Category — Kids' Trends

Way back in March I mentioned that Elmo Live will be available in October 2008, just in time for Holiday Wish Lists. Well, pre-order time is at hand, so if the little one in your life has their hopes set on Elmo Live, now is the time to take action!

As I have said before, this particular Elmo toy scares the bejeezus out of me, but I am sure kids will really dig the freaky animatronic interaction. Good times. Elmo Live is set to hit store shelves on October 14th, so brace yourselves.

This certainly has been a busy summer for Barbie. First the epic battle with rivals The Bratz, then the battle with a record-sized catfish in North Carolina, and Barbie has come out shining like a star every time. Barbie has also been reaching out to her fan base with the cloyingly cute site BarbieGirls.com. MSN calls it one of Web 2.0’s Most Ridiculous Sites for a good reason. Just click on the link to BarbieGirls. I challenge you. If you are over the age of 11 and that ceaseless music (with no mute button) doesn’t drive you completely mad in about 5 minutes, congratulations, you are probably in line to be the next Gandhi.

I have to admit that I am stunned that toys like the plastic Barbie fishing rods are so durable, yet I am also encouraged by that durability–and the fact that Barbie has outdoor gear for girls, even if all the products are only available in shades of Pepto pink. And I just found out that there are Barbie learning toys that actually teach numbers and math, so it seems like Barbie is slowly getting a little more substance beneath all that fluffy style. But don’t worry, there will always be plenty of fabulous Barbie dress-up games, too.

However, I worry for the future of Barbie and The Diamond Castle-related merchandise. Princess Barbie’s pink gown is in a shade very similar to Disney Princess Aurora’s gown; I’d hate to see Barbie on the receiving end of an intellectual property smack down like the one Mattel laid on The Bratz. Especially when they two worked so well together on the Disney Princess Barbies!

My brother-in-law mentioned something about the kids being bonkers for Yo Gabba Gabba!, but honestly I didn’t pay much attention until this Elijah Wood video got forwarded my way. OMG. I have been missing out on something SPECIAL. In addition to guests like Elijah Wood and Tony Hawk, Yo Gabba Gabba! has musical guests that include The Shins, Cornelius and Biz Markie, so even adults will find it watchable if not down right funny. It’s like a Sid and Marty Krofft series for the Internet generation.

A major wave of Yo Gabba Gabba! toys just hit store shelves on August 1st, so you may be seeing names like Brobee and Foofa on holiday wish lists. For now, though, relax with this clip of the amazing dancing Nathaniel:

I do not get the Hannah Montana trend at all, so I have been trying to avoid writing about it. Sadly, both Hannah Montana and her alter ego Miley Cyrus seem to be here to stay for a while, especially now that kids can get their very own back-to-school Hannah Montana Wake Up Call, so I guess it’s time for me to delve into this phenomena.

I guess it’s safe to say that I am in disbelief that things have gotten this far. Hannah Montana is both the title and star of an Emmy Nominated TV Show and a record-breaking movie, and Miley was even nominated for an MTV VMA award for Best New Artist last week. Really, people? This is what passes for talent and quality entertainment these days? Sigh. I don’t get it. I mean, the show/movie is starring a girl named Miley Cyrus playing a girl named Miley Stewart who is an incognito rock star named Hannah Montana. But then there are actual Hannah Montana concerts performed by Miley Cyrus pretending to be Hannah Montana, sometimes also simultaneously performing as Miley Cyrus. It’s mind boggling, and perhaps best not to think about.

The upside is of all this nonsense is that Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus is totally beloved by girls aged 2-12, so Hannah Montana inspired gifts are sure to be a big hit with the little girls in your life. Here are some cool ideas:

• Hannah Montana Clothes - Little girls love cool t-shirts.

• Hannah Montana Mix Max Digital Media Player - Great for kids who hate iPods.

• Hannah Montana Mall Madness Game - Because good consumers are made, not born.

I was really excited to find toddler sized Mr. Messy and Little Miss Sunshine T-shirts at the Gap, because I loved Mr. Men and Little Miss books when I was younger, and I thought the kids and their parents would really dig the shirts. The shirts were a hit all around, but I had no idea that there has been a renewed interest in the Mr. Men in the past year or so. So I was delighted to find out that Cartoon Network has been airing The Mr. Men Show since early earlier this year, and it’s specifically geared towards kids aged 4-7.

The show is really fantastic. The entertaining stories hold children’s’ attention, and the best part is that it is funny enough that grown-ups won’t mind watching right along with the kiddies. I am keeping my fingers crossed that more Little Miss and Mr. Men merchandise like kids clothes and learning toys will be around in time for Christmas.

I just got back from vacation less than 18 hours ago and I have been trying to catch up on work so I have not had a chance to download my pics yet but I promise they will be posted in the next few days. The weather was great, the kids were fantastic and funny and we had a great time. I never know what to expect from the kids, and that is part of what makes them so much fun.

For example, I was really surprised by how much the kids love Batman. They are still pretty young, and there is no way their parents will let them watch The Dark Knight for years. I don’t think they have really even seen the other Batman movies, though they probably have at least seen the animated series. Still, it seemed like The Dark Knight zeitgeist was definitely in the air as my niece and nephews and their friends played endless rounds of Batman games.

