Disclosure: This is not a compensated or sponsored post I was provided the product for review purposes only. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Toys have become kind of ridiculous. It seems every holiday season they have to top the previous year by being bigger, noisier, flashier, and with that, more expensive. And while traditional toy commercials are becoming a thing of the past as more people switch to streaming the only TV.

So which toys live up to the hype? Here are some of the best toys of 2018, that should actually get played with long after the initial thrill of opening them is over.

The ALEX DIY Paper Swirls Swirl Station

Paper that comes alive! Roll, Shape and create with the ALEX DIY Paper Swirls Swirl Station. Time to make some holiday cheer for them loved ones, all wrapped up with this creatively cool DIY system. Watch as your child’s imaginations come alive! Where  the possibilities of design are endless. “Curl paper strips into coils to create adorable paper characters, cards, jewelry and more. One-touch operation allows you to swirl paper in the blink of an eye. ALEX DIY PAPER SWIRLS Swirl Station introduces young craft enthusiasts to the world of quilling; making art with rolled paper strips. Make art, cards, toys, jewelry and more with 200 colorful strips of paper. The Swirl Station makes quilling easy by rolling the strips in seconds, with the push of a button.”

Available at  Alex Brands

 

Thames and Kosmos Pepper Mint Sea Voyage

Lifelike pop-ups come alive in the Thames and Kosmos Pepper Mint Sea Voyage. Truly whimsical, to say the least. Not only is this a gem to look at all popped out, but very educational too. Defiantly a challenge for us older people. Kids will actually enjoy spending time together with you while sneaking in some educational exercises. “In this story-based STEM kit, Pepper Mint accompanies an expedition to the Bermuda Triangle. Soon she discovers that the ocean water there behaves in strange and unexpected ways. When the onboard systems of the research vessel fail, Pepper Mint figures out how to use water to make simple hydraulic machines and conduct experiments with pressure and density.”

Available at THAMES & KOSMOS

Cupcake Surprise

Cupcake Surprise Dolls are a fun twist on a traditional doll. They also make a great gift for little girls and boys. Cupcake Surprise dolls transform from a colorfully decorated cupcake into an adorable collectible doll. The first series of Cupcake dolls are princesses, all dressed in gorgeous princess gowns. Kids can collect all 12 of the princesses: Brittney, Candie, Esther, Debby, Jenny, Kaelyn, Lorie, Maya, Ailly, Liza, Marilyn, and Sabrina. Each princess has her own unique style, whether it be bright patterns or bold colors with sparkly accents. Kids won’t know which princess they’re about to unfold—each doll is packaged as its cupcake form. The cupcakes are beautifully decorated with swirling frosting, colorful sprinkles, and fun designs. The cupcake’s top closes pretty securely on the base, so kids can also display their cupcake collection, or use them for imaginative play.

The real fun of Cupcake Surprise is when kids transform their delicious dessert treat into a princess doll. The process is simple: remove the top and flip the base inside out to reveal a cute princess. Seriously it takes one second. Literally one. When kids pull off the cupcake top, an additional surprise awaits a delicious scent. All Cupcake Surprise dolls are scented with either chocolate, strawberry, lemon, vanilla, grape, or peanut butter. Yum!

Once kids’ Cupcake Surprise is in princess mode, the cupcake top also doubles as a fashionable hat. Of course, no royal can be caught with hat hair, so each cupcake surprise comes with a styling brush for tons of hair play. In addition to the Original Cupcake Surprise assortment, Cupcake Surprise dolls are also available in Mini Cupcake Surprise version.

Available at Sunny Days Entertainment

Sing & Play Happy Penguin

Wild Republic has quickly become a beloved family member. Wild Republic’s Sing & Play Happy Penguin Plush features the popular children’s song “If You’re Happy and You Know It”. Happy Penguin talks, sings, and claps. This 10” animated plush has two different modes “PLAY” and “SING” printed and accessible on feet. Children will love clapping and singing along with the animated Happy Penguin! Music “If You’re Happy and You Know It” courtesy of The Joe Raposo Music Group, Inc. Check out a video of it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYXJI4mzn-s&feature=youtu.be

Available at Wild Republic

Smart Sketcher Projector

The SmART Sketcher Projector is a brilliant product which helps children draw realistic pictures and really hone their sketching skills.  The smART sketcher looks really cute. It is quite compact, the projector head can be taken off and is stored at the bottom. As well as being able to draw pictures, you can also use the SmART Sketcher for learning activities. There are some letter formation activities and spellings to do already programmed into the projector. You could use it to practice any spelling words or handwriting.  I would love one of these for my classroom. I think it would be really popular and have so many uses in school. There are several pictures to draw already on the projector. It comes with a small memory card which holds several easy to follow drawings as well as the learning activities. You simply press the arrow to get a step by step projection of what to draw. We tried a pretty fairy. It was really easy and would be suitable for a child aged five to copy. The projector’s feet come out to hold your paper and you can use any drawing materials you already have, there are no art materials included in the pack. The projector then puts an image onto the table in front of you.  The SmART sketcher requires 4 x D batteries which are not included but it does have a mains adapter to plug it in. When you have completed your drawing the background lights up and there is an animation. This is really fun and makes the picture come to life. You can then color it in however you want.  It would be a lovely Christmas present for an aspiring artist.

