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NYC Toy Fair 2018 Sneak Peak

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(Originally posted on DailyLounge.com, by Amelia Floyd.)

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Reyne Rice is back at the Toy Fair in NYC with this year’s hottest trends!

LEGO

Lego adds fun to playing and taps into our imaginations! The LEGO brick is turning 60 this year and to celebrate, they have created five LEGO 60th Anniversary “What Will You Build?” sets, designed to inspire creativity and open-ended building. The boxes are colorful and filled with classic bricks, special elements and mini-figures. LEGO is a timeless, nostalgic toy that brings parents back to their childhood and connects them with their own kids. By focusing on Bigger Thinking, kids will build self-confidence with fun. No rules, just play, explore and discover. AND, in April, the Mini-figures celebrate their 40th anniversary~ Click here to learn more.

Fin Fun Mermaid

Kids can explore their dreams, while learning swimming skills with Fin Fun’s Mermaid Tails that let kids swim like real mermaids. The quality of these tails are spectacular, and Fin Fun offers a 60-day Tail Tip Guarantee. The patented monofins are inserted into the tail and the quick-release design, lets you remove the tail with just a tug and a kick of the feet. Mermaid tails are recommended for competent swimmers 6 years and older, and ONLY with adult supervision. Adults can wear them too! Coral Cloud is a NEW Limited Edition color and Mariana’s Tidal Wave is a consistent best seller. Click here to learn more.

Build or Boom

Are you looking for a fun game that challenges your kids? Build OR Boom by Goliath Games encourages kids, ages 4 and up, to hone their STEM skills. Each child sees who can be the first to bring the blueprint cards to life. Kids work on their own platform, quickly but carefully, to match the blueprint. Be the first one to finish, then SMASH the boomer and demolish the other players’ building to win the round. Driven by kids’ imagination and parents will love that no batteries are required. Click here to learn more.

SmartGurlz

Smartgurlz is a line of Award winning, self-balancing robots and action dolls that teaches girls to code. As Seen on Shark Tank, just connect your smartphone or tablet to the E-Learning app and give your daughter STEM confidence and provide loads of fun. Watch your robot roll across the room, perform dance moves or play learning games. The app includes missions, books and a step-by-step tutorial on how to code! Click here to learn more.

Black Friday Toys 2017

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Originally posted on dailylounge.com

 

Reyne Rice has this season’s gift ideas just in time for Black Friday & Cyber Monday!

LEGO DUPLO Family House

Kids love construction sets and younger kids can have fun practicing real world activities or using their imagination to create an entirely new world. The LEGO DUPLO Family House is designed for a child’s smaller hands to develop motor skills, and introduce children as young as 1 1/2 to LEGO building, with bricks that are twice the size of a classic brick. With endless playing possibilities and loads of elements and colors to spark their imagination, they learn to stack, build, and role-play as they act out everyday life. Visit shop.lego.com to learn more!

Catch the Fox

Playing games is a great way to bond as a family over the holidays. Catch the Fox by Goliath Games was named toy of the year in France, bringing laughter and fun to the family when uh oh – the Fox is in the hen house. This greedy fox is snapping up the chickens and stuffing them into his pockets. But when there are too many chickens, his pants will fall down, sending the chickens scurrying so it keeps everyone guessing. Be the first to return 5 chickens to your coop to win! Click here to learn more.

Merge VR Cube

This is the Merge Cube, an award-winning 3D Augmented Reality toy that you use with your smartphone or tablet. This cube allows kids to hold digital, holographic objects in the palm of their hand! Many kids are hands-on learners, and this is enhancing the learning experience in a fun way that they will remember! Just download free or paid apps to activate and play with 3D games, characters and learning tools, like a skull, a rotating labyrinth, a chomping piranha, and so much more…all for less than $15! Click here to learn more!

