Toys

At Toy Fair, Mattel featured several exciting new Barbie toys and playsets.  Barbie, this year, is all about fashion and accessorizing.

The new Barbie Photo Fashion doll includes a digital camera on the front of Barbie's shirt. With the push of a button, the photo taken will appear as an image that will accessorize her t-shirt. The doll holds 100 images and has an internal rechargeable battery. Images can also be downloaded to the computer. This doll will be available in August 2012 and retail for $49.99.

Barbie will have a new Ultimate Closet even adults will dream about. The wardrobe will hold one fashion doll, shoes, accessories and fashions. The closet includes hangers and compartments for storage. The closet will include 1 fashion accessory and a ring that unlocks additional content in the Endless Closet Fashionistas mobile app available for iPad and iPhone from iTunes. The toy will retail for $24.99 and will be available in June 2012.

On March 23rd, 2012, in addition to popular television programming provided to children, the Disney Channel will launch a new channel, Disney Junior. Disney Junior shows will be geared for kids ages 2-7 and their families. At an event in New York City held in conjunction with Toy Fair, Disney Consumer Products debuted over 130 new toys that were developed around 4 Disney shows.

Doc McStuffins is a new show that will debut on Disney Junior and features a 6-year-old African American little girl who heals stuffed animals and toys in her backyard clinic.  Toys included in this line allow children to nurture their own toys back to health, just like Doc McStuffins. Mickey Mouse will be featured in new line featuring fun and interactive play sets, figures and vehicles inspired by the upcoming Mickey Mouse Clubhouse special, Mickey and Donald Have a Farm, premiering this fall. Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck will run a specialty Bow-tique that sells only bowties and bows in Minnie's Bow-Toons. Jake and the Neverland Pirates was voted the #1 cable television show for boys ages 2-5 in 2011. David Arquette the voice of Skully and Sharon Osbourne, the voice of Mama Hook, were available at the event to help launch the first toy line released for this popular series.

The fun, new items debuted at the event from Disney Consumer Products that center around these 4 shows feature  many imaginative role-play toys, as well as bikes, ride-on toys and family games. These exciting offerings have been developed in conjunction with popular brands such as Fisher-Price, Just Play, VTech, Wonderland, Huffy and the Wonder Forge.

This year at Toy Fair 2012, Hasbro is "launching" a great new product! The new line is called the Koosh Galaxy line! The brand has designed a new, soft foam ball that fits in a variety of blasters that are safe and recommended for kids ages 4 and up! With all the fun of some of their NERF siblings, these will surely bit a hit with the younger sibling crowd.

February 12th in New York City is the official start of the 109th American International Toy Fair! At this 4 day event, over 1,100 different manufacturer's, exhibitors, importers, and sales agents from around the world will debut their new toy and entertainment products.

This exhilarating event, produced by the Toy Industry Association (TIA), is where I as a member of the media get a first hand look at all of the exciting new products that will be released at different times throughout the year. It's also where we get a glimpse of the new and exciting toys your children will be asking for in the 2012 holiday season! I can't wait to share all of these new toys with you!

Here I am pictured with Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head who celebrated their 60th Birthday at the Hasbro showroom. Do you have any guesses as to what the latest toy trends will be this year?

Last year at Toy Fair, I got a chance to see these really cool ride-on toys for toddlers and preschoolers. The YBike Pewi is recommended for kids ages 10 months and up because it begins as a push toy for new walkers, but with its unique caster wheels is a fast, fun toy for toddlers.

The YBike, with it's 100 lb. weight limit, is a balance bike for older children. Balance bikes are a new wave of bikes that help children develop some of the foundational skills for pedaled bikes as they help children learn about their center of gravity.  Click on the links to read full reviews on the YBike Pewi and YBike. If you are looking for some new cool bikes and scooters for kids of all ages, you may want to view this list of outdoor ride-on toys.

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The Leap Frog TAG Reading System was developed several years ago. This device, that resembles a pen, when placed on various places in its accompanying storybooks, will allow children to interact with the story as it reads words, ask questions, speaks sound effects and engageschildren in various games that promote comprehension and visual discrimination. This educational toy encourages children to develop a love for reading at young ages and is recommended for kids ages 4-9. Several additional storybooks, such as Learn to Write and Draw with Mr. Pencil, and world and solar system maps, are also accessories that can be purchased for use with the TAG Reader.  If you have younger children in your home, The Tag Jr. is a similar device, that uses board books and is recommended for kids ages 2-4.

As part of the Tag.Give.Read program, Leap Frog has partnered with Donorschose.org so that others can donate money that will allow teachers to purchase TAG Readers for their classroom. Leap Frog matches donations dollar for dollar as part of this program. To make a donation, click here.

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Zhu Zhu Pets are the motorized hamsters your children have been chasing about your living room floor since the holidays. DaGeDar is a ball bearing action toy that includes jumps and ramps that children love to race.

If your children are in the mood to make their own Valentine's Day cards this season, both websites have links to print a PDF of free, colorful Valentine's Day cards. To print these cards simply go to www.zhuniverse.com or www.dagedar.com and click on the Valentine's Day promotion.

Click here for a review of the Zhu Zhu Babies.  Your favorite Zhu Zhu Pet characters are also featured in their movie, The Quest for Zhu.

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On a brief poll to my Twitter followers, I asked, "Who would buy toys for their children for Valentine's Day?" People responded that small boxes of chocolate and books were typical gift items. However, one person remembered that receiving a stuffed animal from her parents was a memorable gift as a child.

Whether you plan to buy something little or something more memorable, there are some great companies such as Steiff and the Vermont Teddy Bear Company that make handmade stuffed animals and teddy bears that could be a unique purchase for your loved ones this Valentine's Day.

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25,000 infant rattles by Lee Carter are being recalled due to a potential choking hazard. The handle of the rattle is long enough to fit in an infant's mouth and throat.

The rattle is about 4 inches long and is made of multi-colored woven plastic. Made in Mexico" and "Lee Carter Company" are printed on a tag on a purple plastic loop at the end of the rattle's handle. It was sold is specialty Mexican craft stores from February 2001 through October 2011 for about $4.

Consumers should take the toy away from their child immediately and contact Lee Carter company at (415) 824-2004 with any questions. The item can be returned to the store for a full refund or credit.

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Looking for a wagon for your children? The Little Tikes company, as part of their LeapSweeps campaign, will be giving away 29 wagons during the month of February. Go to www.littletikes.com to enter. Enter by February 29, 2012. Winners will be notified in March 2012.

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