Whether you’ve actually attended it or not, when one thinks of Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC), toys probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, despite being in the name, even comics… read more
Collecting & Playing Together: Kids, Parents, and the Toys of Comic-Con
Spreading the Joy of Play: Toy Companies That Give Back
The toy industry is a never-ending cycle that’s filled with a lot of movement and excitement. The yearly build-up comes to its peak with the all-important holiday season, mirroring the peak of another important season: the… read more
Less Tech, More Play: What Our Kids Need in 2018
We’ve created a monster. And, by “we,” I mean the current regime of grownups in charge. This sinister beast is like a hydra—a creature with many heads that lurk all around us, detached from their… read more
Five Retro Toy Lines that Need a Proper Reboot
The Toy Association announced “Oh So Classic!” as a top toy trend of 2017 during New York Toy Fair back in February, and as we approach the holiday season, this trend continues to grow. In… read more
Netflix Kids: Connecting Families from Stream Time to Playtime
There’s always going to be a debate about how much screen time is right or wrong for our kids. While I tend to think that I watched a lot of TV and movies as a… read more
Racing Into Fun: An Inside Look at the Toys of Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3!
My girls are both car-obsessed, and that’s something that I can really get behind. If you ask my wife, she’ll probably say that my enthusiasm is a little overboard. (She says we have too many… read more
Star Wars at 40: Raising Strong Women & The Forces of Destiny
When the dust settled from Star Wars Celebration Orlando, both attendees and those who watched from afar (thanks to the live stream) were buzzing about the future of “a galaxy far, far away.” While the… read more
Share Your Love of Pop Culture with these TV & Movie Cars!
When you become a parent, there’s a lot of things that you’re not prepared for. For most, what immediately comes to mind are the lifestyle changes, the costs involved, and the overall weight of being… read more
An Important Step for Play: Mattel’s “Dads Who Play Barbie”
It’s incredible how much things can change in what seems, on one hand, to be a few short years, but on another, the result of decades of struggle. As my wife and I celebrate our… read more
Going Rogue with Star Wars… Again
Last year around this same time, I was out in Los Angeles, more than 1,500 miles from my Illinois home, living a dream that I never knew could be a reality. As Disney/Lucasfilm prepared to… read more
WELCOME TO THE TOY INSIDER! There is nothing like watching your little one unwrap the one toy they've been wishing for all season—and we're here to help you find the perfect toy to bring a smile to your kid's face!
