by Lori Cunningham

ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association) is a specialty toy association whose members include specialty toy shops around the US.  Think of mom and pop toy shops and those fun toystores you see that often have unique toys like wooden puzzles and playsets in the mall.

Every year they have a showcase (tradeshow) for their members to see what the latest and current toys are.  This is a much smaller version than the Toy Fair in NYC each year and ASTRA prides itself on showcasing toys that run on imagination rather than on batteries.

This year, the ASTRA showcase was near my town in Anaheim, CA, so I decided to attend along with Shellie Driscoll, one of our contributing writers for the WellConnectedMom.com.

We had a good time playing with the toys and learning about new games.  There were so many fun and educational toys, it was hard to pick our favorite ones.  But we couldn’t let our readers down, so this article highlights my top 5 toys and Part II highlights Shellie’s top 5 toys.

Top Picks:

Sidekix

This company didn’t have a booth at the show but I happened to have lunch with two women entrepreners who told me about their new product called the Sidekix.  Sidekix comes wrapped up in a soft ball with a clip featuring different colors.  Opening the ball up reveals a cute little character, either a duck, dragon, dog, panda, or zebra.  These cute little stuffed animals have magnetic paws to stick on refrigerators or lockers as well as a zipper on their stomach to hide treasures or change.  Retailing for $9.99 when they debut in July, the Sidekix are sure to be a hit with kids.  I know my 8 year old daughter and 5 year old son would love them.

Blunders

As frequent readers know, I like to dabble in manners and etiquette at times, especially when it comes to teens and cellphones.  When I saw the game Blunders at the show, I knew I had to learn more.  Created by Aimee Smington, an etiquette consultant, Blunders aims to make learning manners more fun for kids.

The game entails moving your people marker along the board as you answer etiquette questions.  Answer them right and you’ll move ahead.  To answer the questions, a player draws a card and reads a scenario similar to this (though I greatly abbreviated it):

Sally receives a present she doesn’t like….  What should Sally do?  A, B, C, or D?

What I like about the game is that the child is judging other people’s actions, not necessarily their own.  Who doesn’t prefer to judge others rather than be judged?  There are over 300 scenarios presented in the game.  Topics included are table manners, host and guest skills, confident introductions, respect and kindness, telephone manners, school etiquette, and honesty and responsibility.

I love the fact that we as a family can go over these scenarios in a fun manner rather than in real life when the child is on the spot.  Playing this game will bypass future embarrassment for the child…and the parent!  Blunders sells for $24.95.

EzyRoller

The EzyRoller is cart looking contraption in which you seat yourself low to the ground, holding on to the handlebars next your hips.  However, all motion and steering is engineered by your legs and feet.  Pushing your legs back and forth move the EzyRoller forward.  We met with Denis Allais, the founder and creator of the EzyRoller.  He invited us to take a spin on the EzyRoller.  So Shellie and I obliged him and had a little fun with these carts on the showroom floor:

I have to admit, it was quite fun tooling around the floor with the EzyRoller.   Shellie and I could see how kids would have a lot of fun with the EzyRoller.  The EzyRoller sells for $99 and comes with an extension so adults could ride it too if they want to.

Perplexus

At first glance, the Perplexus ball looks like a fun colorful ball for a baby.  With a closer look you can see a tiny metal ball and a maze of tracks going every which way.  However, looks can be deceiving.  In order to keep the ball on the track, you need to turn the Perplexus around in various directions, as it is a 3D multi-dimensional maze.  Although this ball may entertain a baby or toddler, it’s more fun for kids and adults.  There are even more complex Perplexus balls for adults with more twists and turns in store.  I enjoyed the brief time I had playing with it in the booth.  Perplexus balls range in price from $17.99 for the most basic up to $39 for a more advanced one coming out this Fall.

Here We Go!

These book and toy sets tugged at my heart because they aim to foster the bond between grandparents and their grandchildren.  The Here We Go! book is a clever and brilliantly illustrated story of how Grammie and Papa set off for a trip around the world but they had a hole in their plane and by the time they arrived home, all of their treasures had disappeared.  Grammie and Papa take their grandchildren for a journey of a lifetime as they go back around the world hunting for their lost treasures.  The book is very endearing and along with its accompanying games and stuffed animals (sold separately), it engages generations to bond and work together.  The book retails for $18.95.  The music CD, stuffed animals, and games range from $12 to$54.99  and are closely related to the story to add an extra element of fun and gameplay to the book.

There were a lot of fun toys and games at the ASTRA Showcase.  Remember there’s more we want to share!  Be sure to read Shellie Driscoll’s top 5 toys from ASTRA Part II.

Still looking for more fun ideas?  Be sure to check out our Top 5 Favorite Toys from the the New York Toy Fair, Part I and Part II.  Great new products are showcased in these articles.