Yesterday I headed in New York for the Holiday of Play event in partnership with the Toy Insider Mom and Woman’s Day Magazine. They showcased their Toy Insider Hot 20 & Top Tech 12 picks and we got to check them all out!
I will be writing about some of these toys in greater detail over the next few weeks but I wanted to give you my Top 5 Hot Toys Christmas Edition picks from yesterday right away…
First though, I have to say that the venue for the event was absolutely fabulous! It was held on the 44th floor of the Hearst Tower and it had windows everywhere overlooking Central Park…truly fabulous!
Okay now on to the toys…
1. Frozen is HUGE…HUGE, as I’m sure you all know so these Anna and Elsa dresses from Jakks Pacific that light up and play the songs from the movie are sure to be a big hit. They are a great quality, more of dress of clothes than costumes and the songs are catchy and fun. Plus, what little girl wouldn’t love to have a dress that lights up?
2. I really loved checking out the new VTECH Inotab Max. The Inotab Max will provide hours of learning fun for your kids and everything is age approrpriate for your little learner. With cool styling and lots to do you kids will love it AND, guess what? That means no more stealing mom and dads devices to play..woohoo!! ( I will be posting a full review on this product in the next few weeks so stayed tuned!)
3. My girls love to play with dolls and they love getting new accessories for them. Well how cute is this car from Battat toys? It is perfect for your Our Generation dolls! With a working radio and headlights that light up the hardest thing in my house would be keeping my 2 year old from sitting in it! It is fun and retro looking and sure to offer hours of play time. Make sure to also check out their new 6 inch dolls, they are perfect for little hands!
4. My girls have been asking for the new Crayola Virtual Design Pro and I got to check it out firsthand…and it is cool. It comes with everything you need to create your own designs and then you download a free app and your girls can make their fashions come alive on the catwalk. One thing I really liked is that everything comes in a carry case so it folds up for storage and would be a item to bring in the car when you are on the go. Plus it’s Crayola so you know the quality is great! There is a version for both boys and girls so this is great for everyone!
Finally, STEM( science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) products are everywhere and as a homeschooler I love any toy that sneaks in learning and that is exactly what I loved about the next two brands.
5. HEX BUG Robotics are AWESOME! They are robotics toys that your kids put together and once they are put together they move! They are so cool and they come with instructions on how to put them together but they also are also customizable so once your child is familiar with how they work they can them use them to build anything they want. There also are national robotics competitions that they can get involved it…so cool! These are perfect for my son–shh just don’t tell him okay?
6. Again, I love fun and learning and that is exactly what Thames and Kosmos offer.These science kits are awesome and they incorporate real scientifc learning while still making it fun. I was VERY impressed with the informational booklets that come with these sets, not only did they describe how to use the products but they also gave examples of WHY they work and real life applications for them. I’m certain a few of these will be showing up under our tree this year as wel
Over the next few weeks I am going to talk about some of the other great toys I checked out yesterday and maybe talk about some of them in great depth in other posts but for now, make sure to check out these six awesome toys for your kids!
Thanks again to all the great sponsors of the Holiday Of Play toy event, it was a great time!
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Mitzi says
I love the car– it is adorable!! As a kid, I remember my cousin had this template set where you could design your own clothes and I loved playing with it– nothing like the awesome Virtual Design kit, though- toys have come a long way 🙂
mgalko says
Yes they have!! Lots of fun stuff and learning based too! Thanks Mitzi!
Lindsey Gideon says
It was such a pleasure to meet you at the event! Thank you for coming by to check out our new creepy crawly VEX Robotics kits by HEXBUG! We are thrilled to be included in your top 5 🙂
mgalko says
Thank you Lindsey for participating in the event and showcasing the awesome HEXBUG! I was so very impressed and I know my son will be so excited Christmas morning. Thanks for stopping by!
Candi @ A Day in Candiland says
Can you believe I still haven’t seen Frozen. Although I am getting tips from Once upon a Time right now. The toys look great and I expect to see a lot of Elsas running around tonight for Halloween.
mgalko says
Oh Candi you have to watch it!! It really is very cute and the songs are catchy…so watch out!! Thanks for stopping by!
Heather says
This event looks fabulous. Next year I’m not going to procrastinate and get my ticket right away.
mgalko says
Heather it was FABULOUS! Make sure you go next year!
Clare says
What a fabulous view! I really like the look of those Innotabs but I think I’m going to wait until next Christmas.
Heather M says
Oh, I love the Anna and Elsa dresses. Why does everyone go for Elsa though? Poor Anna gets the bum deal.
Jennifer at Making Our Life Matter says
That looks like so much fun. Makes me wish my boys were young again so we could enjoy all this fun!
Barb @ A Life in Balance says
I need to check out the science kits for my boys, and the hexbugs, of course. DD7 would love the Crayola Virtual Design Pro.