Passback Sports

Getting kids outdoors is always a plus. Kids will get hours of enjoyment out of these Passback Sports footballs. It is a one-of-a-kind training tool that is thrown like a regulation ball but engineered to hit a surface and come spiraling back. Aim the flat side of the ball to any wall surface and be amazed as it boomerangs back to the person who threw it. It’s like having a perfect practice partner when no one is around! It comes in three sizes: Pee Wee, Junior and an official Full size. Click here to learn more!

Licensing & Anni­versaries That Will Continue to Drive Products into 2017

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Originally posted on Spielwarenmesse.com

Over 40 movies are slated for 2017, throughout the entire year, that will appeal to fans of these favorite characters and brands:  superheroes, classic characters, favorite playthings, all with relevant new content for today’s generations of movie-goers and experience-seeking customers.

The year of 2017 is shaping up to be another substantial year for strong licenses and licensed properties, and brands with multi-generational appeal. There are a number of factors that support this premise. Character licensing is no longer relegated to the merchandising power of toys and games.  Strong theatrical releases, live events and multi-tier tentpole events are driving merchandising dollars into apparel, publishing, sports, entertainment theme parks, and even more branded lifestyle categories. 

For example, it was no coincidence that Pokémon Go attracted a wide swath of the population across multiple age groups. In 2017, the Pokémon brand celebrates their 20th anniversary. Kids who grew up with Pokemon are now young adults, for whom augmented reality treasure hunts were a positive pat-time for Summer 2016. Kids and parents also joined the foot traffic, as tens of millions of people across the globe hunted for the elusive Pokémon characters. Expect more Pokémon news throughout 2017, in new and exciting formats that will continue to break barriers with technology innovations. Promoting inter-generational play, active outdoor activities and the “Gotta Catch Em All “mentality will continue throughout 2017.

Key Anniversaries of Brands and Movie/TV Characters

Property Anniversary Property Owner
In the Night Garden 10 DHX Media
YooHoo & Friends 10 Aurora World/ Mondo TV
Yu-Gi-Oh 15 4K Media
Build A Bear 20 Build-A-Bear
Pokemon 20 The Pokemon Company
TeleTubbies 20 DHX media
Power Rangers 25 Saban
Dragon Ball Z 30 Toie Animation
Care Bears 35 American greetings
Danger Mouse 35 Fremantle
Maya the Bee 40 Studio 100
Star Wars 40 Lucas Ent/ Disney
Thunderbirds 50 ITV Studios
Toie Animation 60 Toie Animation
Mr Potato Head 65 Hasbro
Wonder Woman 75 Marvel/ Disney
Daffy Duck 80 Warner Bros Looney Tunes
Goofy animated character 85 Disney
LEGO 85 Lego
Lincoln Logs 100 Knex
Teddy Bear 115 multiple
Märklin Trains 125 Marklin
Peter Rabbit: Beatrix Potter 150 Sony / Penguin/Beatrix Potter

 

Other strong cross-generational brands celebrating major milestones include Star Wars 40th anniversary.  Their first action figures for boys were launched in 1977, and stores couldn’t get enough merchandise to meet demand, even then. This dual target audience brand (kids and adults) will be strengthened with another new Star Wars movie, Episode VIII in late 2017, and the Rogue One movie (Holiday 2016) will continue to offer new footage and characters with epic stories in late 2016 and spilling over into 2017.

On a softer side, Care Bears will be celebrating its 35th anniversary with a Fall 2017 movie release. TeleTubbies are back, marking a 20 year anniversary with new TV episodes. Their storyline has been updated for today’s kids by updating the television screen on their tummies with touch-screens. Power Rangers continue to appeal to new fans each year, and will be celebrating 25 years of Power Rangers with their own 2017 movie launch. DragonBall Z (30th) and even Dirty Dancing (30th) will continue to tug at Millennial heart strings, with young adults and new parents remembering their childhood favorites.

With this knowledge of upcoming movies and strong anniversaries, store shelves and online channels will continue to appeal to the dual-target market audiences, and offer an inter-generational connection for the young and the young-at-heart.

