The New York Toy Fair is the ultimate kid and kid-ult’s dream. Thousands of the newest toys destined for store shelves in 2018 fill the cavernous Jacob K. Javits Convention Center ready and waiting to be played with… or propped on a stand never to be touched.
This year’s show included everything from tie-ins for the year’s biggest movies including “Black Panther,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” as well as board games, toy cars and others.
It’s a massive show to explore, but of all of the toys on display at Toy Fair, here are the eight coolest.
Marvel Hero Vision
It’s never been easier to become Iron Man with Hasbro’s (HAS) Marvel Hero Vision augmented reality helmet. The kit, which will cost $49.99 when it goes on sale this spring, features an Iron Man-style helmet and smartphone mount. Download the Hero Vision app for your iPhone or Android device, slide it into the mount and place the mount in the helmet and you’ll be looking at the world through Tony Stark’s eyes. A band that wraps around your hand transforms into one of Iron Man’s gauntlets in AR and allows you to fire at bad guys as they come flying toward you. Just don’t run around with this thing on.
Fisher-Price Think & Learn Rocktopus
Fisher-Price wants to help get your child interested in music. And to do that, it’s encouraging your kid to make as much noise as possible with the company’s Think & Learn Rocktopus. This educational toy lets your tot create music using special pods that she can drop into the Rocktopus’ arms. Instruments range from drums and guitars to horns and maracas. The Rocktopus also features three different play modes including Math, Music and Game. It’s a fun toy that’s sure to keep your kids entertained and your medicine cabinet running low on aspirin when it hits the market for $59.99 this fall.
Barbie and Crayola Confetti Skirt Studio
Barbie, the queen of fashionistas, has rocked everything from poodle skirts to her own astronaut uniform. And now your child can design the very clothes this 11.5-inch multi-talented, dynamo wears to her heart’s content. The Barbie and Crayola Confetti Skirt Studio lets your kid punch out their own confetti (which definitely won’t make a mess of impossible to pick up pieces) and use washable Crayola markers, Washi Tape and stickers to turn Barbie’s outfit into a masterpiece fit for the runways of Milan or a jumble of colors and stickers. It depends on how talented your kid is. The Barbie and Crayola Confetti Skirt Studio lands on store shelves this fall for $39.99.
Hot Wheels Corkscrew Crash Track set
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the vast majority of you have owned at least one Hot Wheels car in your lives. And I’m going to go even further and guess that you’ve probably smashed it into everything possible for fun. Because, well, that’s half the joy of owning a Hot Wheels car. Hot Wheels knew that much when it introduced its first Criss Cross Crash Track years ago, and now the miniature car maker is rolling out an updated version of its collision system called the Corkscrew Crash Track. As its name implies the set includes three corkscrew loops so you, er, I mean, your kid, can launch their favorite Hot Wheels cars at each other for hours at a time. The Corkscrew Crash Track will be available this fall for $44.99.
DOS
Not content with ruling the world with its UNO card game, Mattel (MAT) is upping the ante with its new game: DOS. No, this is not a joke. Mattel is bringing out a card game called DOS in which you must yell DOS whenever you get down to two cards. This is the real world.
DOS involves both colored and numbered cards, unlike UNO, which also includes actions that can be matched. DOS is coming to a table near you this spring for $5.99.
MECARD
Mattel is bringing one of South Korea’s most popular battling games to the U.S. when it releases MECARD in the U.S. this spring. The game includes miniature cars and trucks that you roll over special cards. When a vehicle hits the card, it instantly transforms into a battle robot. Like similar fighting card games including the Pokémon Trading Card Game, MECARD cards have their own on-card stats that indicate the kinds of powers you’ll have for the match. MECARDs will be available in three game packs, a deluxe assortment will cost $14.99, while a jumbo assortment will cost $19.99. The Mega Dracha, an enormous vehicle that transforms into a dragon will cost $44.99 when it launches this fall.
Nintendo Labo
Nintendo’s (NTDOY) Labo isn’t new to the show, but it was still one of my personal highlights of Toy Fair 2018. The cardboard creativity set allows players to build their own accessories for the Switch console and then play games with them. Items include a fishing rod that you can use to reel in on-screen fish, a piano that you can use to play music and a massive backpack you can strap on to play as a robot and stomp and punch on-screen buildings and vehicles. Then there’s the Labo Garage, which allows you to create new ways to interact with your labo including doing things like building a vending machine or making a rubber band guitar.
It’s hard to adequately describe how satisfying it is to build out Labo kits. What’s more, the cardboard Nintendo used to create the Labo templates is both sturdy and easy enough to bend and manipulate to your needs. The Labo Variety Kit and Labo Robot Kit launch April 20, and will cost $69.99 and $79.99, respectively.
Jurassic World figures and dinosaurs
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” is coming to theaters this summer, which means you can expect what will feel like an endless stream of marketing hype. Luckily, part of that will also mean some sweet new toys. Mattel’s new line of “Fallen Kingdom” figures include 3.25-inch characters and dinosaurs, which means your kids’ mini Chris Pratt and T-Rex will be to scale, making for improved playing experiences. Character figures are priced at $7.99 a piece, while the Jurassic World Roarivores will cost $14.99 a piece.
Naturally, there’s also the Pterano-Drone, a drone with a pterodactyl on top, to make it feel like you’re flying your own dinosaur ($119) and the Power Wheels Jurassic World Dino racer, which at $259.99, will set you back a pretty penny. But come on. You love your kids, right?
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