LoginLocal students offer their input on hot toys this season
There is no doubt this year’s toy wish lists will include new versions of classic toys such as Barbie, G.I.Joe and even others such as Furby, Lite-Brite, Barney’s World and even Tamagotchi.
Many parents will be able to rely on their own experience to guide them with familiar toys but it becomes difficult to choose from the crop of new toys being introduced every year.
To help parents narrow their store and online searches The Macomb Daily has compiled a list of hot new toys and what’s being said about them. Some of the reviews were provided by our team of toy-testing tykes, while others were suggested by experts in the field including parents and teachers.
Have a look at what reviewers from schools in Clinton Township and Birmingham had to say about some of the newest games, gadgets and gizmos:
Infant and up
Animated Peeki the Puppy from Gund (infant-up, $44.99) is an animated plush pal with floppy ears and his own cute personality. Landyn, 5-months, took to the toy immediately. He loved the song it played although it only plays one and was especially excited to see the puppy’s ears moving. Five stars!
Sweet Pea Snuggle Pod (6-months-up, $24.99) is a cute little doll that fits snugly in a plush green peapod. It’s a great first doll for developing nurturing skills. Its small size and soft features make it easy for toddlers to tote and tuck.
Build-A-Buddy Activity Board by Tomy International (18-months-up, $26.99) is an activity board featuring a drill that kids can use to create two farm scenes.
Playground Activity Adventure (1-up, $139) from Manhattan Toy is like a wooden tree house filled with little adventures. Each quadrant provides toddlers with fun activities including multiple bead tracks and a springy bear riding a dinosaur.
Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Spots Piggy Hug Me Forever (infant-up, $29.99) is a cute little plush toy for babies. Even before our toy tester had a chance to see it, mom was gushing over how soft and cuddly it was.
Smart Steps Gadget Gears Counting Toy from Baby Trend (9-months-up, $14.99) was a hit with our preschool teacher and the children in her class, who enjoyed the sounds and all of the moving gears.
My First Tackle Box (infant-up, $34.99) from Gund. The five-piece soft plush playset features a self-contained plush tackle box along with a fishing rod with touch and close fastener for sticking to a worm crinkle toy or fish squeaky toy.
Smart Steps Balance Buddy Learning Monkee (18-months-up,$29.99 ) from Baby Trend is a STEM toy for little ones. The toy has an intelligent recognition system that interacts with babies in two play modes, one helping them to count and follow directions and another teaching them about balance and direction. Our preschool teacher said the children loved the movements, bright colors and sounds. One suggestion: Make it out of a softer material or add a stand so it doesn’t tip over.
Glo Pals Light Up Library (18-months-up, $21.99) was named to Toy Insider’s hot list of toys for little ones. Bedtime stories take on a whole new light with the magic magnifier that children can use to light up each page in the story. Five stars!
John Deere Trike and Wagon (2-up, $114) from Fat Brain Toys is a cool ride-along toy that helps to develop gross motor skills, coordination, outdoor play, teamwork and imaginative play.
Barney’s World Sensory Barney (2-up, $11.99) features a variety of textures and activities for little ones to explore. Many of the parents buying the purple dinosaur this year are likely to have known Barney when they were kids. Each plush comes with a heart-shaped fidget.
Blinkety Bot Light Up Busy Board from Mindware (18-months, $30) features 14 lights and eight interactive switches and buttons that help to build fine motor skills and logical thinking
Age 3-up
Stanley Jr. Painter Set for Kids (3-up, $32.99) was a hit with our
fourth-graders who said they had fun pretending to paint.
Marvel Spidey Amazing Friends Advent Calendar from Abe Books (3-up, $19) is a sweet alternative to the chocolate advent calendars. The ginormous book features 5-minute stories parents can read every night leading up to Christmas. Both Jack and LJ enjoyed the adventurous version.
Miko 3 (3-5, $199) was a big hit with Brynn. The new AI interactive robot features interactive games, academic content and a personality. What Brynn loved most about it were the games, that she could talk to Mike and that she and the little robot could make a video call to her parents.What she didn’t like was that many of the activities were only accessible with a monthly membership. .