Blockbuster Movies 2017 with Popular License Properties

 

Blockbuster 2017
 
Title Studio Release Date
The Greatest Showman on Earth 20th Century Fox Jan 2017
Monster Trucks Paramount Feb 2017
LEGO Batman Warner Bros Feb 2017
Beauty & The Beast Disney March 2017
King Arthur; Legends of the Swords Warner Bros March 2017
Smurfs 3: The Lost Village Sony April 2017
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Disney April 2017
Fast 8: Fast & the Furious NBC Universal April 2017
Power Rangers Lionsgate April 2017
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Disney May 2017
Despicable Me 3 (Minions) Universal June 2017
Wonder Woman Warner Bros June 2017
Transformers 5: The Last Knight Paramount June 2017
Thor Ragnarok Disney July 2017
Cars 3 Disney July 2017
Emoji Movie: Express Yourself Sony Aug 2017
Jumanjii Sony Sept 2017
LEGO Ninjago Warner Bros Sept 2017
Care Bears: The Movie Not yet announced Sept 2017
Justice League Warner Bros Nov 2017
Black Panther Disney Nov 2017
Croods 2 20th Century Fox Dec 2017
Star Wars, Episode VIII Disney Dec 2017

Why Tech Toys are Here to Stay

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Originally posted on Spielwarenmesse.com

Besides being fun, and incredibly engaging, tech toys and games have evolved into amazing new categories of play that offer thrills and tap into new skills for kids and adults. These new segments include robots and RC drones, electronic pets, 3D printing, virtual play, and also incorporate new technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and even artificial intelligence.

The most exciting premise of these new technological toys is that they encourage kids to be active creators of their play experiences. By inspiring kids to embrace an active creator playstyle, instead of a passive consumer mindset, we are evolving kids into being vested in the process of building, making, creating and customizing their toys. This has developed a whole generation of kids that take more risks and are becoming more confident “Do-It-Yourself” kids. When kids start to ask “What if?”, then we have got them thinking. Encouraging experimentation and curiosity are important, active life skills.

Here is a review of the top new segments that are emerging, and some of the players that are leading the charge. Get excited, and get in on the fun.  The best way to learn new technology is to place it into the hands of kids you know, and play right alongside them.

Electronic Pets

Spin Master: Zoomer Chimp
Spin Master: Zoomer Chimp
Wowwee: CHiP
Wowwee: CHiP

As kids become more sophisticated and adept at technology, their toy electronic pets have also become more interactive. The CogniToy Dino, is a cloud-based WiFi Connected Toy that allows kids to engage in intelligent conversations. C.H.I.P is an electronic puppy who is trained by their owner to follow a child, to learn tricks and even to play with an object that uses beacon sense smart technology (Wow-Wee).

Spin Master has created a variety of smart technology pets in multiple play iterations.  Their Meccano Meccasaur uses sensors and touch-points that are built into the creature, so that kids just need to activate the touchpoints to get reactions such as roars, speech, attack mode and other playful sounds.  Hatchimals, (Spin Master) offer a new form of nurturing play, to evolve new characters that actually hatch from their inner eggshell over time, to become unique, functioning, interactive pets. Zoomer Chimp is a playful chimpanzee that uses smart technology to sense its owner and to respond to tricks and commands.

Robot Toys

Sphero: BB-8 Star Wars Droid
Sphero: BB-8 Star Wars Droid

So many new iterations here engage kids to teach and control their robots. Coji Emoticon Robot by Wow-Wee uses emoticons as the social and emotional intelligence programming language. Dash and Dot (Wonder Workshop) teach coding to preschoolers and older kids can create more sophisticated programs, such as devising obstacle courses, or building with accessories, to create more complicated stunts and actions. OzoBot mini one-inch robots and the Sphero BB-8 robot have both encouraged character-based play with coding sequences that surprise and delight kids as users.

