The Toy Box - General Discussion

[Lisin]

Discuss The Toy Box here! 

[BusyOctober]

I was wondering if anyone watched this dreck.  Looks like I may be the only one. 

I DVR'd the first two episode for my 10yo b/c she loves shows with kids (Master Chef Jr., Project Runway Jr., Kid's cooking competitions...).  Well, everything from the host to the kid judges to the "inventors" and their "toys" were AWFUL.

The Host -Eric Stonestreet's Cam is one of the few people on "Modern Family" that I still like.  I also have seen him in other things and on talk shows, so he seems like a fun, engaging person.  Not on this show.  He has a 1000 yard stare when he talks to the inventors.  He looks like he'd like to punch each one of them in the throat and can barely tolerate being in the same room.

The Kids - Not sure if I am supposed to know any of these kids, aside from Sophia Grace (my daughter follows her on YouTube, but she and her friend Rosie are the reason why I stopped watching "Ellen" years ago).  The little red haired boy is obnoxious and I think he is amped up on Pixie Stix and Kool Aid.  The other boy and girl are more tolerable, but it is obvious they are all fed their lines and "precocious" comments.

The Inventors - So these are the people couldn't make it on "Shark Tank".  They are like the discarded, deep discounted products you find at Target or Marshalls on the clearance shelves.  The very first hopeful woman had a two-sided book that might have had legs had she not imploded in front of the first tier of judges (adults).  The woman had an actual tantrum and slammed her book on the table when these toy experts challenged her on its worthiness.  A few of these parents openly confessed to raiding their kids' college funds or selling the family home to fund their "dream" of riches. The idiot who sold his children's home also took them out of school and he and his equally idiotic wife home school the kids while traveling cross country from toy show to toy show in what looks like  a barely street legal RV. I hope people from CPS are watching.  

The Toys - OK, several of the items offered up weren't even TOYS!  A Candy Cannon that is supposed to replace "dangerous" pinatas.  Yeah, first thing I think of when I want to distribute candy in a safe manner is "cannon".  There was also a backpack with a rip cord that is an alternative to the dreaded unsafe pinata (what's with the pinata hate??).  However, part of the fun of this non-toy it to chase an adult wearing the pack & pull the rip cord to spill the goods.  So the phalanx of kids behind the cord puller will be hit with candy shrapnel as it flies out of the bag as the pack wearer continues to run for a few minutes.  Or they will trip/slide on the candy minefield.  Yup, safety first people!

I told my daughter the show was cancelled & removed it from the DVR.

[Evenshorter]

Gosh, I was waiting to hear what other's thought of this show, so I'm sorry you're not watching any more.

I have seen at least one of these products on American Inventor (the Naya doll) and one person - Melissa - who was on a design challenge show. So far I haven't seen anything that blows me away.

As for the "judges" - I agree. The red head has been on Ellen before, as has Sophia-Grace like you mentioned. The other 2 are meh and again as you said, being fed the lines.

[jumper sage]

6 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

The very first hopeful woman had a two-sided book that might have had legs had she not imploded in front of the first tier of judges (adults).  The woman had an actual tantrum and slammed her book on the table when these toy experts challenged her on its worthiness. 

That was hilarious!  Who does that?  Her toy was on episode 2.  As an adult who reads to kids - When you remember being read to you remember sitting on an adult's lap or perhaps right next to them, as they use their finger to underline the words as they read.  I don't see this book as an engaging book, it takes the closeness between parent and child out of it.  As a librarian who reads to groups of kids - the book is too small and those kids would be more interested in the turning mechanism.

Episode 1 - 

Arya Ball – a reimagining of the soccer ball with special surprises inside
Inventor: Babak from Carlsbad, California - I liked it! Finalist

Wacky Worm Racing Game – a racing game where players dressed in a worm costume race to cross the finish line
Inventor: Cedric from Orlando, Florida  - dumb

Niya Doll – a multicultural doll collection who sings and speaks in multiple languages
Inventor: Darla from Columbia, South Carolina - nice doll but there are lots of dolls

Swurfer – a backyard swing inspired by a surfboard
Inventor: Rob from Charleston, South Carolina - we did this on a regular swing so.......

Party Cannon – a party game that launches toys, prizes and candy
Inventor: Rick from Miami Springs, Florida - I liked it but more for a party themed store.

Episode 2:

Ballet dolls - I like them but, once again, more dolls - finalist (?)

Pinata Backpack - I liked it better than the traditional pinata

Crazy book lady - She had a meltdown in front of adult judges.

