It's the most wonderful time of the year. In the toy business, it's the time when we get to see which lines live up to the hype and go on to become best-sellers.
But with 2013 now not too far away, you might be looking foward to what next big toy trends could be.
At this year’s Toy Fair, there was a lot of excitement surrounding tech toys and 'appcessories'.
The kids tablet sector grew, with Android-based additions aimed at older kids joining the market, while app toys were also all the rage - but so far retailers and consumers seem to be coy on the category.
I've been keeping an eye out for the 'next big thing', but after visiting previews and polling some industry friends, I’m still none-the-wiser as to what it could be.
However, it is a safe bet to assume that the tech and app toy theme will be resumed and will continue to develop in 2013 and Nuremberg has already committed to a 'Toys 3.0' theme.
One thing is clear though, when you consider that kids tablets took inspiration from Apple’s iPad, we need to look to the world of tech if we want to have an idea of what to expect.
Our sister publication Mobile Entertainment wrote that by 2014, smart glasses – such as Google’s Project Glass – and other ‘wearable tech’ could be worth 1.5 billion by 2014.
Children will always want to emulate mum and dad and if wearable tech does take off in the world of grown-ups, I can imagine kids’ versions which could make just as big an impact as the LeapPad has, both in terms of sales and media coverage.
Actually, there’s already some examples of kids wearable tech on the market.
Jakks Pacific’s splendid SpyNet range includes Stealth Video Glasses – James Bond style specs which can capture video and photos (perfect for gathering intelligence on dodgy neighbours in covert fashion).
While these shades are a far cry from Project Glass, it's proof that its possible to produce fun, wearable tech for kids at a sensible price point. And I’d be surprised if there wasn’t a toy company somewhere working on more advanced examples.
Apart from wearable tech, something else which has caught my eye is the Leap Motion control system which lets users take control of computers by waving their fingers through the air, like magic.
Billed as being ‘100 times better’ than Microsoft’s Kinect motion controller, it also comes at a fraction of the cost, and is available to pre-order now for $70. You can bet that a plethora of software is in development.
It's also essential to note that the Leap Motion control system is an input device that can work with anything, not just TV sets. So there's no reason why this type of Minority Report tech can't permeate the world of toys too.
There's also been rumours of 'Project 1B' which is apparently set to become the next best-selling toy.
One thing is for sure – the world of digital and physical toys will become even more closely aligned in the years to come.
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