Prima Top Toys for the Festive Season 2017, was launched to the media last week.  When I received the invitation to the event and after seeing the feedback from last year’s event,  I knew it was something not to be missed. I was honoured to have been part of the launch and of course to be associated with the Prima Toy Brand…I mean, who wouldn’t be?

With Christmas around the corner, yes I know it’s July – but these toys are already in demand and it’s best you add them to your shopping list if you don’t want to disappoint your little ones at Christmas. Trust me when I say there is something for everyone, from toddlers to young boys and girls, not forgetting games for adults to enjoy too.  It’s amazing how toys can excite even adults – well, certainly myself for sure!

There were Guest Speakers at the event, one of them being Warren Murray, from MamaMagic, who spoke about #EqualParenting.  I thought that  this was such a coincidence! The day before, I asked my husband to do a Guest Post and the topic he incidentally wrote about was #EqualParenting: click here to read more. I loved Warren’s message as so much of what he spoke about, resonated with me.  I’d love for you to read more about it at SA Mom Blogs.

Dr Shireen Thomas-Stark, the other Guest Speaker,  is a counselling pychologist (Centre for Therapeutic Excellence) She builds rapport through her captivating voice.  There are some people that you just “want” to listen to – she is one of them. She enlightened us on the different types of toys:

• Fantasy Toys
• Problem Solving Toys
• Creative Toys
• Educational Toys

“Parents don’t spend money on toys…they invest in toys” Dr. Shrireen Thomas-Stark

Here are some of the Prima Top Toys range which stood out for me that you may expect this festive season:

PRIMA TOP TOYS FOR GIRLS:

Shopkins Happy Places:

Turn any space into a happy place with the Shopkins Happy Places range. Everything in Happy Places is Petkins miniature cute and is centred on tiny furniture and home accessories. The dolls that come with the Happy Places sets are called Lil’ Shoppies, and they are the new cute kids on the block in Happyville. The largest set in the Happy Places range is the Happy Home set that includes several Puppy Parlour Petkins and a Lil’ Shoppie. Other playsets include Kitty Kitchen, Dreamy Bear, Bathing Bunny, Slumber Bear Party, Bunny Laundry, Mousy Hangout, and plenty more. There is so much more to collect for the Shopkins fan. All sets include their own miniature Petkins and other accessories to go with whichever Happy Place you choose. Doll house play just got better because interior décor has never been cuter.

Little Live Pets Surprise Chicks:

It looks like a chick, sounds like a chick, hops like a chick and even hatches like a chick. Is it a chick? The Little Live Pets Surprise Chicks have arrived. There are five Chicks to collect: Patty the Party Chick, Blossy the Daisy Chick, Tilly the Dancing Chick, Beaky the Rainbow Chick and Henny Penny the Sunny Chick. Are you ready to be surprised? You won’t know which Chick you’ve got till they hatch. The fun doesn’t end with the first hatch though; your Chick can hatch over and over again for endless fun. Fancy some sweet Chick chirping? Simply pet your Chick, the more you pet it the more it will chirp.

 

Elena of Avalor:

The Disney Elena of Avalor range of toys includes dolls and accessories, perfect for lots of fun roleplay. Princess Elena is a bold, confident and kind teenage girl, who saved the enchanted kingdom of Avalor from an evil sorceress. With the help of family, friends and her magical flying creatures, she must now rule the kingdom as Crown Princess, until she is old enough to be Queen. Let your children role play with their friends and help Elena fight the evil in Avalor using her special sceptre of light superpowers.

 

L.O.L Surprise Tots Ball:

There are layers of surprise to discover inside this surprise ball. First you get a secret message, then collectable stickers, a feeding bottle, doll shoes, an outfit, an accessory and then a fantastic doll. Have you ever gotten this much from a single surprise ball? There are forty-five dolls to collect each with their unique accessories. Dip your doll in water to see if you’re lucky enough to score an extra surprise! I just can’t get over how cute this dolls are! They’re funky, cute, trendy, sweet – a whole lot of attitude packed up so gorgeously! I’m sure there are many adults who won’t hesitate to keep them on their desks or even in their cars!

