This article was originally published on Fatherly by Dave Baldwin.
If ever there was a place that showcased just how much market share Santa Claus has ceded to the Toy Industrial Complex, it’s the annual Toy Fair in New York City. Held for 4 days every February, it draws thousands of toy makers from across the globe eager to unveil pretty much every new toy and game on the planet. Or, at least, a couple hundred thousand of them. It’s insane.
Eventually, you’ll hear about many of the coolest. Probably in the toy aisle at Target. Definitely from a screaming child who doesn’t want to wait until Christmas to own one. But just to give you a little heads up before that happens, here are 10 of the top toys from this year’s show.
Pixlplay
The beauty of Pixlplay, a colorful plastic case that turns your smartphone into a kid-friendly camera, is that it solves 2 problems at once.
First, what to do with that old iPhone sitting in the desk drawer; second, how do I introduce my kids to screens without turning them into zombies? With Pixlplay, simply pop it in and send them out to become the next Ansel Adams. It’s got a working shutter button, an easy-to-hold rubber grip, and clicking focus/film advance knobs that don’t actually work but, hey, your kids don’t need to know that.
It also comes with activities and scavenger hunts designed to get them off the couch and out learning about photography.
(Pre-order for June)