Guy with tiny cars that clipped on pencil (trading opportunity) and could race on table - Liked it but very tiny

Guy with Fruit clip things for backpacks - Liked it ok and can see the trading aspect - meh

Episode 3:

Tubelox – life-size construction toy where you can build your own play

Inventor: Rachel and Steve from Pleasant Grove, Utah - Loved this!  I would play with it right now.

 

Pool Cubes – sinkable building blocks for the swimming pool

Inventor: Troy from Fayetteville, Arkansas - Good idea but not a finished project.  He should work on it and approach facilities.

 

The Grid – a game where players aim to collect their opponents’ pieces

Inventor: Tom from Farmington, Connecticut, and Mike from Sandy Hook, Connecticut - I did not get it.

 

Emotiplush – a therapy doll that can help children express their emotions

Inventor: Padmini from Naperville, Illinois - Great idea for children on the spectrum

 

Lightbox Terrier – a lightbox in the shape of an adorable dog that can inspire art and creativity

Inventor: Melissa from Pleasant Hill, California - Awesome!  I think she was the finalist.

Eric Stonestreet is putting on a weird vibe on the show.  Maybe they should have hired Cam.

The kids - sure they are being coached but I do like that they show us how the toys are played with.

I am in.

Edited April 25, 2017 by jumper sage

[Whimsy]

I'm watching this.  It's not great, but I like inventions so I'll still watch for awhile.  That book lady just scared the crap out of me.  I'm sure there was a lot more that was cut out with editing, but regardless that was completely unprofessional. 

[NYGirl]

I am so sorry I missed Episode 2 with the full on meltdown!  I saw Episodes 1 and 3 and I just can't anymore.  God that red head little boy annoys me so much and I love kids but I actually want to punch him.  God help me.

[roctavia]

I've been watching this the way I watch shark tank sometimes- heavy on the fastforward button... I like to see the different products and how they work, but can FFwd through most of the judge commentary and the kids playing with the toys... they are too obnoxious to listen to.

[jumper sage]

Episode 4:

Grandmas2Share – multigenerational dolls that encourage family values
Inventor: Marguerite from Staten Island, New York - Cute idea, SENT TO THE TOY BOX, kids thought it was creepy and I agreed with Noah (redhead) that my grandmas don't look like any of these dolls.

The Walking Dinosaur – a dinosaur that you can walk like a dog
Inventor: Rick from Sacramento, California - Great idea, very cool, guy had no costs and no idea how to replicate.  

ParaShoot – a slingshot connected to a small parachute
Inventor: Jackson from Gainesville, Georgia - It was a slingshot with a parachute.  I didn't see what was so special.  SENT TO THE TOY BOX where the kids had a tough time even pulling on the slingshot.

Cardtivity – a plastic-card building system
Inventor: Steve from Randolph, New Jersey - This guy spent 1 mil on this toy already.  It was like Legos but with a paper based card system.  No room for free play and each kit built one thing.  Looked cool, but really, this guy is out there.

Chromo Tag – a color-changing outdoor action game
Inventor: Larry and Steven from Chicago, Illinois - like paint ball without the pain, like laser tag but outdoors.  Wearable cards (looks like they had clothing too but not shown) where people use squirt guns to hit the target and the hit player is out.  Looked like the coloring didn't run past the wearable placards.  SENT TO THE TOY BOX.  Kids did not like that the squirt guns weren't part of the package.  FINALIST.

Side note - just thought of the pun - You put the pain in paintball.

[lor]

the conectcard toy was a better toy than the paracute. so what if it didn't look pretty yet. if it had a chance to win maybe mattel could have made it look better. 

the grandma dolls were not creepy. 

[jumper sage]

1 hour ago, lor said:

the conectcard toy was a better toy than the paracute. so what if it didn't look pretty yet. if it had a chance to win maybe mattel could have made it look better. 

the grandma dolls were not creepy. 

The Cardtivity was cool but I think that because it only built one thing per purchase the moguls thought it wouldn't sell.  Did they tell him to work on it to get it smaller and/or more cost productive and more interchangeable?

The grandma dolls - I didn't find them creepy but I am not a small child.  I think that inventor should hook up with a company like Hallmark which would market to the grandmothers.

[Readalot]

They need to replace Noah. I think just him alone is costing viewers 

[LennieBriscoe]

Sophia Grace is fourteen. Alas, she acts, speaks, and seems like a seven-year-old.

Reds is simply unbearable. 

[Maharincess]

I like Toby, the not the redhead boy judge. And Aalyrah (what is with the names some people give their kids?!) is a beautiful kid. 

Why is Dylan Lauren a judge?  What does over priced candy have to do with judging toys? 