The Goodyear Car Engine Mechanic Repair & Play Set (3-up, $79.99) is an engaging
and educational toy designed to improve problem-solving skills and an understanding of basic mechanical concepts. Our toy testers Roger and Hayden said it took a while to assemble but once they were done they loved the lights and sounds it made.
Luna Storytime Projector (3-up, $59.99) was a big hit with the little ones in Clintondale Community Schools childcare program. The starter set comes with one story and a character. Our toy-testing toddlers enjoyed seeing the story projected on the wall and the songs that played along. Other story figures include: Unicorn Stories, Paw Patrol, Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Thomas & Friends.
Alpha Group’s Super Wings Electric Heroes (3-up, $27.99 ) is a 3-in-1 Transforming World Spaceport is another toy that children transform from a robot to a vehicle. Our toy tester liked it but wasn’t crazy about it. Whereas another child who likes playing with transformers might love it.
The Dragon Eggmazing Egg Decorator (3-up,$27.99 ) from Hey Buddy Hey Pal Investments is a decorating kit that comes with two dinosaur eggs, markers and a machine and holder that turns the egg children are decorating. Our toy testers did not like the smell (could’ve been the markers) but loved the dinosaur that pops out of the egg when you’re done decorating it. Other eggs with 12 other collectible dinosaurs are available.
Barbie Color Reveal 6 Surprises (3-up, $24.97) joins the list of fun toys for kids who love Barbie. Our tester was pleased with her surprise and had fun with the fashion accessories including a plug-in ponytail that undergoes a color transformation using icy cold or warm water. Note to parents: It’s a tad messy because of the changing color ponytail.
Fisher-Price Montessori Wooden Sorting Tree (3-up, $15.99 ) is a cool wooden sorting toy that features fruits and vegetables that fit in the tree and can be used for several levels of play. Our preschool teacher from Clintondale Community Schools Childcare Program gave it a thumbs up for teaching children colors and sorting. One suggestion for Santa: Make the sorting compartments a tad bigger.
Imaginext Jurassic Park Rebirth Ultimate Action Chomp T. Rex (3-up, $75) was named among the top toys this season by Toy Insider magazine and got a thumbs up from our youngest toy testers. Their teacher said it’s big, it talks, it walks and its eyes change color. Tip for parents: Consider a storage space as it’s a big toy with no compartments for the projectiles and small figures. Five stars!
Tame & Train Interactive Toothless Dragon from Spin Master (4-up, $52.99) is a cute animatronic toy. It features advanced technology touch sensors for interactive play and while our 5-year-old tester and his dad were unable to figure out the directions it didn’t matter to L.J. He loved the toy. He fed the dragon the little fish that came with it and when the wings didn’t move he used his imagination to make it fly around the room on his own.
Eye Connect Crafts 3D Tunnel Book (4-up,$39.97) a kit that comes with pre-cut card stock animals that you assemble, watercolor paints and markers and instructions to create a 3D Tunnel Book. One of our testers was unable to review it because of missing parts but a second tester loved coloring the dinosaurs in the kit that he was given to test.
Fanroll Dungeons and Dragons Orb (4-up, $28) is an automatic dice roller. It’s a cool gadget and our toy testers had fun playing with it but to be really great parents might want to pair it with a game that requires a roll of the dice.
Age 5-up
Math Made Fun, Music Made Easy (age 5-up, $99) is designed to improve a student’s math skills by playing the latest popular songs on the piano. It comes with a STEAM curriculum and app for children in second-through twelfth-grade. Our fifth-graders from McGlinnen Elementary’s student council loved the piano but did not use the books or the app. However, other testers did use the two together and found it fun as well.
Smartivity Activities for Smarter Learning Hydraulic Plane Launcher (6-14, $28.99 ) is a cool STEAM set that includes everything a young engineer might need to build a hydraulic-powered plane launcher. Our toy testers Kyler and Brayden, who are fourth-graders, however, could have used some help as they found it very difficult to put together. Great project for kids who have a parent helping or for older kids who love construction projects. Smartivity Activities sets are available for a number of other building projects including a telescope.