RC Drones

DJI: Phantom 4
DJI: Phantom 4

From the smallest portable Pocket Drone, by Odyssey Toys that folds as flat as a credit card to the most sophisticated DJI Phantom 4K camera flying drones, there is a wide spectrum of flying RC drones to choose from. Horizon Hobby has launched their First-Person-View (FPV) drones to experience the thrill of racing, as seen through the pilot’s eyeglasses. Other key stand-out manufacturers in this segment include SilverLit, SkyRocket Toys, Revell, Carrera, and AuldeyToys.

Virtual Play

1. Augmented Reality

More companies are using augmented reality technology in ways that are more elegant and playful, for the end user. AirHogs Connect: Mission Drone Augmented Reality RC, by Spin Master incorporates drone technology, and uses an augmented reality controller as a viewing device. The built-in play pattern is all about initiating and completing missions, while actively playing, and flying your drone.

Reach Robotics MekaMon battling Robots, Anki OverDrive Racing vehicles, and WowWee R.E.V vehicles and R.E.V Air drones all encourage kids to drive their air and land vehicles, with dexterity and purpose.

R.E.V. : Robotic Enhanced Vehicles by WowWee Extended Version
 
2. Electronic Learning

With a continued emphasis on STEM Learning, more manufacturers are adding coding, programming and logic-building into toys and games. The Fisher-Price Think N Learn Code-A-Pillar teaches the basics of computer programming to preschoolers  who add segments to a caterpillar-shaped toy. Each connectable segment represents a coded command which the caterpillar will execute in sequence, such as turning, moving forward or reverse, adding sound components and more. 

Vtech Go Go Smart toys, little Bits Gadgets & Gizmos, Sphero S.P.R.K Edition, Kosmos Verlag Kosmo Bits (CodeMaker in the USA), Happy Atoms by Thames & Kosmos, LEGO Education WeDo Version 2, HexBugs VEX Robotics, Marbotics alphabet blocks, Tiggly Learning, Edwin the Duck (pi labs), and OSMO (Tangible Play), are all new manufacturers who are joining this STEM to STREAM (Science, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) movement.

Think & Learn Code-a-pillar™ | Fisher-Price

3. Virtual Reality

Google and Mattel partnered to re-invent the ViewMaster adding new 360 degree viewing capabilities to an old classic. Mel-Science has developed Science Kits that incorporate VR viewing in the final experiment stages, to make the learning even more relevant. Zing Toys has added a Green Screen Stage to their StikBots products, to encourage kids to create and share their digital movies and scenes, via an immensely popular social media gallery website.

View-Master® Virtual Reality 360° Experience

 

3D Printing

3D ImagiPen
3D ImagiPen

These products bring concepts to life in a very tangible way, using 3D and 4D modeling. Whether kids use a 3D printer to create their toys, or a 3D doodling pen, to build products with filaments in the air, the excitement is in building something unique in the colors and combinations of the kids choosing.

Some examples include: Mattel ThingMaker 3D printer, XYZ Printing Robot Building Systems, 3D Magic ImagiPen (Tech 4 Kids), The original 3D Doodler Pen, and their newer 3D doodler Starter Kit, SkyRocket Toys 3D Chocolate Pen, and Redwood Ventures 3D Drawing Pen.

Black Friday Toys 2016

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 Originally posted on DailyLounge.com.

 

Toy Trend Expert, Reyne Rice, has this year’s best toys just in time for Black Friday!

LEGO NINJAGO

LEGO Juniors was developed to provide builders ages 4 and older an easy-to-assemble brick-building experience to transition from bigger Duplo blocks to smaller LEGO bricks. NEW this year, LEGO Juniors NINJAGO Themed Sets The Lost Temple and Snake Showdown are perfect for the child who watches the TV show along with their older siblings and wants to get in on the fun! Now, they can build on their own — without help– and play along with the characters and stories they love. These sets feature familiar Ninjago characters with land and air vehicles and lots of interactive features, including a helicopter with spinning rotors, a super Ninja car with rolling wheels, and a swinging axe and a spinning saw blade. Click here to learn more! 