[lor]

eric looked at the jumpsticks guy like he was nuts. that toy jumped a little bit. 

those aliens dols are ugly. why don't these women get jobs. if there husbands are retired who is paying for this invention.

[starri]

I just want one of them to scream out "THERE'S NOTHING PROPRIETARY HERE!" in their best Kevin O'Leary.

[jumper sage]

Wiggies – dolls with interchangeable hair Inventor: Kim from Los Angeles, California - Liked the hair but the dolls are babies so it's odd.  SENT TO THE TOY BOX.  Finalist.

Jumpstix – a scooter with a built-in pogo stick Inventor: Peter from Camarillo, California - What a mess that was.  Loved when Eric made fun of the teeny tiny jump.  It was an add on to existing scooters.  Loved during the credits they showed the guy falling on the street.  Ha ha it was very dangerous.

Maze-O – a maze-building toy
Inventor: Jessica and Daniel from Lino Lakes, Minnesota - I did not get it.  I agree with the not-red-head boy that they needed a car to go through the maze.  SENT TO THE TOY BOX.

Dueling Wizards – aspiring wizards use wands to toss spells at each other Inventor: Joe from Dearborn, Michigan - He was about 10 years to late for this.  When the kids played with the toys they kept saying ouch and it hurt. SENT TO THE TOY BOX BUT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN.

Plaliens – playful plush aliens that inspire curiosity Inventor: Melanie and Beth from Bakersfield, California - Cute and bendable.  SENT TO THE TOY BOX.  The kids did not like that you could not see which alien you would get before purchase.  I agree!

[needschocolate]

I watch the first half(maybe less than half) where they make their pitch to the adults then stop.  The kids judges are what adults who have never been around kids think other people believe is cute.  Those of us who have actually spent a few minutes of our lives with a child understand that sort of behavior is obnoxious.

I have only seen Eric Stonestreet on Modern Family, so perhaps this is his true personality, but, to me, he seems to fluctuate between being really bored and being the lonely guy trying desperately to make friends. 

On 4/25/2017 at 7:49 AM, BusyOctober said:

I was wondering if anyone watched this dreck.  Looks like I may be the only one. 

I DVR'd the first two episode for my 10yo b/c she loves shows with kids (Master Chef Jr., Project Runway Jr., Kid's cooking competitions...).  Well, everything from the host to the kid judges to the "inventors" and their "toys" were AWFUL.

The Host -Eric Stonestreet's Cam is one of the few people on "Modern Family" that I still like.  I also have seen him in other things and on talk shows, so he seems like a fun, engaging person.  Not on this show.  He has a 1000 yard stare when he talks to the inventors.  He looks like he'd like to punch each one of them in the throat and can barely tolerate being in the same room.

The Kids - Not sure if I am supposed to know any of these kids, aside from Sophia Grace (my daughter follows her on YouTube, but she and her friend Rosie are the reason why I stopped watching "Ellen" years ago).  The little red haired boy is obnoxious and I think he is amped up on Pixie Stix and Kool Aid.  The other boy and girl are more tolerable, but it is obvious they are all fed their lines and "precocious" comments.

The Inventors - So these are the people couldn't make it on "Shark Tank".  They are like the discarded, deep discounted products you find at Target or Marshalls on the clearance shelves.  The very first hopeful woman had a two-sided book that might have had legs had she not imploded in front of the first tier of judges (adults).  The woman had an actual tantrum and slammed her book on the table when these toy experts challenged her on its worthiness.  A few of these parents openly confessed to raiding their kids' college funds or selling the family home to fund their "dream" of riches. The idiot who sold his children's home also took them out of school and he and his equally idiotic wife home school the kids while traveling cross country from toy show to toy show in what looks like  a barely street legal RV. I hope people from CPS are watching.  

The Toys - OK, several of the items offered up weren't even TOYS!  A Candy Cannon that is supposed to replace "dangerous" pinatas.  Yeah, first thing I think of when I want to distribute candy in a safe manner is "cannon".  There was also a backpack with a rip cord that is an alternative to the dreaded unsafe pinata (what's with the pinata hate??).  However, part of the fun of this non-toy it to chase an adult wearing the pack & pull the rip cord to spill the goods.  So the phalanx of kids behind the cord puller will be hit with candy shrapnel as it flies out of the bag as the pack wearer continues to run for a few minutes.  Or they will trip/slide on the candy minefield.  Yup, safety first people!

I told my daughter the show was cancelled & removed it from the DVR.

"Butterfly Book" lady was a piece of work.  I watched her segment more than once and made my husband watch it too.  It was the proverbial car wreck I couldn't look away from.  Did she say that she was giving up on the book (should have years ago) and teach flight instruction?  Didn't she start off by saying she was a SAHM/Housewife?  Flight Instructor was out of left field.

