New Play for New Times
For years, the “back-to-school” season for toys has always centered on learning toys, curriculum supporting activities, and getting kids ready to learn. According to the National Retail Federation, families with kids from PK through high school are likely to spend nearly $875 per kid this year. That’s down slightly from last year, but it’s still a big spend. Most of that will go for clothing and supplies, but some of that will go for toys and entertainment items. After all, the social world of school is important, too.
And, there are indications that in 2024 it may actually be more important then ever. That’s where play can help.
Here at the Toy Guy, we spent a big part of the summer talking to elementary and middle school teachers about what they see as important for kids as they prepare to go back to the classroom in a few weeks.
In many respects, it boils down to one thing: Play!
While we like hearing that, let’s put that in context. After all there is some serious reading writing and ‘rithmetic that needs to go on in schools as well.
What we heard from teachers is that there is a real need for kids to develop their social skills, their imagination skills, and their skills in areas like problem solving and communication. Several elementary teachers told us that while their kids have been ready academically for their grade levels, they may need support in social skills and understanding how to function successfully in a peer-dominated environment.
For the past several years, we’ve talked about the need for social/emotional learning. We’ve been disheartened to hear some parent groups bemoaning this as taking away from learning reading and math and saying that such a focus detracts from core curricula.
We respectfully disagree. Children who feel comfortable, understood, and supported on a personal level—and who can get along with their fellow students in and out of the classroom—have greater levels of confidence, and are more comfortable learning.
Some of this is attributed to social skills, taking kids away from screens, and interacting on a human level. We’ve been encouraged to see how many schools have limited—or eliminated—personal phones during the school day and how that has positively affected the students and the learning process. There’s more to come on that.
Outside of strict curricula, however, we believe that play is one of the most important and critical things kids can do to develop and, most importantly, be happy and free to explore, grow, learn, and, yes, even fail from time to time. All of this is as important as learning facts.
This, by the way, is not a new phenomenon. In Charles Dickens 1854 novel Hard Times, one of the central conflicts is between “cramming” children with facts and encouraging the imagination. It will come as a surprise to no one who knows Dickens that imagination wins…but he’s right.
Engaging and developing the imagination is a central element of all learning. We believe that everything begins in the imagination, which essentially is simply asking the question, “What if?”
From language arts to math to virtually any discipline, the ability to conceive of something in the mind is the ultimate act of imagination. Play fosters this, from problem solving to building narratives to problem solving. Play provides the platform for determining what is—or might be—possible in any situation. Encouraging that with fearlessness and enthusiasm is one of the best gifts we can give developing children. The outcome doesn’t matter; it’s the process that is essential.
Here are some toys we’ve found that we think can support this amazing, and uniquely human, process:
Clever Tonies from Tonies
For ages 5-8 years
4-pack $24.99; 2-pack $12.99
Where to Buy
Readers here know how much we love the Tonies system. The original system for younger kids featured figures that when place on top of the toniebox unlocked marvelous stories based on the characters.
Clever Tonies take that engagement to the next level with content designed for older kids. When they put the Clever Tonies on the box, they dive into a world of fascinating information including animals, dinosaurs, marine life, comedy, and much more. Kids are led through well-researched and entertaining content that kids will love.
Kids love learning, and they know that information is a kind of currency for them. “Knowing stuff” is something they love to share, too. That supports social interaction as well.
We also have been great fans of auditory learning for kids as it builds essential skills, fosters imagination, and helps develop focus. All told, this is a complete play and learning experience for kids that’s definitely worth the investment. (The basic Toniebox is $99.)
Little People Play for All School and Figure Pack from Mattel/Fisher-Price
For ages 1-5 years
$19.99-$24.99
Where to Buy
Since 1959, Little People have been encouraging kids to imagine worlds of possibility and friendship. They’ve come a long way since the simple pegs that many parents and grandparents may remember. That’s extra amazing because these Little People are perfect back-to-school playmates this year. In this collection, figures represent 10 skin tones and over 70 hairstyles, as well as a wide range of occupations and differing abilities. In addition to the figures, there’s a school playset and accessory packs so kids can bring their imaginative world to life.
