Looking for the hottest toys for the spring and summer? Toy Insider Mom Laurie Schacht stopped by CityLine to show off the season’s best new toys and games. For more on the items featured in this segment, check out the product notes below, and for our complete rundown of the best gifts for the season, check out our spring and summer gift guide.
ROLLPLAY 12V UP-RIDER (ROLLPLAY)
- The Rollplay 12 Volt Up-Rider’s unique design combines the stability and control of traditional scooter handlebars with an innovative wheel configuration.
- The four wheels provide smooth steering and balance, while you create a pivot of 360 degrees for easy turns.
- Provides fun, dynamic speed and braking for better control and a 12V motor.
- Rides at a max speed of 4 mph, and can support a maximum weight up to 150 pounds.
- Age: 5+
- Available: Now
POWER WHEELS JURASSIC WORLD DINO RACER (MATTEL)
- Kids can recreate the exiting off-road action in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom on this ride-on Raptor inspired by Blue that includes realistic features like an open mouth filled with sharp-looking teeth.
- Drives on hard surfaces, grass, and rough terrain at max speeds of 6 mph, with a parent-controlled, high-speed lock out for beginner drivers.
- Includes 12-volt battery and charger.
- Age: 3-
- MSRP: CAD $439.99
- Available: June 2018
JURASSIC WORLD CHOMP ‘N ROAR MASK VELOCIRAPTOR “BLUE” (MATTEL)
- With the Chomp ‘N Roar Mask kids can finally transform into Blue and recreate the epic action from Jurassic World.
- The mask features realistic details like skin texture and color, real moving eyes, and teeth.
- Take the fun to the next level with the three sound modes.
- Ages: 6+
- MSRP: CAD $54.99
- Available: Major retailers
JURASSIC WORLD VELOCIRAPTOR “BLUE” CLAWS (MATTEL)
- With Blue’s Claws kids can act out the epic action from Jurassic World
- These flexible and bendable claws feature realistic details and are the perfect dinosaur role play item.
- Ages: 3+
- MSRP: CAD $24.99
- Available: Major retailers
- Create anything you can imagine with the unlimited connection points of atoms, neutrons, and electrons with ORBMolecules. Each set includes thousands of ORBMolecules in multiple sizes and colors that you can bond together to make magnificent creations! They hold their shape until you chose to deconstruct and start all over again.
- ORBMolecules are completely reusable and never dry out!
- ORBMolecules only sticks to itself, so clean up is a breeze.
- Over 10,000 pieces in each kit.
- Age: 5+
- MSRP: CAD $19.99
ROCK PETS BUTTERFLY (ALEX BRANDS)
- ALEX Craft Rock Pets Butterfly lets kids paint and personalize their own stone butterfly. Transform a pretend rock into a work of art in no time.
- Weatherproof paints allow your masterpiece to be displayed anywhere indoors and outdoors.
- Choose your favorite color combinations or make a gift for a friend or relative. Rock Pets totally rock!
- Includes one butterfly rock pet, six weatherproof paints, and a brush.
- Age: 8+
- Canadian MSRP: $16.99
COOL MAKER TIDY DYE STATION (SPIN MASTER)
- Tie dye in a whole new way with the Tidy Dye Station! The Tidy Dye Station makes it so easy to tie dye.
- Wet and roll fabric and wrap with color pod string to create a totally unique and brightly colored pattern. The color is in the string, keeping dye off your hands!
- Each color pod contains 65 ft./20m. of Tidy Dye string.
- Design a tote bag, headband (both included) and another project of your choice without any mess!
- Age: 8+
- MSRP: CAD $29.99
- Availability: Major retailers
COLOR WONDER SCENTED STAMPERS & MARKERS (CRAYOLA)
- Crayola Color Wonder Mess-Free Scented Stampers offer mess-free stamping and coloring accompanied with deliciously scented inks!
- Color Wonder stamper ink and markers only color on compatible Color Wonder paper and won’t show up on clothes, walls or furniture.
- The kit includes twelve pages of blank Color Wonder paper, five mess-free scented markers (cherry, blueberry, orange, lime and banana), one scented inkpad (chocolate) and five interchangeable stamps.
- Included markers and stampers only appear on Color Wonder special paper and won’t color on skin, fabric, or furniture.
- Ideal for on-the-go fun: Color Wonder’s Mess-Free qualities make it ideal for travel without worry of a mess.
- Age: 3+
- MSRP: CAD $12.99
- Available: Walmart, Staples, Mastermind, Jean Coutu, Home Hardware
- It’s time to morph into a screecher! Transform the way you race with the only vehicles that drive, FLIP, and morph into beast mode!
- Each vehicle includes two collectible discs to activate its epic flip-morphing action.
- There are Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 collections of vehicles.
- Age: 6+
- MSRP: CAD $8.99 for Level 1, CAD $11.99 for Level 2, CAD $16.99 for Level 3
- Available: Walmart Canada
- Churn out oodles and oodles of BUBBLES with just the wave of your hand with Glove-A-Bubbles! Get ready to wave and play!