Primal Hatch T. Rex Tyrannosaurus from Spin Master (5-up,$65.99) was a big hit with the preschoolers in the Clintondale Community Schools Childcare Program. They loved watching it hatch and then they loved feeding it, once it broke out of its shell. Their teacher did say the shell was hard to crack, which might make it a good toy for an older child as well. Five stars!
DIY Sticki Rolls Wearable Shareable Bracelet Kit (5-up, $9.99-$27.99) from Sky Castle could not have been more popular with our toy testers Ma’Leah, Aria and Silvia. They played with the award-winning kit that comes with 500 stickers to create cool bracelets during the entire toy-testing event and other members of Clintondale Community Schools student council joined in as well. Their advisor said Santa really nailed it this time. Five stars!
Infinity MadQ from Alpha Group (5-up, $44.99). Our toy testers said the new battle set that comes with glowing Nados, two sword launchers and arena was hard to assemble but fun to play.
Smartivity Activities for Smarter Learning Rocket (6-up, $24.99). If you’re looking for a great toy that teaches kids about rocket propulsion this would be it. Our toy testers Benji and Hamza said it was a challenge to assemble but loved how high it flew. Their teacher Darrin Winkler was also impressed but said the rocket launcher should definitely be used outside, as it almost put a hole in their classroom ceiling. Five stars!
Hootenanny Games Feelin’ Cute (6-up,$19.99 ) is a 15-minute game featuring cute animal cards that players rate according to a cuteness meter. Our third- and fourth-grade toy testers Destiny, Mia (Pangori), Mia (Davis), Abriella and Patricia said the name alone made them want to play and it kept their interest.
D20 Foam Oversized Dice (6-up, $24.99 ) from Kess is a new dice game for youngsters but even adults would find it fun, indoors or outside. Our testers loved its size, how easy it was to roll and that it’s pink.
Hootenanny Games Early Bird (7-up, $19.99) was a big hit with Jade, Juliet and Noelle, who loved how it made them laugh. They also loved the funny cards and the things they came up with during the game. Five stars!
Strikesphere Soccer Bot (6-up,$59.99 ) was a big hit with our toy testers including Clintondale Community Schools Superintendent Kenneth Janczarek and two members of the student council, Blake and Kellan. Janczarek said the toy was hard to set up. They had to google directions but once they did they loved it. The smart soccer ball uses built-in sensors to track the ball and has three speed settings you can switch from indoor to outdoor use. Five stars!
Also available from Strikesphere is the Counter Ball (6-up,$59.99), a soccer ball that glows, cheers and counts your kicks. Our fourth-grade testers liked that it counted their passes but said it was really loud.
Tech Dech Shred N’ Blast Sk8Board (6-up, $29.99) from Spin Master features a cool character who does big air stunts. The toy inspired by skateboarders takes the popular pastime to new heights. Our toy tester had some trouble with the ramp (it wouldn’t stay together) but loved how high the skateboard character jumped, at one point reaching almost 7 feet in the air.
Headbanz from Spin Master (6-up, $17.99) continues to be a popular game for tweens and family game nights. Our testers from Clintondale Community Schools had fun playing the game of “What Am I?” This version is for younger kids but their teacher suggested adding more cards for older players.
Clixo Dino Adventures (6-to-forever, $15.99-$59.99) is a magnet construction building toy. Jack’s imagination kicked in as soon as he saw the pieces and within a few minutes had several creatures built before he even knew his kit was made to build a dinosaur. He’s a second-grader but even our third and fourth-grade testers Brooklyn, Ava and Alaya had fun with the toy and said they liked that it inspired them to be creative. Choose from a variety of kits including: Creator Pack with 40 pieces, Sparkle Jewelry Pack, 34 pieces and Marine Marvels featuring 36 pieces for assembling sea creatures. Five stars!
Pokemon Trainer Expert from Ultra Pro (6-up, $34.99) is an electronic game for Pokemon fans. Our testers had fun but had some difficulty in guessing the Pokemon, making it truly a game for experts and even older players.
Squishy Verse Snackipoos from Kandico (5-up, $24.99) features three DIY characters, glitter packets and surprise accessories for making fun creatures. Our fifth-grade testers Liliam, Leila and Sergio loved the toy but did not have enough time to see their creations completed. Be sure to set aside enough time to finish the task. Five stars!
