Top 2007 Toy Fair Favorites

Fabulous toys for the 4-and-under set as seen at the 2007 American International Toy Fair.

By Jessica Hartshorn from American Baby

  • K's Kids "I Am the Boss"

    This big plush dinosaur, available fall 2007, has a surprise inside! Kids can lay him down, unzip his back, and he becomes a ball pit that toddlers can sit in and play in. Zip him back up and they'll have fun reaching in his "spots" to pull out the balls. It's an imaginative way to combine a child's love of hide-and-reveal toys with their love of balls, all wrapped up in a cute plush toy.

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  • WJ Fantasy Do-Re-Mi Blocks

    These nesting blocks also become a cool musical instrument, and will be available summer 2007. On the top of each block is a xylophone piece, so kids can set the blocks up in different patterns to play music, or just stack and nest the blocks. The beautiful illustrations on the sides are a bonus!

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  • Alex My Card Kit

    Here's a way to send the relatives super-cute, homemade cards from even a 2-year-old. The kit, available in stores in spring 2007, has the basic cards in fun shapes, like a birthday cake, plus a ton of crafty things your child can stick on or draw with to create an original masterpiece. Everything is in this one kit, which makes it easy for you, and it's sized for little ones, which makes it easy for your kid.

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  • Mattel Magic Castle Vanity

    Here's an unapologetically girl toy that's actually a brilliant combination of two of her favorite things: a dollhouse and a vanity! Pull down the vanity mirror to reveal a Barbie-size bedroom. Each compartment of the vanity has hidden living spaces for dolls; also hidden throughout is jewelry for the little girl, like rings perched on top of the castle spires. It plays music and has beautiful details like stained-glass windows. Mostly, it's an awesome way to combine doll play with role play in one show-stopping toy that is available fall 2007.

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  • Little Kids Bubble Whistle

    For kids there's nothing more frustrating than not being able to blow bubbles, other than maybe having your bubble liquid spill everywhere. This solves both problems. Load the whistle, which is available in stores now, with bubble liquid and it can't spill out; then blowing the whistle easily produces a stream of bubbles that even 2-year-olds can do. And yes, it also makes some noise!

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  • Fisher-Price Internet Launch Pad

    There were many products at Toy Fair designed to make the computer a safe place for a child to play, but this one, out in summer of 2007, seemed to be the most simple. There's no software or keyboard involved, and it works with preexisting Web sites. You plug the launch pad into your computer with a USB cord and it puts a lock on the computer keys so your little one can't destroy any of your files. Insert one of the characters into the launch pad and it takes your child straight to a kid-friendly Web site (for instance, if they insert Elmo, they go to sesamestreet.com game section). Kids can still use the computer mouse and arrow keys on the launch pad, so they can play Web site games. If a kid pulls the character back out, the screen freezes until a new character is put in. To return to normal computer use, a parent enters a password.

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  • Parents' Block Party

    You know how kids just love those big, foam blocks at Gymboree? Here's a way to create a baby playground in your own rec room. A Block Party set, due out in stores in summer 2007, has little foam squares for stacking and sitting on, a ramp for climbing up and sliding down, and other imaginative pieces. Then they all fit together back in a bag for easy storage. It's a great rainy-day activity!

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  • International Playthings Lift-Off Rocket

    We love this little red rocket, available in spring 2007, with a resident space alien! When you zoom it around it makes noise and lights up. When you open it, you get a little playset, including a cockpit, living quarters, and cargo hold. It comes with two astronauts, a dune buggy, a space dog, and the alien, who has an asteroid to sit on.

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