ParentsCanada magazine's top toys tested at SickKids hospital
R2D2 among the most popular toys tested at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children
The editor of ParentsCanada magazine says its annual toy-testing event at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, which becomes a fun day for kids, has also proven to be a successful method to determine which toys connect with children and parents.
Among the top toys for 2015, according to Janice Biehn:
- Barbie Saddle-up and Ride.
- Banana-eating Minion Kevin.
- Remote controlled R2D2.
- Flipsies, from VTech.
- Hexbug VEX robotic arm.
Biehn, speaking with CBC, said the testing brightens kids' days during what can be a difficult time — plus they get to keep a toy.
"We let them choose one, and then if there's even leftover toys beyond that we donate them to the hospital," she said. "So it's a win-win for everybody."
Biehn said the testing is a "chaotic, exciting day" for the kids. Different play areas are set up and the kids who are old enough fill out a brief questionnaire.
"A lot of the kids, they take their job very seriously and they're very excited to be asked their opinion," she said.
The magazine's editors also watch the kids to see what's making their eyes light up.
'Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi'
This year kids were excited about Star Wars, which is being heavily hyped because of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Dec. 18. In particular, children were taken with a 40-centimetre, remote-controlled version of the robot R2D2 that repeats the message from Princess Leia he's carrying in the 1977 film: "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."
"It actually works very well, too," Biehn said, "which is a key thing."
A toy that was popular with younger children was the brightly coloured VTech Sit-To-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train, which is meant for children ranging from 12 to 36 months. Toddlers can sit on it, or next to it, and it can be both pushed and pulled.
"This toy grows with your child," she said. "The big struggle is to find something that kids are going to keep wanting to play with, right?"