Toy Shopping

We are always looking for ways to entertain and educate our children.  Well, here's some good news:  a whole batch of new toys are coming out this spring!  Toy testers, manufacturers and all the toy experts just got together for the American International Toy Fair.  And, they introduced all of the newest toys, games, gadgets -- you name it!
     
A big theme this spring is educational toys.  Chris Byrne is a toy expert.  He works year-round testing and evaluating toy, eventually coming up with the ones he thinks will work best with kids of all ages.  And, he says the push this time around is in technology.

"You're seeing a lot of technology.  You're seeing a lot of traditional play.  What we like to say is that technology has just made the toy box bigger.  But, a lot of things that used to be tech toys are now ap toys," explains Burns.

Chris tells us the toys are basically new versions of old favorites that work on our smart phones and other devices.  Remember when you go to buy a toy make sure it's age appropriate.  Usually that is written somewhere on the box.  Look for toys that aren't complete without the child, meaning it needs your little one's imagination and interactivity to bring it to life.  A lot of toys work with accessories so you can add on without spending a lot of money.  And, keep an eye out for toys that go along with TV shows.  We're told those are very popular this spring.  As always, make sure it fits the interest of your child.  Your neighbor's little one may love something, but, if it's not what your children enjoy it's probably not worth spending the money.

For more on the season's newest toys, click here. Happy shopping!