Animatronic Toys: While tech-enabled toys have been a major trend at the Toy Fair for the past few years, the latest evolution came in the form of animatronic technology. Hasbro showed Biscuit, My Lovin Pup, a life-like golden retriever; Mattel/Fisher Price featured the much buzzed about story-telling, joke telling, self-posing Elmo Live; and Playskool gathered crowds with Kota the Triceratops, a 40-inch tall dinosaur robot with movement sensors and a reactionary head, mouth, tail and horns.

Eco-Consciousness: The plight to save Mother Earth is now permeating the toy market. Sprig Toys’ battery-free push-and-pump action vehicles are perfect for kids who want all the bells and whistles of battery-powered toys. Little Humbugs’ plush dolls are half human, half bug “Super Eco Warriors” in search of human children to help them save the planet. Their adventures can be followed in books such as Jasmine the Butterfly Girl and the Little Humbugs TV website which also has eco tips and healthy recipes.

Latino Heritage Dolls: According to a recent study conducted by the PewResearchCenter, the U.S. Latino population will triple by 2050, representing about 30% of the population. The fastest growing ethnic market in the U.S., the Latino toy sales market is estimated at $30 billion. It is not enough to have toys that talk in Spanish or simply have instructions in Spanish, but now there is a growing demand for toys that actually relate to Hispanic heritage. Speaking to the significance of grandparents in Latino families, Baby Abuelita’s Spanish-speaking plush dolls are available in both baby and grandparent characters, the latter of which sing traditional lullabies. LATEENAZ’s Barbie-style dolls and playsets embrace Latino culture and traditions, with each doll flaunting physical characteristics of Latina girls and playsets ranging from quinceañeras and malls to schools and beauty salons. On the back of all the packaging is an inspirational message addressing core values, education and Latino traditions, with children being encouraged to send in their report cards to the company to receive LATEENAZ gear in exchange for strong academic performance.  

Values and Communication: In a society where technology rules and school pressure can be suffocating, family communication is suffering. In turn, children are often left not knowing how to behave in certain situations, whether it be proper table manners, lying to one’s parents or cheating at school. Responding to such, there is a growing trend in games to help families with this growing problem. Kubit2me is a question and answer game, with different editions catering to different age groups, that poses questions such as “What was your favorite vacation and why?” and “What makes you feel sad?” It is a great way for parents to facilitate communications with their children, as well as for groups of friends to get to know each other. Blunders is a board game that teaches children ages 5-10 about manners and polite behavior, while What’s the Deal? poses ethical dilemmas to tweens for discussion.