Toy Fair is the largest international toy and game trade show in the Western Hemisphere. Tens of thousands are on hand to check out over 1,000 exhibitors showcasing and previewing the hottest games, toys and trends for kids (of all ages!).

Each year the Gift Gurus walk the over 350,000 square feet of toys and games. It’s truly is a labor of love to scour the Javits Convention Center and get an early look at what’s new and exciting.

So, what were the hottest, most fun things we saw at Toy Fair this year? We couldn’t be more excited to share some of our favorites:

The Gift: Vapor Delta 500 Blaster (available Spring 2012 for around $25)

The Scoop: Known primarily for their scooters, Razor has expanded into the Blaster arena with the Vapor line. The Atlas was their initial blaster offering, but come Spring, the Delta 500 will take the world by storm.

What sets the Vapor line apart is the Vapor Gel ammo. These watery, non-toxic, jelly-like rounds get loaded in the Delta 100 at a time. 100 rounds means longer shoot-up sessions with less time spent re-loading. Less time re-loading plus the Delta’s 80 foot firing range make this blaster one to be feared. But my favorite part of the Delta is that the Vapor Gel ammo is mostly made of water, so when it fires, the rounds break up and will soon dissolve . No rounds to collect and nothing to clean up. Just good clean blaster fun!

A Great Gift For: X-treme Teen guys (and young guys at heart) who enjoy blaster wars or inter-office fun!

(Video courtesy of The Toy Spy)

Toy Fair is the largest international toy and game trade show in the Western Hemisphere. Tens of thousands are on hand to check out over 1,000 exhibitors showcasing and previewing the hottest games, toys and trends for kids (of all ages!).

Each year the Gift Gurus walk the over 350,000 square feet of toys and games. It’s truly is a labor of love to scour the Javits Convention Center and get an early look at what’s new and exciting.

So, what were the hottest, most fun things we saw at Toy Fair this year? We couldn’t be more excited to share some of our favorites:

The Gift: LEGO DUPLO “Read and Build” books (available June 2012 for around $16)

The Scoop: The new LEGO DUPLO “Read and Build” story book inspire kid’s creativity with a blend of reading and constructive play. Kids build simple DUPLO block animals according to and as part of the “Read and Build” story line.

The “Busy Farm” story comes with bricks needed to create the farm animals from the storybook. Farm animals such as a pig and rooster are built in tandem with the story.  Since each build involves less than five bricks, children are going to love having a fun story read to them with the bonus of creating their own animals.

There will be three “Read and Grow” titles available this June.  It would not be a surprise to see this line expand as “Read and Build” is the perfect gift for sparking kid’s imaginations at story time or those indoor, rainy summer days.

Perfect Gift: For the architect in-training and young creative thinker.

Toy Fair is the largest international toy and game trade show in the Western Hemisphere. Tens of thousands are on hand to check out over 1,000 exhibitors showcasing and previewing the hottest games, toys and trends for kids (of all ages!).

Each year the Gift Gurus walk the over 350,000 square feet of toys and games. It’s truly is a labor of love to scour the Javits Convention Center and get an early look at what’s new and exciting.

So, what were the hottest, most fun things we saw at Toy Fair this year? We couldn’t be more excited to share some of our favorites:

The Gift: Lazer Tag System from Hasbro (available August 2012 for around $70 ages 8+)

The Scoop: Get ready for a new fun way to game with your iPhone and iPod Touch with the Lazer Tag System blasters. By connecting your iPhone/iPod Touch to the blaster you’re well on your way to an augmented reality gaming experience and having hours of single or multi-player fun. Blasters are equipped with a “Lazer” firing range of over 250 feet and a display that allows players to see the lazer shots and keep track of their remaining power.

In single player mode blasters provide a view of targets and enemies in your area and also keeps track of your stats on the virtual leader board. In multi-player mode you’ll have as many as 24 people playing the ultimate outdoor game. Lazer Tag Blasters are a great gift idea for i-connected kids and tweens who love to play outdoors (or even for their parents!).

Laser Tag Blasters are just the toy to get kids off the couch and cure the summertime blues this year.

Great Gift: for the wild child who can’t keep still or the fun loving adult.

(Video courtesy of  The Toy Spy)

Toy Fair is the largest international toy and game trade show in the Western Hemisphere. Tens of thousands are on hand to check out over 1,000 exhibitors showcasing and previewing the hottest games, toys and trends for kids (of all ages!).

Each year the Gift Gurus walk the over 350,000 square feet of toys and games. It’s truly is a labor of love to scour the Javits Convention Center and get an early look at what’s new and exciting.

So, what were the hottest, most fun things we saw at Toy Fair this year? We couldn’t be more excited to share some of our favorites:

The Gift: Eco-Bonks (available now for around $60)

The Scoop: Eco-Bonks are a really great looking inflatable bop bag toy. But that’s only half the story! While the bop bag toy’s form looks quite familiar, these boppers aren’t clowning around!  Eco-Bonks have really friendly and colorful animals on the outside, but are all “green” on the inside.