Available at SmartSketcher

Electric Football

Being the Kansas Chiefs fans that we are I love the customizing features. It comes with the oval decals for the end zones, but if you purchase the add-on pack you get the full end zone sheet for your favorite teams. We chose to make our board Chiefs vs. Broncos So the NFL Deluxe Electric Football game comes with the basic stickers as shown on our field.

Remember playing the older electric football game and the guys would run into the control in the end zone or the field markers on the side of the field?

With this Deluxe version that does not happen. The motor mounts (wherever you want) under the field and the detachable  remote control cord comes from beneath the playing surface. The field markers are also raised up onto the side so there is no field interference at all. The game inspires imaginative play and teaches kids important life skills such as perseverance and sportsmanship.

• 32? x 16? Metal vibrating NFL gridiron
• The players move well down the metal playing field
• PlayAction remote control with onboard variable speed control
• Both offensive and defensive players can be outfitted with all new Invisibase Cleat technology
• Send your players where you want them to go
• Stop the action to hand off or pass
• Includes two official painted NFL team action figure sets
• Requires 2 AA batteries (not included)

Available at Tudorgames 

Lego City Advent Calendar

There’s nothing like an advent calendar to get into the holiday spirit. LEGO’s annual releases are some of the company’s most eagerly awaited sets. And this year’s no different. A brand-new assortment of Star Wars, City, and Friends-themed builds headline LEGO’s catalog. All three of 2018’s calendars are now available for purchase as well. Head below to get a peek at what you’ll be unwrapping come December. LEGO has opted to release three new advent calendars for 2018. There’s the usual Star Wars set that typically steals the show as well as City and Friends-themed kits. The calendars kickoff December and lead through the month with 24 unique miniature brick-built models. Mini-figures and other accessories enter the mix as well.  Moving over to the City advent calendar, many of the daily builds take the shape of accessories for the included min-figures. The kit includes 307 pieces just like its sci-fi alternative and all-in-all looks to be a great way to expand the winter festivities in your LEGO city.

Available at  Amazon, LEGO or Walmart

 

Zuru Rainbocorns-Sequin Surprise

Rainbocorns by Zuru are the ultimate, magical surprise egg coupling the element of surprise with magic, and cuteness! Rainbocorns are a family of surprise plush unicorns who can be monkeys, bunnies, hamster, puppies, and more! A giant pink egg awaits you to be opened with different colored unicorn horns at the top of the egg. Unwrap the brilliantly colored wrapping to find a sequin shaped heart. Reveal your surprise by wiping the sequins heart with your hand like magic to reveal an image that will tell you which kind of Rainbocorn you got. With whimsical sequin images featuring rainbows, ice cream, lollipops, cherries, and more, each image represents a different type of Rainbocorn. The sequin heart also doubles as a hair clip so you can adorn your Rainbocorn’s multicolored tuft of hair with its own magical, sequined heart, or your kiddo can wear the clip to show off her magical, rockin’ style! How cool is that little feature? The sequin heart can also attach to your Rainbocorn’s tummy! Give the Unicorn eggshell as squeeze and watch your Rainbocorn hatch from its shell. Stare into these adorable Rainbocorn eyes, and see sparkly windows to their souls!

There’s another surprise underneath your Rainbocorn! A tiny surprise egg awaits you with an iridescent boo boocorn inside completing the ultimate egg surprise! Cuddle up with your Rainbocorn, bring her to the park, or store her in her own surprise egg—your little one will have loads of magical adventures with her Rainbocorn! Overall, I find these surprise toys to be the sweetest plush dolls! They have sparkly fairy wings, bright multi-colored hair, and fluffy plush, which provides a quality toy and hours of imaginative play. Create stories for your Rainbocorn, draw rainbows and learn colors with them, hide little surprises in their eggs — there are so many ways to play.

There are 12 Rainbocorns to collect in all, and there’s the chance to find twins!

Available at Amazon and Target

Zuru Max Build More

Do you have children that love to build and create with building bricks and figures? Our friends at Zuru Toys have come up with their own block system called MAX Build More. These building bricks are compatible with other bricks you may already have and you will love the price. The bricks are a great quality and have a wide variety of colors. I love that there is an eye sticker sheet for you to put on the bricks to create fun characters and animals. We love the Max Ideas booklet that comes in the Max Blocks 759 Pieces pack. It gives you great instructions on making vehicles, animals, buildings and more.

Available at Zuru

Clicformers Speed Wheel Set

Fast, faster, fastest! That’s what it’s all about in this Clicformers Speed Wheel Set. Literally in this case, because all creations of this construction box run on wheels. This set of construction toys is the favorite of every car lover. You can build a lot of different types of cars, one faster or more aerodynamically than the other, but all as dazzling and special. Futuristic, tough, realistic or retro-cool? This Speed Wheel Set of Clicformers has it all. You build cars that break all speed records and with which you get admiring looks. Because everyone would like to have such a fleet! The Clicformers cars fit everywhere: on a racecourse, a stylish wedding, a vintage car show or just on the road. They go wherever your fantasy brings them, quickly, smoothly and on 4 wheels!

