New Toys Alert:Moana 2Comes Ashore
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As the site’s resident toy expert — I’m the writer behindthe Strategist’s “Toy Store”andgifts for every age— I get an early look at the latest and greatest new toys, often before they hit store shelves. There are dozens of new releases every month, so leading into the holiday season I’ll be doing a toy-centric edition of “Don’t Dillydally.” Here are the launches I’m particularly excited about right now, including a Star Wars marble run, chapter books for the Toniebox audio player, and a spooky new edition of Exploding Kittens.
The BestMoana 2Toys
The sequel toMoanais coming out over Thanksgiving, and there are lots of tie-in dolls, dress-up toys, and play sets on the way — including anAmerican Girl Moana dollnow available for presale. Of everything that’s currently ready to ship, I am most excited about Mattel’s Moana doll that sings an excerpt from the new song “We’re Back”; a LEGO set that comes with everything you need to build Moana’s raft and a transforming island that holds the heart of Te Fiti; and a Squishmallow version of her chicken pal Heihei.
Zombie Kittens
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This new addition to the Exploding Kittens universe features a completely new deck of cards, including zombie kitten cards that let previously exploded players come back to life. But even dead players can continue playing to torment living players from the grave.
A Death Star Marble Run
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Gravitrax, maker of the intricate modular marble runs we’ve recommended for years,just released its first-ever licensed toy. The action set, which is modeled after the Battle of Yavin fromStar Wars, features a base plate shaped like the Death Star; marbles printed with the faces of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Darth Vader; and X-Wing Fighter and the TIE Fighter figures to incorporate into the track.
Wow in the WorldSTEM Toys
Wondery’s new line of STEM toys is inspired by the popular kids’ podcastWow in the Worldand created by Strategist-approved toy brand Thames and Kosmos. Each kit explores different scientific concepts like phosphorescence, geology, and physics. In the box you’ll find both printed instructions and access to step-by-step audio guides recorded by podcast hosts Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas.
Bratz xMean GirlsKaren and Gretchen Dolls
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The third and final Bratz xMean Girlscollaboration dolls — a two-pack of Gretchen and Karen — launches this week on Halloween at 11 a.m. Eastern. Each character in the collection comes packaged in a Burn Book–shaped box with their daytime outfits and sexy Halloween costumes from the movie. Compared to most of the toys I write about, these nostalgic Y2K dolls are geared more toward adult collectors than actual kids. And though I am not a doll collector, if I were to buy any of theMean GirlsBratz dolls, it would be this pair, because they are the comedic backbone of the original film. Like Regina and Cady before them, they are expected to sell out in a matter of minutes.
Fraggle Rockfilm strips
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For even more nostalgia, Little Tikes just released a set ofFraggle Rockstory books to use with the very popular Story Dream Machine — a retro-looking projector and audio player. My almost-2-year-oldson adores his Story Dream Machine, and it’s been a nice baby step toward letting him watch TV that doesn’t actually count as screen time. I love the weirdness of theFraggle Rockcharacters and can still sing most of thetheme song, so this is big news for me.
Tonies chapter books
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Lastly, a big launch for theToniebox audio playergeared toward older kids: chapter books includingCaptain Underpants,Ramona Quimby,Big Nate, andThe Questioneers,a.k.a. Rosie Revere, Ada Twist, and their crew. Each set includes four unabridged chapter books shaped like actual books rather than toy figures.
The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
