WATCH ABOVE: The Canadian Toy association tested more than 102 of their toys using the best judges of play value: kids. Peter Kim reports.
In the age of tablets and WiFi, wooden blocks and Barbies no longer seem to cut it. This year’s selection of hot summer toys included app-based coloring tools and smartphone-controlled vehicles.
Kids tested more than 102 toys curated by the Canadian Toy Association.
“Using kids as testers is the best thing in the world. They’re the end user, basically they look at it and say, ‘this is really hard to make, or this is easy to make, or this is a good product,'” said Mike Wiesel, founder of Kiss Naturals, one of the companies marketing their products at the event Thursday afternoon.
“I would say technology plays a big role in how toys have evolved,” said Laura Wiese, spokesperson for the Canadian Toy Association.
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“When there are big movie properties like Frozen or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, that drives a lot of the fun stuff that kids are looking at as well.”
Linda Stortz of Stortz Toys was showcasing a silicone-based putty targeting kids who enjoy a tactile experience.
“It’s really smooth, never slimy. All the colorants are safe and they exceed U.S. and Canadian safety standards,” she said.
Pillow Wars is meant to amplify the fun of pillow fights through sound.
“The idea is that you get to hit people in a safe and fun way and you don’t get hurt and you make sound effects,” said Gene Khasminsky, co-founder of Worx Toys.
Along with brands, parents and relatives also used the testing event to conduct their own research.
“[My daughter is] gravitating more toward the crafty type toys, so she’s liking to color and build things, and make things. It looks like Christmas is going to be interesting,” said parent Robert Hatvani.
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