Clicformers building toy is a durable educational toy, always compatible with each other. Kids love it. Exactly why Clicformers is good for hours of fun. The fact children learn while playing games is a real bonus for many parents and educators because Clicformers stimulates the cognitive and motor development of children. In short, Clicformers is the top choice of educational toys.

Cutie Stix Jewelry Maker

 

Does your family loves crafts and the holidays are coming so it is time for crafts?  You are going to have  some creative fun with Cutie Stix.  These this jewelry makers are so much fun.  You get everything you need in the starter set to create some really cute and fun necklaces and bracelets, nail decorations, and more.  We had a blast creating our own original jewelry with it. When you get the Cutie Stix to start to set you will get the cutter, the hole punch, the bracelet making the set, the stand to store all your cutie stixs and accessories, and lots of cutie stix in all three sizes (mini, regular, and mega).  You have everything you need to make lots of fun projects. Using the kit is super easy.  Choose your cutie stick, use the cutter to cut a slice of the cutie stix to make a jewelry bead, use the hole punch to put a hole through it, then use the jewelry making stand to make a bracelet or necklace, and enjoy.  It’s super fun and super easy.  You can use the minis and glue dots (included) to make nail art for your manicures.  The possibilities are endless.  And they have so many Cutie Stix to choose from.

The Cutie Stix set comes with a bunch of Cutie Stix to get you started.  They also sale these great expansion packs as well.  We got the animals, emojis, and treats packs.  Each pack comes with more Cutie Stix in a fun theme, glue dots, thread and jewelry making pieces.  So when you run out don’t fret just pick up an expansion pack. All the pieces are safe and easy to use for kids.  The cutter secures the blade inside the machine so your kids never come in contact with it.  The hole punch is also secure inside of a machine so no worries about them catching their fingers in it. The jewelry making stand is really easy to use.  There is a long straw you can thread your pieces onto.  Then simply cut your piece of string and slide it into the center of the straw.  Tie on your jewelry making pieces on to the end to make a clasp.  No long hours of threading beads onto a super tiny string.  Just thread it through and pull the beads onto the string.  It only takes about a minute to make your piece.  It’s so fast and easy to use. The turn out so cute. You can even add some beads if you wanted to between your Cutie Stix to add some style to it.

Available at Maya Toys

Real Cooking Mini Tarts

Kids can become pastry chefs with the Real Cooking Mini Tarts Pastry Set. Using the included ingredients and tools and adding a few fresh ingredients from home, kids can make and bake their own mini tarts.

The first step is to make the dough, and this is where you will need fresh butter and eggs. The kit provides flour and white frosting mix. When the dough is mixed, use the rolling pin to roll out the dough, cut it into eight rectangles with the dough cutter, and place four of the rectangles into the silicone baking tray inside the mini tarts press.

The next step is filling the tarts, using water and the pink frosting mix. Once you’ve poured the filling into each tart, cover it with the other set of dough rectangles.

Then you’re ready to seal the tarts. Close the mini tarts, press and push hard to seal and trim the tarts. Remove the silicone baking tray and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 17 minutes.

When the tarts are ready and have cooled completely, decorate them. Mix the remaining white frosting mix with water and use the pastry bags to spread the frosting over the tarts, write messages, or create fun designs. Then decorate with sprinkles.

There are even instructions for making more tarts from scratch so that you can continue to use the tools in the kit for more baking fun.

Available at SKYROCKET

Creative Café Barista Bar

If you are looking for holiday gifts for kids that inspire creativity and cooking skills, look no further than RoseArt’s new Creative Café Barista Bar. 

With Creative Café Barista Bar, kids can enjoy becoming a barista at home and creating their own kid-friendly “lattes” made with frothed milk. Inspired by America’s passion for coffee and kids’ desire to be like mom or dad, the Creative CaféBarista Bar is kid safe since it works without heat. With the Creative Café Barista Bar’s frothing unit, kids can froth and flavor real or nut/soy milk to create chocolate and strawberry flavored, coffee-free “lattes” like the “Mock-iato” or a “Neapolitan latte”. Cups of frothed milk adorned decorated with chocolate and strawberry flavored powders (made with the included stencils) are perfect for any mini-me and make a stand-out gift that kids will use again and again.

Each set comes with three stencils in hearts and swirl shapes to decorate beverages with “latte” art. Once milk is frothed with chocolate or strawberry flavored powder in the Barista Bar, kids place the stencils on the frothed milk and shake the provided chocolate or strawberry powder over them to create designs then serve. Kids can also invent their own “latte” flavors with ingredients from their kitchen.

Containing everything a little barista needs, the Creative Café Barista Bar includes a battery-operated frothing unit (batteries not included), frothing pitcher, three stencils, two shaker bottles two spoons, four paper cups, one packet (20 g.) of strawberry flavor mix, one packet (20 g.) of chocolate flavor mix, recipe cards and tips.

Available at Amazon 

Zoomer Playful Pups & Bunnies

Zoomer Playful Pup! Bring home a new best friend that moves and sounds just like a real dog!

Using sophisticated voice recognition technology, Playful Pup responds to sound and touch with cute barks and adorable tricks! Name your new friend and Playful Pup will come when you call! Full of life, this interactive dog walks, bounces, pounces, and plays! Teach your puppy to perform over 25 tricks, like: play dead; shake a paw; take a bow, and roll over.