Parents and caregivers may want to check out the Spread a Little Kindness webpage to help them support the play with books, play tips, stories, songs, and more. Plus, since we all know kids can ask sometimes-baffling questions, the Q&A section of the site may offer some helpful suggestions.
We love the rich, diverse, and fun-filled world Fisher-Price has created for kids to explore—and one that’s reflecting the world as they encounter it, which is an ideal platform for healthy, productive play.
Peppa Pig Peppa’s Muddy Puddles Party from Hasbro
For ages 3 years and up
$39.99
Where to Buy
For 20 years, Peppa has been a warm and wonderful part of many preschoolers’ entertainment and play. They love Peppa’s infectious spirit, her unabashed love of play—and an authentic 4-year-old’s approach to the world.
Plus, she jumps in muddy puddles, and who doesn’t love that? The figure comes in Peppa’s signature polka dot dress, and it includes her favorite puddle-ready yellow wellies (aka boots). Her boots are a bit magical, too, because when kids pop them on (it’s easy!), Peppa switches between game mode and party mode. There are more than 55 sounds, phrases and reactions.
It’s all about the play, and if there are no real muddy puddles nearby, you can always pretend!
PLAY-DOH Pizza Delivery Scooter Playset from Hasbro
For age 3 years and up
$94.99
Where to Buy
Kids love food play! And why not? There’s a lot of food in their lives, and they love reflecting the world around them in their play. Speaking of which, this Play-Doh scooter playset is a multi-purpose play experience on wheels.
Since 1956, Play-Doh play has been all about creativity and self-expression, and this set adds some super-fun role play to the mix—mix as in making make-believe pizzas that is!
Kids can imagine they’ve got their on pizzeria. Take an order on the cell phone. Use the Play-Doh to stamp and spin pretend pizzas. Then bake them to perfection in the toy oven at the back of the scooter, box their creations up, and head out for delivery! How much fun is that. And here’s a fun fact: Play-Doh’s food creation sets are always among their most popular, and this one is no exception.
Furby Furblets from Hasbro
For ages 6 & up
$9.99
Where to Buy
The latest addition to the Furby family is this collection of 6 adorable little critters called Furblets. The six in the first collection include Par-Tay, Mer-May, Star-Lee, Dah-Tee and Sno-Way are joining the fun, and feature over 45 fun tunes, sounds and Furbish phrases to discover. All of these little friends are filled with different, big personalities, and even pair with Big Furby for a special interaction.
We love collectibles as a way for kids to interact around favorite toys, and these adorable little characters are great for inspiring that kind of friend-centric, social play.
TRANSFORMERS ONE Power Flip Optimus Prime (Orion Pax) from Hasbro
For ages 6 years and up
$49.99
Where to Buy (Coming Soon!)
The original Transformers—about 40 years ago—were billed as “robots in disguise.” The stories of these characters are a kind of modern mythology and have intrigued and delighted two generations of fans…and they show no sign of slowing down.
Well, we all know every mythology needs a cool origin story, and that’s what Transformers One, the new movie due out in September, is going to be. Take a journey to the planet Cybertron and discover how virtual brothers Orion Pax and D-16 fought side-by-side—until they became the sworn enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron. What we’ve seen of the movie—and it’s not much—looks really cool, contemporary and has just enough edge to entertain everyone.
This is the kind of powerful story that will inspire all kinds of creative, narrative-based play—and we’ve got the first look at one of the coolest toys in the line.
The Orion Pax toys converts between 4 different modes: Orion Pax, Cybertronian Truck toy, Optimus Prime figure, and Ultimate Optimus Prime. Power Flip Optimus Prime grows in height from 8-10 inches by holding the toy’s arms and flipping the figure for an epic finale to finish the conversion to Ultimate Optimus Prime.
One of the elements of the Transformers story that has always been so engaging for kids has been the detail of the transforming play combined with the classic good versus evil storyline. We have been really impressed by this toy, which we think will appeal to kids—and collectors.
