Gone are the days of wooden blocks, puzzles and jump ropes. Today’s tech-savvy kids are using iPads and smartphones while still in diapers, and what was once fun is now practically archaic.
At New York City’s 2016 Toy Fair—basically the CES for the kid market—companies unveiled innovations that will make children squeal and parents more than a little envious. Whether you’re young or just young at heart, these new techy enhancements to classic toys are hard to resist.
Tesla Model S
Elon Musk’s Tesla just got a mini-me perfect for tots. Radio Flyer, the brand famous for creating the well-known little red wagons and tricycles for generations of children, partnered with the luxury auto company to create tiny Tesla Model S cars for kids ages three to eight. With working headlights, a trunk in the front of the car, and the ability to reach up to six miles per hour, the one-seater comes remarkably close to the real thing.
Release: May 2016
Price: $500
ThingMaker 3D
ThingMaker 3D
Why buy games when you can make your own? ThingMaker allows children to exercise their creativity while customizing the toys of their dreams. In conjunction with a kid-friendly 3D printing application called ThingMaker Design, little ones can build just about anything they can imagine, from dolls to dinosaurs.
Release: Fall 2016
Price: $300
Barbie Hello Dream House
Barbie Hello Dream House
In 1959, the first-ever Barbie Dream House was just a tiny, yellow-walled apartment with simple furnishings made from cardboard. Over 50 years later, Barbie’s newest digs are impressive even by adult standards. Her updated smart mansion uses voice commands to do daily tasks like preheat the oven and operate the elevator. Plus, it syncs her appliances and other gadgets with WiFi. But the best part: using voice commands, kids can enable ‘party mode,’ making chandeliers spin, music bump and lights flash.
Release: Fall 2016
Price: $300
Barbie Hoverboard
Barbie traded in her classic pink convertible for a 21st century upgrade: a hoverboard. And unlike hoverboards built for humans, this one actually flies. Just by placing the doll on the board (which is actually a drone), children can zip her through the air with a wireless controller.
Release: Fall 2016
Price: $60
Monopoly Ultimate Banking
The real estate-themed game (that’s been played by more than four billion people) is going paperless. With the new Monopoly Ultimate Banking, kids won’t need to collect wads of the colorful cash anymore. Instead, this version swaps out paper for plastic. Players use a banking card that they swipe in an ATM to do things like buy property and pay rent.
Release: Fall 2016
Price: $25