Full of affection, there’s nothing Playful Pup loves more than cuddles and snuggles! Pet your pup and you’ll hear happy doggy sounds. Rub Playful Pup’s belly and you’ll hear “I Ruv Roo!” Stop petting and this lovable pup will whimper – just like a real dog. As you get to know Playful Pup’s big personality, you’ll discover everything your dog can do! With fuzzy ears, a floppy tongue and wiggly tail Playful Pup is full of life and ready to scamper alongside you! Meet your new best friend: Zoomer Playful Pup! Spin Master loves to bring us these wonderful toys.

How to play with your Zoomer Playful Pup:

• Talk to me just like a real dog: I will react and perform tricks!
• Pick a name for me, and I will respond to it. Make me your very own pup!
• Love me and cuddle with me!

KEY FEATURES:

• Train your Playful pup to perform over 20 different tricks with Voice Command
• Name your pup and he will respond – make him your very own!
• Touch sensors allow you to pet him, snuggle him, and give him belly rubs
• USB charge included

Available at Walmart

Zuru Tube SuperStar

All kids want to be superstars and with ZURU’s latest gadget toy for young up-and-coming -the Tube Superstar, their dreams can finally get underway!  ZURU Tube Superstar. Kids can simply play about making recordings of themselves and their interests, and then have a giggle with their friends and family as they watch them on playback via the Tube Superstar app. They can even add title pages to their videos to give them a polished and professional look.

The ZURU Tube Superstar lets kids try their craft on camera to show off their very own unboxing videos, unique hobbies and stellar collections, talents or whatever.

The ZURU Tube Superstar works just by plugging in a smartphone (not supplied with this toy) and downloading the fun, free app. With additional built-in features within the microphone (a QR code reader) for instant effects, and more options available within the app itself, the Tube Superstar is guaranteed to provide hours of entertainment. This toy is recommended for ages 6 plus and consists of an easy to use microphone, pole and adjustable smartphone holder. It’s an all-in-one contraption which expertly connects a mobile phone at a perfect distance for filming selfie-style vids.  For easy editing, there’s a QR Code reader built into the microphone which kids can use during filming, to conduct instant edits and special effects. With a little twist to change the code, the app will automatically apply exciting effects such as filters and cute stickers.

To set up the ZURU Tube Superstar you need to first download the app which is available at the App Store and on Google Play. (A special code is provided with the instruction guide which grants you access to the app.) It’s impressively simple to understand and use the options in the app itself and with most kids being highly tech-enabled these days, they tend to pick it all up at the speed of light. There are in-app tutorials to keep kids up-to-speed and inspire their creativity too. Add in the 50 plus filters and animations feature, and kids are literally blown away by their own professional results. We think this toy is a great way to teach children about effective public speaking as they can practice and. watch themselves on playback, all the while honing in on the importance of their own body language, pronunciation and intonation. This is a super-fun tech toy and it’s bound to be extremely popular this Christmas. We highly recommend the fun and suggest you keep this one in mind for your kids this Christmas.

Available at ZURU

LAUR DIY Craft Kits

Want to know what one of the hottest gifts will be among kids this holiday season? With social media changing the way that we connect with others, having a niche for crafting and creating can allow you to endless possibilities. One social media maven, LaurDIY, has taken the world by storm with her YouTube creativity and come up with one of the cutest lines of DIY crafts to date.

Mattel has partnered with Lauren Riihimaki to launch a line of LaurDIY craft kits featuring fun and whimsical room decor crafts, similar to the DIY crafts on her channel.

Designed by LaurDIY and Mattel, the new line includes the following craft kits:

Letter Board Kit – to decorate and personalize the stylish board included and use it to write fun messages on.

Marble Desk Décor Kit – to create a marbleized desk calendar and stationery set.

Balloon Unicorn Kit – to create a balloon-shaped plush unicorn with a gold horn and colorful and sparkly embellishments.

Available at Lauren’s website and in stores at Target.

Thames and Kosmos Kids First Coding & Robotics

With the Kids First Coding & Robotics STEM experiment kit, kids can build, code, and learn computer, math, and coding skills with the help of Sammy and friends. By building and coding robots, kids gain an introduction to STEM and coding practices of sequences, loops, events, conditionals, functions, and variables.

No computer or tablet is needed to code, just use the included set of cards and card frames and watch the robot’s memory recall your desired pattern of movement.

To start, you’ll need to build the bots before you can tell their stories through coding sequences. The instructions detail the multiple stories that kids can build with the kit and then use to program the bot to run a new sequence. Using the included pieces and instructions, kids will build Sammy the PB&J, Hammy the hamburger, and Franky the hot dog using the small blocks. In another story, kids can build Robbie the soccer player and program his games and adventures or a robotic fire truck on a mission through built obstacle courses.

Sammy sits atop the battery-powered robot that acts like his brain. Power him up with three AA batteries and start programming. To program Sammy, kids set five directional cards (in a logical order) in the gray-colored frame and boot up him up by pressing the play button. Within seconds, if your code is in a correct order, the code is set in his memory. Sammy can store up to three codes in his memory. To restore, hit the delete button or turn the PB&J bot off and back on for new patterns. If at any point the bot cannot complete the code, a red light will flash alongside an error sound for kids to reposition the sequence in a logical order that Sammy can comprehend.

