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Toy News
TECHNOLOGY UNDER THE TREE
Techy toys set to play a starring role in Christmas wish lists
Little hands and minds will be kept busy with up to the minute techno toys that are
set to dominate children’s Christmas lists this year, says the Toy Retailers
Association (TRA) today. The TRA’s annual ‘Dream Toys’ list, the only official
prediction of Christmas best-sellers, reveals a trend towards interactivity for
today’s increasingly techno-savvy kids. The list also reflects this year’s big and
small screen successes, with toys inspired by Transformers the Movie, Dr Who, preschool
favourite Roary the Racing Car, and game show Golden Balls.
This year’s Dream Dozen, in alphabetical order:
- Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old?, Hasbro (RRP £19.99)
- Baby Annabell® New V4, Zapf Creation (RRP £39.99)
- Barbie Girls, Mattel (RRP £49.99)
- Doctor Who Dalek Sec Hybrid Voice Changer Mask, Character Options (RRP
£29.95)
- Flytech Dragonfly, Character Options (RRP £34.87)
- Golden Balls, Vivid Imaginations (RRP £19.99)
- GR8 Art Bindeez Super Deluxe Studio Centre, Character Options (RRP £19.95)
- In The Night Garden – Blanket Time Igglepiggle, Hasbro (RRP £34.99)
- Puppy Grows and Knows Your Name, Mattel (RRP £44.99)
- Roary R/C Car, Vivid Imaginations (RRP £24.99)
- Say What?, Radica (RRP £24.99)
- Transformers Movie Leader:Optimus Prime, Hasbro (RRP £39.99)
Gary Grant, Chairman of the TRA, comments: “This year’s Dream Dozen once again
demonstrates the versatility of the toy industry. The technological advancements
used in many of the toys we reviewed this year were quite amazing, and
demonstrate how forward thinking manufacturers can be. Responding to the ever changing demands of children is what makes this industry so innovative. The result
is a truly eclectic mix of toys that will appeal to young and old alike.”
In the Girls category, Mattel’s Barbie ranges remain a firm favourite, with Barbie
Princess Rosella doll, inspired by the latest Barbie DVD, making the Girls Top 12.
Bratz, the dolls with a Passion for Fashion, also hit screens this year with ‘Bratz-
The Movie’, and enter the Girls Top 12 with the movie-inspired Funky Fashion
Makeover Body. For animal lovers, the Grand Hotel from Sylvanian Families
(Flair), Littlest Pet Shop Display and Play Pet Town Playset and My Little Pony
Ponyville Teapot Palace (both Hasbro) will be firm favourites long after Christmas.
Girls Top 12 Toys for Christmas
| Baby Annabel® New V4 | Zapf Creation | RRP £39.99 |
| Baby Born® Magic Eyes Boy | Zapf Creation | RRP £34.99 |
| Barbie Princess Rosella Doll | Mattel | RRP £19.95 |
| Bratz the Movie Funky Fashion Makeover Body | Vivid Imaginations | RRP £32.99 |
| Grand Hotel from Sylvanian Families | Flair | RRP £89.95 |
| Littlest Pet Shop Display and Play Pet
Town Playset | Hasbro | RRP £29.95 |
| My Baby | Mattel | RRP £49.95 |
| My Little Pony Ponyville Teapot Palace | Hasbro | RRP £29.95 |
| My Take Along Dolls House | Playmobil | RRP £24.95 |
| Polly Pocket Race To Mall! | Mattel | RRP £29.99 |
| Puppy Grows and Knows Your Name | Mattel | RRP £44.99 |
| Rose Petal Cottage | Worlds Apart | RRP £79.99 |
It’s an equally bumper year for Boys, with a range of TV and film-inspired toys.
Hasbro brings the popular Transformers license to life with the Optimus Prime
Voice Changing Helmet and Transformers Ultimate Bumblebee. Spider-Man is
back to battle another day with the Spider-Man Ultimate Web Blaster (Hasbro).
Ben 10 is a new addition to the boys’ character crowd, with the Alien Laboratory
and a Watch Omnitrix F/X (both Bandai) set to keep mini scientists busy well into
the New Year.
Boys Top 12 Toys for Christmas
| Ben 10 Alien Laboratory | Bandai | RRP £24.95 |
| Ben 10 Omnitrix F/X | Bandai | RRP £12.95 |
| Cars Mega Mack Playtown | Mattel | RRP £39.95 |
| Creator – Monster Dino | Lego | RRP £69.95 |
| Dr Who Dalek Sec Hybrid Voice Changer Mask | Character Options | RRP £29.95 |
| Dr Who Figures Assortment | Character Options | RRP £6.95 |
| Spider-Man Ultimate Web Blaster | Hasbro | RRP £39.99 |
| Stretch Power Ranger | Character Options | RRP £14.95 |
| Transformers Movie Leader: Optimus
Prime | Hasbro | RRP £39.99 |
| Transformers Optimus Prime Voice
Changer Mask | Hasbro | RRP £29.99 |
| Transformers Ultimate Bumblebee | Hasbro | RRP £79.95 |
| WWE Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Playset | Vivid Imaginations | RRP £19.99 |
There are plenty of treats in store for little ones too, and the Pre-School category
sees some well-loved faces that will be familiar to parents as well as children. My
Friend Rupert Bear (Martin Yaffe) and the Thomas and Jeremy Airport Set (Tomy)
recall classic children’s favourites. Joining them are toys inspired by hit pre-school
programme ‘In the Night Garden’ (Talking Plush Assortment by Hasbro) and ‘Dora
the Explorer’ (Dora’s Laptop by VTech).
