On a sweltering day in London I was lucky enough to attend Christmas in July. That’s right you read it properly, the words Christmas and July in the same sentence. This is a fantastic annual event where some of the biggest toy manufacturers in the country get together to show off the latest and greatest toys that will be filling our Christmas stockings come December.
The first stand to catch my attention was Thomas And Friends, as the father of two young boys much of my time with them is spent playing with these toys or watching the films. The range has expanded again this year thanks to the upcoming release of Day Of The Diesels, the new film being released on DVD 26th September as well as showing at Vue Cinemas the weekend of 17th/18th of September. Four new characters are being introduced (Belle, Flynn, Den and Dart) and each has a toy version, there is also a selection of play sets such as the Diesel Works for the Take-n-Play range (RRP £29.99). There’s also a very cool toy called Follow Me Thomas which is like a remote controlled toy for toddlers, rather than having to fiddle with joysticks to control the toy you point a light at the floor and Thomas chases the light while spouting engine sounds and phrases (RRP £44.99)
Next on my list were The Smurfs. You aren’t going to be able to avoid these little blue fellas for the rest of this year thanks to the new 3D movie released on July 29th. Available as both single figures and in packs they’ll be suitable as both a gift and a pocket money toy. Expect to find your living rooms overrun with these guys by the end of the year.
Trunki was my next port of call. These are suitcases for children which they can also ride on when their legs get tired. They come in a variety of colours (Including an awesome Gruffalo edition) and can be customized with stickers. I remember first seeing these products in John Lewis; it’s hard to believe that was 5 years ago now. To celebrate their anniversary they have released a limited edition run of 5,000 to celebrate. By the end of the year they will have sold 1,000,000 of these products and it’s a well deserved milestone – they are fun, useful, sturdy and offer great value for money.
I was also able to spend some time on the Mega Blocks stand, which turned out to be the biggest surprise of the day. I’ve always associated Mega Blocks with those big bags of large, colourful bricks for toddlers however these guys have really broadened their range with the Need For Speed. Their range of Custom Scale Packs feature interchangeable parts which you can build your own custom cars based on the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, McLaren Mp4-12C, Nissan GTR, For Mustang RTR-X and Audi R8. Very cool!
Bladez is always an eye catching stand with loads of remote control helicopters flying around. The Bladez guys are simplified the range this year to make it much easier for parents to work out which one is suitable for their kids. But the really interesting toy is their extension of the Pump & Play range – my son has received one of the trucks last year and it’s been awesome! It’s a massive inflatable strapped on top of the wheels, Jack’s version is a huge truck which he can whizz around and crash into things without any fear of damage. Bladez have extended the range this year to include an F1 car, a pig and a puppy which means the range can now appeal to girls as well as boys.
That’s just a few of the things I was lucky enough to see, there is a lot more on the video below. It was a shame that Lego weren’t there, also there wasn’t a Transformer, Moshi Monster or Octonaut to be seen all of which will be major contenders for this years most popular toy.
I know it’s the middle of the Summer and the last thing you are thinking about is Christmas, but it’s time to start buying those presents. If you know what the kids are going to want then there is no harm in starting to collect now. You’ll be able to spread the cost out plus you’ll be able to get your hands on those items that are going to be most in demand come November.
Anyway I’m off for a Mince Pie and a glass of sherry.
