{"id":2185,"date":"2011-02-27T01:41:08","date_gmt":"2011-02-26T18:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/?p=2185"},"modified":"2011-03-10T13:11:05","modified_gmt":"2011-03-10T06:11:05","slug":"my-top-favorite-toys-from-toy-fair-2011-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/my-top-favorite-toys-from-toy-fair-2011-part-i\/","title":{"rendered":"My Top Favorite Toys from Toy Fair 2011 Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Lori Cunningham\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As you could see from my post, “The New York Toy Fair in Pictures<\/a>,” there was a lot going on in the Western Hemisphere’s biggest Toy Fair.\u00a0 The Javit’s\u00a0Convention Center in Manhattan is huge and much of it contained the Toy Fair.\u00a0 I’m used to the Consumer Electronics Show<\/a> in Las Vegas, and it is even bigger, so I was very surprised when after 4 days, I still didn’t get to see everything at the Toy Fair.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I worked<\/span> played “hard” each day to visit as many booths as possible.\u00a0 I met some really nice game inventors in the\u00a0\u00a0Educational Insights’\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0booth who hand signed their games and gave them to me to try with my kids.\u00a0 There was a simple game called The\u00a0Sneaky, Snacky\u00a0Squirrel Game<\/em>\u00a0that I thought was rather simplistic, but my 5 year old son just loves it.\u00a0 Another one entitled Ticks, Tacks, & Toes was hilarious and allowed my 2 kids and I to play tic tac toe against each other at once.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned in my last post, “The New York Toy Fair in Pictures<\/a>,” I couldn’t just pick my top 5 or 10 toys.\u00a0\u00a0 So, I narrowed it down to my top 19.\u00a0 I broke down the toy categories into Non-tech Toys, Fun Tech Friends Toys, Tech Games & Interaction, and Tech Toys.\u00a0 The toys in the Tech Toys category are typically boy toys (techy cars and blocks) but I know a lot of girls that would love them too.\u00a0 In this article, I will cover the Non-tech Toys and the Fun Tech Friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On with the show!<\/h2>\n

Non-Tech Toys<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>SKY BALL<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0– the SKY BALL is a small, slightly bigger than you hand, ball.\u00a0 It looks, well, rather ordinary.\u00a0 It comes in many colors and decorations.\u00a0 Many are see-thru, some are not.\u00a0\u00a0But looks can be\u00a0deceiving!\u00a0 This ordinary ball can pack a punch and zoom up to 75 feet in the air after bouncing it on the ground.\u00a0 I tried it, it works!\u00a0 The ball is filled\u00a0with helium.\u00a0 The helium and the special material the ball is made\u00a0of is what gives it it’s power.\u00a0\u00a0 The harder you bounce it on the ground, the higher it soars!\u00a0 It\u00a0bounces 5 times higher than a basketball.\u00a0 \u00a0SKY BALL gave me some balls to take home\u00a0<\/span>and my kids and I have been having a blast with them.\u00a0\u00a0 These balls really go high.\u00a0 \u00a0Retail price is $8.50-$9.50 dependent up the style you choose.\u00a0 And most likely once you start looking for these balls, you’ll find them everywhere.\u00a0 We even found some at our local grocery store once we returned from our trip to NYC.<\/p>\n

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Pumponator<\/span> <\/strong>– right away I was enamored\u00a0by this product.\u00a0 The Pumponator is a fantastic idea that makes it easier for kids to blow up their own balloons by pumping air into the chamber.\u00a0 Just press a button and the balloon fills right up.\u00a0 The Pumponator even comes with a booklet that shows how to make some popular balloon animals like a dog, sword, or swan.\u00a0 Even better though, the Pumponator also can be\u00a0filled with water so kids can make their own water balloons, without being tied down to a water hose.\u00a0 Very cool.\u00a0 The Pumponator retails for $19.99 and can be found online as well as Toys R Us.\u00a0 Love it, love it, love it!<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Hot Wheels Wall Tracks<\/span> <\/strong>– I currently\u00a0have a fascination\u00a0for toys that can be\u00a0played on walls.