Best Tech Toys of Toy Fair 2009

Written on Mar 3, 2009 by Brian and filed under News

We published 16 articles from Toy Fair 2009 covering dozens of new kid’s tech toys. Unfortunately we’ll all have to wait until the fall for most of these products, though some will trickle out this spring and summer. While we collectively wait though, KidsTechReview.com would like to officially crown our favorite tech toys from the show so you can start mapping out your Holiday spend now!

There were a few key trends worth noting at this year’s Toy Fair. The first had to do with pricing. There were few toys that broke over the $100 barrier, most tried to stay under $60, something that was a big change from the prior year where more extravagant toys like Kota ($300), Spike the Dinosaur ($130) and Ultimate Control Wall-E ($249) were launched. The second big push we saw was around interactive plush, Hasbro is making a huge commitment there. Lastly, we saw more validation of the plug and play TV game concept that to this points i largely run by second-tier toy companies. Mattel had several new products around the concept including an update to their popular Fisher Price Smart Cycle.

While these trends are important what you really want to know is what were the best tech toys. Here are our favorites from the show and the toys we think kids will be asking for this Holiday season:

• Kids are very much into video games, but we like games and systems that are either educational or active and in the best case scenario both. Fisher Price has two new TV games for younger kids and an update to the Smart Cycle that we think all have a lot of potential. Fisher Price Announces Active Play Lineup – Smart Cycle Extreme, Smart Fit Park and 3-in-1 Smart Sports
• Mattel is growing up Dora to a teenager in a bold move that’s full of risks. Their main product is the Dora Links doll that works with an online world full of adventures. It’s no ordinary doll and in a special briefing we saw a prototype at work. The Doll works with PC controls to grow or shorten her hair, change eye color, add lip gloss and several other machinations. We think girls will love this older Dora and the tech behind the product is pretty cool. Dora Links Tech Doll and New Tween Dora Coming This Fall
• Animatronic plush animals are a big deal already and they’re only getting better. We really like Zambi, the baby elephant with an important social message about helping those less fortunate. While we think Playskool’s Kota and Pals dinosaurs are great too, Mattel’s Zambi takes the prize for being fun and helpful to those less fortunate. Hasbro Zambi the Baby Elephant Announced – Proceeds to Benefit Children in Africa
• We didn’t think there was much tech that could be added to the standard over-sized kid’s dump truck. We were wrong. Matchbox announced their first ever animatronic construction toy, Rocky. We think Rocky is a blast and the quality is worth the investment. Kids will never see construction toys the same way again. Matchbox Announces Rocky the Robot Truck
• Lazer tag was always a hit when I was a kid, this time it’s better because you don’t need to strap on pads and the quick pick up and play action means anyone can get in the fun. Nerf presented these great units that offer force feedback and other goodies that make the game fun for the entire family. Nerf Lazer Tag 2-in-1 System Announced
• While we officially first saw it at CES, the Barbie B-Nails digital fingernail printer is going to be a huge hit with the girls. We saw it in action again at Toy Fair and remain impressed.

There you have it, our favorite kid’s tech toys of Toy Fair 2009. Of course there are many new toys that weren’t represented there, LepFrog skipped out for instance, as did Vtech. But this list is a great jumping off point to start thinking about what kids are going to be craving this year.

Update 10/19/09 – Dora Links Review Posted

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