The Eco-Bonk is a BPA-free, biodegradable inflatable which is gets covered in any one of three 100% certified organic cotton animal covers. And when “bopped” the 36” tall animal will come bounding back upright as it’s weighted at the bottom. With three playful animals to choose from (…and an owl, gibbon, and whale on the way!), any kid’s room will surely make an ideal new habitat.

And as a bonus, for each Eco-Bonk sold, a donation is made to the Wildlife Alliance.

A Great Gift For: animal-loving kids and their Eco-aware parents!

Toy Guru Laurie Schacht gave us her sage prediction about the toys of 2012 from the floor of the Toy Industry Association’s 2012 Toy Fair in New York City!

Laurie is co-Publisher of The Toy Insider and CTO (chief toy officer) for The Toy Book and The Licensing Book, as well as the contributing toy editor for Woman’s day magazine, and Founder of The Big Toy Book.

Laurie has been quoted in major media outlets such as USA Today and has been a guest on national morning shows including The Today Show. Laurie recently started contributing to a wide number of parenting blogs.

Laurie, take it away…..

I love toys. When asked if I feel like Tom Hanks in BIG; the answer is yes. I can be wowed by the simplest move of an action figure but, what I am seeing everywhere is a new breed of tech toys….and wow are they cool!

Chances are many of you are reading this on your tablet, or your smart phone. Well, this year, toy companies are bringing your device into the game in a big way. But, unlike other toy categories where everything looks and feels so similar ….here, I see so much diversity.

So far, the factors they all have in common are that:

• you purchase the toy/accessory and the apps are free.

• (with the exception of some R/C cars) these items are very affordable.

WowWee has Appgear which uses augmented reality. With their Foam Fighters game you use your device as the remote. Attach the “arm” to the small foam plane and head off into WW2 battle. You see the plane fly around the room you’re in, but also take off into the clouds for game play on your device.

Game night will have new meaning too with a line of games from Pressman Toy called iPieces. Here your iPad 1 or 2 becomes the game like: air hockey, go fish, and other entertaining games for the whole family.

Hasbro makes your tablet the centerpiece of the game board & game play; complete with spinner and videos. And, a company called Physical Apps puts your smart phone in the middle of a foam ball for tech versions of games like bowling and hot potato.

Silverlit (video below) turns your device into a control for R/C vehicles. If the car is a Porsche 911, then the dashboard on your device shows exactly that. Tilt your device for full control, and adjust the sensitivity while you learn to drive. Want to fly? Use your device to fly Interactive Toy Concepts helicopter with ease.

We are watching the beginning of a brand new category in toys. Some will be amazing…some will be just OK…but all will become part of the fabric of how our kids play…and they will love it!

Toy Fair is the largest international toy and game trade show in the Western Hemisphere. Tens of thousands are on hand to check out over 1,000 exhibitors showcasing and previewing the hottest games, toys and trends for kids (of all ages!).

Each year the Gift Gurus walk the over 350,000 square feet of toys and games. It’s truly is a labor of love to scour the Javits Convention Center and get an early look at what’s new and exciting.

So, what were the hottest, most fun things we saw at Toy Fair this year? We couldn’t be more excited to share some of our favorites:

The Gift: “Appfinity Appfishing” and “Appfinity Appdrive” (both available Fall 2012 for around $20)

The Scoop: Spin Master introduces two new products to their exciting Appfinity mobile gaming line that creates fun and realistic applications for game play on your iPhone, iPod or Android devices.

The Appfinity Appfishing rod brings the excitement of fishing right to your mobile device. The patented touch technology provides a real life fishing experience, whether you catch a trout or a whale this technology allows you to feel the jigging of your catch. The Appfinity Appdrive wheel allows gamers to take the app gaming to a more realistic next level of excitement. The Appdrive is designed to give an all-in-one driving experience with four console designed buttons.

Not only are these app toys supply gaming fun at a great price, but they are the perfect way to entertain your tweens while traveling. But the best part of the new Appfinity product line is that it’s now available for android devices as well!  These devices will be arriving in stores just in time for the holidays, so they pretty much scream “Stocking Stuffer“.

Great Gift: for the app-crazed tween gamer or the mobile gaming Peter Pan adult.

Toy Fair is the largest international toy and game trade show in the Western Hemisphere. Tens of thousands are on hand to check out over 1,000 exhibitors showcasing and previewing the hottest games, toys and trends for kids (of all ages!).

Each year the Gift Gurus walk the over 350,000 square feet of toys and games. It’s truly is a labor of love to scour the Javits Convention Center and get an early look at what’s new and exciting.

So, what were the hottest, most fun things we saw at Toy Fair this year? We couldn’t be more excited to share some of our favorites:

The Gift: La Dee DA Dee signature doll (available August 2012 $19.99) La Dee Da studio fashions (available August 2012 $9.99) Sweet Party Collection Dolls ( available August 2012, $19.99) World trip Collection Dolls (image above – available August 2012 $19.99).

The Scoop: From ordinary to extraordinary, Spin Master is very excited to introduce a new super chic fashion doll named “Dee”. Along with her 3 BFF’s Dee is a talented teen designer who creates an outrageous fashion line called La Dee Da. Dee and her BFF’s get inspiration from ordinary things and create bold fierce looks to express themselves.

