I know, I apologise. I appreciate that Christmas has literally only just passed, and that talking about MORE toys seems like an almost vulgar concept – however, birthdays happen all year long, and with some of the first 2018 birthdays having passed us by already, I thought now would be as timely a post as ever to update you on which toys are likely to be at the top of your wishlists this year – the must have toys for 2018 – and which ones are sticking around from 2017. If you haven’t heard of some of these yet, trust me, you soon will!!!
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Much to Erin’s satisfaction, the demand for collectibles is as strong as ever, and this trend is set to continue into 2018, with some of the old favourites still taking centre stage. Hatchimals CollEGGtibles are still set to be extremely popular with little ones this year, with new ranges such as the Hatchimals CollEGGtibles Hatchery Nursery playset, and Hatchimals CollEGGtibles season 2 launching soon – with a whole new range of characters for little ones to try and collect. As usual, there will be a mixture of popular and super rare -and I love the idea that children can start trading them on the playground just like I used to when I was a girl!
Spinmaster have also just launched their new ‘gross’ toilet humour collectible Flush Force – we will be reviewing that soon so watch this space – With kids loving all things disgusting, proven by the popularity of games like Goey Louis, we fully expect this to be in the list of must have toys for 2018! 🙂
Talking of Hatchimals – the full sized Hatchimals aren’t likely to be off the scene anytime soon either! 2017 saw the introduction of Hatchimals Glittering Garden (see our Hatchimals Glittering Garden review here), which unlike the traditional Hatchimal featured a glittering egg. Just before Christmas, the concept of Twins was introduced with Hatchimals Surprise – what else can they possibly create you might ask? Watch this space!!! 2018 sees the arrival of Hatchimals Fabula Forest – and the addition of new characters Tigrette and Pufattoo! Having seen the map of characters from the Hatchimals CollEGGtibles, it wouldn’t surprise me if we see lots new full size characters in Hatchimals over the months and years to come.
The good news is, Hatchimals are now regularly on offer, helping reduce the price tag from the RRP which can be a little eye watering at times – Jan 18 – Hatchimals Surprise are currently almost half price at The Entertainer.
Tamagotchi are also set to be some of the must have toys for 2018 – yes you read that right. It may have been over 20 years since we held one in our hands and rolled out some tears when our beloved Tamagotchi finally came to an abrupt end and turned into a ghost on our screen when we couldn’t feed him during our PE or RE lessons. Thankfully, Tamagotchi’s have changed a little since the 90’s, although the original concept is still the same. These small pocket sized pets need to be nurtured and loved in order to grow and survive. Be aware though – for adults wishing to relive their youth, there are some features which are not the same in the modern Tamagotchi, and it is much smaller than the original.
Smooshy Mushy collectibles – Smooshy what nows? – If you watch Milkshake TV in the mornings you cannot have failed to miss these – these adorable collectible craze toys! These squishy, squashy and super scented pets each come in their very own bottle – from a ketchup bottle to a strawberry milkshake. Each Smooshy Mushy comes with their very own ‘Bestie’ which can be turned into a keyring using the keychain provided. There are 8 of the original Smooshy Mushy Surprise toys in the range, with other Smooshy Mushy products being released by the day. The tactile nature of these Smooshy Mushy’s makes them particularly popular with SEND children, as they will enjoy squashing them down and watching them slowly rise back up.
LOL Surprise Pets – First we had LOL Surprise Dolls, then LOL Surprise Sisters, and now LOL Surprise Pets. Many people struggled to get hold of these before Christmas, and as such, they are still sold out in many stores, with some taking pre orders and limiting to 3 per customer. These collectible LOL pets include rabbits, hamsters, kittys and puppies, and have over 7 surprises in each ball – with an full litter tray where children can scoop and dig for their final accessory. See our full review here.
Film and TV can also have a huge influence on what will be must have toys for 2018. With some big movie releases this year including the next sequel to Jurassic Park (yes!) and James Cordon voicing Peter Rabbit, I am also expecting lots of dinosaur and rabbit toys to make an appearance in the months to come. I am also expecting the Vamperina range at The Disney Store and the new Rusty Rivets to be popular with little ones.
Paw Patrol remains as popular as ever, from the Air Patroller, to the Lookout Tower (which was sold out everywhere at Christmas!) the trend is set to continue. With new episodes hitting our screens this year, there is a new range of Mission Paw toys from Spinmaster – including the latest must have centrepiece – the Mission Cruiser featuring Robo Dog! At £44.99 he is a little more friendly on the pocket than some of the previous present requests!
I will be keeping a close eye on the fall out from the Toy Fair later this month, and will keep you in the loop of the toys to be on the look out for! As always, I will continue to share our reviews of them as we get to test them out!
Happy shopping!
Lucy x
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