Once the code is set, Sammy is ready to map the programmed code on your included map tiles. It may take a few minutes to calibrate his location. For best results, make sure the bot is positioned directly in the center of the glossy green start tile. It may take time to accurately determine his location and the path once on and sit in the start position, however, once you hear a song begin to play, he is calibrated and ready to begin. He’ll mark the path on his own, following the code kids already set up in the gray frame.

Kids can follow the lessons instructed in their manual to build Sammy and the other creatures using the blocks. Each lesson has included directional map cards and a set the code runs to follow the stories.

In another mode, kids can use the robotic base to teach math lessons in a different operating mode from program-and-map coding modes from the previous activities. When you program the bot, the goal is to solve math equations, where the bot’s code is the proper sequence of the math problem. Math problems to solve include sorting cubes by color, value, in sequence, and to add up the sum total.

Cutie PB&J Sammy sure makes learning about math and coding fun and exciting! Except, now I’m hungry for a real peanut butter and jelly sandwich—oops, sorry, Sammy.

Available at THAMES & KOSMOS

Thames & Kosmos Robotics Smart Machines

Robotics is a vast, thrilling, and sometimes overwhelming interdisciplinary field involving physics, engineering, and computer science. This kit gives kids a simple, fun, and customizable introduction to robotics that lets them build eight motorized machines controlled by programs and an ultrasound sensor. Kids code the programs using an easy, visual programming app on a tablet or smartphone, which connects to the robot models via a wireless Bluetooth connection.

The ultrasonic sensor works on the same principle as sonar. It sends out sound waves, which bounce off objects. The sensor interprets the echoes returning to it, and from this detects objects in the path of the sensor. Using the app interface, you can program the robots you build to behave based on the feedback coming from the ultrasound sensor.

Build a shy turtle robot that drives around and quickly avoids obstacles in its path. The friendly rover bot model first looks around for your hand and, once detected, moves toward it and follows it around. Construct an awesome desert explorer robot with wheels on legs; first, it drives around, but when it detects an object in its range, it starts “walking” slowly toward it. Experiment with altering the program of your cute dancing robot so that the robot dances to the beat of a song you play for it. Set up an obstacle course and watch the scout rover use its ultrasonic sensor to navigate around the obstacles. A cool helicopter model spins its rotors and then raises its landing gear when you lift it off the tabletop. You can also assemble other fun robots including a dozer bot with a bulldozer blade and a scorpion robot with a stinger tail. After you have learned how the technology works, you can build and program your own robots using the kit’s 233 building pieces.

A full-color, 64-page step-by-step illustrated manual helps kids assemble all of the models and teaches them about robotics in the real world. The visual programming language allows you to command the robots’ motors to move at different times, different power levels, in different directions, and in response to the data from the sensor. Requires a tablet or smartphone running iOS (iPhone 4S or later, iPad 3 or later, iPod 5 or later) or Android (Android 4.3 or later on a device with Bluetooth 4.0 support).

Available at THAMES & KOSMOS

Magic Tracks RC

There’s a pretty good chance that you’ve seen Magic Tracks at some point in the past year or two – colorful, snap-together tracks with battery-operated cars that blaze along them. Now, just-in-time for the holiday, there’s Magic Tracks Turbo RC – the next evolution of the popular racers. The best part? These new sets work with all older Magic Tracks, allowing kids to grow and expand their raceways for endless fun! Just snap any track pieces together and create your customized speedway that moves like magic! Grab a remote and press go! The cars zoom around the neon colored track, and kids can slam on the brakes, shift into reverse, honk the horn and more as they navigate twists, turns, ramps, and straightaways… even going into Turbo mode!

• Magic Tracks™ Turbo RC™ is the amazing new racetrack that bends, flexes and glows! Just snap any of the track pieces together to create a customized speedway to zip down and whip around!
• Serpentine Technology™ allows the flexible track to bend and curve in virtually any direction, and kids can even quickly change the track design as their car races around it.
• Once the track is built, turn off the lights and the neon tracks glow like magic, and the Turbo RC cars leave a glow trail behind on the track as it races along!
• The included Turbo RC race car has 6 built-in LED lights and features realistic sound effects.
• The multi-function remote control not only allows kids to slam on the brakes, shift into reverse, honk the horn and more, but also allows the race car to go into turbo mode. While in turbo mode, cars accelerate into full-throttle!
• When the fun is over, the track quickly rolls up for easy storage.
• Each Magic Tracks Turbo RC set includes a Multi-Function Remote Control, Turbo RC Race Car, 200 pieces of Glow Track, Jump Ramp, Crash X-Track, a sheet of Peel N’ Stick Car Decals and a MagicTracks Fun Guide.
• Magic Tracks Turbo RC is also compatible with all other Magic Tracks sets, allowing kids to expand and personalize their racetracks even further!
• Available in two variations: Red Turbo RC Race Car and Remote Control or Blue Turbo RC Race Car and Remote Control

Available at https://www.buyturborc.com

Zoom Tubes Car Trax

I’m sure by now you have seen this awesome Zoom Tubes Car Trax on TV! It’s the ideal gift for any child/children. The Zoom Tubes Car Trax is sure to be the highlight on Christmas morning. You see, the Zoom Tubes Car Trax are clear, tubular racing tracks that include a cool remote-controlled race car  with each set. Each set includes 24 connectable tube pieces that’ll create a track up to 12 feet long.