Dee and her friends are sold separately, Dee, the signature doll, comes with one fashion, a flower, a bag and shoes.  Her friends come in two collections (4 dolls in each collection)- the “Sweet Party” collection and the “World Trip” collection. The La Dee Da collection also has a studio fashion line that allows girls to mix and match outfits with their dolls. The studio fashion line comes with one transforming outfit, five accessories and one pair of shoes. Dee and her 3 BFF’s are expected to hit shelves in August 2012, so keep your eyes out for the newest Trendista and her super chic friends.

Great gift: For the inspiring young fashion designer and the ultimate Girly Girl.

Toy Fair is the largest international toy and game trade show in the Western Hemisphere. Tens of thousands are on hand to check out over 1,000 exhibitors showcasing and previewing the hottest games, toys and trends for kids (of all ages!).

Each year the Gift Gurus walk the over 350,000 square feet of toys and games. It’s truly is a labor of love to scour the Javits Convention Center and get an early look at what’s new and exciting.

So, what were the hottest, most fun things we saw at Toy Fair this year? We couldn’t be more excited to share some of our favorites:

The Gift: Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters Moshlings (available March 2012 starting around $6)

The Scoop: When two super creative minds come together awesome toys happen. So when the geniuses at Hexbugs teamed up with the clever forces behind the crazy-popular online world of Monstro City, you know we’re on board. Upon launch next month, 24 Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters Moshlings will be available in all their cuddly AND robotic glory.

Powered by very cool Hexbug technology, the Moshlings will explore (see video below) their replica Monstro City play sets (sold separately). The collectibility element is huge as 8 of the initial 24 will be sold as individual Moshlings. The remaining characters will available as part of play sets ranging from around $8 to $30. But ALL Moshings unlock very cool, new content in the virtual world of www.moshimonsters.com.

A Great Gift For: Moshi Monsters fanatics and Hexbugs lovers!

Toy Fair is the largest international toy and game trade show in the Western Hemisphere. Tens of thousands are on hand to check out over 1,000 exhibitors showcasing and previewing the hottest games, toys and trends for kids (of all ages!).

Each year the Gift Gurus walk the over 350,000 square feet of toys and games. It’s truly is a labor of love to scour the Javits Convention Center and get an early look at what’s new and exciting.

So, what were the hottest, most fun things we saw at Toy Fair this year? We couldn’t be more excited to share some of our favorites:

The Gifts: The NERF VORTEX LUMITRON (above left) and The NERF SUPER SOAKER LIGHTNING STORM Blasters (available Spring 2012 for around $30 and $25 respectively)

The Scoop: Two very cool blasters met the public at Toy Fair this year- one wild and one wet! The NERF VORTEX line launch last year was as good as it gets for me in the toy world, so spying a new VORTEX update is very exciting. The LUMITRON Blaster is a glow-in-the-dark, pump action blaster gets loaded with glow discs in its 10 disc clip. It’s hard to imagine VORTEX battles getting more intense, but when the lights get hit, LUMITRON is going be a beast.

Speaking of beasts, the SUPER SOAKER LIGHTING STORM will be a highly feared foe in backyards everywhere this summer. This water gun is a fully automatic, battery powered, monster boasting a range of 25 feet. The kicker is the LIGHTNING STORM’S 35 ounce capacity clip, which is thankfully interchangeable with other SUPER SOAKER Blasters. The whipped cream on top are the blasters detachable stock and blast shield.

A Great Gift For: Those (of any age!) who love blaster mayhem!!

Toy Fair is the largest international toy and game trade show in the Western Hemisphere. Tens of thousands are on hand to check out over 1,000 exhibitors showcasing and previewing the hottest games, toys and trends for kids (of all ages!).

Each year the Gift Gurus walk the over 350,000 square feet of toys and games. It’s truly is a labor of love to scour the Javits Convention Center and get an early look at what’s new and exciting.

So, what were the hottest, most fun things we saw at Toy Fair this year? We couldn’t be more excited to share some of our favorites:

The Gifts: American Girl Historical Character Kits (available April 2012, $16.99 – $21.99) and Sew and Shares (available August 2012)

The Scoop: There are a few new exciting products from American Girl Crafts that will have every creative girl out there jumping for joy.

The Historical Character Kits are crafting sets (image above) based the eras of the American Girl historical character dolls. Each kit’s theme is based on the historical characters traditions of their time period with a modern twist. Girls will love crafting in the spirit of such traditions as weaving, embroidery, painting and string art. Not only are these kits entertaining but they are educational providing historical information about each girl’s time period.

Sew and Shares is a fun new, crafty way to say hello, thank you and I love you! Sew and Shares kits come with pre- cut felt pieces girls then sew together and craft includes a cute pocket to tuck a special note into. This is a great DIY gift for moms and daughters, a gift for a friend’s birthday or can be used as a fashion accessory.

And keep your eye out for an updated line of new American Girl party products that will start hitting shelves this spring. Fun new party decorations and party favors will be a must-have for any American Girl themed party.

Great Gifts For: the creative young lady and the crafty girly girl!