Toy Fair 2010 is over now and it has been a whirlwind couple of days for us in New York. We made our kids jealous by playing with toys all day without them (although several companies remembered the havoc my kids wrecked on their booths at the ABC Kids Show so it was probably good that they weren’t allowed at Toy Fair).

I have always wanted to go to Toy Fair but being transplanted west-coasters, we’ve never made it out that direction. It was so much fun seeing all the new toy trends and a few old favorites with a new twist.

Playmobile School Building

The detail in the new playmobile school building is amazing and made this play set one of my favorite toys of the entire show, which I guess is a bit ironic since we are homeschoolers but I couldn’t resist the realism.There are several basic school themed playsets available but very few of them go beyond the basics of a classroom with a chalkboard. The Playmobile school buildng has everything from a science room, main office, and music room and offers great addon sets to expand the school. The school crossing guard set was really unique and is a great way to help kids roll play safe behavior. This playset will be available in August, just in time for back-to-school.

Mattel iXL

I swore I would never make the transition to an e-book but I am now in love with my Kindle – unfortunately, so is my 6 year old son who has been asking for his own ebook reader since I got mine. Mattel has a great new product called the iXL, that works to combine several electronic toys in one – a game system, music player, note book, art studio and e-book reader. I wasn’t a huge fan of the styling because personally I think kids are looking for a better quality screen in a larger size but I really like the idea of combining several electronic toys in one, especially since the unit itself offers expandable memory and allows parents to put upload songs that they already own rather than buying proprietary disks. The CEO of Mattel has named the iXL the hottest toys for next Christmas and I have to agree that it will probably be a hit with parents at kids alike.

Mandy and Pandy

I grew up with a father who is fluent in Chinese and spent much of his time in Hong Kong and mainland China. We were encouraged to learn Chinese words but honestly had no real use for the language in our daily life. Today, China is the center of the business world. I have heard it said that there will soon be more Chinese speakers in the world than there are English speakers (if I wasn’t so exhausted from Toy Fair I’d hunt down the stat for you). Kids today will likely have more use for Chinese in their lifetime than they will for any other foreign language but there are surprisingly few resources available to learn Chinese. The Mandy and Pandy books teach Chinese as kids listen to the story on CD (or parents brave the phonetic spellings of the words which are written beneath the English and Chinese writing) The illustrations are adorable and really draw kids in. I’ve actually been trying to get the sample I brought home from Toy Fair away from my 2 year old all day so I can get a good look at it but he isn’t budging.

Marshmallow Fun Company

We had a chance to test out the original Marshmallow gun from the Marshmallow Fun Company a while back and it was a huge hit with kids and parents alike at our house. We had the opportunity to meet one of the founders of the Marshmallow Fun Company and hear their unique background story. The Marshmallow Fun Company line is expanding like crazy and they now have so many toys that you could stage a huge paintball-like riot.

My favorite was the new Marshmallow Land Mine, which is a bit like a grenade set on a timer, but my husband was eyeing the executive shooter for his desk (now that would make for some interesting meetings).

Hape Organeco Blocks

I absolutely love unit blocks. They played a starring role in most of my curriculum when I taught preschool at home and we use them frequently in our homeschool curriculum now. The only downside to unit blocks is they are really heavy, which can prevent a problem when young kids decide they don’t want to share and hit another child with a block or with younger children who struggle to build with heavier blocks without becoming frustrated.

The new Hape Organeco blocks are made from hollow bamboo, making them lightweight for small hands but retaining the sturdy structure of a toy that will last for generations.

Lego Board Games

Lego is always a hit with kids and the Lego Toy Fair booth was no exception. Although my 6 year old son was a bit bummed to hear they are discontinuing the Bionicles series, he was placated to hear that they were replacing it with a Ben Ten Alien Force line. The big news at Lego was they are creating Lego board games. These are not traditional board games though.

The player actually builds the board using legos before playing. Each logo board peg is a game space and microfigs (seriously, you can’t get any cuter than these) act as your game pieces.

Imagiplay LacingScapes

I love lacing toys for preschoolers. They are such a great way to encourage small motor development and coordination skills but lacing toys are not unique. Imagiplay’s new lacingScapes are a fun twist on an old favorite. Their lacing kits include a background scene and 15 animals and objects for preschoolers to lace  wherever they like on the scene. This allows for some creative play options and changes the activity each time it is played. All of ImagiPlay’s products are made from green materials and are created in factories that utilize fair trade practices.
Haba sand toys – Haba has an adorable new line of sand toys. Ice cream cones and scoops allow kids to create sand ice cream scoops, encouraging small motor skills and providing creative play opportunities. The bright colors of these toys make them easy to find in a sand box or at the beach and the sturdy construction will keep these around for a long time.

Makedo

As a mother and a blogger, I think I’ve seen just about everything. It isn’t often that I find a product that is completely unique. Makedo’s innovative reusable connector system allows children to create 3-d sculptures and playsets using found materials such as boxes, containers, and more.

This is the ultimate green toy and I love the way it encourages kids to think on their own rather than providing detailed instructions that don’t allow for any deviation. The simple cutting tool is safe for kids and the connectors are easy for small fingers to use. What child doesn’t love to play with a refrigerator box? Take classic play to a new level with these fun kits from Makedo.

Velcro Kids

Everyone knows the Velcro name but this year they are trying something a bit different. The new Velcro Kids line reminds me of the paper dolls I played with as a kid but with a creative twist to make them much more durable and allow for 3 dimensional play. The concept is so simple but it allows for great creative play. The delicate hook and loops that are being used in this product can stand up to years of play and make it really easy for even younger children to rearrange the playset and redress the dolls. The dollhouse playset is a classic but as the mother of boys I was especially thrilled with the pirate ship.

Related posts:

1. Toy Fair and a Kid-Free Trip
2. Toy Fair 2011 – What Do You Look for in a Toy?
3. Bandai’s Toy Fair Kid Reporter
4. Toy Fair 2011 – What Do Toys Mean to You?
5. Toy Fair 2011 – Hasbro Showroom