Baby Love:

Prima Toys’ very own local doll range was created specifically for South African children. Each doll features a number of exciting elements and also speaks 50 phrases in a local language. Baba Tasha speaks Afrikaans and says phrases like, “Ek is honger” and “Ek is lief vir jou” and many more. Baby Bella is English speaking and also has 50 phrases that she would love to share with your child. Our newest doll in this range is Baby Thando; she speaks both Zulu and English. She says 25 phrases like “Sawubona Mama” and “Ngilambile” in Zulu and 25 other phrases in English. The little ones will love playing with these dolls while learning how to speak their home languages too. A wonderful toy that is both interactive and educational while loads of fun at the same time!

     

DC Superhero Girls:

Finally! Superhero’s for girls!  Did you know that nine out of ten girls wish there were more Super Heroes for girls? For the super girl with some serious girl power, round up your friends and make each one dress up as their favourite super hero girl making your own DC Girl group and put Superman to shame. The range consists of role play products and dress up.

 

PRIMA TOP TOYS FOR BOYS:

Ben 10:

A superhero with special powers, Ben 10 is predicted to be a huge hit this season! Yes, he is back and you guessed right, he is still 10!   Benjamin Tennyson is not your average 10-year-old boy. He also moonlights as Ben 10, a superhero with special powers that he discovered from a young age when his signature Omnitrix device miraculously attached itself to his wrist. Now all Ben 10 fans can recreate their own scenarios with a range of brand new Ben 10 toys and products. Brand new action figures are available in various sizes, each with their own special movement capabilities. There is also a range of exciting playsets including the Rustbucket Deluxe Playset and the Ben 10 Transform & Battle Set, which features a favourite alien along with a gauntlet mask to match. The range also includes wearable accessories that will take roleplay to a whole new level of fun!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Power Rangers Ninja Steel

This new Power Rangers product range is based on the brand new TV series coming to Cartoon Network this Spring. Collect your action figurines and accessories and assemble your very own bad guy fighting team. Items include a range of 12cm and 13cm basic and deluxe figures, the Ninja Steel deluxe battle gear, Steel Mega Morph vehicles and plenty more.

Bburago

The Bburago range offers the perfect options for the budding race car driver. From the 1/18 Streetfire Cycle with Dispenser to the Bburago 1/43 Ferrari Car model, the range has many car models to choose from. Other accessories in this range include the Go Gears stunt jump playset which includes a pull back and go car with a high torque motor.

Stretch

Imagine a toy that can stretch up to 5 times its original size. Now you can turn imagination into reality with the Stretch range of toys that include Stretch Armstrong, Dog, Octopus and Justice League Characters. The items will bounce right back to their original size and shape after stretching. How’s that for a stretch of the imagination!

 

Top Products for Tech Fans

Fingerlings Baby Monkeys:

These guys will hang on to your fingers and tell you how they are feeling in 50 different ways. Listen to them making near real monkey sounds and watch them blink their eyes and turn their heads. Their hands and feet have a grip surface to hang upside down just like real monkeys.

Teksta Micro Pets:

Fancy your own miniature robot pet? The life-like robotic pets are sensitive to your touch and sound. They are available in four character options: Dino, Kitty, Racoon and Puppy. Watch as they entertain you and your friends by walking in different directions and expressing different emotions with expressive light-up eyes.

Rocket Singing Machine:

Budding Rockstars can showcase their rock star qualities with the Rocket Singing Machine. Now you can sing in style to all your favourite tunes with the Rocket Singing Machine. It is completely wireless; Bluetooth enabled, and works as a speaker too. Simply switch on your Bluetooth and play all your favourite songs from YouTube, your music library or any other music app that you have. Or you can switch to karaoke mode and sing your heart out! Did I mention that I love this too!

