Favorite Toys from the Toy Fair 2011 Part II

 by Lori Cunningham

There was so much to see at the Toy Fair, I could go on and on…and on and on.  But at some point, I need to get back to “normal” again and move on with my life.  Time to get back to wonderful gadgets that help make moms’ lives easier.  But first, I must conclude my thoughts on my favorite toys from the Toy Fair I attended two weeks ago.  I was able to narrow down my list of favorite toys to the top 18.  I wanted to aim for 10, but I just couldn’t.  Although I feel a bit indulgent naming 18, the fact that I didn’t have 20 faves qualifies me for not going overboard.  🙂

Besides, moms want to know what the coolest products for Christmas are going to be for their little darlings, right?  In my previous post, My Favorite Toys from the Toy Fair Part I, I categorized two groups of toys under “Non-Tech Toys” and “Fun Tech Friends.”  In this Part II post, I cover the “Tech Game and Interaction” and “Tech Toys” categories.  Although mostly boy toys, the “Tech Toys” category will appeal to girls as well.

So, on with the show!

Tech Game and Interaction

Roman Town – Before coming to the Toy Fair, I had seen advertisements online for this PC game.  So when I saw their booth, I aimed right for it.  Roman Town allows kids to explore treasures and artifacts from the past.  They learn about archaeology and how scientists put  together artifacts, like pieces of a puzzle to see what jagged pieces or bones might have been a part of at one time.  This game engages kids with scientific thinking, math skills, and historical knowledge all in one package.  Once “in” Roman Town, kids can speak with ancient people to see what their life was really like.  3D rendering allow kids to explore ancient towns of the Roman world in 79 AD.  The game is chockfull of fun puzzles and mini games as kids analyze valuable artifacts that they uncover.  It looks to be a very fascinating game.   Roman Town retails for $39.95 and is available on dig-itgames.com  website.

V-Tech InnoPad – As you might recall from my “Top 6 Product Trends from CES” article, there were over 50 tablets introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show.  The count is now up to 80 new tablets.  Tablets aren’t going away.  Most tablets are still a bit expensive and many parents aren’t ready to let their younger children play with their tablet yet…especially unsupervised.  Thanks to V-Tech, the new tablet count has increased to 81!  V-Tech will soon be introducing their new InnoPad, designed for children aged 4-9.  It offers learning games, videos, interactive eBooks, video/photo editor, songs, a microphone, and more.  The InnoPad features a 5″ LCD color touch screen with a built-in tilt-sensor for fun game interaction.  It will include slots for USB, SD cards, and a headphone jack.  Additional features include a video player, calculator, calendar, voice-personalized alarm clock, Art Studio, mp3 player, address book and more.  Lastly, kids will be able to interact with their favorite characters from Disney, Madagascar, Scooby Doo, Dora the Explorer, and others via captivating cartridges which will add o the number of interactive eBooks, learning games, and fun activities available.  The InnoPad is very sturdy and housed in a kid-tough rubberized material to help it survive accidental drops.  Although the InnoPad does not connect to the Internet directly, it will connect to your computer via USB or through a SD card slot to download further content f rom Learning Lodge Navigator (www.vtechkids.com/download).  The V-Tech InnoPad will be available this Fall and retail for….only $79.99.  This price surprised me…pleasantly.  For all the features that you receive, it sounds like a good value.  Additional cartridges will sell for $24.99 and the InnoPad and cartridges will be available  at vtechkids.com, Target, Toys R’Us and Wal-Mart.

Wappy – Wappy is a combination of a toy and a video game.  Wappy is a cute little plastic robotic dog that responds to touch and care.  He can sing and dance and he loves to play games with his owner on the Nintendo DS through the Wappy Dog game.  In the Wappy Game, kids can care for and play with their Wappy dog.  They can feed him, dress him, plays games with him (Wappy’s paws are seen as if the physical Wappy dog is actually playing along).  Wappy’s mood actually changes both online and physically if he hasn’t been cared for or played with for a while.  But it doesn’t take much to get him happy again.  Selecting the “outing” mode on the Nintendo DS allows a child to leave the physical Wappy at home but continue to play with him and care with him while away.  Once the Nintendo DS Wappy game and Wappy are reunited, the care and fun Wappy experience is transferred over to the physical Wappy.  Lots of of play and fun make Wappy a Happy Wappy.  Although not confirmed, it is my guess that Wappy will become available on further platforms once it is released.  Wappy is a great pet simulating experience for kids ages 6-12.  The price has not yet been published.

Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure – Now this is pretty cool!  Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure  gives kids a chance to mix reality with fantasy play.  Kids can collect up to 32 different Skylander full-of-personality characters – physical collectibles that allow kids to handle, move, and role-play.  But the fun continues with Skylander Spyro’s Adventure, which will be available on most game consoles.  The game comes with a mystical portal than transports the child’s character into the video game.  Yes, the character stays on the portal but they automatically appear in the game which the child can control and play with.  What’s more, if the child wants to change characters, s/he can remove the current character from the portal and add another.  Each character has different personalities and battle skills and/or weapons.  Even better, a friend can bring over his/her characters and the two can play together.  Players explore a mysterious and mythical world full of treasures, puzzles to solve, and monsters to battle.  Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure will be available later this year.

