Hottest Toys for 2013
Since February at Toy Fair when the new toys are debuted, I’ve been compiling a list of my favorite toys of the year for 2013. So for those of you who are ready to embark on your holiday shopping, planning for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals or even if you are a last minute shopper, in alphabetical order, these are my picks for the hottest toys for 2013 during Christmas and the holiday gift-giving season. This list of popular toys is geared for boys and girls ages 5 and up. Themes for the year include technology, robots, tablets, construction toys and arts and crafts. Descriptions and suggest retail prices are listed below the images.
| Angry Birds Star Wars Telepods from Hasbro– there are over 30 different teleportable characters that can be transported into the new Angry Birds Star Wars apps. Telepods are android and iOs compatible. These small collectible toys will make a great stocking stuffer. Toys range from $5.99 to larger sets that are $29.99. | |
| Barbie Digital iPad Make-Up Mirror- using a stylus and an iPad, girls can apply virtual make-up on themselves or friends, then save their creations in a scrapbook. This retails for $69.99 and is recommended for girls ages 6 and up. Here’s a video from Toy Fair featuring the Make-Up Mirror. | |
| Battroborg from TOMY – these are motion controlled battling robots. Using your own controllers, your Battroborg will mimic your body motions. Recommended for ages 6 and up, the robots retail for $34.99, while the battling arena which arrives with 2 Battroborg robots retails for $79.99. | |
| Beywarrior from Hasbro – in addition to Beyblades, spinning tops activated by a rip-cord, Beywarriors utilize the same technology, but these are identifiable characters. These toys are recommended for ages 8 and up and retail for $9.99. | |
| Crayola Melt n’ Mold Factory – Recycle small left-over crayons into rings and new crayons. Additional accessory packs can be purchased to create cars and cool, twisted crayons. This toy retails for $54.99 and is recommended for ages 6 and up. | |
| Cuddles My Giggly Monkey from Furreal Friends/Hasbro – recommended for ages 4 and up, Cuddles is a sensored monkey pet who responds to touch and verbal cues. This toy retails for $74.99. | |
| Disney Infinity – whether you have a Wii, XBox 360, PS3, Wii/Wii U, Nintendo 3Ds or iPad, the Disney Infinity base attaches to the console, and players use various Disney themed figures to create stories during game play. The Starter Set retails for $75. | |
| Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle from Mattel – this 3 story castle has 30 accessory pieces and retails for $189.99. Girls can unlock content within the castle using the Disney Magic Mirror app. Dolls are sold separately. | |
| Flutterbye Fairies from Spinmaster – using the palm of your hand, your fairy will fly up and down, while twirling, allowing girls to control the motion of their favorite fairy. This toy is recommended for ages 5 and up. Using 25 minutes to charge, the fairy will fly for 5 minutes. This toy retails for $35. | |
| Furby Boom from Hasbro – Furby’s were re-introduced at holiday time last year. This year Furby Boom allows kids to shape it’s personality through playing with it but play is also enhanced with the free Furby Boom app for iPad/iPod Touch. This toy retails for $64.99. | |
| Hess Toy Truck – Every year, a new Hess Toy Truck is debuted, and it’s only available on-line or at Hess Gas Stations. These collectible trucks are amazing and for kids who enjoy vehicle play, this one is my absolute favorite. It retails for $27.99. | |
| Hexbug Nano V2 from Innovation First– Hexbugs are mini-robotic bugs that can travel through designed habitats. Hexbug Nano V2 robotic creatures have the ability to climb walls, straight up and down! Nano V2 toys retail for $7.99, while large build able habitats range in price from $20-$50. | |
| Hot Wheels Car Maker – Kids can design and create their own Hot Wheels cars from wax within minutes. The set makes 1:64 inch scale vehicles and includes enough materials for 3 cars. It retails for $49.99 and is recommended for ages 5 and up. | |
| InnoTab3/InnoTab3s from VTech – this is an educational learning tablet recommended for children ages 4-9. Read a full review of the Innotab3/InnoTab3s here. This tablet retails for $79.99. | |
| LeapPad2 / LeapPad Ultra from LeapFrog – this is a learning tablet recommended for children ages 4-9. Read a full review of the LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra and a comparison of the LeapPad Ultra and LeapPad2 here. This educational toy retails for $150. | |
| LEGO Friends Dolphin Cruiser – girls will love assembling this amazing party boat. Recommended for girls ages 7-12, this 612 piece set retails for $69.99. | |
| LEGO Legends of CHIMA – playing on the popularity of Ninjago, there are a variety of LEGO Legends of CHIMA playsets, such as the Lion CHI Temple, which retails for $119 and has 1,258 pieces. | |
| Mega Bloks Barbie Build ‘n Play Super Star Stage– this multi-story set includes working lights and sounds. The toy retails for $59.99 and includes 290 pieces for girls ages 5-10. Here are other Mega Bloks Barbie playsets in a list I created for About.com Toys. | |
| Mega Bloks Skylanders SWAP Force Flynn’s Rescue Ship – This set retails for $69.99 and is recommended for kids ages 5 and up. Characters have light up powers and the ship has working launchers and a crane. | |
| Minecraft from Jazwares – Minecraft the video game is a huge phenomenon with boys. Children who love anything Minecraft that are ages 6 and up, may enjoy these paper folding crafts to design their own blocks. | |
| NERF Rebelle – crossbows, blasters and bows designed for girls ages 8 and up retail from $9.99 – $25. | |
| Planet Orbeez Ali’s Adventure Park – simply add Orbeez to water, wait for them to grow overnight, then use them in pretend play with this cute playset from the Maya Group. Here’s a review of Ali’s Adventure Park. This toy retails for $24.99. | |
| Rainbow Loom – these teeny tiny rubber bands can be crafted into bracelets that can be worn or given as gifts. Children and adults are enthralled with this popular arts and crafts toy which retails for $16.99. | |
| Skylanders SWAP Force from Activision – using Wii, XBox 360, PS3, Wii/Wii U, and Nintendo 3Ds, the tops and bottoms of these unique Skylanders characters can be swapped to create unique characters with a multitude of traits and powers during gameplay. Here are more pictures of Skylanders SWAP Force toys on About.com Toys. This starter set retails for $75.99. | |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles RC Shellraiser from Playmates – aside from the popular Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles figures, this remote controlled shellraiser launches sewer covers! It is recommended for ages 6 and up, with $49.99. See a video of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toys and the Shellraiser in action. | |
| Zoomer from Spinmaster – if your children are asking for a dog for the holidays, you may want to introduce them to Zoomer. Zoomer a robotic dog, can be taught various tricks. He responds to verbal and touch cues. Zoomer is recommended for kids ages 5 and up and retails for $99.99. |