Rossen Reports: Kids give the verdict on this year's hottest toys
Jeff Rossen teams up with Hearst reporters and their children to test and review the most popular toys of the year.
Jeff Rossen teams up with Hearst reporters and their children to test and review the most popular toys of the year.
Jeff Rossen teams up with Hearst reporters and their children to test and review the most popular toys of the year.
It’s what every parent wants to know – will the toys you bought for your kids this year be a hit or a miss?
Rossen Reports is teaming up with our Hearst reporters across the country to get the reviews straight from the experts themselves – their kids.
A big thanks to KOCO’s Evan Onstot, KCCI’s Jodi Long, and WLWT’s Steven Albritton and their kids for the help!
MARVEL Spidey and His Amazing Friends Mega Jump HQ Track
Price: $49.88 / varies depending on site
Ages: 3+
Review: This toy is a 39-inch dual racetrack with an elevator, control center, web tunnels, and ramps. Jodi’s son Bishop loved this toy – and only wished it had more cars included! Jodi noted there’s some assembly required, so kids will need help from their parents putting this toy together.
TERRA by Battat Remote Control Bumper Cars Set – Tarbosaurus
Price: $30.99
Ages: 3+
Where to buy: Target
Review: This set includes two dinosaurs, two bumper cars, and two remote controls. The goal is to bump your opponent’s car, which will eject the dinosaur. Steven’s sons Reece and Jackson had a blast playing with these! You’ll need 10 AAA batteries for this toy, so make sure you pick some up.
Moose Games Pickleball Blast
Price: $14.99 / varies depending on site
Ages: 6+
Where to buy: Target, Amazon, Walmart
Review: This game brings pickleball from the court to the tabletop. Kids use paddles to flip the pickle back and forth. The goal is to knock over pickle lids on your opponent’s side. We love this game for siblings like Reece and Jackson – who had fun testing out this toy!
National Geographic Marble Run with Motorized Elevator
Price: $44.99
Ages: 8+
Where to buy: Amazon
Review: Marble Runs lets kids bring their imagination to life – building out whatever kind of track they want. Steven’s kids Austen and Grey liked how this one came with a motorized elevator, which made it even more fun to play with. Evan noted that this toy is fun for parents too! The toy requires 3 AA batteries, so make sure you pick those up.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 Instant Camera
Price: $99.99 / varies depending on site
Ages: teenagers
Where to buy: Target, Best Buy, Amazon
Review: This pick obviously isn’t a toy – but we wanted to include an option for teenagers, like Jeff’s daughter Sloane. We loved the retro feel of this instant camera, and she liked how the camera pairs with the free INSTAX UP! app, which allows you to scan your photos directly to your device for social media sharing.
Want more toys?
Looking at multiple "hot toy lists" from publications and companies, we cross-referenced and picked out the ones we saw on multiple lists. Here are more options we found:
- Ms. Rachel Speak & Sing Doll
- Kinetic Sand SquishMotion Playset
- Bluey 3-in-1 Transforming Airplane Playset
- Toniebox Audio Player Disney Set
- ZipString Luma
Have a question for Jeff Rossen? He’s answering your consumer questions every Friday in the new segment "Rossen Responds." Email your questions to him at RossenResponds@hearst.com.
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