Shidonni.com – Shidonni is a website that offers free and paid play for kids.  This website  creates the exact opposite of Wappy and Spyro’s Adventure.  In this simple but colorful and fun online world, kids (ages 5-10) draw their own character (in fact, they can draw as many as they like), draw their own house for the character, draw food for it to eat, and play lots of fun challenges with their pet.  Shidonni.com provides lots of activities and worlds for kids to visit with their special pet that are already drawn for them as well.  What makes Shidonni.com unique, is that kids can have their character created into a real stuffed animal, delivered to their doorstep!  Your child will have a one-of-a kind stuffed animal…created by him or her!  How clever.  I saw some of the cute creations at the show.  The material was very soft and sturdy.  It was full of stuffing and very well made. The Shidonni.com website is free for kids.  However, if after a while your child craves more fun and possibility, you can subscribe to Shidonni Pro for a monthly price of $5.95 (or 6 month committment monthly price of $24.95).  To receive your child’s personal drawing “in the plush,” the cost of their One-of-a-Kind animal is $79.99 which includes free shipping and two free months of Shidonni Pro.

Tech Toys

Doodle Track Car – The Doodle-Track Car looks very simplistic when you open the box.  You receive one plastic car (a bit bigger than a Hot Wheels car), one Doodle-Track Car black pen, and a race track with a black line drawn in the inside of the racetrack.  After putting in two AAA batteries in the car (not included), the car will drive by itself around the track, once you place it on the black line.  In fact, you can take any piece of white paper and with any marks you make with the enclosed black pen or even a black crayon, the car will follow!  There is a sensor in the car that looks for the black track.  Kids can even visit the build a track area of the free Doodletrackcar.com website to custom create their own tracks, complete with stores, stop signs, lakes, trees, etc.   Once they are done, they can print out the track from their computer.  Slick!  The Doodle-Track Car is available now and sells for $14.99 online at Daydream Toy, which is a good value for the hours of fun it will provide. 

Hot Wheels Video Racers –  I first saw the Hot Wheel Video Racers during the Consumer Electronics Show in January.  At the Toy Fair, they had more of the product to show.  Hot Wheels Video Racers have a video camera encased inside a small car…about the same size as normal Hot Wheels cars.  Video Racers run on normal Hot Wheels track and can capture and produce 30 frames per second video footage of the “driver” experience.  The camera captures the essence of the race or track loop de loops constructed by the child.  The video camera inside the car can capture 12 minutes of memory and the car has a built-in mini LCD screen for playback and delete functions.  But the Video Racers “thrill of the race” captured moments don’t have to stop at the race track.  Mattel will also sell a protective case that can attach the Video Racer to bikes, helmets, skateboards, or radio control cars.  All video footage can be uploaded to a computer via USB and custom videos can be created using Video Racer’s editing software.  Our kids will become video producers before they hit their  teens!  I love how easier things are getting.  Toys like this are a great way to introduce kids into new careers that weren’t even thought of when we were kids.  Now that’s sweet!  Video Racers will be available in the Fall for $59.99.

LASER PEGS – now here’s a toy I have been following for about 1 1/2 years now, since it was first introduced.  When I first saw LASER PEGS online, I knew they’d be a hit.  I had the opportunity to see LASER PEGS  in person at their first showing at the  Toy Fair.  Their whole booth was lit up with fun structures made with the LASER PEGS.  These things are cool.  Geared for kids aged 7 and up, LASER PEGS  are clear plastic tubes, tube corners, blocks, and balls you can piece together.  Kids can build anything their imagination can come up with.  There are also directions showing them how to build bugs, a dune buggy, tractor, and other things.  When brought to life either through battery power or AC adaptor (sold separately), the whole structure lights up in hues of green, blue, and red.  Since the LASER PEGS are LED lights, they are touted to last up to 100,000 hours.  LASER PEGS will be a sure-fire hit this Christmas if you buy one for your child.  LASER PEGS can be purchased online from a number of retailers, including Amazon.com.  Amazon.com  sells the best selling LASER PEGS product, the 3-in-1 72 piece LASER PEG set for $38.40 with free shipping.

GlowCrazy Distance Doodler – Who doesn’t like things that glow in the dark?  Glow in the dark is big this year.  Crayola introduced its glow in the dark sidewalk chalk and in my “The New York Toy Fair in Pictures” post, I reported on the new glow in the dark Hexbugs and racetrack.  Now, GlowCrazy has recently come out with their Distance Doodler.  The Distance Doodler comes with two removable  jumbo wall clings that you can affix on your walls or ceiling.  Using the Distance Doodler Magic Lightwand, you can write or draw on the wall clings from a distance using light.  The light images stay on the wall clings for up to a minute or two before they totally fade away.  Kids can play a fun game of tic-tac-“glow” on the wall, or use the included stencils to draw some fun shapes.   Forget the kids, I can’t wait to play with the Distance Doodler!  GlowCrazy’s Distance Doodler retails f or $24.99.  If you place your order online through www.glowcrazy.com, you will receive a bonus wide-beam Glow Wand, two extra wall clings, and four additional stencils.  Fun stuff!

Well, there you go!  These toys conclude the rest of my favorite top 18 products from the Toy Fair 2011.  If you missed my first post, My Top Favorite Toys from the Toy Fair 2011, be sure to check it out.  The new ZIKE will forever change the way you think about scooters.  And the mess and frustration of filling up water balloons are a thing of the past with the Pumponator. 

I hope you enjoyed our coverage from the Toy Fair.  It was a lot of fun and I met so many wonderful bloggers there too.  A special shout out to Keriann from the www.ToyQueen.com, Rebecca from www.Beccarama.com and www.KidzVuz.com (a great new site where kids can post their video reviews of their toys), Jen from www.Nextkidthing.com, Rachel from www.busymommymedia.com, and Christy from http://morethanmommy.com/.