Crack open a "fur"-endly surprise with EGG BABIES from Wicked Cool Toys! Inside each brightly colored Styrofoam egg is a vibrantly colored, ultra-soft plush animal to discover. There are six different possibilities but you won't know which one is inside an egg until cracking it open.
Dig your fingers into the shell and rip it apart to pull out a furry friend. Or for a less messy option the middle of the egg can be twisted and pulled apart. That way is not as much fun though as cracking the egg open yourself though.
These plush toys stand out for being really soft for kids to cuddle. Plus they have unique coloring and quirky shapes that have them stand out. My kids hatched Hamlet a purple piggy and Patches a teal and brown puppy. These EGG BABIES are just the right size to make them perfect for cuddling on the couch while watching television or holding tight when going to sleep at bedtime. I've noticed Hamlet and Patches wrapped up in my son and daughter's arms as they've been watching all the Christmas specials that are on TV this time of year.
Other EGG BABIES include a turtle named Turtellini, a fluffy pink bunny called Bubble Gum, a chick named Kiwi and a loveable kitty cat named Snowflake. EGG BABIES are packaged so they are small enough to be a stocking stuffer or big enough to be a Hanukkah gift or a present left under a Christmas tree. They'd also make wonderful additions to Easter baskets or nice birthday present ideas. EGG BABIES are available to purchase from Amazon, Kmart and Toys R Us.
For more information about these and other fun items that are sure to delight kids, head over to wickedcooltoys.com
The highlight of each summer's Blogger Bash conference in New York City is the Toy Insider's annual Sweet Suite which provides a preview of new products toy manufacturers will be releasing for the upcoming holiday shopping season. This year's event was held in mid-July at Manhattan's Chelsea Piers and I was invited to attend as a member of the Toy Insider's Parents Panel team. More than 60 brands showcased the hottest toys that are surely destined to be heading for spots under Christmas trees in December.
Exhibitors ranged from some of the world's largest toy producers such as LEGO to more entrepreneurial small businesses like Bears For Humanity. Items on display ranged from an upgraded versions of the classic Etch A Sketch and Teddy Ruxpin to cutting edge virtual reality applications from Skyrocket Toys and Merge VR. Join me inside Sweet Suite 2017 as I share some highlights from this year's toy preview event.
With this toy you'll have your own personal minion to roll its eyes at you that can be controlled either by a smart device or by hand gestures. In addition to interacting with you through its movements, Dave also can emit over 140+ sounds and phrases from the Despicable Me movies. Dave is also programmed to play a variety of games and comes equipped with a fart gun for duels. Plus Minion MiP Turbo Dave has a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) component which incorporates a block-based coding platform providing an educational play aspect to the toy. Multiple minions will interact with one another and engage in fart gun battles. This really is a great toy recommended for kids 8 year old and up. I know my daughter is going to want one!
My son always gets immersed in those chutes and ladder type displays at science centers that are powered by clock like gears and have balls winding there way up, down and around a maze. Now you can make your own at home with --> Marbleocity Mini Skate Park. Utilizing a marble and having a fun skate boarding theme, kids can learn about concepts such as projectile motion and centripetal force by building and observing this kinetic sculpture. Actually I wouldn't mind having one of these on my office desk to enjoy myself! Plus I thought it was a great idea that the instructions are printed in a comic book style to really capture kids attention and get them engaged with this toy. In addition to the skate boarding there are also sets with a roller coaster theme as well Marbleocity Mini Coaster. These new additions to the PlayMonster toy lineup really left a positive impression with me.
JAKKS Pacific has new toys based upon the hit PBS animated TV series, Daniel Tigers Neighborhood and I had a chance to run into the star of the show! Visit their website to see toys they have available at retailers such as Kmart, Target and Toys R Us.
