or move spaces so the shark doesn’t get you. What will you choose? I like the fact you can make the shark start further back for younger kids so they have a chance to roll the dice and make decisions, but it is one of those games that makes you sweat a bit when you see that fin coming after you. You might come in first, but you must have enough gold to make sure you are going to win the game.
It’s Shark Mania, the shark-chomping chase game! Race to Shipwreck Island, grabbing gold as you go. But watch out for the shark – he‟ll crash through the path and knock you out of the game! The pirate that makes it to the island with the most gold wins!
LEGO Juniors
There is a time when Duplo is a little too young, but some kids may have trouble with the regular LEGO sets. LEGO Juniors are that gap product that is really cool. What they have done is provided a larger element, like a wall or base which you can then build on. That allows them to build with the regular LEGO bricks but not have to build some of the more complex elements of the playset as that is just one piece. A great way to keep the whole family interested in building.
Quick start elements and modular bricks and elements, such as walls and archways, facilitate easy builds – giving children out-of-the-box success. Designed specifically for children four to six years of age, LEGO JUNIORS are fun, age-appropriate building sets that provide children with a positive first building experience.
Little People Day at Disney
I am surprised that this has taken so long to happen, but Little People has taken the crew to Disneyland, even with the Mickey Mouse Ears for Eddie. They even have the Tea Cup ride! One of the best things about Disney are the fireworks and they have you covered.
Discover the magic and excitement of a visit to the Disneyland® Resort with your children. Mickey Mouse and Eddie™ can take a “spin” on the Tea Cups ride, cruise on the “it’s a small world” boat, and ride Casey the Train down the ramp, or even hear and watch simulated fireworks after a long day of fun. Includes play set, Little People® figures of Mickey Mouse and Eddie™, and Casey the Train vehicle
Ever After High
With the high popularity in the doll segment of something a bit darker, Ever After High brings us something new. We have classic story characters kids, but their story is not yet written, will they follow in the footsteps of their parents or do something on their own? You can play with them either way and make the choice yourself if you would like. They are a high quality doll with HUGE backstories of their families. We really love the idea and all the media that is surrounding this product was well done and just take a look at the picture, those dolls are just wonderful.
Destiny isn’t written in permanent ink. Ever After High® inspires girls to have the courage and confidence to make their own choices, rewrite their destiny and create their own “happily ever after.
First Steps Jumperoo
The first words out of our mouth, “why didn’t they have this when we had a baby”, and from what we were told, we weren’t the first people to say that. This makes me want to have another baby it looks so cool. It is a freestanding jumper so no worries about your door frames or moving your baby out-of-the-way when you want to enter a room. It also allows them to move forward and backward as well. You can adjust the height and use it with your baby as they grow and it has a bunch of toys located on it as well.
Freestanding jumper with a frame that expands almost one foot, providing baby with room to take their first steps forward and back. Suspended by four springs, the seat allows baby to hop up and down and provides limited travel from left to right. Height-adjustable to grow with baby and rotates 360° for spinning fun and access to a variety of fun toys located around the perimeter. Seat pad is removable and machine washable
MOSS Robot Construction System
We are always on the lookout for Robots because our older son loves building them. What we normally find though are very complex robots that require tons of work to build and then you need to code to make them work right. It is a little too complex for him at this point and most of the time once you build the robot you don’t want to take it apart because it took so long to build. MOSS takes all of that out of the equation with robots that can be built with magnets and blocks that allow you connect and build the robot that you want. One of those products you really have to see in person or just take our word for it on how awesome it is.
Build your own robots with MOSS! Simple, fun, magnetic robot construction kits. No coding, no wires, oodles of configurations! MOSS lets you build little robots that walk, crawl, respond, and slither. Be a part of the founding community!
So that is it, another year in the books, and I am sure these are going to be the hot toys for the next year and into the 2014 Holiday Season. You can check out video of most of the products at our BSCKids Youtube site. Were there any toys you heard about or saw at Toy Fair 2014 that you would add to the list or anything you have questions on, ask below.