What’s hot this holiday season? Toy Insider Mom Laurie Schacht stopped by NBC in Chicago to talk about the best toys of the season. For more on the products featured in this segment, check out the items below, and for a full rundown of the best toys of the year, check out our complete holiday toy guide.
Hatchimals- Hatchimals are magical creatures that live inside of eggs. Who’s inside? It’s a surprise!
- Each egg contains one of two interactive Hatchimals. Kids must and care for their egg as its eyes will light up as it makes cute sounds, telling you how it’s feeling!
- Once kids have played with it enough, they’ll see rainbow eyes, meaning it’s time to hatch! But, Hatchimals can’t hatch on their own. Kids’ touch encourages them to peck their way out of the egg—it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
- Now, kids get to raise their furry Hatchimal through 3 stages, from baby to toddler, to kid. Hatchimals sing “Hatchy Birthday” each time it enters a new stage!
- Kids will teach them how to walk, dance, play games and more! It will even repeat what they say in its own voice.
- Ages: 4+
- MSRP:$59.99
- Available: Amazon, Toys “R” Us, Walmart, with retail exclusive characters
Talk-to-Me Mikey (Playmates Toys)
- Kids can have hours of fun conversing with Michelangelo, the most fun-loving and energetic of all the turtles.
- One of the most intelligent Turtle toys ever, Talk-to-Me Mikey recognizes a child’s questions and responds in hundreds of unique ways in less than a second.
- The highly interactive Turtle features movement and position sensors to react hilariously based on how a child moves Mikey.
- Known for being the Turtle brother with the most enthusiasm, Mikey even sings songs and plays games with kids.
- Ages: 4+
- MSRP: $39.99
- With endless ways to play, Mebo fosters STEM skills and creative open-ended play.
- Control Mebo through an intuitive, free to play app for iOS and Android devices. Drive Mebo anywhere in the house to pick up snacks, spy on people, or even have conversations with them.
- See what Mebo sees with the built-in POV camera, which streams live in HD. Lift and move items precisely with Mebo’s articulated arm and gripping claw.
- Speak through Mebo with the two-way audio and microphone, listen in on others, or even play music.
- Six wheels let Mebo turn on a dime, and go anywhere as directed. Connect directly to Mebo’s hotspot to access Mebo remotely.
- Bring Mebo’s personality to life with a custom sequence designed from pre-set animations like 360-degree spin, head shake and arm wave!
- Ages: 8+
- MSRP: $149.99
- Available: Walmart
LEGO Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Story Pack (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
- The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Story Pack will provide a complete movie-based gameplay experience with six action-packed levels and new LEGO Gateway bricks to build the Magical Congress of the United States of America atop the LEGO toy pad.
- Players can build Newt Scamander LEGO minifigure and help him find his escaped magical creatures in New York City and use a variety of spells, including Diffinfo, Reparo, and Lumos.
- The pack will also come with a 3-in-1 Niffler which can be rebuilt into the Sinister Scorpion and Vicious Vulture.
- Ages: 7+
- MSRP: $49.99
- Available: (November 18) Amazon, Target, Toys “R” Us, Walmart
