2/19/12: Mr. Potato Head turns 60, Party at Hasbro!

Can you believe that Mr. Potato Head is 60!  I even got to attend his birthday party during my weekend in New York for Toy Fair.  What a swanky shin dig for the man and his lady.  If you had ever asked me if I would be singing Happy Birthday to Mr. Potato Head I would have said no way, but there I was celebrating with him. 

 Here I am in between the lovely couple.  He was so gracious and allowed all of us to tour the Hasbro showroom which was awesome!  I felt like a kid again getting to play with so many cool toys.  Be aware that some of these are not yet available in stores but will be released throughout the year.  This is just a sampling of what I saw at the showroom and I hope to share more product reviews and giveaways with you as the year goes on.

 What a cute cake!

 We got to see all the great Hasbro brands.  We started out with the PLAYSKOOL line. 

Kids will be rockin' out during all stages of physical development with the new ROCK*TIVITY product line.  The 2012 line includes the Sit, Crawl 'N Stand Band, the Walk 'N Stroll Rider, the Sit to Stand Music Skool, Jump 'N Jam Guitar, and the Pound 'N Jam Drum.

 Here I am rockin out with the Jump 'N Jam Guitar.  It is a motion-sensitive guitar that matches the pace of the music with their movement.  It includes ten rockin' sounds.

 Can you believe over 100 million Mr. Potato Heads have been sold in it's 60 years.  In 2012 the Mashly in love Mr. and Mrs. 60th Anniversary edition has been introduced.  The limited edition 22 piece set includes Mr. and Mrs. and lots of accessories: Holding hands, Top hat and tux, veil, wedding head band and more.  How cute are they?

There are also lots of new Star Wars Pre-School toys.  All for 4 and up.

 

 I love this PLAYSKOOL Spider-Man Stunt City Playset.  Spider-Man actually climbs up the wall!

 We love Chuck and Friends Toys.  These guys are so adorable.

 This Tonka Chuck and Friends Tornado Tower Playset was super cool.  Kids can have fun with this twist trax roller coaster ride.  It includes Handy the Tow Truck.

I loved Grover as a kid!  So cool to see Flying Super Grover 2.0.  He is a motion-activated Grover who can fly through the air and knows if he is going up or down.  He says silly phrases and his arms rise as he is flying.

 There are also tons of other super cute Sesame Street toys for little ones.

For girls, Baby Alive is now learning to walk!  How super cute is this, she takes her first steps with help from your little one.  This Baby Alive Baby Wanna Walk Doll is adorable and geared towards kids 3 and up.  She has 40 interactive sounds and phrases and tells her Mommy that she wants to walk.  She even asks for help when she takes a tumble.  So cute!

 Who doesn't love My Little Pony?  I loved them when I was a kid.  Now they have an animated series coming out that was created by Hasbro and will be called Friendship is Magic and will air on The Hub TV Network.  I personally loved the My Little Pony Friendship Express Train.  I think my daughter would love that.  Fans of the beloved brand can also “make friends” with MY LITTLE PONY on Facebook , Twitter and YouTube for exclusive updates, product reveals, promotions and more.

 FurReal Friends are so adorable and 2012 has many new products coming out.  This little dog Bouncy is so adorable!  She recognizes when you are near and playfully jumps around in circles barking and yipping just like a real puppy!

 I fell in love with FurReal Baby Butterscotch, My Magical Show Pony.  This is really a dream toy for a little girl and a dream for a parent as she is not very large.  She responds to you by moving her head, blinking her eyes, moving her ears and letting out a whinny.  You can even feed her a carrot and she will snuggle in your arms.  How super cute.

 Another cool item is Dizzy Dancers.  They are an assortment of spinning, twirling animals.  You pull the dizzy cord to set them in to motion.  We received one and my kids love playing with it.

 Even the Easy Bake Oven has been redesigned!  No light bulb!

 Littlest Pet Show has also come out with some new toys.  I especially loved these Fairies that have light up wings.

Now for the boys.  Collect them, and crash them, the new Transformers Bot Shots!  You can chose your power and then crash them to see who wins.  They are available in all your favorite characters like Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Starscream, and Barricade.  These are super cool!  I got to play with them.  I think these would be perfect to bring with you and have while in a restaurant or any other place to keep kids entertained.

 Another cool toy is the Transformers Prime remote control vehicle that transforms.  This is so cool.

 Koosh Galaxy is a cool line of toys for ages 3-6.  Made for little hands this is fun way to launch balls and have fun.

 What little boy doesn't love Beyblades?  My son is in 1st Grade and I know they are all the rage.  What I liked about the new Beyblades is that they are a little more cushioned on the sides, plus there are new playsets with ramps for more fun.  So go ahead and "Let It Rip!"

I think the coolest toy I saw was the new Lazer Tag from the makers of the popular NERF blasters.  I could see boys, girls, adults, almost anyone playing with this one.  Players download a free Lazer Tag app to their iPhone or iPod Touch and connect it to the blaster.  You are fully immersed in the action.  This toy is for 8 and up and will release in August, 2012 for around $69.99.

 The NERF brand has come out with Firevision Sports.  This is super cool.  You wear eyewear that works with the reflective graphic and makes the ball glow even when the lights are out.

 Here is the eyewear.  I was able to get in on the fun.  They come in Red and Green.

My husband loved G.I. Joe as a kid and there is a new movie coming out with The Rock and Bruce Willis.  This is great news as my son and husband have been playing with many old school G.I. Joes that my husband still had from when he was a kid.  Well now there are lots of new toys coming out including Ninja Toys and action figures.

 Here is a sneak peak as these come out in Summer of 2012.

 A little closer up.

Evan and John can't wait!!!!

 Hasbro is also expanding with several new KRE-O sets featuring Battleship and Transformers.

What little boy wouldn't love this and Battleship is coming out too!  The Classic Battleship Movie Edition Game!  You know you have to say it, "You sunk my Battleship!".

Check out these cool Transformers KRE-O.

 Even Twister is updated!  It is the New Twister Dance Game featuring a remix of "Till the World Ends" featuring Britney Spears.  I also got to play this and it is really fun.  My daughter would love it.

 Last but not least is the new zAPPed Board Games.  The Game of Life, Monopoly, and Battleship get zAPPed.  Notice the APP.  Hasbro is kicking off a new era of gaming with this unique gaming experience to combine face to face board games with new innovation.  The first game to hit store shelves is THE GAME OF LIFE zAPPed, was available on February 10, 2012. With more than 100 laugh-out-loud clips from “America’s Funniest Videos” mixed with humorous animations, the game provides a new spin on the beloved classic game. Simply download the THE GAME OF LIFE zAPPed app onto the iPad, cue up the game, place the iPad on the game board, and watch as game comes to life on each turn as you travel around the game board. Players can create and upgrade their own Peg Person and spin THE GAME OF LIFE zAPPed virtual spinner in the accompanying iPad app. It is available on Amazon.com and ToysRUs.com for the approximate retail price of $24.99. I received it and can't wait to play it!

Disclosure:  I was able to tour the Hasbro Showroom and received some toys to review.  No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.