- Kids simply remove the bubble pouch from the glove and pour one of the two bubble solutions into the pouch. Dip the glove into the bubble pouch. Wave your glove back and forth and watch tons of delightful bubbles form instantly, right before your eyes. Never ending bubbles for never ending fun!
- Glove-A-Bubbles come with one glove and two packs of bubble solution. The pouch is also re-sealable and refillable.
- Glove-A-Bubbles come in eight different animal-themed gloves, including lion, alligator, hippopotamus, elephant, dinosaur, panda, bunny, and monkey. There’s a Glove-A-Bubble for everyone!
- Age: 3+
- MSRP: CAD $3.99
- Available: Walmart Canada, Amazon, Mastermind Toys, Indigo
- Silly Squeaks are musical pets, each with five interactive songs and 16 surprise silly sounds!
- Press their backs to play music or press their faces to hear them speak! Kids will fall in love with their entertaining personalities and their soft, squishy feel!
- There are eight to collect, each with its own musical genre and unique personality.
- They have touch points (face for silly sounds, back for silly songs) and two play modes: Play along with a pre-programmed songs (Play Mode A), or play your own song using the full musical scale (each Silly has its own note – Play Mode B).
- Play Mode A: Each character is programmed with five songs and kids are able to play their own beat on top of the songs. Press the back to hear song number one. Continue pressing the back to play your own beat along with the music. If kids want to change the song, press the face to hear a silly sound, then press the back again to hear song number two. Continue pressing the back to play along with the music.
- Play Mode B: Each character is programmed with its own note on a musical scale. If kids collect all eight characters, they’ll be able to play their own songs using each one of them (like playing a piano). Press their backs to hear the individual notes.
- Age: 3+
- MSRP: CAD $11.99
- Available: Mastermind in April, Walmart in May
UNTAMED BY FINGERLINGS (WOWWEE)
- Untamed by Fingerlings is a line of all-new interactive predators. The first of the Untamed creatures is the Untamed Raptors.
- Their tagline is “Ferocious at Your Fingertips.”
- There are four different Untamed raptors, each with their own unpredictable personalities: Blaze, Fury, Razor, and Stealth.
- Similar to other Fingerlings, they can hang on your finger with their gripping claws, talk “dinosaur,” open and close their mouths with their snapping jaws, or hang upside down from your fingers.
- Each raptor has 40 different sounds and animations and responds to motion, touch, and sound.
- Age: 5+
- MSRP: $14.99
- Available: Mass retailers
BARBIE DREAMTOPIA KISS AND CARE UNICORN DOCTOR SET (JUST PLAY)
- Even unicorns need checkups, and with the new Barbie Dreamtopia Kiss and Care Unicorn Doctor Set, kids can pretend to care for their favorite enchanted creature! This dream-tastic set comes with a soft plush unicorn featuring a magical light-up horn, as well as everything kids need to take care of their sweet fairy-tale friend.
- The set includes a stethoscope to check the unicorn’s heartbeat and a yummy ice cream snack to reward her for being such a good patient.
- The adorable rainbow backpack is perfect for taking all of the caring tools on the go!
- Full set includes: a soft unicorn plush, rainbow backpack, stethoscope, bottle, syringe, horn cast and one yummy treat.
- Age: 3+
- MSRP: CAD $39.99
- Available: Walmart
FUGGLER PLUSH ASSORTMENT (SPIN MASTER)
- Each Fuggler plush character features a unique toothy smile or grimace, material patterns, and a signature button hole.
- They come in two sizes: Medium 9inch or Large 12 inch. Some Large Fugglers even have claws!
- Discover rare chase characters by checking for a golden button hole on the back.
- Each box also includes an adoption certificate which means…there’s a Fuggler out there waiting for you.
- Age: 4+
- MSRP: CAD $19.99 for Medium (9 Inch) / CAD $29.99 for Large (12 Inch)
- Available: Fall 2018
PIRATE’S COVE CLIMBER & SLIDE (STEP2)
- Ahoy Mateys! Come aboard this playful pirate ship for an adventure that’s bound to last all day!
- Climb aboard using the “cargo net” or the ladder on the side of the ship!
- Once on at the helm, turn the Captain’s wheel and set the course for fun!
- Slide down the plank for a speedy way off the ship!
- Climb below decks and stow-away in a cozy cove.
- Built-in nautical detailing helps transport little imaginations to their favorite high-seas locales.
- Age: 2 – 6
- MSRP: CAD $159.99
- Available: Walmart
DON’T STEP IN IT GAME (HASBRO)
- This hilarious game will create instant laughter as family and friends do their best to avoid stepping in – you guessed it – POOP compound!
- Players place mounds of brown compound on the game mat, then take turns spinning the spinner to find out how many steps to take across the mat while blindfolded. The player to make it to the end of the mat while stepping in the fewest poops, wins! It’s the ultimate potty-themed challenge!
- Age: 4+
- Canadian MSRP: $24.99
- Available: Major retailers
