Toys invite girls to build, boys to nurture and everyone to code
It’s time to clean out the toy box and make room for new arrivals.
Toymakers have been working hard to come up with the next musthave plaything. Is it on these pages? Joanne and Stephanie Oppenheim think it might be. The mother- daughter duo are the toy experts behind the website Oppenheim Toy Portfolio ( toyportfolio. com). They see hundreds of new toys each year and get kids across the country to rate them.
“Coding” is big this year, Joanne Oppenheim says. Also, “we’ve never seen so many toys that run on apps and screens of smart devices.” And there are more online videos that help with craft and building projects. Oppenheim likes that gender roles are blurring. Girls are shown on games and building sets that once would have been marketed only to boys. “On the flip side, we are also seeing more boy dolls this season,” she says, “encouraging boys to tap into their nurturing side.” Here are some of Oppenheim Toy Portfolio’s top picks for 2017. The prices are those suggested by the manufacturer. Shop around and you might find a better deal.
Games and puzzles:
You Do Ann Williams, $19.99. Age 5 and older. This family game promises nonstop silliness. Players pick five cards and race to be the first to do whatever tasks are on them. Bark like a dog? Cry like a baby? Put a sock on your ear? No problem, unless you just can’t stop giggling. There are 500 tasks, so no two games are alike. And there’s no computer involved, so everyone — ages 5 to 95 — can play.
Qwingo Gamewright, $10.99. Age 8 and older. Qwingo starts simply but requires strategy to finish. Players call out numbers and roll a die with icons on it. The object is to list those numbers in ascending order on a score sheet in the column that matches the icon on the rolled die. The strategy involves not calling out numbers your oppo- nents want. Up to five can play this game, or you can go solo.
Go Nuts for Donuts!
Gamewright, $14.99.
Age 8 and older.
A table of tasty treats awaits up to six players in this hot- from- the- fryer card game. The cards represent mouthwatering doughnuts with varying point values. Collect the most doughnuts (er, points) and you’ll be hungry to play again and again. One drawback: You’ll also be hungry for some real doughnuts, so plan ahead. And don’t forget to get a carton of milk.
Q-BA-Maze 2.0: Stunts Mindware, $79.95. Age 6 and older. “Favorite toy ever,” one grandparent raved after buying some Q- BA marble mazes for a 6- year- old grandson. Teens seem to love them as well. The pieces interlock in endless combinations for an a-MAZEing new challenge each time you play. Make your marbles bounce, zigzag and swirl as they shoot through tubes and down the path you’ve created. Dolls:
Budsies Custom Dolls All ages. Who could resist a cuddly, one-of-
a- kind doll made from your own drawing, or a doll that looks just like you, your pet or someone you love? Send in your artwork or photo, and Budsies will do the rest. These hand- stitched, 18- inch dolls take about a month to make, but you’ll get updates as you wait. Start drawing now so Budsies can start sewing.
Crafts:
Wooden Robot Kit Kid Made Modern, $29.99. Age 6 and older. Not one, not two, but three robots are waiting to be built, painted and played with. Each kit includes three sheets of stickers, 12 paint pots and two brushes. Movable arms and legs make these bots perfect for pretend games after you make them. If robots aren’t your thing, Kid Made Modern has lots of other make-me kits, including bongo drums.
Unbored Time Capsule Mindware, $29.95. Age 8 and older.
Time capsules are peeks back into history. Someday you, your kids or even grandkids may want to know what life was like now. This kit has great ideas for interviewing family and friends and saving memorable items. Kid testers loved the adjustable date stamp and photo storage sleeves. You’ll like this gift today but even more in 20 years.
Perfect Craft Heart Keepsake Box Kit Skullduggery, $19.99. Age 8 and older. Mix learning and fun along with the plaster as you pour and mold a heart-shaped keepsake container. The mess is minimal. And there’s enough material and paint for two boxes, so you can make one for Mom and keep the other for yourself. Watch what happens when water is mixed with the plaster powder. It’s not magic — it’s science.
Build and play:
Mega Construx American Girl McKenna’s Gymnastics Competition Mattel, $29.99. Age 8 and older. McKenna and her friend Toulane are going for the gold in gymnastics. Whether on the balance beam or uneven bars, they’re confident that they’ll be on the winners’ podium when it’s over. But just in case, there’s a cast and crutches among the 302 pieces in this set. Will the girls have gold medals and flower bouquets when the event is over? You’re the judge.
Pharaoh’s Pyramid Playmobil, $69.99. Age 6 and older. It took thousands of workers 10- plus years to build the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. But they didn’t have Playmobil’s easy- to- assemble design. The mummy looks harmless, but watch out for tricky traps and puzzles, skeletons and spiders. As with all build sets, the small pieces are choking hazards, so be sure to keep them away from any King Tots in the house.