My son is really into animals, he can watch episodes of Wild Kratts all day so I know he'd enjoy these new drones from Alpha Group USA. Coming out this fall, Drone Force are animal inspired easy-to-fly remote control drone creatures designed for kids ages 6 and up. There will be a variety to choose from and they are built to battle each other in the air. The Angler Attack sea creature I'm holding brings its undersea terror to the skies. It has a simulated electro-surge attack with luminescent LEDS and glow special effects. The drone also features one-touch take-off and landing for easy indoor and outdoor flight. Other models include Morp Zilla (gorilla) ,which can be controlled on the ground in ape mode when not flying; Raptor Strike (bird of prey) that has missiles and an infrared targeting system; and Arachno Fury (spider) which can perform flips and dive bomb stunts. You'll want to get at least a pair of these battle drones so your kids and their friends can engage in duels with them.
I thought these color them yourself puppets from Great Pretenders were a very original and unique idea. What a great way to spur kids to engage in imaginative play! They also had colorable doll outfits and costumes for kids that also caught my attention.
The folks from Pillow Pets made sure the seating areas were really comfy for attendees!
My daughter plays with Our Generation dolls all the time! She loves her Our Generation ice cream truck! So it was nice to see the dolls manufacturer Battat make an appearance at this year's Sweet Suite.
There were a lot of sweet toys on display at the event but there was also a lot of treats to be had. I couldn't resist grabbing some candy to enjoy on my plane ride home back to Detroit.
The guys at North Star Games were a real hoot and were cracking all the attendees up. I really enjoyed spending some time having them teach me how to play their new game BLURBLE. They also have a great game my family always take along with us on camping trips to play called Happy Salmon Game.
My daughter is infatuated with giraffes so I had to take picture of this plush giraffe from Bears For Humanity. Made with 100-percent certified organic materials, global organic textile standard certified, global fair trade requirements, they are the safest non-toxic plush toys on the market. They are also made right here in the good ole USA with each plush toy hand-stuffed and sewn by at-risk mothers and caregivers. For each toy sold one is donated to a child in need. While there focus is on teddy bears as you can see they also make other animals as well like giraffes. These will easily pass any snuggle test! Purchasing one goes well beyond just giving a family member or friend a gift.
Yes I was that guy carrying around a giant football at Sweet Suite! Couldn't say no to a Kangaroo Pool Floats; Jumbo Football Pool Raft, 6 Ft. when they asked if I would like to take it home with me. In addition to this great football, Kangaroo has a bunch of other goofy fun inflatables to enjoy riding in the water ranging from a giant whale to a slice of pizza.
Meet the MERGE CUBE, the world's first interactive holographic toy you can hold in the palm of your hand.
Use this cube from MERGE VR to either interact with holograms through augmented reality or use it as a controller in virtual reality games.
I gave the MERGE CUBE a test run and it was very cool!
This really isn't a "toy" but Nalgene was at Sweet Suite with their line of Marvel superheroes water bottles. The designs on them were really great! They had on display an Incredible Hulk Nalgene WM 1 Quart Hulk Bottle, Glow Green, 32 oz that glows in the dark which was really smashing!
I ran into Tara Tucker who heads the marketing for Spin Master. She introduced me to her buddy the Spin Master Hatchimal.
Spin Master recently acquired the Etch A Sketch brand and is doing a lot to enhance and upgrade the classic toy for today's tech-savvy kids as well as expanding the promotion of its old school iconic version as well. They had an artist on site who utilized a picture on my phone to illustrate a picture of my daughter on a miniature pink Etch A Sketch that I gave her upon arriving home.
Talking about iconic toys! Wicked Cool Toys is bringing back a new animatronic Teddy Ruxpin toy that has LCD eyes and more than 40 animations. Touch sensors allow kids to control him telling stories and singing songs. Teddy's motorized mouth syncs to whatever he is saying or singing. Teddy Ruxpin Storytelling, Friendship & Magical Fun is sure to be a hit this holiday shopping season!
Warner Bros. Games was on hand to provide a sneak peek of their upcoming LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 video game. The first version is one of my kids favorite video games so we've been looking forward to the sequel! LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 will be available for Playstation 4 in November and is an original adventure that people can play out that brings together iconic Marvel super heroes and super villains from different eras and realities, along with signature LEGO humor. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 will also be available for PC play as well. It really is a blast to play!