Shark Strike from Spin Master (5-up, $21.99) is a new game that combines the fun of bowling, fishing and sharks into one funny game. Our toy testers loved everything about the game and had only one suggestion: Add more sharks. Five stars!
SmartGames Cats and Boxes Travel game (7-up, $19.99) was built to travel and for family game nights. Our fourth-grade tester gave it a thumbs up because it was fun and because of the cats.
Age 8-up
Mush Meez Taba Squishies ((8-up, $11.99) from Beverly Hills Teddy Bear company are among this year’s favorite squishy and sticky toys. Alaya and Ava loved the fidget, play foodie toys that come in a variety of delicious choices including a hot dog, hamburger, cinnamon bun and peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They said all of the other kids wanted to play with them including Daniella and Chloe, who loved the hot dog squishy. Noelle said they’re great because they’re a lot like slime toys but not sticky, which is perfect for parents who don’t like slime. Five stars!
Smartivity Activities for Smarter Learning Pinball (8-up,$29.99) is an award-winning STEAM toy kit that children can use to build their own pinball machine. It was a hit with our fourth-grade testers Daniella and Jack. They said it was easy to build but it did take a long time to do it.
Hootenanny Games Disco Island Escape (8-up, $22.99) was a difficult game to follow at first but once the teacher found a video explaining the directions better the kids had fun playing the game.
Virtual Reality ESPN (age 8-up, $59.99) from Abacus Brands is a cool idea for any kid looking to learn more about sports. Our toy tester couldn’t wait to try it out but was unable to hook up the virtual reality portion created with the phone app. He liked the DK Book filled with facts and cool stories but his favorite part was the Olympic medals that come with it.
Cross Spin Crossword and Party Board Game (8-up, $24.99) from JoPat Games. Ali and Noelle liked that it had puzzles that challenged them to find new words and was different from other games they’ve played.
Wise Block Build and Play RC Military Armored Truck (8-up, $36.99) was a big hit with our fourth-graders, who said it’s a very cool toy. It features 371 pieces that are interchangeable with other block building toys and can be used to create a RC tank. Henri-Paul and Hugo had great fun building the tank and playing with it afterwards. One suggestion for Santa: Add some accessories like toy soldiers. Five stars!
Also from Wise Block is the Build and Play RC Racing Car (8-up), another award-winning STEAM set featuring 414 pieces for aspiring engineers interested in building a RC racing car. Mason said his favorite aspect was all of the creativity that was dedicated to this car and how enjoyable it was to create.
Tamagotchi Collections (8-up, $38.95) from Kess is a new card game for tweens. Our fourth-grade testers loved the characters but found the game too confusing.
Fanzone Electronic Trivia Game Football (8-up,$31.99) by Ultra Pro asks the questions and lets the players answer. Hayden said it was a fun game that teaches more about sports.
Hipster The Music Party Game (16-up,$39.99) from Galt is geared for teens who enjoy a variety of music. Each player picks a card and then scans the QR code to automatically play it on Spotify. Then they must guess what year it came out.
Hipster Guilty Pleasures (16-up,$39.99) was a hit with our ninth-grade tester Lauren Hampshire. She said the variety of music was great and that it was a fun game. However, she was not keen on the old songs and would probably enjoy a version with newer music even more.
Luffy’s Bento Panic: The Game (10-up, $24.99) from Kess. Our fourth-grade testers Elliott, Lucy, Roger and Jameson said the directions were hard to understand but they liked that it was an interactive game.
Rubik’s Pulse Cube (8-up, $15.99 ) from Spin Master starts with a sleek mirrored finish that lights up with Rubik’s iconic colors as players work to solve the puzzle. It was challenging but that’s what Juliet, our fourth-grade tester loved most about it.
Tetris The Board Game (8-up,$24.99 ) from Spin Master Games has players completing as many lines as they can before the first player adds another piece to their grid. Our fourth-grade testers said it was fun to play but suggested making it so the pieces could be placed in more than one direction.
