Hold on to your wallets, Mom and Dad, because things are about to get expensive. The toy industry took over New York City’s Javits Center to introduce the toys your kids are bound to be begging for come birthdays and holidays. So what’s hot and what’s not? Here’s an inside look at the toy trends from the 2016 Toy Fair.
3-D drawing
Imagine being able to draw something in the air. That’s the new wave of art for kids thanks to new pens packed not with ink but solid material that makes for creations that stand up in midair.
Toys to watch for:
3Doodler — Scribbling in the air can turn out a mini Eiffel Tower or flower in a pot thanks to this company that earned more than $1 million on a $30,000 Kickstarter in 2015. A plastic “ink” flows from the pen, which stands solid in the air.
AtmosFlare 3D Drawing Pen — The ink flowing from the pen cures almost instantaneously, allowing kids to draw in the air.
Animation
From Dubmash to Musical.ly, apps that put kids in front of the camera, making their own videos, are all the rage. But what happens when kids want to go beyond live-action moviemaking? Enter stop motion animation and a host of toys that are making it a lot easier for kids to be animators and storytellers.
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Toys to watch for:
Crayola Easy Animation Studio — Kids color a character on paper, then pose the mannequin that comes with this kit and snap photos as he changes position to transfer their drawing to the screen.
Ogobild Animate Mobile — The animation kit, which allows kids to turn kooky characters they build from bits and pieces into a moving story, is already on shelves, but it will get a mobile update this year.
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