Toy Insider Christmas

Being a member of the Toy Insider's Parent Panel has been an incredible experience!  I really enjoy being a regular contributor to their website, participating as a panelist for the Toy Insider Twitter Parties, and serving as a promotional ambassador for the annual Sweet Suite toy expo.  Serving on the Parent Panel has led to me interacting with some wonderful people and provided my family the opportunity to have a lot of fun reviewing a variety of amazing products.

The holiday season is an especially enjoyable time to be associated with the Toy Insiders because their is such an interest in games and toys during this time of the year.  The Toy Insiders always do a stellar job showcasing toys they've researched throughout the year and believe would thrill children to receive as presents through their HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE which is printed within November's issue of the Family Circle magazine and can also be viewed online at thetoyinsider.com.  They also get the Parent Panel members involved by having us do a blog post with each of us highlighting our favorite toy included within the Toy Insider's HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE selections.  Click here to see what each of us picked.

Each of the parents on the panel were also asked to have their kids go through the HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE and create a wish list of their favorite items presumably to be highlighted in a similar write up to the one us adults had recently done.  My kids enthusiastically scrolled through the Toy Insider's online gift guide yelling out toys they'd like Santa to bring them this year.  They're really going to be excited to find out though that instead of using those ideas as part of a blog post, our family had a huge box delivered to the house filled with giftwrapped presents for my son and daughter.  How amazing was that of the Toy Insider for them to do that?!

I'm going to keep these presents a surprise from my kids and we're going to have an extra special Toy Insider Christmas this year.  To avoid my twins getting duplicate gifts from relatives, Santa or mom and dad, I did peel open the wrapping and peek inside each of the gifts.  Do you want to know what was inside all the presents from our Toy Insider's gift box?  Ok ... just between us I'll let you know what I found:

BOYS GIFTS

MAGIC HAT

My eight year old boy is infatuated with magic tricks so he's going to be thrilled to get this MAGIC HAT set from Thames & Kosmos.  It provides the opportunity to learn and perform 35 different magic tricks. There are more than 40 props and instructions to learn tricks, such as making a magic wand float, bend, and grow.

BLACK VOLTRON LION

My son is also really into the Netflix VOLTRON animated series so he'll definitely be excited to unwrap this diecast lion figure from the show.  Playmate Toys sells the 5 lion vehicles featured in the Netflix episodes individually and they can all be combined to create a robot warrior.

LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE

He has been obsessed with the LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE all year long so my son is going to be delighted by this GREEN NINJA MECH DRAGON from LEGO.  I know this toy is going to get a lot of use once it is put together!  The 544-piece mech features articulated snapping jaws, a fully poseable body, a wheel-activated swooshing tail, two leg-mounted stud shooters, and two hidden pop-out thrusters. Plus it comes with four Ninjago mini-figures with assorted weapons.

GIRLS GIFTS

LEGO FRIENDS SNOW RESORT SKI SET

LEGO toys aren't just for boys and my daughter loves playing and building with them just as much as her twin brother does.  She's going to have a lot of fun playing with this winter themed play set. Build the ultimate winter sports resort, featuring a working ski lift, a rock climbing wall, a ski slope sliding function, and more. The 585-piece set includes two mini-dolls and a bear cub figure.

STAR WARS FORCES OF DESTINY DOLL

My passion for Star Wars movies has rubbed off on my daughter.  She went as Rey for Halloween one year and will be so happy to unwrap a doll featuring her favorite Star Wars character.  The 11-inch sized dolls in the Hasbro Forces of Destiny collection are articulated with soft clothing, rooted hair, and battle-ready action moves.

HAPPY PLACES DISNEY COLLECTION

My daughter already has a lot of fun playing with the HAPPY PLACES toy sets she already has; so I know she's going to appreciate being able to add some furniture to her collection from one of her favorite movies, Beauty & the Beast.  Moose Toys has created Disney-themed furniture and home décor to add a special touch to HAPPY PLACES rooms. This play set features two rooms and exclusive Belle home décor accessories.

Have yourself a Toy Insider Christmas by perusing their HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE as part of your holiday shopping routine.  In addition to an overall list of suggestions broken down by age groups (Infants & Toddlers / Preschool / Grade School / Tweens), the Toy Insider also has specific recommendations on the HOT TOYS of the year, plus highlights items specifically in the tech and STEM categories.  Each toy has an informative description included with a picture as well as symbols that designate skill sets that will benefit from playing with it such as motor skills, school readiness and social interactions. Plus you won't be surprised if a toy needs batteries or not because each listing clearly identifies whether or not they are needed.  The Toy Insider website is a great resource to help you find the perfect gifts for the children in your life.

Don't just visit thetoyinsider.com during the holiday season though! They publish informative toy reviews by trustworthy expert staff throughout the year on everything from action figures and dolls to remote control cars and video games.  As well as feature articles by good ole me! Did I mention they also regularly host some fabulous contests and giveaways too!  The Toy Insider's website is one you definitely should bookmark because it is a valuable resource to take advantage of.  You know they have A Geek Daddy nod of approval!

Blogger Bash Sweet Suite 2017

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.

My daughter loves the robotic toys WowWee creates.  Two of her very favorite toys are their CHiP the Robot Dog and the MiPosaur.  She's going to go BANANAS when she find out that WowWee's newest toy is a minion from the Despicable Me movies --> Minion MiP Turbo Dave - Fun Balancing Robot Toy.

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.

They are introducing a new glittering version of their popular hatchimal toys Hatchimals Glittering Garden - Hatching Egg - Interactive Creature - Sparkly Penguala by Spin Master plus now have small CollEGGtible versions too Hatchimals - CollEGGtibles - 4-Pack + Bonus (Styles & Colors May Vary) by Spin Master.

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!

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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!