Top Toys and Games of the Year Unveiled at “OSCARS®” of the Toy Industry

Though sleek and thin, the LeapPad can withstand kids' roughhousing and dirty fingers. Designed to be flipped, shaken, and turned by little hands, the LeapPad comes with a tilt sensor for game control that puts kids in the middle of the action. A 5-inch color touch screen makes it easy for kids of all ages to learn and interact. There are more than 100 learning games, videos, books, and apps available, and topics covered include spelling, phonics skills, mathematics, science, music, geography, and more.
— As of 8/29/2011 this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 96 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Larger screen than other LeapFrog products; works with Leapster explorer games and apps; comes with extra stylus in case one gets lost. Cons: Screen and camera resolution are low; takes 4 batteries; processing is slow; most apps need to be purchased separately.

Battle for control of the four Spinjitzu weapons has begun. Sensei Wu, Kai, Zane and Nya need help to keep Lord Garmadon and his evil skeleton army from taking the ultimate Spinjitzu weapon – the Dragon Sword of Fire. As the temple splits into two, the fearsome Fire Dragon emerges to protect the sword by spitting fire at Lord Garmadon. Set also includes Samukai and Kruncha figures, all four golden weapons and 14 other weapons. 1174 pieces. Launch date: Summer 2011.
— As of 10/14/2011 this product had 4.7 out of 5 stars from 3 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Helps build fine motor skills and logic skills; challenging. Cons: Finished structure not very durable.
— As of 10/14/2011 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 2 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Very detailed; lots of moving parts.

These new tracks for Hot Wheels cars can be mounted on the wall using sticky mounting strips by 3M Co. that won't damage walls or wall paper. Kids can bring their tracks to new levels of fun with Hot Wheels Wall Tracks. Compatible with all standard Hot Wheels cars, these innovative tracks are mounted to the wall using sticky mounting strips from 3M Co., that can safely be removed from walls without leaving residue or stripping the paint. Wall tracks can also go up doors, accross corners, and can be connected with standard Hot Wheels tracks too.

One player draws a construction card and builds the structure shown. Next, an opponent loads an Angry Bird onto the launcher and catapults the bird to knock down structures and pigs. The player with the most points and knockdowns wins. Features three Angry Birds, four green pigs, one slingshot-style launcher, structure pieces and multiple mission cards. For one or more players. Launch date: May 2011.
— As of 12/17/2012 this product had 3.9 out of 5 stars from 252 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Great alternative to the app for parents who want to reduce kids' screen time; fun for the family to play together; helps kids develop dexterity and patience. Cons: Certain structures are too elaborate to build and don't seem to be grouped in the correct level of difficulty; kids with short attention spans may lose interest in building the structures; structures are easy to knock down, which can be frustrating for younger players.

Made of soft, tactile skin that enables lifelike movements, girls can poke and squeeze a Fijit Friend for a verbal reaction.  With word recognition capability, Fijit Friends can understand and respond to more than 30 verbal commands, culling from more than 150 built-in phrases and jokes. Girls only have to turn up the music dial to transform their Fijit Friend into a dancing machine. With Beat Detection functionality, Fijit Friends can recognize different types of music and perform different dance moves for each beat. Fijit Friends includes four original songs of their own. Fijit Friends come in an assortment of four that each feature distinct colors, voices, ears and personalities and feature integrated Sonic Chirp technology - special audio coding embedded into an external device or media platform (mobile applications, webisodes, television commercials and more), that when detected by Fijit, triggers various programmed reactions. Launch date: Fall 2011.

Once the balls pop out of the elephant's trunk, it's anybody's guess which way they'll roll — into the belly for put-and-take play, across the room for baby to crawl after, or back through the trunk for more poppin' surprises. With 10 fun tunes to play and this elephant's trunk controlling the poppin' direction, the play is exciting, engaging, and fun.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 2.9 out of 5 stars from 8 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Entertaining; helps develop hand-eye coordination; music is cute. Cons: Fan that blows the balls is loud; balls don't blow automatically so younger kids may have trouble using it.

The Rockboard Scooter uses propulsion technology, allowing it to be ridden without having to put a foot on the ground. It can be used as a kick scooter or a Rockboard. When in Rockboard Mode it requires no kicking, batteries, charging or gasoline. It can also be folded up for easy storage and transport. The Rockboard combines fun, fitness and functionality into one product. "While standing on the deck in Rockboard Mode the rider shifts their weight back and forth, and this powers the drive chain. Propulsion is achieved with each rock, wasting zero energy and allowing the rider to reach speeds of up to 10 mph," Zane Andrews, Account Manager, M.Y. Products, told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 18, 2009.
— Thanks to a product demo in the store, Learning Express of Newton, Mass., had sold at least 15 Rockboard Scooters in 2010 as of July, Owner Richard Gibson told TDmonthly.
— In a March 2012 survey, Grafton Stine, owner of Toys on the Square in Hummelstown, Pa., told TDmonthly that Rockboard Scooters were one of their best selling ride-on toys.

Where to buy:
SOUTH

The HEXBUG Nano Hive Habitat Set is the first transportable environment that enables HEXBUG Nano architects to customize the design and layout within a HEXBUG Nano Habitat Set. The Hive Habitat Set features an integrated center ramp for multi-level Nano interaction and a floor spotted with attachment points that kids can build off of, further extending its creative play pattern. Each attachment point can be filled with a variety of new playground accessories including pegs, which act as bump points for the HEXBUG Nano, rotating flags, which direct the HEXBUG Nano toward ramps or other obstacles including merry-go-rounds and even a seesaw for the playfully energetic HEXBUG Nano to explore. The HEXBUG Nano Hive Habitat Set can be connected to any pre-existing habitat set or used as a stand-alone product that kids can simply pack up to go with a convenient carrying handle. The Hive Habitat Set comes with one extremely rare HEXBUG Nano mutation and 35 easy-connect construction pieces including 16 pegs, 16 adjustable flags, two merry-go-rounds and one seesaw. HEXBUG Hive is CPSIA approved for kids 3 and up.  Launch date: mid-August 2011.