Here are my top most innovative toys for the holiday season. I have selected these toys based on certain criteria: easy to use, durability, bringing in something new or adding a new way to an old idea, affordability and fun!
1) Mardles stickers/story books: I am absolutely in love with this company! The products from Mardles are so innovative, they are revolutionising the toy industry as we know it. Mardles excel at bringing, otherwise dull and old fashion toy traditions to life! The company offers a free app which can be downloaded to any tablet or android phone. Once the app is downloaded, it then allows their products to literally come to life in a 3D inactive manner for the child (and adult) to enjoy. Mardles products include stickers and story books. All come to life with the use of the App and the stickers can be used outside of the books they come with. Stickers can be stuck on variety of surfaces including lunchbox, school bag and so on. Imagine having a 3D dinosaur pop up on your kids lunchbox! Pretty cool stuff huh? The characters brought to life can also do more, the user can move characters, change colours/clothing and so on with a simply tap. Stickers can be enjoyed by kids between 3 to 5 years old. Similarly the storybooks can be enjoyed by that age group up to 10 years. Mardles products are very reasonably priced and can be purchased from various outlets including their official website.
2) Selfie Clothing (colour me in) T-shirts: Here is another innovative company based in the UK. Selfie clothing are plain well made, white t-shirts for kids from 5 years old to about 12. What makes these t-shirts special is that they come with a drawing print at the front, which the kids can then colour in and add to whatever they wish! It is like designing their own t-shirts. The t-shirts are sold with special pens to be used on them so that they do not come off in the wash or leak. These t-shirts are not only likely to fascinate and excite your child but also keep them occupied for hours as they horn in their artistic skills. Lots of fun to be had for sure. Selfie t-shirts retail at around £15-20 each but are worthy of the investment. You can purchase these t-shirts here
3) Magformers: If your child enjoys building things, this one is for you. Magformers is a company that makes magnetic building blocks. There are many variations to this by various companies but I prefer Magformers. These blocks follow the old fashioned "Lego" type idea but with a very modern twist. The blocks are very light and hollow in the middle with magnetic strips around the exterior. They click in with other blocks to form whatever your child wishes to build from houses, balls to even cars. They are suitable to the older child from 7 to 13 and are a lot of fun for adults too. Magformers come in different packages so you can choose according to your budget or child's age; small packages of 8 blocks retail for as little as £9.99. It is worth to shop around for the larger packages as different outlets offer different discounts and the larger packages can be more appealing to older kids as they provide them with better building options.
4) Robodog: Robodogs are basically robotic dogs. These are so well made in coping and imitating what real dogs do; they can bark, wag their tails, sit on command and walk. These are especially great gifts for younger kids who maybe too young to have a real dog or may live in places where pets are not allowed as is the same with some rental properties. There are many companies that manufacture and sell Robodogs so choose one you are happy with. Most of them do basically similar things although they may differ cosmetically so colours and design. They are battery operated and may need a large supply of batteries as some Robodogs can use up batteries very quickly. Robodogs have become very affordable since their initial introduction on the toy market so they can fit even tight budgets.
5) Interactive soft toys: This is more of a collective toy group than a single toy idea as the above entries. I wanted to include this group because it does have the nostalgia of the loveable soft toy but with a modern twist. The difference in this group is that the interactive nature of the soft toy can be anything from a simple melody to verbal interactions. These toys can also be enjoyed by a much wider range of kids than any mentioned previously because they encompass all ranges of interactions from the simple to the complex. The vast range also offers a much wider choice and thus covers a much wider budget range. Choose one that is more suitable for your child at a price you are happy with.
That's all my top picks for this holiday season. If you have other innovative toys that you feel should have been on the list, please let me know. Otherwise I hope this list helps you in making a decision on gifts for the little people in your life. Merry Christmas!
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