As the lucrative and hectic toy-buying season gets underway, the brightest, most innovative toys were on display yesterday during a preview of the hottest toys for this holiday season.
Twelve toys had been singled out by Toy Wishes magazine as the “Hot Dozen” for 2004 or those predicted to be the most in demand and toughest to find once parents and friends begin buying holiday gifts for children. One toy on the list will be named the Ultimate Toy of the year.
“This is a sneak preview of the best of the best toys for the holiday season,” said Julie Livingston, marketing communications director for the Toy Industry Association, Inc., which held the second annual event in conjunction with Toy Wishes.
Among those on the list was a board game from Cranium called Balloon Lagoon, the first board game to be among the Hot Dozen. The colorful carnival-themed game has four interactive features that teach kids ages five and up about letters, matching and dexterity. Kids fish for letters in the letter pond, hop frogs to the frog pond, use typewriter type keys to match pictures with spinning blocks and roll snack dice to match snacks collecting balloons along the way. The game sells for $19.95.
“The soul of this game is the wonderful day at the carnival feel and everyone gets a chance to shine,” said Richard Tait, who refers to himself at the grand poo bah at Cranium.
Mattel made the list for its Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper, which includes two maidens that sing songs from the movie. A range of products support the dolls including a just released DVD that tells the classic tale and Cerifina, the princess’ plush cat that interacts with the DVD singing along and laughing at certain parts. The Barbie princess sells for $19.99.
“We looked at stories that are going to be engaging and inspirational to girls,” said Tim Kilpin, the head of marketing and design at Mattel. “It’s a great way for girls to engage in these characters and play them out.”
Also among the top 12 was Cabbage Patch Kids, a craze back in the 1980s that had parents storming stores for the dolls. Play Along gave birth to the new dolls that in this first crop have 17 million unique kids, each arriving with a birth certificate and adoption papers. The Kids retail for $29.99.
The popular Bratz doll was named a Hot Dozen for its Bratz Tokyo-A-Go-Go Dance N’ Skate Club for kids ages three and up. The toy, my MGA, has a disc jockey that spins around the middle of a lighted dance floor where Bratz dolls can roller skate. The club can be plugged into a stereo or CD player so kids can play music. The cost is $89.99.
Another new toy from Radica that targets kids ages eight and up made the list. The Nitro Battlerz Starter Set, which sells for $39.99, includes a battle dome and 2 cars that can be designed by the kids. Kids race the cars around the dome until one finally pushes the other out and the car crashes off the dome and breaks apart.
“Radio-controlled cars are usually solitary play and take an imaginary course,” said Jim Romaine, senior VP-sales for Radica USA. “In this instance we put a game situation for youth to compete with a thrilling conclusion.”
Other Hot Dozens include:
Bella Dancerella Home Ballet Studio: (Spin Master/ages three and up/$29.99)
E-L-M-O (Fisher-Price/ages 18 months and up/$29.99)
InteracTV (Fisher-Price/ages three and up/$39.99)
Ms. Pac-Man TV Games (JAKKS Pacific/ages five and up/$20)
Tamagotchi Connection (Bandai/ages eight to 14/$14.99)
VideoNow Color (Hasbro/ages six and up/$75.00)
V.Smile (VTech/ages three to seven/$59.99)
The American Toy Press as well as consumers can vote for their favorite Hot Dozen and from a list of All Stars, or toys the Toy Wishes editorial board predicted to be the top selling, brightest most innovative toys in more than 20 different categories, at Toywishes.com or Toysrus.com. The winner will be honored at the first The Ultimate Toy Awards show to be broadcast Dec. 4 on NBC.
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