This  Non-Stop Racing Light Show will WOW everyone! It’s easy to build, just connect the tubes, place your Zoom Racer in the Zoom Tube, activate the remote and Zoom, Zoom, Zoom! Your kids will be able to build straight tracks, curve track, 36o degree loop for your race car to zoom through. Now, batteries are required for your remote and make sure your race car is charged via with the included USB cable. There’s over 25 Connecting Piece- 8 Curved Tubes, 12 Connectors, 3 Straight Tubes, & 1 Straight Tube w/Door.

Kids get ready to Twist & Turn with the Tubular Trax and yes your car lights & strobes  bringing more attention to your race set. The best part about the Zoom Tubes track that kids will love the most is having the ability to see clearly through while their car races by. Included in your Zoom Tubes Car Trax set you will also receive a page of fun stickers that you can use to decorate your car to add that unique look. I love that it’s interactive and how the kids can take are part in our building and playing with it. The price point is perfect. It’s different, it’s cool, and it’s hours of non-stop play.

Available at Zoom Tubes Car Trax

SpinMaster AirHogs

If you’re looking to defy everything you know about gravity, limits, and expectations with the brand new Air Hogs Extreme Air Board.   There are two fun ways that you can fly.  Take off in stunt board mode or carve through the sky in paraglider mode! For lift off, just attach the extreme sports athlete figure to the board.  Then use the remote control to catch big air.  Use the stunt button to crush 720-degree spins, 360-degree barrel rolls, and even do backside flips!  Then switch on over to Paraglider mode where the tricks get even wilder.  Amazing fun! Featuring realistic detailing and slick styling.  The Extreme Air Board high-performance flyer is built for the ultimate extreme sports fanatics. Carve the skies today!

Hoverboards looked awesome in Back to the Future movie. In our reality, however, hoverboards are just skateboards with their wheels oriented incorrectly. And while there are advancing efforts to bring actual flying hoverboards to life, it’s clear now that anything we eventually develop will be too dangerous for casual recreational use, much less to become a toy for kids. So Spin Master is giving kids the next best thing with the Air Hogs Extreme Air Board instead.

No, it’s nothing near as amazing as an actual hoverboard that you can use to glide in the air while striking a skateboarding pose. Instead, it’s a toy of a man riding a hoverboard, if hoverboards ever became a reality. And unlike your hoverboard, this one can actually fly, so you can watch a miniature model experience what we all thought we would be taking for granted by this time in history.

The Air Hogs Extreme Air Board consists of a mini-hoverboard that flies using four rotors (two on top, two at the bottom) powered by a pair of motors installed on either end of the deck. It comes with a physical controller for piloting using analog sticks, so this will feel a lot like flying a small quadcopter, complete with drone-like flight assist tech that allows it to launch, hover, and land in an autonomous manner. Measuring around 8 inches wide, the deck is sized to accommodate the included figure of the daring extreme sports athlete, who’s riding the unstable flying object like a skateboard cruising on the road.

A “stunt” button on the controller prompts the hoverboard to perform awesome aerial tricks, so you can kill yourself with envy that you’ll never have the chance to ever do them. These include 720-degree spins, 360-degree barrel rolls, and backside flips, all while the figure stays securely on top of the deck. Never mind, of course, that we barely have real hoverboards that can fly, much less do cool tricks – hey, a man can wish the world was a different place.

The Air Hogs Extreme Air Board isn’t just a mini-hoverboard, by the way, as it’s also a mini-paraglider. That’s right, you can remove the figure, attach the included paraglider onto the deck, and harness the whole thing onto the figure instead. Of course, it’s not really gliding as much as it’s flying using the same rotors, but no one’s really going to make that distinction so long as we’re having fun flying this thing around. Oh yeah, it can perform tricks while in paragliding mode, too, such as sidewinders, cyclones, and evaders, although we’re not actually sure what any of those mean.

An onboard battery allows the toy to fly at up to seven minutes between charges, although it will require half an hour of being plugged in to fill up the battery. And yes, this is strictly for indoor flight, since the wind outside will likely mess up the way the darn thing performs.

Available at Air Hogs Extreme Air Board

Playmate’s Kuroba

Sutikki, the kids and family division of Bento Box Entertainment, has unveiled Kuroba!, a new proprietary and patented toy-based brand that will launch at retail and on YouTube this summer in the U.S. The brand will blend collectability with customization and competition.

If you’re ready to show off your Kuroba Keeper skills, then the Kuroba Battle Packs will help you do it. These cube-shaped creatures are all about collecting, creating, and competing in a Rock, Paper, Scissors-style game. There are four Battle Packs to collect: Avalawob vs Emberfox, Octoboss vs Pinkcicle, Pegaplant vs Lullacry, and Hootslumber vs Spark-Lug. Each is sold separately and includes two transforming creatures, two creature gems, and three mix and match panels.

