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Spring Outdoor Play

Adrienne Appell, from the Toy Industry Association, spotlights playthings to engage and physically entertain kids in the spring.

The Toy Industry Association (TIA), is the not-for-profit trade association for producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North America. TIA’s more than 550 toy manufacturers and importers account for approximately 85% of the annual U.S. domestic toy market.

Transcript:

Hi, I'm Adrienne Appell with Toy Industry Association, and I'm here today with a sampling of some terrific products for spring. What we love about spring is that kids all over the country, whether in California or Maine, are able to get outside and get active with some of these really fun products.

One of the biggest trends we saw this year at TIA's Toy Fair was performance play and it's a little bit different than just getting outside and getting active; it's upping the ante with some competitve play that makes it even more fun.

Starting off with Flickin' Chicken. This was a nominee for TIA's Outdoor Toy of the Year, and it's a silly game where kids get to flick their chickens at the target and whoever gets the lowest score wins. It's silly, but there is some competition involved, and kids will be running all over with their chickens.

Moving on to Dodgetag Shield Set from Diggen Active. This is a new twist on the dodgeball game we played as kids. Kids put on the vest, they have their Velco bulls-eye and balls, and they run around and they figure out who's gonna win by who gets the least balls on their target.

SkyBall Slammer glove, this is really fun, this is from Maui toys. I have my glove on, there's actually a hard surface in here, so when I hit the ball it allows it to go a lot further than it normally would. So whether you're having your friend or your dog chase after your ball, this is another competitive outdoor play game.

And junk ball, this is a take on the wiffle ball and bat, it actually gets the ball to go even further again, and this is a glow in the dark version, so it's perfect for the backyard for after barbeques or once the sun goes down.

Moving away from performance play, we have some classic toys that are good for kids of all ages. This is a really fun bubble set from Little Kids. Bubbles are great for older kids, for younger kids, we have the no-spill version, and this is just kind of an iconic spring toy.

And what would spring be like without ride-ons? This is budding graffiti artist this is the graffiti scooter from Razor. You can lift it up over here, and you can see down there, that there's actually chalk attached, so kids can map their routes, they can make designs, and the best part about it is, once it rains or you pull out the hose, it's all gone and they can start all over again.

We also have the Ybike, and this is a great ride-on for younger kids. It teaches them balance and can actually teach them how to ride a bike. We have it here in pink, it's also available in all colors, and this was also a Toy of the Year nominee in the Outdoor category.

So these are just some of the many toys that are available for spring, whether it's performance play or classic ride-ons and bubbles, there's something out there for every kid. Please check back at toyinfo.org for more trends and information throughout the year.