London Toy Fair 2016 Recap: Toys to Watch in 2016

February 11, 2016 Published by Anna Taylor

London Toy Fair 2016 Highlights

This week the Good Toy Guide team headed over to the London Toy Fair, one of the biggest toy events of the year and a great chance for us to check out what toys to watch in 2016!

We were also joined by some toys and brands featured in the Good Toy Guide:

Indigo Jamm

A wonderful collection of wooden toys, three of which have achieved a Recommended stamp.

Skinny Sketcher

The cool coffee-cup shaped drawing kits with step-by-step instructions to build confidence.

Mini Hornit

The funky, bright bike/scooter horn with 25 sounds (from a bell to a cockerel!) plus flashing colourful lights.

Myweeteepee

A lovely quality canvas tent, perfect for tea parties, space adventures, and everything in between.

Race to Infinity

This board game is a fun way for families to play together while encouraging reluctant learners to practise their maths skills.

There were lots of other Good Toy Guide products we spotted around the Toy Fair as well!

Toys to look out for in 2016

“I certainly noticed a lot of slow toys that had been given a modern twist.” (Dr Amanda Gummer, child development and play expert)

This year retro was definitely in – we spotted Dangermouse wandering around and the Teletubbies made an appearance too! Star Wars and Jurassic Park were big themes but we also saw merchandise for The Secret Life of Pets and Finding Dory, both due to be out this year.

There were more tech toys than ever this year including flying drones, gadgets and wireless invention kits, as well as a few newly released toys that cleverly interact with a mobile or tablet device.

However we also saw a return to slow toys (good quality and long-lasting toys that don’t require batteries and allow freedom for imaginative play) with some beautiful wooden play sets, construction toys and ride-ons being exhibited alongside the high tech offerings.

Once again there were lots of science kits, from sets for making candles and soap, to more advanced sets that let children try real science experiments safely and explore 3D molecule graphics.

We found some novel creative toys too and spotted quite a few new family games – great for refreshing play time!