\u00a0 After all, who wants to keep stepping on all of your kids’ toys all the time?\u00a0 If the toys are out of the way but easily available, it’s a win-win for both kids and parents.\u00a0 I highlighted a similar wall product called Wall Coasters marble run in my “The New York Toy Fair in Pictures<\/a>,” post earlier.\u00a0 Hot Wheels has now come out with Wall Tracks that allows you to affix these new tracks to your walls for vertical car races down your wall!\u00a0 The race track uses 3M\u00a0Command\u2122 Strips to ensure\u00a0the tracks are secured to the wall.\u00a0 They will not take off paint or leave a residue.\u00a0 For people with limited space in their homes, this is an ideal solution…and they’re fun!\u00a0 Hot Wheels Wall Tracks will be out this Fall and will retail for $16.99 for the Basic Assortment and $29.99 for the Starter Set.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>ZIKE<\/span> <\/strong>– can you say ultra cool?\u00a0 What a revolution in the bike industry!\u00a0 The new ZIKE\u00a0is a cross between a bike and a scooter.\u00a0 It looks like a scooter but it has a chain and “pedals” that resemble an elliptical machine you’d find in a gym.\u00a0 To ride it, you just pump the ski like pedals back and forth.\u00a0 Complete with a kick stand, the ZIKE\u00a0comes in an array of fun colors and makes for an ideal “bike” for the family.\u00a0 With ZIKE, the traditional family bike ride has been transformed\u00a0and infused with fun.\u00a0 ZIKES\u00a0are available for kids and adults with up to 18 gears!\u00a0 ZIKES\u00a0will debut later in the year starting at $189 and going up to over $400.\u00a0 I can’t wait to try one out!<\/p>\n

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Now for the Fun Tech Friends….<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>Penbo<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0– Penbo is an adorable plush and plastic penguin that walks like a penguin and speaks…Penguish of course!\u00a0\u00a0 Penbo responds to touch and can talk, sing, even dance!\u00a0 What’s unique about Penbo is that she has in her belly a baby.\u00a0 If you touch Pengo’s\u00a0heart, her tummy pops open and you’ll see a cute little furry baby that talks and responds to her mama as well as apparently controls her mom like a remote control.\u00a0 Hmmm…just like in real life!\u00a0 I think it’s hilarious that the woman showing me how Penbo works kept referring to the baby as a surprise baby.\u00a0 Is it a surprise to the child playing with Pengo\u00a0or to Pengo herself?\u00a0 LOL!\u00a0 The Pink Penbo retails for $43.46 at Amazon<\/a>.\u00a0 Additional babies sell for $9.99 to $14.99 dependent upon the baby you choose.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span>Mattel Fijits<\/strong><\/span>– now these little things are cute!\u00a0 Fijits\u00a0are colorful little robot-like friends that love to dance, talk, and\u00a0\u00a0make jokes.\u00a0 With built-in “beat detection functionality” Fijit\u00a0Friends recognize different types of music and change their dances accordingly.\u00a0 Fijits\u00a0can also respond\u00a0to more than 30 verbal commands.\u00a0The geek in me loved their special integrated “Sonic Chirp technology” which triggers Fijit\u00a0to respond when detected in different media platforms such as mobile apps, web shows, TV commercials, etc..\u00a0 Mattel had 7 of them all together and it was adorable to watch all of them make the same moves at the same time.\u00a0 Little girls will love these colorful little friends.\u00a0\u00a0 Scheduled to come out in the\u00a0 Fall, Fijits will retail for $49.99.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Fisher Price’s Rock-n-Roll Mickey<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– Rock-n-Roll Mickey was very cute…and quite entertaining! Mickey jams with his guitar showing off his rocking moves like head bobs, kick stepping, and his ultimate\u00a0move where he plays the guitar with his nose.\u00a0 How many people can do that???\u00a0 Although he plays to several songs, “You Really Got Me” is a hip song Mickey really groves too.\u00a0 And he’s happy to teach you his moves too…although the nose move might be a bit difficult.