BEYBLADE X XTREME Battle Set from Hasbro
For ages 8 years & up
$49.99
Where to Buy
Twenty-five years ago, Beyblade revolutionized competitive play. (It’s a pun if you think of “revolution” as spinning.) These battling tops created great, dramatic competition, and that’s a wholesome play experience, helping kids develop power and skill as they go from novice to mastery. It’s also a great social experience as kids want to play again and again as they try to become Beychampions.
Beyblade is back and bigger than ever. Kids still build and customize their tops, and the newest spin is Beyblade X and the Xtreme Beystadium. It has the new X-Celerator Rail Gear System that can power up a top mid-spin and give players a competitive edge. (If you haven’t noticed yet, there’s a lot of X stuff going on in the names.) The competition is the best Beyblade experience ever, largely because the crashes are nothing short of dramatic.
While we’re always big fans of physical play, there’s also an app where kids can compete virtually. It’s a nice complement to the regular play.
Zombie Burrito from Exploding Kittens
For ages 7 years and up.24.99
Where to Buy
Throw Throw Burrito has been one of our favorite games for a while. We love the madcap energy and the sheer silliness of this game. We’ve rarely seen people laugh so hard when they play, and it allows them to be really competitive and playfully aggressive in what we think is a very healthy way to play.
Like the original, this is a dodgeball card game. (Yes, that’s a thing.) In this version, though, you have teams—the Zombies versus the Survivors. The play is fast-paced and non-stop as players collect cards to gain special abilities and play battle cards to throw squishy burritos at one another. The team who wins 3 battles wins the game!
We think this is a great family game—parents versus kids, brothers versus sisters, and so on—but the one constant we’ve found is that everyone ends up laughing like you could raise the living dead.
Kanoodle Head to Head from Educational Insights
For ages 7 and up
$24.99
Where to Buy
We love puzzle games, especially those that have so many benefits for players. You may know Kanoodle, the solitaire puzzle that became a TikTok hit. Now it’s a two-player version.
This 2-person battle version encourages problem-solving, critical thinking, and spatial reasoning skills. But we won’t tell because it’s so much fun.
Set up the two sided board so you can’t see your opponent’s playing surface. Then, slide a challenge card into the board, place the pieces shown, then race to fit the remaining pieces—before your buddy does. The first player to complete the puzzles presses the button to launch your opponent’s pieces for the ultimate checkmate. The game includes 80 puzzles, all the pieces you need and a game guide
Positively Perfect Fresh Dreamers Dolls from the Dr. Lisa Company
For ages 3 years and up
$34.99
Where to Buy
This gorgeous line of dolls was created by Dr. Lisa Williams to be a child’s first best friend, inspire dreams, promote intelligence and build self-esteem so that all children can see their beauty, brilliance and power reflected back to them.
This gorgeous line of 18-inch dolls represents the wonderful diversity of the world as experienced by children today. The multicultural dolls include a variety of ethnicities—African American, Afro-Latina, Latino/Hispanic, Caucasian and Mixed-Race/Bi-Racial. What’s unique and special about these and all Dr. Lisa’s dolls is that the sculpts are created with utmost care and attention to representation and accuracy while still making adorable dolls kids will love.
Each doll in the collection features her own unique sense of fashion style with her purse, hair accessory and all have a water bottle with stickers. The dolls also have specially created soft, washable hair, for brushing and styling fun with a variety of hair textures and styles commonly worn by children from straight, to curly, to afros and afro puffs.
Poe the AI Bear from Skyrocket Toys
For ages 4 years and up.
$49
Where to Buy
This adorable stuffed bear is also a dramatic storytelling device, but you’ve never seen—or heard—one quite like this. Powered by industry-leading AI, Poe connects to an app (on tablet of phone) via Bluetooth, and kids choose the type of story they want to hear and up to three different characters. Then in a minute or so, the app generates the story, and Poe comes to life to tell it. The AI is a completely closed system with all kinds of security so there are no worries about identification or data security. We thought this was a lot of fun, and it’s impressive that this level of sophistication has been delivered for such a reasonable price point. You can also save stories for play on the go. We were really impressed by the variety of choices kids can make, and we had a great time coming up with the silliest combinations we could imagine. (A horror story with Santa Claus, for example.) Everything is age appropriate, however, and delightfully entertaining. Visitors here know how much we like auditory products to develop listening skills and imagination, and this one has the potential to be a major hit.
