TF14 – The Next Kid Thing

With every Toy Fair that I attend, I come away with a good idea of the direction that toy makers are going. In terms of toys, we’re getting more tech-enabled, yet we’re riding the throwback wave. I try to mentally catalog the cool new toys and how the kids will receive them. As the experts say, ultimately, it’s the kids who deem the cool factor of these shiny new toys and games.

BUT… that’s not to say that the Toy Fair showroom floor doesn’t have its crazy aspects. There are some crazy-cuckoo ideas and then there are some crazy-cool ideas, too. And then, there’s the quirky things that find their way home with me. And by quirky, of course I mean unique!

So, here’s a round up of a few things that I found quirky-cool.

Lady Gaga Brush Buddies

Ok, so, I love Gaga. I would go as far as saying that I secretly wish I could be one of her little Monsters. But alas, I’ll just continue to rock out to Paparazzi full blast while carting my kids around in the car. Or maybe, just maybe, I’ll rock out to “Born this Way” as I brush my teeth. What!

Brush Buddies features a replaceable brush head and two buttons to play two different songs. Each song plays for 2 minutes, which is the dentist-recommended time for brushing teeth. This Lady Gaga Brush plays Born this Way and, aptly, Teeth.

Rabbids

Who doesn’t need a collectible rabid, um, punk rock rabbit? Inspired by the hit video game-turned popular Nickelodeon show, Rabbids Invasion Toys embrace the quirkiness of these characters known for their wild antics.

This line, which is a part of McFarlane Toys, features a new lineup of crazy toys that include a sound blaster, action figures, plush and blind packs such as this. As you can imagine, each Rabbid is just as crazy as the next.

Lil Bub

Unbeknownst to me, Lil Bub is a full-blown internet sensation; as in, she has upwards to 357k followers on Instagram, 34K followers on Twitter and very own Wikipedia page—celebrity status. Lil Bub, who was born with several genetic mutations, has a short lower jaw and toothlessness which makes her tongue always hang out.

She also has osteoporosis and short legs, which is said to restrict her movement. She’s doing well thanks to her owner and therapy. Lil Bub’s story has been a heartwarming sensation; her owner has sold Lil Bub merchandise to benefit animal shelters.
Lil Bub will now have her very own plush to benefit even more great causes. My cat has made a friend with the plush Lil’ Bub.

Mad Lab from Fairy Dust

While walking the aisles of Toy Fair, I’m always on the hunt for something different, even if it’s totally gross. Fairy Dust, makers of girly bath gels, lip gloss, sugar scrubs and DIY bath product stations often found at little girl spas, made me stop in my tracks when I spotted their bowl of eyeballs and zombie heads. Amidst the pink and sparkly backdrop, with table after table of beautiful tubs of lotion and soap, in one corner sat a gross-looking selection of stuff that I knew my boy would LOVE.

I made my very own tub of bath gel with a green soap that pumped out like ooze, threw in a layer of sparkles, plus a few zombie heads, eyeballs and a finger for good measure. Oh, and the finger? It unscrews and is a bubblewand.

As crazy as it looks, it was an absolute hit with my zombie and gross stuff-loving dude. Bath time has never been more crazy.

Emoji Icons

Everyone loves Emojis, right? The fact that emoticons are now embedded into our vernacular says a lot about us. Emoji Icons extended everyone’s love for our digital expressions of emotion. They made Emojis into a bracelet that can be personalized and it features the fun little faces and even the quirky little poop icon. ha!

Rattlesnake Eggs

Now, this last one wasn’t a toy sample or anything. It was actually given to me in a trade show survival kit from one of my favorites, Prince Lionheart.

The kit was so memorable and functional; I ate the granola bar and used an Advil that was included in the kit. But the rattlesnake eggs, well, that knocked me off my socks! I got a kick out of it, for sure! If you’ve ever seen something like this before, I’m sure you know what I mean!

As I gear up for Day 2 of Toy Fair, I thought I’d share some preliminary thoughts of Day 1 of #TF14.

Sunday is typically one of my favorite days of the International Toy Fair, dubbed the largest trade show for toys in the western hemisphere. There’s something like seven football fields worth of toys and games, and like always, I have a lot of ground to cover. But on the first day, there’s that sense of newness and exciting energy. All of the exhibitors seem to be fresh-faced and newly rehearsed on their spiels, sharing the kind of knowledge that I simply thrive upon.

I started day one bright and early with a blogger breakfast with one of my all time favorites: Spinmaster. The brains behind some mega hits, Spinmaster is involved in a whole host of hot properties and brands that make kids go wheee! LIke the best in the business, they have a whole team dedicated to media relations, several who focus solely on blogger interaction. Needless to say, it was great having that one-on-one time with the smart people who can give us the best insight on their latest wares. I loved the way they had their event set up. Each table had a brand manager or designer who talked us through several of the toys they were highlighting. I’ll give an in-depth look at the toys they chatted about, we got a good look at the super cool Paw Patrol toys. This Nickelodeon show and Spinmaster property is a huge—and I mean HUGE —hit with preschoolers. The rescue pups who herald bravery and heroism from their service work will have their very own toys hitting the shelves this summer. We had a look at the firetruck and smaller characters, and I have to say, I know they’ll be a big hit with preschoolers.

I had a great look at what’s new with Flutterbye Fairies, Tenkai Knights, Boomer the dino, new Spinmaster games and an interesting interactive doll named Gabby.

The show started off with Alicia Keys cutting the ribbon and saying a few words to the Toy Fair crowd. It was the biggest crowd I’d ever seen for the opening ceremony for ToyFair, perhaps thanks to the celeb aspect.

I have a systematic game plan when walking this trade show. Since this site encompasses new and notable products for babies to big kids, I have particular interest in seeking out small companies who have great ideas. It’s all about getting new products into the right people’s hands, whether it’s the media, buyers or other industry professionals.

I loved these tooth pillows I found at SuperFly, and all the fun superhero accessories. This was their first showing at TF, but they right away caught my attention with their bright colors, genuine conversation and great products.

These drink holders, I thought were really cool. Another new company, I appreciate the idea and genesis behind the product.

I had meetings throughout the rest of the day with companies like Tomy, Learning Resources, Educational Insights, Melissa and Doug and MGA. I also attended showcases for two firms who showcased their clients’ highlighted products. For now, I’ll post a few photo highlights with more information to come on these, where I can fill in the blanks.

Melissa and Doug

Educational Insights

Roux Roo

Chinese Cubes

Much more to come!

Tag: TF14

Quirky Toy Fair Finds