Their love of Batman has inspired me to look for games they can play indoors when the weather gets cold, and luckily, there are plenty of fun Batman learning games, so I can remain the “cool aunt” without feeling guilty that I am causing brain drain. I especially like the Batman Deluxe Laptop , but it seems to be currently unavailable. I hope it makes a return before Christmas, because I am sure it will be a big hit with the kids in my life.

Pocahontas is a relatively new appointee to the Disney Princess pantheon, but she is one of my all-time favorites. And not just because I “am” Pocahontas, according to the “Which Disney Princess are You?” quiz. Pocahontas is also a favorite because she’s cool, smart, independent and conscientious, yet has some attitude and ingenuity. I am a little disappointed, though, that she doesn’t get as much attention or merchandising as other Disney Princesses. You’ll find Pocahontas on items that feature multiple Disney Princesses, but there aren’t very many exclusively Pocahontas items. I think it would be really cool if there was a Pocahontas backpack and tent set or a Pocahontas fishing pole or snowshoes or something like that, because Pocahontas is very outdoorsy, and it would be great if there were more outdoor toys that appeal to girls.

Here are some more links about Pocahontas the Disney Princess and Pocahontas the historical figure:

• Disney Archives: Pocahontas
• APVA: Pocahontas
• The Pocahontas Myth
• John Smith’s Letter to Queen Anne Regarding Pocahontas
• Virtual Jamestown: Pocahontas

Snow White, like Cinderella, had a long and illustrious Disney career before becoming one of the 6 original Disney Princesses in 2000. I was never really into her because I have always had a weird issue with her dress (I think it’s that crazy collar), but millions of current and former little girls disagree with me on this point, so she remains a favorite Disney Princess. She so popular, in fact, that even Rachel Weisz wanted to be Snow White:

Disney Bridal also has a line of Snow White gowns for women who just can’t get enough Disney Princess action in their lives. None of these gowns suggest Snow White to me at all (or Disney for that matter), but if it works for some people, great. The girls’ dresses are super cute, but most little girls I know will call you on it if you try to tell them it’s a “Snow White” dress, so I’d recommend not even mentioning it to avoid tantrums.

The coolest thing about Snow White is that she (like Cinderella) was an environmentalist and animal rights supporter long before it was the trendy thing to do. Right on!

My apologies that it’s been so long since my last Disney Princess post. With all the news about recalls, BPA and The Baby Borrowers, I guess I got distracted. So anyway, let me resume the Disney Princess discussion with one of my all-time personal favorites, Cinderella. The movie Cinderella is a classic rags-to-riches tale, in which the long-suffering but hardworking and never-complaining girl is finally rewarded by marrying a prince and escaping her awful life. It’s also chock-full of catchy songs like Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, so it remains a perennial favorite that will undoubtedly be requested at some point by the little girls in your life. Cinderella is also a key part of most Disney Princess-branded merchandise like Disney Princess bedding, so you will most likely become very familiar with her face.

Like the other Disney Princesses, she has parental issues. Her mom died early on and her dad remarried a woman with two daughters from a previous marriage, which was fine and dandy until her dad died and her step-mother revealed her truly evil nature. Cinderella becomes a slave to the step-mother and step-sisters, basically confined to the house by the endless list of chores they set for her. Luckily, Cinderella doesn’t seem to be too effective of a housekeeper, or otherwise she may have exterminated the mice that later go on to help her land the prince. Instead, she talks to the mice and birds and other animals, which are pretty much her only friends.

At some point, the King announces he wants to find a bride for his son the Prince, and so there is going to be a big ball at which all the eligible young bachelorettes in the kingdom can meet said prince. Cinderella of course wants to go but her stepmother wants one of her biological daughters to marry the prince, so they sabotage Cinderella’s dress before heading to the ball. But Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother appears, and with the help of the animals, essentially offsets any of the sabotage, ensuring that Cinderella finally connects with Prince Charming and eventually lives “happily ever after”.

I like Cinderella because I like the underlying message that hard work eventually gets recognized and rewarded, but I am not sure that marrying out of the situation is really a reward. It seems in some ways like a lateral move to me, simply because in either case, there are probably many restrictions about what she can do with her life. But as a metaphoric reward, I guess it will do.

Anyway, the next Disney Princess up for discussion is Snow White, so stay tuned!

Between the Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony makeovers, I didn’t think I could get any more depressed. But then I read about the second coming of the Cabbage Patch Kids, just in time for their 25th anniversary. There’s been a new release of Anniversary edition Cabbage Patch Kids with “vintage” hairstyles and facial expressions. The collectible anniversary edition dolls depress me because they call attention to the fact that Cabbage Patch Kids have changed quite a lot since I was a little girl. I really wasn’t aware of the Lil’ Sprouts or the Fun to Feed Baby that “licks” ice cream cones until just a few minutes ago, and I am stunned. They hardly look like Cabbage Patch dolls to me at all.

The Cabbage Patch Kids have also been cross-promoting pretty heavily with Carvel Ice Cream and Burger King, and that sort of bugs me a little too. Since they are CABBAGE Patch Kids, shouldn’t they be “eat 5 fruits and veggies a day” role models? Childhood obesity remains a significant health issue, affecting 32% of American children, and yet children are rewarded for eating junk food with Kids Meal toys and entertained while mindlessly slurping down ice cream along with their doll. That’s really messed up.