Ozobot Evo STEM Robots

The Ozobot Evo smart STEM robot reads colors! Enjoy unplugged play with nothing more than markers and paper. Use Evo’s color language to control its lights, sounds and speed. You can also control Evo from your smartphone AND compete and play games with friends! You can even send and receive OZOJIS – emoticons that your Evo acts out.  Evo Action Skins bring your favorite Marvel characters to life … transform your Evo into Iron Man or Captain America.  Then, connect with the app to complete Stark Academy missions. Click here to learn more!

Skylanders Imaginators

Activision has taken Skylanders to a whole new realm with Imaginators, where kids can unleash their imagination, and create their own Skylanders characters. With the power of Imaginite Crystals and the guidance of the powerful Sensei Skylander Masters, kids can select their battle class, choose their gear, and pick their personalities to customize their creations. All of their previous Skylanders characters work in the Imaginators video game, and there are new side quest missions and mini-games to conquer. Click here to learn more!

Uncle Milton’s Virtual Explorer

Explore space, dinosaurs, and ants with Uncle Milton’s Virtual Explorer, a 4-in-1 interactive discovery system. With STEM-based learning at its core, the activity guides help to explore the stars with the Star Planetarium, create your own enclosed ant farm, and excavate a dinosaur skeleton. Use the virtual reality goggles with the 2-sided cards to see a 360 degree virtual reality view on one side and on the flip side, see 3D models come to life through an augmented reality experience. Simply download the FREE Explorer app onto your own smart phone, and use the included VR Goggles, to go on your journeys. Click here to learn more!

Easter Toys and Games 2016

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Originally posted on DailyLounge.com.

 

Easter is coming earlier this year (March 27th) and we’re here with some NEW ideas to fill your Easter basket!

Nintendo Selects

Nintendo JUST announced a series of 12 best-selling games called Nintendo Selects: featuring some of the Top Video Games titles for Nintendo 3DS or Wii U at only $19.99 each! Classic favorites include Super Mario: 3D World, Donkey Kong, Animal Crossing AND the famous best-seller Legends of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The collection covers legendary titles that will appeal to everyone! Great entertainment for the whole family. Visit Nintendo Selects to learn more.

The LEGO Elves

The LEGO Elves line adds more adventures for builders ages 7 and older to explore. These highly detailed sets take children through a fantasy land full of dragons, elves and other mystical creatures. The Starlight Inn includes a turning telescope, a hidden staircase and key plus a flame element that adds to the storytelling. Children can pretend to save the baby fire dragon, Spark, and tuck him into his translucent dragon egg bed. Visit the Starlight Inn to learn more!

ABCmouse.com

Give the gift of education with ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy for kids ages 2 to 7. Developed by teachers and childhood experts, this site has over 650 lessons and 7,000 guided activities such as games, puzzles, and eBooks. It can be used on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Parents will love the safe online environment without links to other websites. Each subscription is $7.95 a month, with separate profiles for up to 3 kids, so each child’s progress can be tracked. Visit ABCmouse.com for more information! Also, get ABCmouse.com in the Apple Store here, the Amazon Appstore here … or on Google Play here.

Schleich

Delight your children with Schleich figurine toys! For over 80 years, these toys have been hand-painted with detailing that shows quality craftmanship. Moms love to give the figurines and playsets because they encourage creative play and are great for little hands as young as three years old. Families can add to their Schleich collection all year round with farm and wild animals, dinosaurs, and fantasy characters. Visit Schleich-s.com for more information! Make sure you follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, AND Instagram!

Choco Treasure

And, hunt no longer for an ideal 2-in-1 Easter treat. Choco Treasure eggs are made of premium milk chocolate with a surprise toy treasure inside! The toys are really fun and interactive and have been tested safe for ALL ages! With more than 100 treasures in total, these collectibles include figurines, slap bracelets, 3D puzzles, and more! Themes include Cutest Baby Animals, Hello Kitty, Kung Fu Panda, and Minions. They only cost $1 or $2! Visit ChocoTreasure.com to learn more. Keep up to date on all things Choco Treasure by following them on Facebook.