Toy Fair New York 2015 Part 2 – Things Are Really STEAMing Up, Despite the NY Temps!

If you missed Part 1 of our Toy Fair New York 2015 coverage, click here to see lots of Lego, Funko and anniversary/birthday pictures.  In Part 2, we’re exploring Mattel’s and Crayola’s exciting new offerings and sharing some general favorites from the show floor.

Mattel’s booth was like a journey through Aladdin’s cave, with rooms full of treasures leading back to the Toy Box.

Mattel at Toy Fair New York 2015

Before we exploring the bannered toy rooms, we got to see the new Mega Bloks kits, including Minions, Barbie, Dora the Explorer, Assassins Creed, Terminator and more.

Mattel’s Minions Mega Bloks at Toy Fair New York 2015

This is my favorite Mega Bloks Minion figure.  The banana kills me!

Mattel’s Mega Bloks Minion Eating a Banana at Toy Fair New York 2015

There was a side booth with an interesting looking gadget that turned out to be the new View Master, which connects with Google Cardboard.  I viewed San Francisco and the interactivity is very well done!  I loved looking around San Francisco while standing in the Javits Center in New York City.

Mattel’s Google Cardboard and View Master

Bob, Stuart, and Kevin then ushered into Mattel’s cave of treasures.  Check out Bob’s two-colored eyes!

Minions Bob, Stuart and Kevin at Mattel’s Booth at Toy Fair New York 2015

Hello Barbie was the first toy I saw in the Mattel room.  It’s an interactive Barbie – you speak to her and she answers and she can even remember your previous responses.

Mattel’s Hello Barbie at Toy Fair New York 2015

Even more fun is the functional bureau in Barbie’s Dream House.  There are several locations throughout the house where you can fit in the bureau.  Depending on the location, the bureau will make different sound effects, including a fan and a flushing toilet!

Mattel’s Functional Bureau for Barbie’s Dream House at Toy Fair New York 2015

Mattel’s Ever After High and Monster High were well represented with fashion, dolls and accessories for both series.  Fisher Price’s Little People Disney Princess Castle is adorable, especially the Tangled window, just one element that links back to the princesses’ stories.

Mattel’s Fisher Price Little People Castle Disney’s Tangled Window at Toy Fair New York 2015

Mattel is celebrating Thomas the Tank Engine’s 70th anniversary this year with toys, trains, clothes and more.

Mattel’s Thomas the Tank Engine Toys at Toy Fair New York 2015

Hot Wheels has some exciting new vehicles coming out, including squadrons of Star Wars airships.  An interesting new innovation for the Star Wars vehicles are ring-mounts, so children (and anyone else who gets to play with them) can fly them around in play.  The trigger-mount has sound effects, too!

Mattel’s Hot Wheels Star Wars Flying Vehicles with Ring Attachments at Toy Fair New York 2015

Mattel has quite a few Disney-themed items, as well, from Cars to Frozen to Cinderella and, my favorite, Toy Story that Time Forgot.

Mattel’s Face-Changing Lightning McQueen at Toy Fair New York 2015

Mattel’s Cinderella Fashion Dolls at Toy Fair New York 2015

Mattel’s Toy Story that Time Forgot Toys at Toy Fair New York 2015

At the end of the Mattel gallery was the Toy Box, filled with a variety of toys, including WWE, AmiGami, Minecraft games, and an incredible new truck, which is also a working metal detector!

Mattel’s Matchbox Treasure Truck is a Real Working Metal Detector – Toy Fair New York 2015

Next up is Crayola.  Crayola has moved way beyond the crayons they’re famous for – I loved this wall of fun new color (names):

Crayola Color Wall with Fun Color Names at Toy Fair New York 2015

Among all of their creative new craft kits (including a thread-wrapping kit that lets you dye your own thread with Crayola fabric markers), are the Color Alive interactive products, which allow you to color a picture, capture that figure in the Color Alive app and then bring it to life.  There’s even an Easy Animation Studio available with a mannequin that interacts with the app for motion capture animation!

Crayola’s Color Alive Easy Animation Studio at Toy Fair New York 2015

At last year’s Toy Fair, I was struck by Wonder Forge’s Disney Eye Found It! game and bought it for my family to play at Christmas, when we’re all together.  In this game, nobody wins unless everyone gets to the finish line, so everybody works together to get all of the players across the board. This year, there are new versions, including Dreamworks and a history version that I just might have to pick up for next Christmas.

Wonder Forge Eye Found It! History Game at Toy Fair New York 2015

The new Disney Pictopia game looks fun, too.

Wonder Forge’s Disney Pictopia at Toy Fair New York 2015

For more Wonder Forge fun, check out the gallery below.  Note: the photo gallery requires Flash Player, click here to view all the photos if your device is not Flash equipped.

Another game that caught my attention at last year’s Toy Fair is Even Steven’s Odd from Educational Insights.  In Even Steven’s Odd, cards are turned over and each player has to roll until their dice match the card.  Every player has the same chance of winning – it’s all in the roll of the dice, so children of all ages can play and adults have fun, too.  Check our Toy Fair gallery for more Educational Insights pictures.

Even Steven’s Odd! and Riddle Cube from Educational Insights at Toy Fair New York 2015

It wouldn’t be a toy fair without dolls, right?  Madame Alexander had my favorite dolls at Toy Fair New York.  From the Gone With The Wind dolls to the historically-accurate fashions for Cinderella, Snow White and Aurora, Madame Alexander makes beautiful dolls.

Madame Alexander’s Scarlett O’Hara Doll in Love Bird Dress at Toy Fair New York 2015

Madame Alexander Historically Accurate Disney Princess Dresses at Toy Fair New York 2015

Toy Fair New York 2015 was chock full of wonderful toys and activities – too many to depict here, so I’ve included a gallery of some of my favorites.  If you’re a dot-to-dot fan, check out Monkeying Around’s puzzle books (I’m sorry, but I don’t have pictures – the puzzles range in challenge level and are fun to do – I take the books with me on trips and my parents are fans now, too).  Note: the photo gallery requires Flash Player, click here to view all the photos if your device is not Flash equipped.

Share your favorites in the comments and let me know if you have any questions about any of the toys.  For more family entertainment news and reviews, be sure to follow Adventures by Daddy on twitter and “like” our facebook page too.