To battle, remove the face of your Kuroba character and secretly select rock, paper, or scissors. Then pop the face back on. Fold the sides of the character over the face to get it ready for battle. With the “K” side facing up, both players place their Kurobas on a flat, smooth surface and then slide their Kurobas toward each other. The winner, determined by the rules of Rock, Paper, Scissors, will pop open and capture the other.

You can also remove each Kuroba’s panels and mix and match them for different Kuroba combinations.

Available at Kuroba

Hatchimals Colleggtibles

Spin Master’s interactive Hatchimals were the hottest toy of the year. selling out at all retailers before Christmas. The magical hybrid animals garnered the attention of millions of kids, thanks to their ability to hatch themselves out of their own eggs.

This year, kids can experience the mysterious hatching fun in a new way with Hatchimals Colleggtibles, which are Shopkins-sized Hatchimals figures packaged in purple speckled eggs.

Compared to original Hatchimals, Colleggtibles are much smaller and don’t feature any interactivity. While these collectible characters don’t hatch themselves, kids can hatch them by breaking open the eggs to reveal hidden characters.

Each Colleggtible is a surprise. Kids can rub the purple heart until it turns pink, and then their Hatchimal is ready to hatch! Kids can break open the egg to reveal the fun surprise!

Hatch Friends Forever! Hatch and discover Best Friends – two characters from separate eggs, who come together to form special poses! Piggybacks, whispering secrets, Hatch-fives and more! For the first time, you can also hatch twins – two Hatchimals from one egg!

• Hatch your CollEGGtible, then peel your egg down to the wavy line at the bottom! Throw away the top pieces and now you have a cozy nest – the ideal place to display your adorable friend!
• There are over 100 adorable Hatchimals CollEGGtibles to find in Season Three! Check the color of your Hatchimals’ glittery wings to see if you’ve hatched a Common, Rare, Ultra Rare or Limited Edition Hatchimal!

Available at Amazon

Pai Band

The Paiband is a kid’s activity band that is basically an activity and health tracker for kids. Its bright colorful design paired with the PaiBand Move – City Run app is supposed to engage kids as they remain active. Seems like a great way to encourage your wee ones to remain active. The more kids run, jump, and play, the more points they’ll collect. The band also does heart rate monitoring as well as sleep monitoring.

Kids are always on the move and now you can know what they’re up to with the PaiBand. The PaiBand, by Pai Technology, is an activity tracker developed specifically with kids and parents in mind. This activity tracker allows parents to track their children’s daily activities, sleep cycle, heart rate and even location. This activity tracker also allows parents to set up daily routines, activities, and tasks for children to get them moving by giving out rewards.

The PaiBand comes with a PaiBand activity tracker, a charger (which has a fun design) and an ankle strap. Both the activity tracker and ankle strap are made of high-grade silicone, safe for all skin types that is waterproof and dirt resistant. Also, both bands are simple to adjust and are big enough to fit most wrist and ankles. The PaiBand also requires parents to download the free PaiParent app for their phone to track their child as well as offers an additional free gaming app for the iPad called, City Run, to encourage physical activity through gameplay.

Available at Pai Technology

Radz Candy & Dispenser

Unicorns Radz Twistz Candy

These Unicorns Radz Twist Candy Dispensers are really cute! They come in “blind bags” so you don’t know what you are going to get. They are fun to collect too. Each one also comes with candy and a mini poster. The mini-posters always seem to feature the particular unicorn you get. The unicorns are in pastel colors of white, blue, pink, purple and yellow. There are 4 different ones and a mystery unicorn as well. So there is a total of 5 different ones to collect.

The Unicorns that you can get is Sweet Heart (yellow), Star Light (blue), Lilly Pie (white), Butter Cup (purple) and the mystery one is still a mystery since we didn’t get one of those. Of the four we had, we ended up getting two Star Light Unicorns and two Lilly Pie Unicorns. The mini posters that come with them are pretty cute too.

The mini -posters feature the unicorn that you get. They may not be the same posters though. With one of our blue unicorns, we got a purple poster featuring Star Light, but with our other Star Light we got a poster depicting the anatomy of a unicorn.

Filling the candy is really easy. It can’t get any easier. You just twist off the top. The bottom half hold the candy. There is also a slider that opens up so you can close it after the candy is filled. It clicks closed too so there is no worry of it sliding open on its own. The candy is a hard candy – it’s not gummy. It has a candy coating too. I wouldn’t say this candy is sour but it is a mix of sweet and tangy.

The flavors are Berry Sparkle, Fruit Shimmer, Gumdrop Swirl, and Cherry Shine. I personally think it’s more sweet than tangy though. I love the names of the flavors too.

Holiday-Themed Candy Dispensers from Radz

Looking for a novel tree ornament or stocking stuffer that’s big on bravos without taking a bite out of the budget? Plan to pick up Jingles the Reindeer and Pep the Polar Bear, the cutest and newest Radz candy dispensers which each come with a code unlocking a virtual experience. Radz plans to celebrate the season. Radz goes a step further for the holidays  gives Jingles and Pep an extra hole in their hat so kids can slip in an ornament hook and hang them on the Christmas tree. Like all Radz dispensers, these playmates have a bonus digital element that keeps the fun going online or with Radz’s apps. Fans of Radz already know that each candy dispenser comes packaged with a Radz Plus Code inside the box. Kids and grownups enter the code and unlock exclusive games and videos.