Add caption
Here's a HIGH FIVE to the Toy Insider for hosting another great Sweet Suite event. Swing by thetoyinsider.com for more information about the toys featured in this post as well as for expert reviews on numerous other products. While you are there check out some of my Parents Panel posts too!
** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review**
Happy Hatchimals Day! We received a mysterious egg the other day from Spin Master Toys with a "Hatchimal" inside and my kids have been anxious all week to find out what will emerge out of the shell. Today's the day for the big reveal! My son and daughter have been rocking, petting and holding the egg to keep it comfortable, safe and warm. Before your egg will hatch you must nurture and care for it to encourage the Hatchimal inside to break out of the shell.
My kids took caring for the egg so seriously that I even talked my son into sitting on it for awhile like a bird. It turns out though that my joking him into doing that was the final touch to activate the Hatchimal to start pecking its way out of the shell. We rushed it into the dining room to sit back and watch as holes began appearing in the shell. Whatever was inside was ready to get out!
A beak began to poke holes through the shell. After about five minutes it had cracked an opening around the egg allowing for the creature to crack out of the top. We're about to get our first glimpse at what is inside the egg!
Well my daughter guessed it would be a penguin and my son thought it would be a dragon. It turns out that they were both right as the Hatchimal that emerged was a combination of a penguin and a dragon. Meet our Hatchimalthe kids have named -- Flappy.
While hatching the toy from the egg was a neat experience, the fun really begins now the Hatchimal is out of its shell. You know the toy is ready to play with after it hatches when it sings HATCHI BIRTHDAY - a very nice touch! Now let the fun begin!
These interactive, animatronic creatures develop through three modes -- baby, toddler, and kids -- advancing to each level as they spurred on by your attention and imaginative play with them. Each new mode opens up new features to interact and have fun with your Hatchimal. Baby mode focuses on caring for the Hatchimal. Toddler mode allows you to teach your Hatchimal to walk, talk and dance. You can start playing games with your Hatchimal when it becomes a kid.
There are four games the Hatchimal will play with you: SILLY SOUNDS, PSYCHIC HATCHIMAL, TAG, and HATCHIMAL SAYS. In "Silly Sounds," your Hatchimal will tap a pattern and you need to try to repeat it back. You can ask your Hatchinal YES or NO questions and it will answer them when playing "Psychic Hatchimal". "When your Hatchimals eyes turn red you need to tap it on the head when playing "Tag." Complete an instructed task -- pat its head, squeeze its belly, turn it upside down, before your Hatchimal gives another order to win at "Hatchimal Says."
My kids are just discovering all the great things they can do with their Hatchimal but it has already proven to be a toy that has excited and entertained them. Because it combines an element of surprise by actually hatching from a shell, interactive robotic tech that engages children to participate in creative play, and a cuddly animal toy that boys and girls will adore, Spin Master's Hatchimals have earned A GEEK DADDY nod of approval.
**A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review**
I found a mysterious egg left at our front doorstep today that had been delivered by Spin Master Toys. My kids were anxious to discover what was inside but a note with the egg asked us not to peek until Hatchimals Day on October 7. The note encouraged us to keep the egg comforted while waiting for it to hatch by rocking, petting and tapping it and we might just be surprised by what happened when we did that.
What could it be? A penguin? or platypus? is it a dinosaur? maybe even a dragon? My kids had plenty of guesses but we'll just have to wait until Hatchimals Day to find out for sure.
My children are taking turns nurturing the egg by holding it and keeping it safe. When they started spending time with the egg something extraordinary occurred -- the creature inside actually began interacting with them. As they rock the egg you can hear its heart start to beat. Tap on the shell and it taps back. Petting the egg might even gets it talking ... I swear it sounds like it is mimicking the words you are speaking around it. Once the creature inside feels comfortable around you its eyes even begin to glow through the shell.
So what do you think will emerge from the shell on Hatchimals Day? Make sure to swing back and visit us on Friday to find out!
