September is right around the corner and kids will soon be headed back to school with pens, pencils, markers, notebooks, and of course, great new toys for show and tell. Toy Insider Mom Laurie Schacht stopped by Breakfast TV in Toronto to talk about the best new toys for the back-to-school season. For more on the products featured in this segment, check our our product notes below, and be sure to check out our rundown of the best educational toys of the summer.
Think & Learn Code-a-Pillar (Fisher-Price)
- Preschoolers can arrange Code-A-Pillar’s easy-to-connect segments in endless combinations to send Code-a-Pillar on his path: forward, left, right, or even wait for a couple seconds before moving again.
- Kids can configure the segments in such a way that the Code-A-Pillar can reach targets they set up throughout the room.
- When kids connect the segments to make Code-A-Pillar move – that’s sequencing!
- When they figure out a sequence that will create a path for Code-A-Pillar to reach a target, that’s programming (and problem solving, too)! It’s all coding—and it’s all fun!
- Ages: 3-6
- Canadian MSRP: $49.99
Alex Toys Drawing Tool Box (Alex)
- This complete drawing set comes with its own tool box carrying case!
- Includes wooden mannequin, 10 colored pencils, 6 chalk pastels, 5 pencils, 2 charcoal pencils, 4 blending stumps, 5″x7″ (12.7cm x 17.7cm) sketch pad, sharpener, kneaded eraser, white eraser, and tool box with shelf for easy storage and portability.
- Ages: 3+
- US MSRP: $29.99
- Canada MSRP: $43.99
Beasts Alive Bronto Building Set (K’NEX)
- Stomp, Chomp, Stomp, Chomp – watch these creatures come ALIVE with new Beasts Alive Building Sets from K’NEX!
- Use the 200+ classic K’NEX parts to build Bronto, a stomping dinosaur.
- Once built, turn on the motor and watch it come ALIVE right before your eyes!
- The set includes two additional building ideas that can be built one at a time.
- Ages: 7+
- US MSRP: $27.99
- Canadian MSRP: $24.93
- Bring Skylanders to life!
- Expand your gameplay experience with physical Battlecast cards.
- You can scan physical Battlecast cards and play with your Skylanders through Augmented Reality.
- Import physical cards into the game to build your digital collection.
- Simply download the Skylanders Battlecast mobile game, then get a card and scan your cards using your device’s camera. You are now ready to battle enemies and other players!
- Ages: 6+
- US and Canadian MSRP: $9.99
- With the new 3Doodler Start your creative kids can finally bring all of their wonderful and imaginative ideas to life in 3D. The 3Doodler Start 3D printing pen extrudes an eco-friendly plastic that cools and hardens rapidly, allowing kids to literally draw in the air!
- The 3Doodler Start is specially designed to be clean & safe for kids aged 8+, with no hot parts or messy resins or glues to contend with.
- The 3Doodler Start is seriously easy to use too, there’s only one speed and one temperature and no software or technical knowledge required – just turn it on, insert a strand and start Doodling in 3D.
- Ages: 8-13
- US and Canadian MSRP: $49.99
- The LeapStart interactive learning systems are designed to help build key skills and challenge kids to get ready for their next step in learning.
- Using the stylus, kids can tap any page to activate audio responses and play activities designed to keep them engaged and coming back for more.
- Each book in the library is packed with over 30 activities. Games, jokes and songs come to life, enticing kids to trace numbers, hunt for letters, compose their own music and so much more.
- Ages 2-7
- US and Canadian MSRP: $39.99
XPV RC Skateboarding Mikey (Jakks Pacific)
- Booyakasha! It’s Radical Control with the all new XPV RC Skateboarding Mikey. Watch as Mikey does amazing skateboard tricks and self-rights when knocked over.
- Check out his awesome style as he performs incredible moves such as wheelies, 360s, one-footed spins and more!
- Mikey even comes equipped with 20 radical sound phrases/effects.
- Ages: 4+
- US MSRP: $59.97
- Canadian MSRP: $149.97
- The Y Fliker LIFT is the latest addition to the self-propelling Y Fliker range of innovative, three-wheeled, carving & drifting scooters.
- Its revolutionary patented ‘LIFT’ mechanism allows riders to wheelie like never before!
- Simply lean back and ‘LIFT’ the front to perform wheelies forward and even sideways!
- And, with its sleek design, steel frame, free-spinning trick handle bar, quick response hand brake, anti-vibration rubber hand grips and our Twist & Stow folding system, the Y Fliker LIFT is the Ultimate Y Fliker!
- Ages 7+
- US MSRP: $169.99
- Canada MSRP: $239.99
- Vive is a first-of-its kind virtual reality system developed in partnership by HTC and Valve.
- Vive was designed from the ground up for room scale VR, allowing true-to-life interactions and experiences thanks to an adjustable headset displaying stunning graphics, two wireless controllers with HD haptic feedback and 360 absolute motion tracking.
- With more than 200 VR offerings now available on Steam, Vive owners have a wide selection of virtual reality content to choose from for hours VR fun.
- Ages: 13+
- US MSRP: $799
- Canadian MSRP: $1,149
Tonka 12V Mighty Dump Truck (Dynacraft)
- The Tonka 12v Mighty Dump Truck has two passenger seats with adjustable play seat belts and authentic Tonka truck sounds!
- It has forward and backward driving functionality and can reach up to 5 MPH.
- The rugged Tonka design with tough traction tires and has a real working dump for enhanced play.
- Ages: 3+
- MSRP: $349.99
- Canadian MSRP: $599.99
- The Grand Luxe Kitchen by Step2 will leave you envious of your little ones play kitchen.
- This modern kid’s play kitchen features all of the amenities any junior chef would want.
- Toddlers can whip up a delicious pretend meal with the over-sized oven and stove with upscale, extra-large range controls. Kiddos can cook up some pretend play fun with the dual-electronic features and life-like appliances.
- This extra-large kitchen is the ideal playset for multi-child play to enhance little sous chef’s imaginative and social skills.
- Ages: 3+
- US and Canadian MSRP: $340-$350
- The all-new RipStik Electric puts the power of electrifying carving action in the palm of your hand.
- With its innovative hub motor and lithium ion battery, the RipStik Electric unleashes a continuous flow of twist and carve surf and snowboard inspired action for up to 40 minutes.
- Get the fun rolling with the hand-held remote, then hit your groove at speeds up to 10 mph.
- Ages: 8+
- US and Canadian MSRP: $179.99
