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Whether it’s the Barbie your little one has in mind, or the more STEM-oriented Oppenheimer doll*, the wish lists of kids around the world are shaped by the culture around them. And yes, that means Barbie is set to be a best-seller this winter — the doll and its spin-off merch have already rescued Mattel from a disappointing year. It also means STEAM-based toys will make an impact. This year, with AI changing the career outlook of young people, two-thirds of parents are thinking about how the toys they buy help build a skill set, whether STEAM-related or “even skills like cooking, sewing, baking, and cleaning,” according to the Toy Association....

In celebration of Pokémon’s 25th anniversary, we looked at how fandom of the series varies around the world. We analyzed Google search data to identify the most uniquely popular Pokémon in each country. Click here to open the map in full size As we can see, while Pikachu dominates on a global scale — accounting for roughly one in every 10 Pokémon-related searches around the world — local favorites crop up from country to country....

With their immense popularity and lovable characters, Pokémon has become a cherished phenomenon that resonates with children everywhere. The latest movie, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, was a major hit in 2019, grossing 433.2 million dollars and, last year, the most recent Pokémon video game was released on the Nintendo Switch and sold 6.5 million copies in its first week! It’s fair to say that Pokémon is as popular as ever. Young fans can now embark on a thrilling artistic journey with our series of mesmerizing Pokémon-themed coloring pages....

This ferocious furry hero can turn into an obsession, so when kids love Sonic… Sonic is all they want. Ever since they first burst onto the video game scene in the 90s, people around the globe have found jubilation navigating Sonic and friends through platform levels, collecting rings, bouncing off springboards and fighting evil bosses. But with so many different products, finding that special toy for kids can be a minefield....

This all changed with the COVID-19 pandemic when it became super popular with Twitch and YouTube streamers. It’s now available in formats from iPhone to Nintendo Switch. Each game starts in space with a team of crewmates who must perform tasks and identify which player is the Imposter. The simple design of the characters has also made the game a firm favorite with younger fans who can now buy all sorts of Among Us toys and themed items....

Meanwhile, Disney’s Cinderella Castle doesn’t contain a single brick. Despite its bricky appearance, the Magic Kingdom attraction is made of concrete and fiberglass. However, to rebuild it full-size from Lego, you would need 2,118,137,751 (2 billion) plastic bricks. That’s one thousand times as many as the real bricks used in the Anaconda Stack. And your Lego bill would be $182 million. Let’s do it. Let’s rebuild the Disney Castle, Taj Mahal, and Old Trafford with Lego bricks....

Be sure to also check out the cheapest place to buy lego around the world in our recently published study based on Google shopping data. 1. The Strokes – Is This It Released in 2001, “Is This It” was American rock band’s debut album. The LEGO version captures the simple design with a black plastic arm instead of the glove, and is aptly renamed “Is This Brick”. Source: Cristoph!/Flickr You can listen to the album here:...

Harry Potter fans come in all shapes and sizes – there is a kind of magic to the story’s universal appeal and the way it brings people together across time and space. We have compiled a list of the best Harry Potter toys for all ages, so whether the HP lover in your life is three or 33, you can find something that will bring some magic into their life!...

During the first year of their teens, 13-year-old girls turn away from their childhood selves and enter the turbulent process of growing into their identities as young adults. They begin to value their relationships outside the family more than ever and are thirsty for new experiences and challenges. However, they have a long way to go before they shed all the trappings of childhood and they still find joy in all things playful and silly....

The ARMPAL is available on Kickstarter so if you are interested in getting a version before it anyone else then please back this project now: https://bit.ly/kickstarter-armpal-thetoyzone We had A LOT OF FUN building the game and playing with it. Meet The ARMPAL: A 3D Wooden Sustainable Table Top Game At first, we assumed this would be a “normal” board game but it’s way more interesting than that. It’s actually an entire robotic system you get to build at home AND to play with....

Our verdict: Before opening up this rock tumbler I could have told you two definite things about my sons. Firstly, they love rocks and stones. It doesn’t matter where they go (park, school, shop, library…) they will return with at least one stone in their pockets. Why? Where do they come from? I have no answers to these questions. Secondly, they are not patient. Just getting them to wait long enough for me to take a photo of the box was a struggle....

Anyone with kids will hear the theme tune of the hit UK TV show, Peppa Pig. Its popularity means we just had to create a series of interesting coloring pages for the fans. We used tools to gauge the popularity of Peppa Pig episodes and chose the most interesting to commission an artist to create. All our coloring pages have a logo, so remember to visit thetoyzone.com the next time you need high-quality, free printable coloring pages....

The MLP story began over four decades ago when Bonnie Zacherle came up with the concept of a toy based on her childhood dream. Having always wanted to have a pony as a child, Bonnie, a greeting card designer at the time, offered her series of illustrations to an American toy-selling giant, Hasbro, in 1981. The rest is history. My Little Pony has undoubtedly left its significant horseshoe footprint on Generation Alpha, Gen Z, and even Millennials....

At this age, kids are all so different and unique in their own way. Some love spending time outdoors, running around and playing sports with friends. Others prefer getting lost in arts and crafts, creating amazing things and letting their imagination thrive. And then there are those kids who would like to curl up with a book and explore thrilling adventures or distant universes. Interests start to take shape, and every 9-year-old has favorite hobbies and preferences they can’t get enough of....

Rumors have been running wild for some time now about Nintendo were going to better the multi-million selling Switch and multi-colored Switch Lite. We even had a crack at some Nintendo Switch Pro designs we would love to see from the gaming giants (my favorite is our SNES Switch). The time has arrived as Nintendo release pre-orders for the new Switch OLED.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor is better known as Queen Elizabeth II, the oldest and longest-reigning British monarch. Barbara Millicent Roberts is better known as Barbie, an 11-inch doll, pilot, astronaut, doctor, Olympian, and presidential candidate. Each has dressed for their times for over six decades, without ever following the fashion crowd. And each has been held up as a (questionable) feminist icon, in their unique way: “She’s the one on our coins and banknotes,” says actress Olivia Colman of Queen Elizabeth II....

Be sure to choose the color for his floppy ears. We commissioned several Cinnamoroll coloring pages featuring famous characters and scenarios that we thought could be fun. We don’t include our logo in our free printable coloring page, so be sure to search for thetoyzone coloring pages when you next need high-grade pop culture coloring pages: 1. Cinnamoroll and Friends This fun and tricky coloring page features Hello Kitty, My Melody and other Cinnamoroll friends....

Then, the other day, I visited a friend whose son is just as obsessed with Pokémon cards and all the rest as we were more than 20 years ago. The power of Pokémon to capture the hearts of kids is phenomenal — and still going strong. Such a popular and enduring show is guaranteed to spawn a boatload of merchandise – and it has. You can buy Pokémon toys, board games, themed clothes and a waffle press....

And as baseball appeals to all ages, playing baseball on the Switch is the perfect family bonding activity and a new way to enjoy the game beyond watching tournaments and playing catch in the yard. Surprisingly, there aren’t all that many Nintendo Switch baseball games out there, but the options are incredibly varied. To choose one that’s perfect for you or your favorite baseball fan, you’ll have to learn more about them — which is where we come in....

Microscopes are cool, but only if they work. My sons had been given toy microscopes in the past and they were generally pretty useless. Toy microscopes tend to be quite cheap, come with slides for the kids to look at, and get used once or twice before gathering dust on a desk for a few months before being stashed in a cupboard (or the trash). This Swift SW200DL toy is not that kind of microscope....