The kids have headed back to school, and all the talk in the schoolyard are the hottest new toys. Toy Insider’s Chief Toy Officer Laurie Schacht stopped by WCIU’s The Jam to show off the best new toys for back-to-school. For more on the items featured in this segment, check out the product notes below, and for the complete rundown of the best toys of the spring and summer, be sure to check our complete Toy Insider Spring and Summer Gift Guide.
CRAYOLA GLITTER DOTS KEYCHAINS (CRAYOLA)
- With Crayola Glitter Dots, kids can create with glitter in a whole new way, without all the mess!
- Just squish each dot to create glitter-infused outputs.
- Each dot contains a special coating so the glitter stays in the dot and not on your hands!
- Glitter dots are easy to use and versatile for any type of craft or project – they can be used on a variety of surfaces including paper, wood, craft foam, felt and more.
- Glitter Dots Single Packs contains 42 dots each and comes in three different color palettes
- Glitter Dots Activity Kits focuses on one activity using Glitter Dots; activities include creating keychains, stickers, mosaics, and sparkly signs. Kits include 42 Glitter Dots.
- Ages: 5+
- MSRP: $4.99-19.99
- Available: crayola.com, other retailers in August
STMT D.I.Y. MONOGRAM WATER BOTTLE (HORIZON)
- Hydrate in style with the STMT D.I.Y. Monogram Water Bottle.
- Customize this double-walled glitter water bottle with gold foil stickers.
- Kids can add their name, initials, or favorite phrase. This water bottle is cute, BPA free, and convenient for everyday use.
- The kit includes a 24 oz Water Bottle and 2 foil sticker sheets.
- Ages: 14+
- MSRP: $19.99
- Available: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and Michaels
STMT D.I.Y. PLANNER SET (HORIZON)
- Always be prepared and ahead of schedule with the premium STMT Planner Set.
- Kids can customize it with fun stamps, trendy stickers, and paper clips.
- They can personalize their planner with all of their important dates, goals, and to-do lists.
- The kit includes a 4 Ring Binder, more than 70 calendar pages, holographic stickers, 4 shaped paper clips, 4 color stamp markers, 1 bold pen, 1 sticker sheet, and chipboard pieces.
- Ages: 14+
- MSRP: $19.99
- Available: Target, Amazon
- Kids can organize their daily tasks, never forget a special day, and create a list of goals with the STMT D.I.Y Agenda Set. Equipped with colorful glitter, gel pens, sticky notes and more, the agenda book will become the stylish accessory kids need to get through the day.
- They can decorate the pages with paper craft essentials that express their personal style and add sticky notes to make important notes pop.
- The kit includes 1 agenda book, 4 chipboard pieces, 1 glitter tape, 1 debossed sticker sheet, 1 sticky notes, 5 paper clips, 3 gel pens, 5 sticker sheets, and an instruction sheet.
- Ages: 14+
- MSRP: $19.99
- Available: Amazon, Blick, and Michaels
DISNEY PRINCESS STYLE COLLECTION PLAY SUITCASE (JAKKS PACIFIC)
- Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime!
- Play Suitcase features real working wheels, a retractable handle and storage for included accessories and Travel Accessories Tote (sold separately).
- Includes: a suitcase, luggage tag, pair of play sunglasses, play passport, passport holder, sticker sheet, eye mask, pair of play ear buds with holder, play lip balm with cap, play hand sanitizer with cap, map with holder and two play plane tickets.
- Ages: 3+
- MSRP: $39.99
- Available: Walmart, Target, Amazon in Fall 2019
SMARTGAMES BRAIN TRAIN (SMART GAMES & TOYS)
- SmartGames Brain Train is an enchanting game for young children…that doubles as a toy! Train your brain…and your shape sorting skills.
- Can you match the shapes as shown in the challenge and place them in the right sequence? Each level offers fewer hints to complete your train. All aboard? Make sure the wagons are connected to the engine before you depart!
- SmartGames Brain Train is a great introduction to spatial insight, planning, and problem-solving skills for kids.
- They’ll love being challenged in a fun new way while playing with their train.
- You can also try the SmartGames Customer App, a new tool that is unique to SmartGames. It’s completely free of charge and has all kinds of features that are designed to enhance the experience of people who purchase physical SmartGames’ educational toys.
- Even though this puzzle was designed to be a single-player game, you can turn it into a family affair and take turns.
- Kids love these brain games because they’re fun, yet the challenges help them utilize key cognitive skills.
- Ages: 3+
- MSRP: $29.99
- Available: Specialty retailers
ORBEEZ WOW WORLD WOWZER SURPRISE SERIES 3 (MAYA TOYS)
- Travel to the land of Polar Magic with Series 3 of Orbeez Wow World Wowzer Surprise!
- These adorable Wowzers come hidden inside an icy blue globe filled with clear Orbeez.
- Reveal your Polar Magic Wowzer by simply adding water. Watch as your Wowzer magically changes color with cold water. They’re so cute, you’ll want to collect all 20!
- Ages: 6+
- SRP: $5.99
- Availability: Amazon, Target, Walmart, Claire’s, Kmart, Walgreens
COOL MAKER GO GLAM NAIL STAMPER (SPIN MASTER)
- Cool Maker Go Glam Nail Stamper is the ultimate at-home nail kit to easily stamp and style custom manicures in minutes.
- With 5 patterns and unique nail polish colors to choose from, kids can mix and match to decorate 125 nails of any size.
- The revolutionary nail polish formula is completely non-toxic and kid-safe.
- Kids can put the OMG in DIY with their trendy, new manicure from Go Glam.
- Ages: 8+
- MSRP: $24.99
- Available: Amazon, Target, Walmart
FOODIE SURPRISE (REDWOODVENTURES)
- RedwoodVentures’ Foodie Surprise brings to life a world of magical food creations that you can discover display and of course (yum!) eat!
- Each mystery food cart has multiple sweet reveals and all the supplies needed to make the cutest treats imaginable, plus dozens of adorable collectible characters made to “hide n sneak” your creations to school!
- Foodie Surprise is an awesome food-themed collectible from Redwood Ventures! On trend with food and collectibles.
- Open the mini mystery food cart and reveal surprise ingredients and supplies to make your own EDIBLE candy! (GREAT VISUAL) Sets include mixing trays, spoons, display cases and more.
- Assemble your snacks, pack them in the super cute, themed “to go” key chain container, and take them anywhere!
- Food carts come in a variety of themes; sushi, pizza, ice cream and more!
- Ages: 6+
- MSRP: $9.99
- Available: Target, Walmart
COMPOUND KINGS FLUFFY CLOUDZ SLIME (WECOOL TOYS)
- Fluffy Cloudz is the hottest new slime to hit the toy aisle this year!
- Sure to ooze children with delight, the colorful, super-stretchy CLOUD SLIME assortment features fruit flavored scents including Berry Blast, Cococraze, Grape Squeeze, Melon Mania, Peach Paradise and Piney Party.
- Also comes with surprise charms!
- Ages: 4+
- MSRP: $9.99-$49.99
- Available: Walmart and Michael’s