My Robotic Pet Coding Chameleon ($54.95) from Thames and Kosmos is a construction and coding toy rolled into one robotic reptile. It’s recommended for 8-up but with an adult’s help or age 12-up for kids without supervision. Once built it’s designed to respond to gestures, change colors and automatically fire and retract its tongue, but our 8-year-old testers found it difficult to snap together and never got to try the coding.
3Doodler Candy (8-up, $59.99) by Wobbleworks is a new tool that makes 3D printing a little sweeter. Kids just load the pen up with candy and then press a button to make delicious treats. Five stars!
Stocking stuffers
Looking for a few little things to add to your list? These are a few items to consider, some were award-winners last year and others are new this season including a whole lineup of squishy toys:
Incredible Novelties’ Squishi Toys were a big hit among our testers who liked the feel and scent of them. Noelle, Lucy, Alex and Ella, fourth-graders at Pierce Elementary School were all particularly fond of the Oreo Squishi Toy. Choose from a variety of options for different ages including: Bazooka and Scented Ring Pop Squishi Toy (6-up) or Sour Patch Kids Scented Squishi (13-up).
LOL 101: A Kid’s Guide to Writing Great Jokes ($15.99) features illustrations and easy to follow tips for children that want to make people laugh. Award winner!
Cocosmile cups: Robot Straw Thermos Cup Single Eye (6-up, $29.99) is a cool water
bottle featuring an easy-open-nob (eyeball) and belt for kids on the go. Jack loved the eyeball opener and that it comes attached to a belt for easy carrying.
LED Keyboard Fidget Key Ring (3-up, $9.99) is a cool key ring that lights up.
Art Cafe Latte-Inspired Painting Kit (8-up, $15.99) from Tree Town Toys comes with everything aspiring artists need to make latte-inspired art.
Cheers to our toy testers!
The Macomb Daily’s annual holiday review of the season’s hottest toys is a newsroom tradition that started when virtual pets and Tamagotchi were the buzz words on Santa’s Wish List.
Our editorial staff started doing the reviews to help parents navigate the growing number of toys on the market. It is readers’ interest that fuels this tradition but it’s the work of many that make it possible.
That includes the toy manufacturers across the United States and Canada, and many other parts of the world who provide free toys for testing and jump through many logistic hoops in order to make sure they are submitted on time. Some even include batteries to make sure testers have everything they need.
Most importantly, we would like to thank our toy-testing tykes from Macomb and Oakland counties.
Working collectively for Clintondale Community Schools were members of its student council at McGlinnen and their advisor Amanda Madson as well as students in the Clintondale Childcare Program at Parker and Rainbow Elementary schools. A special shout-out goes to Clintondale Community Schools Superintendent Kenneth Janczarek, who joined in the fun of testing the toys and Alexandra Hichel and Melissa Kloposki for coordinating the teams and logging the results.
Tackling many of the STEAM toys this year were the fourth-graders in Darrin Winkler’s class at Pierce Elementary in Birmingham.
Our thanks to all of you for your enthusiasm and help in making this year’s mission a success.
What if…
We’ve been told by toymakers over the years that they follow reviews not only as a means of improving their products but also for ideas on how to expand a line or even introduce something new. So we asked our toy-testing tykes to answer a bonus question: If anything was possible what kind of toy would you invent?
Here’s a few of the gadgets and gizmos our fourth-grade testers came up with:
Henri-Paul Rias and Hugo Zhou said they would create a construction building set for a military shop complete with firing cannons and toy soldiers. It would also have the pieces to build a smaller ship and helicopter that you could land on the ship.
Noelle Simmons would create a realistic robotic dog. She said her parents don’t really love dogs but she would love it and play with it every day. She might even create a robot that can do household chores or make her dinner and name it the magical assistant.
Ella Ebiner said she would create a 3D printer that makes squishy toys.
Jack Schroeder and Daniella Fraser said they would create a fidget toy that gives you any superpower in the world.
Benji Papaghanian and Hamza Alwan said they would like to create a toy that lets you build an entire city like maybe Detroit or Parish.
Letty Eilander would make a remote-controlled bird that would fly or sit on her shoulder.
Jade Ransford said he would create a magical robotic cat in rainbow colors covered with stars and sparkles that teaches people how to talk to cats.
