Today’s hottest toys are going back to the basics

By Melissa Borgerding
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Each fall, toy manufacturers, retailers, and anxious parents wait for Toy Wishesmagazine to unveil its “hot dozen” list. These are the year’s most popular and exciting new toys, certain to top a child’s holiday wish list and just as certain to fly off store shelves.

This year, however, there is something familiar about the newest and most exciting toys. Eight out of the magazine’s twelve picks aren’t so new; in fact, they are slightly updated versions of old classics.

The end of the video-game era?
While electronics like Nintendo’s muchhyped Wii system make an appearance, the “hot dozen” is dominated by old favorites like Barbie, LEGO, Monopoly, and would you believe a game of stacking cups?

The list reflects what many toy industry experts see as a growing trend: a return to the classics. Not long ago, high-tech electronics like video-games seemed like the wave of the future. Now, they may be proving just a blip on the radar.

Recent studies have linked some electronic toys to negative development patterns, including violence and childhood obesity. According to Playing for Keeps, a not-for-profit organization promoting constructive play, electronics can keep kids indoors and isolated, while classic toys like action figures and board games inspire imagination, creativity, and social interaction.

Holiday toy-buying tips
This trend towards the classics may be of particular importance to grandparents, who account for a whooping $3 billion in toy purchases. While shopping for a grandchild or young relative ought to be fun, family members who don’t live with that child every day may not know all of the latest new toys.