Toy Insider Mom Laurie Schacht stopped by ABC World News Now to give a preview of the best toys at this year’s North American International Toy Fair in New York. For more on our favorite new toys at this year’s North American International Toy Fair, click here.
Stack & Tumble Elephant (LeapFrog)
- Stack the five brightly colored, textured rings on the elephant’s trunk to help build fine motor skills.
- As each ring is placed on the trunk, he will introduce colors, numbers and shapes.
- Press the music note button on the elephant’s trunk to hear playful songs.
- Push down on his tail and watch him sneeze, sending the rings tumbling off his trunk.
- Ages: 6 months+
- MSRP: TBD
- Available: Fall 2017
Wonder Crew (Play Monster)
- Wonder Crew Buddies, the toy line for boys designed to empower boys to connect, nurture and build empathy through friendship, imagination and adventure.
- Combining the adventure of an action figure with the emotional connection of a stuffed animal, 15-inch Wonder Crew Buddies are available now.
- The crew includes Will (Caucasian), Marco (Hispanic), James (African American) and Erik (Asian).
- Each comes dressed in superhero gear, complete with matching mask and cape for kids.
- Wonder Crew also has three Adventure Packs: Builder includes a construction outfit and hard hat for the buddy, and a matching vest for kids; Explorer features a safari-looking outfit and hat for the buddy, and a matching hat for the child; and Snuggler is a set of pajamas for the buddy, and a blanket for kids! Each is sold separately.
- Ages: 3-5
- MSRP: $29.99-$34.99 (Buddies); $14.99-$19.99 (Gear Sets)
- Available: January 2017
Doc McStuffins Baby Lil’ Nursery Pals (Just Play)
- These adorable baby dolls are inspired by the Doc McStuffins Toy Hospital Nursery.
- Dolls feature a plush body with plastic hands and face, and are perfect for cuddling.
- Kids can collect all three nursery pals: Lil Blue Bunny, Lil Bumble Bee and Lil Ladybug.
- Each comes with its own pacifier.
- Ages: 3+
- MSRP: $9.99
- Available: Spring 2017
Fingerlings (WowWee)
- Fingerlings Baby Monkeys love hanging onto your finger and know when they’re being touched, spoken to, and even hung upside down!
- These perfect primate pets come to life with 40 ways to play and 50 sounds to let you know how they are feeling.
- You’ll fall in love with these sweet and sometimes silly critters with their realistic monkey sounds, adorable blinking eyes, head turns, plus hands that grip and a curly hanging tail.
- You can swing them, pet them, kiss them, AND rock them to sleep! 6 different Fingerlings to share and collect.
- Ages: 4+
- MSRP: $14.99 each
- Available: Q3 2017
The World’s Greatest Magic Show (Thames & Kosmos)
- Get ready to put on the world’s greatest magic show! This is the Holdsworth Guild’s best value magic kit. By following the instructions in the two manuals, you can learn up to 415 tricks using the 49 props included in the kit.
- Tricks can be performed with a money cup, nail box, cups and balls, balancing cups, rings, a magic wand, cards, coins, rope, handkerchiefs, nails, paddles, a magic thumb tip, mathematics, and many everyday items from around the home. There are also more than 140 tricks with playing cards.
- With the illustrated instructions, the magic tricks can be learned, practiced, and mastered to stun and amaze audiences!
- A 60-page instruction manual with photographs illustrates how most of the tricks are performed, and a separate 32-page manual teaches the tricks with playing cards. Video tutorials for the tricks are available online.
- Ages: 8+
- MSRP: $29.95
- Available: June 2017
Beasts of Balance (Sensible Object)
- Beasts of Balance is an award-winning new game of skill, strategy and creation. Using the latest tech innovation, Beasts of Balance combines a physical tabletop game with an innovative digital app much like an interactive video game for the ultimate in Augmented Reality experiences!
- This unique game is the first from London-based developer Sensible Object, a game studio that explores new territory for games where the latest technology can blend physical and digital into new fun and social experiences.
- Beasts of Balance uses innovative technology developed by Sensible Object, including RFID to recognize the pieces, load sensors to detect whether the tower is standing and Bluetooth to connect to the player’s iOS or Android powered tablet!
- Ages: 7+
- MSRP: $99.00
Pocket Drone II (Odyssey)
- Adding some new innovation to the beloved Pocket Drone, the world’s first collapsing drone for easy transportation, comes the 2.0 version.
- Pocket Drone II features Wi-Fi video streaming, and you can use your iPhone as the controller through the free Odyssey Toys app!
- With Auto Hover features and tons of LED lights, enjoy indoor and outdoor flight time with a manual swivel camera for snapshots from all angles.
- Ages: 12+
- MSRP: $99.95
- Available: April 2017
