Chicago – Today VTech announced its Go! Go! Smart Wheels® Race & Play Adventure Park™ was recognized as a hot holiday toy by The Toy Insider, being named to its elite Hot 20 list of the hottest toys sure to top kids’ wish lists. Additionally, the GearZooz™ Roll & Roar Animal Trail™, Pop-a-Balls™ Push & Pop Bulldozer™, Go! Go! Smart Friends® Shimmering Seashell Castle™ and Kidizoom® Action Cam 180 were chosen as part of The Toy Insider‘s 12th annual holiday gift guide.
“Every year, we look for new adventures to spark children’s imaginations and encourage creativity,” said William To, President, VTech Electronics North America. “We’re very excited that our thrilling roller coaster theme has been so well received and our Go! Go! Smart Wheels Race & Play Adventure Park earned a coveted spot on the Hot 20 list.”
Kids will be in for a fast ride with the Go! Go! Smart Wheels Race & Play Adventure Park, an action-packed roller coaster playset featuring a kid-powered ramp, catapult launcher, spinning Ferris wheel and even a 360 degree loop! It features proprietary SmartPoint® technology that brings the toy to life while teaching first words, letters and more as children explore concepts of cause and effect. The GearZooz Roll & Roar Animal Train puts a new “spin” on gear play, letting kids customize their own train using 15 different gears and learn about animals, musical instruments and exciting places. The Pop-a-Balls Push & Pop Bulldozer offers fun ball-popping action that promotes engaging play and discovery as kids drop colorful balls into the bulldozer and watch as they pop up through the smoke stack, into the scoop bucket and back again. Kids can explore a magical mermaid world with Mermaid Pearl and her sea friends in the Go! Go! Smart Friends Shimmering Seashell Castle, featuring three MagicPoint® locations for children to interact with, boosting their imaginations and encouraging social play. And the Kidizoom Action Cam 180 features a 180 degree rotatable camera that lets kids take photos and selfies from all angles, plus shoot videos with fun features like slow and fast-motion. Plus, it comes with accessories to mount the camera to a bike, skateboard and more to take great action shots and a waterproof case for use up to six feet underwater, perfect for swimming and splashing.
“We spent countless hours testing our winning toys and had so much fun with the Go! Go! Smart Wheels Race & Play Adventure Park,” said Laurie Schacht, co-publisher and Chief Toy Officer, The Toy Insider. “We think kids will flip for this playset that’s so much more than a roller coaster, with engaging features and multi-sensory learning.”
Additional details about VTech’s award-winning products can be found at www.vtechkids.com and include:
Go! Go! Smart Wheels® Race & Play Adventure Park™
Go for a ride with Gavin the Go-Kart on the Go! Go! Smart Wheels Race & Play Adventure Park. Crank Gavin up the hill and see him navigate down the track into the catapult launcher. Then, launch the Go-Kart to the top of the playset by releasing the catapult and watch as he races down the track, around the 360 degree loop and off the jump ramp! The park includes a Ferris wheel that spins, a tumble-down carnival game and a swinging gate to strengthen motor skills. Featuring SmartPoint® technology, Gavin responds to all four SmartPoint locations with fun sounds, phrases, three sing-along songs and six melodies. On your mark, get set, go! (Ages 1-5 years, MSRP: US$39.99)
GearZooz™ Roll & Roar Animal Train™
All aboard the learning express with the GearZooz Roll & Roar Animal Train. Kids can customize the train by mixing and matching the 15 included gears while strengthening their fine motor skills. Four adorable Smart Gear™ animals can board the train and add to the excitement with fun songs, playful phrases and animal sounds. Press the buttons to listen to different musical instruments or answer kid-friendly quiz questions. Then, pull the string or push the train to watch the gears spin and move together to experience cause and effect relationships. (Ages 1½ – 4 years; MSRP: US$29.99)
Pop-a-Balls™ Push & Pop Bulldozer™
Pop, drop and watch children stroll along with the Pop-a-Balls Push & Pop Bulldozer! This delightful bulldozer encourages movement and motor skills in little builders when the colorful balls pop up through the smoke stack, into the scoop bucket and back again. Load the balls into the bulldozer, start pushing the handle and watch the bulldozer come to life with poppin’ balls and fun sounds! Kids can also sit and play with the bulldozer by pressing the four colorful number buttons to learn colors, numbers, construction objects and listen to music. (Ages 12-36 months; US$24.99)
Go! Go! Smart Friends® Shimmering Seashell Castle™
Explore an underwater world with Go! Go! Smart Friends Shimmering Seashell Castle. This splashtastic castle features discovery, adventure and Mermaid Pearl! Little ones can play with the sandcastle, dance with Pearl and her sea friends, the seahorse and dolphin, or pretend to play dress up at the vanity. Place Pearl on any of the three MagicPoint locations to hear playful phrases and sounds. The playset comes with two sides of fun with a swing to push, a crab to slide to see Pearl and friends dance and swim, a carousel to press and release, and a slide to go down. Get ready to dive into imagination and discovery! (Ages 1½ -5 years, MSRP: US$39.99)
Kids can capture their adventures wherever they are with the Kidizoom Action Cam 180. The 180 degree rotatable camera lets them take photos and selfies, plus shoot videos with fun features like slow and fast-motion. Use the included accessories to mount the camera to a bike, skateboard and more while taking great action shots anytime, anywhere. Add the all-weather, waterproof case for use up to six feet underwater. For even more fun, play one of the three included games. Get in on the action with the Kidizoom Action Cam 180! (Ages 4+ years; MSRP: US$49.99)
About VTech
VTech is a world leader in age-appropriate and developmental stage-based electronic learning products for children. As a pioneer in the learning toy category, VTech develops high-quality, innovative educational products that enrich children’s development and make learning fun. With a rich 40 year history, VTech has not only established itself as a learning authority but also consistently remains at the forefront of innovation with multiple award-winning products, including prestigious Toy of the Year (TOTY) Award winners. The company also has a broad range of award-winning infant, toddler and preschool products available in 31 different languages worldwide, with more than 100 new products introduced every year. In order to further strengthen VTech’s position as a learning authority, the company’s Expert Panel, with esteemed experts in reading, language arts, science, math, and child development, consult on new product introductions.
VTech Electronics North America, L.L.C. is based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. VTech Electronics Limited is headquartered in Hong Kong with distribution globally.
For more information about VTech’s electronic learning products, visit www.VTechKids.com, www.facebook.com/VTechtoys on Facebook or follow @VTechToys on Twitter.
About The Toy Insider
The Toy Insider is the go-to source for product information about children’s toys, tech, and entertainment. It publishes two annual gift guides—one for summer and one for holiday—and reviews toys 365 days a year on thetoyinsider.com, a trusted resource for parents. The Toy Insider’s content is produced by an editorial team with more than 75 years of combined experience covering the toy industry. The Toy Insider is published by Adventure Publishing Group, publisher of leading trade publications The Toy Book, The Toy Report, The Licensing Book, and Total Licensing Report. For more information, visit thetoyinsider.com.