\u00a0 Move over Tickle Me Elmo, there’s a new show in town!\u00a0 Rock-n-Roll Mickey is geared to ages 2+ and will retail in September at $49.99.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>GUND Peek A Boo Bear<\/span> <\/strong>– thankfully one of the reps from GUND\u00a0invited me into their booth to see the latest GUND\u00a0products.\u00a0 I know GUND, they are a great stuffed animal company.\u00a0 But the last thing I was expecting was to find was a stuffed animal with any technology embedded in it.\u00a0 To my surprise, they have a couple of offerings now.\u00a0 A gruff touchdown bear who participates in the action of\u00a0a big football game and the ever adorable Peek A Boo Bear.\u00a0 It stole my heart from the word “boo!”\u00a0 The adorable little bear is cute enough, but when you start him up he’ll\u00a0grab his little blankie\u00a0and put it in front of his eyes.\u00a0 Then he’ll lower it and see “peek\u00a0a boo.”\u00a0 I think back to the countless times I’ve played this game with each of my kids.\u00a0 Babies just love the game of “peek\u00a0a boo.”\u00a0 GUND’s Peek A Boo Bear is available now for $43.99 from Amazon.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span>Zhu\u00a0Zhu Pet Puppies<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 As you may\u00a0know, I’m a big fan of Zhu\u00a0Zhu Pets (Random Acts of Zhu: Giving away 104 Zhu\u00a0Zhu Pets!<\/a>,\u00a0Kung Zhu Pets Battle it Out <\/a>,\u00a0Our ZhuZhu Wild Bunch Prankster Party! <\/a>).\u00a0 At the Toy Fair, they introduced a number of new lines for Zhu\u00a0Zhu\u00a0Pets – many for girls and a good collection for boys as well.\u00a0I was pretty enamored by the Zhu\u00a0Zhu\u00a0Pet Puppies.\u00a0 They are adorable and full of personality.\u00a0 There are a variety of\u00a0different dogs available.\u00a0 As much as I like the hamsters, I have to say I’m even more smitten by these little\u00a0 guys.\u00a0 The Zhu\u00a0Zhu\u00a0Pet Puppies have new playsets\u00a0to extend their play like a cashier\/register checkout stand where one puppy moves the shoppers grocery items down the conveyor belt.\u00a0 And let me tell you, Zhu\u00a0Zhu\u00a0Pets has LOTS more planned for later this year and next year.\u00a0 Stay tuned for some exciting new Zhu\u00a0Zhu Pets and activities!<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Aren’t these toys fun?\u00a0 If you saw them in person, you’d just love them.\u00a0 My kids and I had the opportunity\u00a0to play with the SKYBALL\u00a0and the Pumponator balloon filler.\u00a0 I’ll be writing a review on them later.\u00a0 But I can tell you that the SKYBALL provided some great exercise…when you miss a catch, that ball just keep bouncing along and you really have to run after it!\u00a0\u00a0 We really had a great time.\u00a0 And the Pumponator, well, all I can say is you’ve GOT to get one of these.\u00a0 My kids played with it for hours and it really gives them a sense of independence as they can now blow up or add water by themselves to their balloons.\u00a0 LOVE IT!<\/p>\n

See\u00a0more FUNTASTIC\u00a0 toys in a further\u00a0post, “My Top Favorite Toys from Toy Fair 2011\u00a0 Part II<\/a>.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Want a sneek peek at some of the hottest toys from this year’s TOY FAIR? Take a look at our fave products…many coming out later this year. This article covers both Non-tech Toys and Fun Tech Friends. This post is part I because I couldn’t fit them all in one post! Stay tuned for part 2!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,14],"tags":[565,568,556,557,559,563,571,439,560,555,566,558,562,569,570,535,280,564,567,561],"class_list":["post-2185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kids","category-moms","tag-3m-command-strips","tag-balloon-animals","tag-fijits","tag-fisher-price","tag-gund","tag-hot-wheels","tag-kids-toys","tag-mattel","tag-peek-a-boo-bear","tag-penbo","tag-pumponator","tag-rock-n-roll-mickey","tag-scooter","tag-sky-ball","tag-skyball","tag-toy-fair","tag-toys","tag-wall-tracks","tag-water-balloons","tag-zike","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2185"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2185\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}