Top Toddler Toys

Leapfrog’s Sing and Snuggle Scout and Violet:

Like other toys in the Leapfrog range, the new Sing and Snuggle helps you to prepare your child for a lifetime of learning. The cute puppies are available in Violet and Scout options for both girls and boys. Simply program what you would like the puppy to teach your child by using your Smart device and your child can interact with the puppy. The puppy will also sing and go through routines with your child. It’s an absolutely amazing educational toy for your little one.

Other brand new products from Leapfrog include the 2 in 1 Leaptop Touch, a pretend laptop that magically transforms into a touch screen tablet. Ten different modes of play allow your toddler to explore the alphabet and animals or play games to learn fun facts. It introduces: letters, numbers, early vocabulary and animals.

Stack & Tumble Elephant brings lots of fun for the little ones. There are five rings with different colours and textures to stack on the elephant’s trunk. Each time you stack a ring, the elephant makes a silly sound and says the cutest phrases while also introducing your little one to colours, numbers and shapes. When you press the button on the elephant’s trunk, he will start to sing a few playful songs for your toddler to enjoy. When you press his tail, the elephant will start to count, talk, and sneeze and let the rings tumble off his trunk.

Spin & Sing Alphabet Zoo offers an exciting and engaging way for your toddler to learn the alphabet. Simply spin the interactive toy and start learning about all the letters in the alphabet and different animal names and sounds while you sing along to all the fun songs.

Little Tikes has just launched the Movin’ Lights range, the only wild animal inspired infant toys designed to use light to encourage your baby to walk, crawl and dance. The range is available in three character options including Catchin’ Lights Tiger who helps your baby develop balance and coordination skills; Movin’ Lights Monkey encourages the development of gross motor skills in your baby and Wobblin’ Lights Panda will inspire baby to move and become more attuned to their sensory skills.

Other fantastic products from Little Tikes include the 3 in 1 Activity walker and table set that also uses light to encourage movement in your toddler. The walker is great for floor play and also converts into a standing activity table with lots of fun little buttons to keep baby engaged and learning for hours.

The new Little Tikes vehicle range for the aspiring race car drivers includes the Touch n Go Racers that just go as soon as you touch the marked areas on the vehicles. Simply press the car hooter and listen to all the different sounds the cars make.
Dirt Diggers range is fantastic for improving your child’s hand/eye coordination and fine motor skills. The big car carriers are also a great option that offers lots of fun and come with two toy cars to boot. The big car carrier is great for indoor and outdoor play. The flip down ramp on the truck allows children to load and unload cars on the truck for hours of fun.

 

Peppa Pig is another popular option for the little ones. The new product range includes the 23CM Peppa Pig ball, the Peppa Pig 2 figure Pack, the Collectable Pack, Peppa Pig Home and Garden Playhouse and many more.

Games

There are many adult friendly games too that would make ideal Festive Season gifts such as the much loved, 40 year old Rubiks line of toys. The new range from Rubiks includes Rubik’s Build IT solve IT that comes with all the necessary parts to build your own cube (you can finally solve this 40 year mystery); Rubik’s Race a two player game to get your fingers and brain working- the aim is to be the first player to make the 3×3 centre match pattern and the Rubik’s Tower– the new twist on the original cube. By twist, I mean even harder than the original cube.

 

20 Questions is a classic for the whole family. Test your knowledge of people, places, things and important dates and enjoy seeing everyone racking their brain trying to figure out the correct answers.

Anti-Monopoloy Game

A fresh twist on the classic game of real estate

 

 

 

Well, there, you have it –  a little help with your Christmas shopping list. You can thank me later 😉

Available at all toy stores and retailers countrywide. For more information, visit www.primatoys.co.za or go to www.Facebook.com/Primatoys