Pre-school Top 12 Toys for Christmas
| Bed-time Lullaby Fifi | Vivid Imaginations | RRP £16.99 |
| Bob the Builder – Snap Trax Car Wash
& Garage | Martin Yaffe | RRP £29.95 |
| Dora’s Laptop | VTech | RRP £25.99 |
| Fisher-Price Smart Cycle | Mattel | RRP £99.95 |
| Fisher-Price Stride to Ride Lion | Mattel | RRP £34.99 |
| In The Night Garden – Blanket Time
Igglepiggle | Hasbro | RRP £34.99 |
| In The Night Garden – Talking Plush Assortment | Hasbro | RRP £14.95 |
| My Friend Rupert Bear | Martin Yaffe | RRP £29.95 |
| Peppa Pig Campervan Playset | Character Options | RRP £19.95 |
| Roary R/C Car | Vivid | RRP £24.99 |
| Thomas & Jeremy Airport Set | Tomy | RRP £39.95 |
| V-Smile Learning System | Vtech | RRP £49.99 |
The post-lunch Christmas afternoon will fly by with this year’s Games selection. TV
gameshows still feature heavily, and Drumond Park’s Family Fortunes game makes
it into the Games Top 12. Tween favourite ‘High School Musical’ also makes an
appearance with Hasbro’s Mystery Date game. Mattel’s Ratatouille Kitchen Quake
is a high-energy fun fest to liven up Christmas parties. Old favourites get a new
look with Monopoly Here & Now UK Edition and Game of Life Twists and Turns
(both Hasbro).
Games Top 12 Toys for Christmas
| 20Q Handheld | Radica | RRP £8.99 |
| Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old? | Hasbro | RRP £19.99 |
| Eternity II | Tomy | RRP £34.95 |
| Family Fortunes | Drumond Park | RRP £24.99 |
| Game of Life Twists and Turns | Hasbro | RRP £29.95 |
| Golden Balls | Vivid | RRP £19.99 |
| High School Musical Mystery Date | Hasbro | RRP £14.95 |
| Monopoly Here & Now UK Edition | Hasbro | RRP £19.99 |
| Ratatouille Kitchen Quake Game | Mattel | RRP £19.99 |
| Rubiks Revo | Drumond Park | RRP £14.99 |
Say What ? | Radica | RRP £24.99 |
| Splashy the Whale Game | Character Options | RRP £14.95 |
The Hip ‘n’ Kool category, covering the latest must-haves for funky kids, is as
exciting as ever. This Christmas will be getting off to a flying start as two brands go
head to head with the latest indoor flight technology. Dragonfly by Character
Options will be battling it out with Silverlit’s PicooZ R/C Helicopter for a space
under the tree. There’s plenty in this category for girls as well, with the Pixel Chix
Roomies House (Mattel) and the Girl Tech Video Journal (Radica) both Christmas
must-haves for young fashionistas.
Hip ‘n’ Kool Top 12 Toys for Christmas
| Amazing Lexie | Mattel | RRP £99.95 |
| Barbie Girls | Mattel | RRP £49.99 |
| Digi Makeover | Radica | RRP £59.95 |
| Eye Clops | Vivid Imaginations | RRP £39.99 |
| Flytech Dragonfly | Character Options | RRP £34.87 |
| FurReal Squawkers McCaw | Hasbro | RRP £69.95 |
| Girl Tech Video Journal | Radica | RRP £39.99 |
| Nintendog Trick Trainers | Tomy | RRP £9.95 |
| PicooZ R/C Helicopter | Silverlit | RRP £19.91 |
| Pixel Chix Roomies House | Mattel | RRP £44.95 |
| Tamagotchi Connexion Jinsei Plus (V4) | Bandai | RRP £12.95 |
| U.B. Funkeys | Radica | RRP £19.99 |
The Creative Top 12 will be keeping minds and hands busy well into 2008 with a
range of inspiring new play sets. Spinmaster’s Li’l Luvables Fluffy Factory and
Tomy’s Cinderella Aquadraw are sure to be firm favourites with little girls, while
Marvin’s Freaky Body Illusions (Marvin’s Magic) will be a hit with boys with a taste
for the gruesome! The classic Crayola set returns in a new guise with the Crayola
Illumination Station (Vivid Imaginations).
Creative Top 12 Toys for Christmas
| Aqua Beads | Flair Leisure | RRP £14.95 |
| Cinderella Aquadraw | Tomy | RRP £29.95 |
| Cordz | Flair Leisure | RRP £19.95 |
| Crayola Illumination Station | Vivid Imaginations | RRP £19.99 |
| Dora the Explorer Draw & Drive | Golden Bear | RRP £24.99 |
| Golden Coin Maker | John Adams Toys | RRP £14.95 |
| GR8 Art Bindeez Super Deluxe Studio Centre |
Character Options | RRP £19.95 |
| GR8 Scrapheap Welder | Character Options | RRP £19.95 |
| Li’l Luvables Fluffy Factory | Spinmaster | RRP £24.99 |
| Marvin’s Freaky Body Illusions | Marvin’s Magic Box | RRP £24.95 |
| Moon Sand Castle | Spinmaster | RRP £19.95 |
| Super Grafix | John Adams Toys | RRP £19.95 |
The TRA revealed its predictions for the official Top Toys for Christmas at the
Dream Toys 2007 media preview. This was held at St Mary’s Church, Bryanston
Square, Wyndham Place, Marylebone London on 10 October 2007.
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Hot Toys 2008 | Toy Stores Online | Toy Manufacturers | Christmas Corner
Toy Retailers Association www.toyretailerassociation.co.uk
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