Since the 1940's, Mattel has been a favorite mainstay when it comes to toys. Whether iconic brands such as Barbie & Hot Wheels, or newer brands such as Thomas & Friends and Mega Bloks, you're bound to have either had toys manufactured by Mattel in your own childhood, or have purchased them for your kidlets.
As
always, Mattel's 2016 holiday toy lineup will rock many a child's world!
Here are my faves from this year's list:
Hot
Wheels is always a popular choice, and this year is no different. The Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash Track Set is
a great way to get your willies out. With a relatively easy set up,
you can quickly get to lining up your Hot Wheels cars, pitting them
against each other to see how they handle the turns. Will they crash, or get
away by the skin on their chinny chin chins? With more than 16' of track and 4
hairpin turns, each car will practically fly around the track at a high rate of
speed, thanks to the motorized boosters. They will eventually crash at one of
the crash points. Will it be after the first hairpin turn? The third? It's
anyone's guess! This set is quite big and will take up a good chunk of
space. It's about 2-3 feet wide on all sides, so you'd best be prepared to
place this on the dinner table, or on the floor. Personally, I prefer the floor
as the cars will sometimes come flying off of the track and if you've got
hardwood floors, it may dent them. While the size may be a disadvantage to
some, it's a plus to others. You'd easily have enough space for at least 4 kids
to play with this at one time. This track set does include 1 Hot Wheels vehicle
to get you going. It can accommodate most other dinky cars out of your child's
current line-up, so long as they aren't too heavy or too wide to fit the track.
There are also several parking spaces built into this set, which helps keep
their other cars organized and out of the way. This Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash track set is
geared for kids 5+. Like the Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage last
year, I'm sure this will be on many a child's Christmas list this year.
Speaking of Christmas, be sure to pick yourself up 4 D batteries, which are
required for this set. Unfortunately they are not included, and you wouldn’t
want to be without them on Christmas morning. The Hot Wheels Criss Cross
Crash track set retails for about $43.99USD/$49.99CAN.
The Thomas & Friends Trackmaster Sky
High Bridge Jump is a unique action packed train set featuring
Thomas pulling the biggest stunt of his life. Based on scenes from the
Thomas DVD entitled The Great Race, Thomas races around the track
& gets transported up the mountain by way of Harold the helicopter. He
then makes a daring jump to the other side of the bridge at full speed! This
death defying stunt is sure to impress the youngsters in your life. And maybe
even an adult or two. Equally impressive is the size of this toy. It's huge!
With dimensions of 36" tall, 105" long, and 28" wide, you will
definitely need a lot of space to set this one up. If space is an issue, there
are a ton of other Thomas Trackmaster Track Sets available to better suit your
needs. This set comes with Thomas, Harold, and the track set, which includes
the ramp and the bridge jump. While it does require 2 AAA batteries, it should
be noted that they are not included in this set either. The Thomas &
Friends Trackmaster Sky High Bridge Jump is geared to those 3-6 years of age,
and retails for $99USD/$109CAN.
Move
over Super Man & Batman, the DC Super Hero Girls are
taking over! DC has just come out with Super Hero Girls' dolls which give
girls (and boys) a rockin' strong female lead. These Super Hero Girls
are 12" tall and articulate into various poses, allowing for creativity
and re-enactment of favorite or original scenes. In addition to articulating,
they can stand up alone. I also appreciate the fact that they are dressed a bit
more conservatively than some other dolls on the market. Not only do they
come with fabulous outfits, they also come with some pretty rad accessories.
Wonder Woman, as an example, comes with her Lasso of Truth, her wrists
cuffs, as well as, her iconic golden tiara. For parents who grew up with
the original Wonder Woman, one has to ask: Are you buying for you? Or for
your child? The DC Super Hero Girls come
in 6 characters: Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Supergirl, Bumblebee, Harley Quinn
& Poison Ivy. These powerful 12" ladies are geared to those
6+, and retail for about $19.98USD/$24.95CAN. They also have a smaller
6" version which retails for $9.84USD/$13.99CAN, if you are on a budget
this holiday season.
Board
games are always a hit at Christmas and birthdays, and family game night is
something that we try to incorporate as often as we can. This year,
we tried out the Bounce Off game.
Bounce Off is for 2-4 players, and is geared
for those 7 years and up. The concept of the game is to re-create the shape
that is depicted on one of the challenge cards, by bouncing balls into the
grid. When you successfully complete a pattern, you take
that card. The first person/team to earn 3 cards wins the game.
This game is perfect for school aged kids, tweens, older siblings and
their parents. My oldest was dying to get his hands on this game this year, and
my youngest, who is 3, does his best to keep up, and loves trying to
bounce the balls whether he gets them in or not. Bounce Off comes in two formats - the
original game, as well as, Bounce Off Rock 'N Rollz.
Rock 'N Rollz has a tray that rocks back and forth based on where the
weight of the balls land, instead of sitting flat on the table like the regular
version. Both Bounce Off versions retails for about $19.99USD/$24.99CAN.
In
addition to these previously mentioned items, they also have other great
toys in this year's lineup!
From the updated Barbie Dream House that
incorporates smart phone technology, to the interactive Fisher Price Dance & Move
BeatBowWow, these are sure to make your child's creativity and imagination
shine. And last but not least that’s definitely worth a mention, is the Gas
Out game! See who gets gassed out first by Guster the Gas Cloud’s
farts. Kids will be howling over this one for sure!
All
of these items are available at mass retailers. For more information on
any of these products, please visit Mattel.com.
***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****