Sticki Rolls from Sky Castle Toys
For ages 5 years and up.
$9.99-$24.99
Where to Pre-Order (Shipping September 1)
Wow! Get ready for what we’re predicting is going to be an absolute craze for the fall. Sticki Rolls are sticker jewelery. Bracelets have special “beads” that are really rolls of ten stickers—5 per bracelet, 50 stickers in all. These are wearable, shareable stickers, and there are more than 1,000 different ones to find and collect. This is the ultimate social toy as kids decorate their…well, almost anything…with these charming, super cute and collectible stickers. Like all collectibles, there are common, rare, and super-rare stickers out there, and the larger sets include sticker books and collector guides. The stickers stay in place, but they can come up quickly leaving no residue. And here’s a pro-tip: Take the bracelet off to peel the stickers off the roll, and then easily snap it back on your wrist till you next need to “sticker bomb” something.
HexBots Wall Crawler Gecko from Spin Master
For ages 5 years and up.
$35.00
Where to Buy
This is so much fun! The bright green Gecko actually crawl up the wall. Charge it up with the included USB-C cable, and then turn it on. Suction allows the toy to stick to the wall so you can drive it with the super-simple remote control. It won’t mark walls, bump pictures or create any kind of havoc (except the silly kind). It’s easy to use and is magical. You can also set it to floor mode, too, so you can skitter along horizontally. It’s recommended for smooth walls. We’re impressed by how far this technology has come since it was first introduced and how easy and fun this is to use. It’s definitely a “wow!”
One of the fun things we get to do at The Toy Guy is update this list as new stuff comes in. So come back and play with us often!
Crayola Washable Paint Pendulum from Crayola
For ages 7 years and up.
$24.99
Where to Buy
We’re completely fascinated by this toy! Physics meets art in this 30-piece creativity kit. The pendulum attaches to an arm, and you fill it with Crayola’s washable paint. Then place paper (black or white) underneath and get the pendulum swinging. The motion of the pendulum creates all kinds of interesting patterns. It’s no mess, and it cleans up easily. We’re really impressed by this, and the different levels of play and exploration it affords for kids. It’s in limited distribution now, but later in the fall, it should be available everywhere, and you may find it at a lower price, too.
Cookeez Makery Pancake Treats from Moose Toys
For ages 5 years and up.
$19.99
Where to Buy
We always love simple magic, and that’s just what this sweet treat friend maker does! It’s super easy, too! Take out your frying pan. Spread the batter. Pick up the pan and gently move it back and forth till you hear it sizzle. Then, push the button on the handle and flip! Your Pancake Pal appears—and it’s just perfect. The pet interacts with kids with sounds when you snuggle up to it. Oh, and you can do the whole process over and over.
AdoptMe Ice Cream Truck from Jazwares
For ages 6 years and up.
$24.99
Where to Buy
The hit Roblox game comes off the screen with this delightful toy. The transforming truck features a fold-out counter, opening roof, cooler, and ice cream cone holders for one, two, or three scoops; this mobile ice cream shop is perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth while on the go! Press the button on the giant ice cream cone to make it glow, cycle through the colors of the rainbow, and play music. The set comes with collectible pets as well. The toy adds a dimension of real-world social play to the popular online experience and fosters imagination and interaction among kids.
Fisher-Price Rockin’ Record Player from Fisher-Price
For ages 3 years and up.
$39.99
Where to Buy
A few years ago, we might have said, “A record player?” Well, with the resurgence of vinyl among all the cool folks, records are once again in the zeitgeist. While we’re not quite back to “spinning platters,” as might have been said in the 1950s, this is a lot of fun. Young DJs will love picking out songs to play from the 5 colorful, double-sided “records” that play 20 unique songs. Just like the real thing, kids can place the player’s arm and see the record spin on the turntable as it plays! Kids love music toys, and they love feeling “big,” so this will be a solid gold hit.
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