The Hottest Toys of the Season 2018

If I’m being honest, we don’t really do “the hottest toys of the season“. I’m sure my kids would love each one of these, but I don’t understand the fad. If I’m spending $30-$70 on one single toy, that toy better hold my kids’ interest longer than 20 minutes. So, it’s safe to say that under our Christmas tree this year will be toys or gifts that I know my kids will use for the long term. 

We recently had the opportunity to hang out with Chelsey Hernandez of ABC13. Have you seen her awesome segments or follow her on social media? She does a GREAT job of reaching out to mommas like you and me to find the best deals and the best options for kids. She always posts great sales around town and makes sure that we are all getting a great bang for our bucks. My kids LOVE her and want to watch her on TV every morning. If you haven’t checked her out, do so now! For this segment, she brought 3 of the purported “hottest toys of the season” for my kiddos and a couple of their friends to play with. These are the toys she brought ::

Fingerling Hugs Plush Monkey

Both of my girls LOVE this toy. They love throwing it around and cuddling it. They have a unicorn fingerling and really like playing with it, but they have fought over the plush monkey toy since Chelsey brought it over. Elizabeth has slept with it and this is a toy I can see hanging around for a bit. Elizabeth LOVES stuffed animals, so is this a toy I would have bought for her? Yes, probably. 

Pomsies Plush Toy

This cute little kitty-cat face with a tail toy is another one my kiddos like. It purrs and vibrates. It’s fun to cuddle with and the eyes light up when you press its nose. It makes little happy noises when you press the nose also. I’ll be honest though :: it’s not a favorite around here and I can’t see it lasting long around here. I see it in the bucket in a week or so. {Do you have a bucket? The bucket that discarded toys go in? We have several. They eventually find their way to the donate pile} Would I have bought this for my girls? Probably not, but we would have let it stay if Nana or a friend bought it for them. 

Little Live Scruff-a-Love

This toy provided about 10 minutes of fun, to be honest. Kaitlyn loved washing it and brushing its hair. After that though, the interest waned. Max, the little 5 year old boy in the video, took it home to his sister and once it dried, it was actually a pretty cute little fluffy bunny. Max was very honest with Chelsey when she asked if he liked it :: “No. I do not like it.” That being said, would I buy this for them? No. It’s like a Hatchimal, in my opinion. It’s fun for a bit, but after the initial revealing, they are over it. 

To be honest, again, there’s not much from this list that my kids will get from Santa this year. There are some very weird toys out there, like a pimple popping game or a pull-stuff-outta-a-nose game {I don’t know why they made those either}. Here are a few of the “popular toys” that I am looking at for my kiddos :: 

Polly Pocket

Are you kidding?? The nostalgia alone warrants this purchase!! I loved playing with Polly Pocket growing up and I can’t wait to share this fun with my girls. My Kaitlyn loves playing with small playhouses, so I know that she will take to it. I saw a few of the new designs they have released in a store and love the interactive designs they have. 

 

furReal Munchin’ Rex Dinosaur 

I will probably loose all of my credibility here, but there is something intriguing about this dinosaur. He’s cute and kind of annoying {just from the grocery cart ride we took together around the store}, but I bought him for my nephew and I cannot wait to {watch him} play with it. This dinosaur responds with 35+ sound and motion combinations. He “eats” the treats and bottle that comes with him and interacts with the child. This is definitely a toy that Max would have loved to play with on the ABC 13 segment. 

Shark Bite Game

My kids saw this game on a commercial and immediately jumped up and down asking for it. I usually oblige a few board games that inspire family-togetherness and this is one that I was definitely okay with putting in my shopping cart! It reminds me of the Let’s Go Fishing game I grew up playing. We also love Pop the Pig for family time. 

 


Most of these toys I have listed are under $30. I say that because it’s important for me, when I’m buying toys for Christmas or birthday gifts, that they give the child more than 20 minutes of playtime. The amount of money has to be worth it for the toy. If I’m spending $15-$20 on a toy, I’m more okay with it going in the bucket {and becoming a less favorite toy} in a week or so. If I’m spending $50 or more on a gift, that item needs to have stability {like a play kitchen, Garmin fitness tracker, or a doll house}. Also, I am totally going to get some of this Unicorn Edible Slime and this Monster Edible Slime for all of the kids to play with at our family Christmas celebrations.

Good luck Christmas shopping this season, Momma! We know how hard it can be to buy gifts for your kids; balancing the potential happiness of your kids with fiscal responsibility and finding the right gift. It sounds silly now, but my mom and I just went to seven stores finding gifts for our family {ages 8 and younger} because we just couldn’t find the right toys with the right amount of joy. The struggle is real!! Just remember that no matter what you get your kids, they will have a great season because they have you as a mom. 


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Jennifer H
Jennifer is a native outside-the-loop’er growing up and living in the Richmond/Rosenberg area. She has a Bachelors in theology and political science from Texas Lutheran University and a Masters in Liberal Arts from Texas Christian University. She and her husband Greg met in 2010 through Match.com and fell in love on their first date. They married exactly one year later and have fought lovingly and constantly since. They have two amazingly brilliant girls, Kaitlyn {June 2013} and Elizabeth {June 2015} who Jen stays home with during the day. When Jen is not curled in a little ball rocking back and forth with Peppa Pig on in the background, she can be found crafting with her Silhouette and/or binge watching The Office for the millionth time. Jen has an uncanny ability to be comfortable in almost any situation put in front of her, thanks to growing up in politics and on the debate team. Before having kids of her own, she had the opportunity to help other kids through teaching, youth ministry, and generally being a helpful, kind soul. You can check out more about Jen on IG @themommymiddle.

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