Jingles the Reindeer

Sorry Rudolph, but this little guy has the cutest red nose and a red winter cap. Jingles sports two brown antlers that make him a standout from all the other Radz characters. Start the season with him and be guaranteed a sweet holiday.

Pep the Polar Bear

Brighten up the coldest winter days with this white bear properly dressed with a neck scarf and red hat. His black nose and merry eyes make him an adorable addition to the season.

 

Cry Babies Doll

These Cry Baby Dolls are exactly what they sound like. They cry real tears when you remove their dummies. There are 3 babies to collect: Lea, Coney and Lala and each comes with an animal print onesie. You fill the 80ml tank in the back of the baby’s head, ensuring you put the dummy in first. If you then remove the dummy she cries with tears. To comfort her, you give her back her dummy and lots of cuddles. These medium-sized dolls come with an obvious feature in that they have an oversized head so are easily identifiable. That’s not to say they look out of place, in the face quite the opposite, having an oversized head means they can flux the benefit of big cute eyes and rosy cheeks making them look much more adorable than typical dolls.

The doll is also good as if you lie it down and leave it, it makes relaxing sounds and then falls asleep. Just make sure the dummy is in her mouth to avoid more tears from falling. This is a good way of saving the battery too.

As predicted this doll went down a treat. The vibrancy of her eyes and hair and onesie made my girls instantly attracted and they were fascinated by the tears. I fully supervised my youngest, as she is below the recommended age.

Do bear in mind you will get a little wet, so I’d advise not playing with the babies in a place you want to keep all tidy and dry.

Overall, if you have a child who adores playing babies and the more life-like the better, they will love these Cry Baby Dolls.

Available at Amazon

Shopkins Lil’ Secrets

Shopkins has one of the hottest toys this season. The  microsize characters with its new Lil Secrets line. The characters come in lock boxes that open into playsets. Lil’ Secrets is a spin-off line of Shopkins which includes teeny Shoppies, tiny Shopkins, and regular-sized Shoppies.

Available at Moose Toys

Disney Doorables

The Disney Doorables collection! These super cute, teeny, tiny figures come in blind packs and hit the stores recently. Large Disney Doorables blind packs come with 5, 6 or7 inside. There are also special packs with come with a home, teeny accessories and Doorable plus one blind pack. The blind pack item may not go with the set.The small blind packs come with two or three figures inside.

There are 33 blind pack characters in the first wave, and it is extremely hard not to try and collect them all. It is also extremely hard to find these in stores right now. I love how the little playsets can stack on top of each other, too. The best part of these collectibles, besides how cute they are, would be the size! It’s so easy to keep these little toys in a container or displayed in a small space. These toys will make great gifts! I can’t wait to see how many we can collect before wave 2 hits the stores. Do you have any of these adorable toys? Which ones do you have/want? I want Tinker Bell, of course, and Minnie Mouse!

Available at like Walmart, Amazon, and Target . 

Wrapples Your Furry Best Friend

Get wrapped up in fun with your new furry best friends, the Wrapples! Part of Moose Toys’ Little Live line, Wrapples are furry little creatures that you wear on your wrist. With each pet, shake, or tickle, your Wrapple will respond with more than 50 reactions. Pay attention to the color of your Wrapple’s eyes. The eyes tell you what mood it’s in. If you shake it too much or don’t play with it, your Wrapple will get grumpy and lonely. There are a variety of Wrapples characters to collect, including Princeza and Una. Each one has a slap bracelet tail, so you simply stretch out the tail and slap it on your wrist to curl your Wrapple into position. Tickle it behind its ear, pet its head, or give it a shake to make it talk, laugh, and sing. If you place your Wrapple next to another Wrapple, they’ll chat. Wrapples are colorful, cute, and fun to wear. It’s like a fashion accessory and a furry friend in one. Kids will like the simple interactivity with these pets and discovering all that their Wrapples can do.

Available at Amazon

Cepia Mojimoto

 

Mojimoto is a collection of fun and Interactive talk-back characters that repeat what you say in their own funny voice! Inspired by the ever-popular emoji characters we all know and love, Mojimots lip-sync to music and repeat up to 8-second recordings. Their mouths and eyes move in synchronization when they are talking or singing for animation fun. There are 8 characters. To use your Mojimoto, just press the button until you hear a beep, release a button and record up to 8 seconds.

Available at Target

Cepia Lil Fairyland Cuties

Fairyland Cuties, a line of cute collectible fairy dolls wrapped in three layers of shiny foil for the ultimate surprise fairy fun. Unwrap each layer of foil to reveal all-new surprise accessories to decorate your fairy doll. There are 14 fairies to collect and trade with friends, and each is approximately three inches tall. Discover the 7 surprises featured in each Fairyland Cutie, including the doll, wand, gemstone stickers, fairy hair accessory and collector sheet with stickers. Fairyland Cuties provide hours of fun.

Available at Fairyland Cuties