I have always thought Pinatas were a strange thing. Let's beat a cute little animal with a stick until its guts spill out.  And the poor kid who actually whacks it open usually doesn't get his blindfold off in time to get any candy. According to the inventors on this show, the safe alternative to having blindfolded kids wave a stick around is to shoot candy at them with a cannon or let them chase after a grown up wearing a candy filled backpack.  The backpack seems like a safe approach, until you realize that when the candy starts falling out the kids will drop to the ground to gather it and they will get trampled by (or trip) the kids behind them.  

[Big Mother]

I like this show a lot bc I only have HULU and the CBS app on my phone and when I lay down with my 3 yr old at bedtime I wanna watch a show with him that's not overly engaging like a cartoon, that will appeal to us both, so this is perfect. I only watched episode 1 so far. I'm surprised the candy cannon didnt win, based on how the redhead was excited about it. The other inventions, I'm surprised none of the toymakers would pick up on the ideas and tweak them a bit, they all had merit. The Arya ball is cute, but I odnt know if it was worth losing his life's money over it. He couldve sold his idea to a toymaker and moved on.

[hoosiermom]

I couldn't believe the candy crusher thing won this week. Noah (red headed kid) likes anything to do with candy. I liked the tilt box item. Had something similar to it growing up years ago and we played with it a lot! I am shocked Sophia Grace is 14. Don't get he dark lipstick though.

[jumper sage]

This week’s toy inventions include:

Candy Krusher – a candy press that molds sweet treats into fun shapes
Inventor: Barry from Dallas, Texas - Pretty cool.  I thought to myself that this was today's winner.  The Mattel rep loved that it was like the Hot Wheels Car Maker.  SENT TO THE TOY BOX. Finalist.

Connectimals – lovable plush toys with interchangeable magnetic parts
Inventor: Kurt and Hannah from Westfield, Wisconsin - Nice back story.  OK toy, in my opinion.  SENT TO THE TOY BOX.

Bitblocks – a construction toy that utilizes only one type of block
Inventor: Will from Portland, Oregon - I liked it.  Apparently once you built your animal/robot you could use the colored blocks as attributed for your creation and then play a game much like Pokemon or Dungeons and Dragons.  Reps thought it needed more work. ?????

Curly Girls United – a unique doll that celebrate girls with curly hair
Inventor: Margaret from Tinley Park, Illinois - Wow!  Margaret was not happy that none of the reps liked her doll.  Dylan, of the candy store fame, kept saying that only 20% of American women have curly hair.

Quadball – a skill and action game with a nostalgic feel
Inventor: Chris from Huntington Beach, California - Pretty cool and simple.  I, and the reps, liked the retro feel.  SENT TO THE TOY BOX.  The kids liked the game and had a blast playing but not enough to beat out Candy Krusher.

[lor]

the 3d paint toy was awesome. i couldnt believe that guy who came on with the cock it rocket. filthy name for a stupid toy

[Maharincess]

Who won?  I don't think I can make it the full two hours. 

[Dilandau]

Spoiler

3d water painting won.

[Gyproselee]

Spoiler

The winner is already available at Toys R Us as is the Candy Crusher< with a different name> and the noisy card game that did not even make the finals.

[Zanne]

As a kid, I would've gone for the dog drawing table. That was something I would've adored.

ETA: They need to replace the red head kid. He must be related to a producer or something because I cannot imagine anyone finding his shrieking charming and the host seemed to cater to him more than the others. Plus, they need to replace the 13-year-old since she seems too old to represent the age level of the children who would want most of these products.

Edited May 20, 2017 by Zanne

[LennieBriscoe]

I would love the 3-D Water Art IF it somehow solidified. As it stands, it's just watery paint that then slides off your "canvas."

The Noisy Card Game is totally unnecessary.  Anyone can find quotes,  lyrics,  lines from plays,  etc. and then make cards with "types of characters" to go with them. Say "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers," as a Goodfella. See? Easy-peasy.

Cock It Drop It Rocket isn't a "filthy name," as one DOES cock a gun.  But as a toy it can be boring fast. 

Ballerina Dolls were too "Marie Osmond Collectibles" for me. 

Candy Krusher was stupid! You want heart-shaped candies? Go buy them!

I missed the dog presentation, so what I saw at the end didn't make sense to me.

The All-in-Almost-One toy was nifty,  but I can see a family needing more than one,  for the "golf club" thing.  

As competitions go,  at least this one was an original concept, with a result all of us can have access to.  

A few tweaks would be helpful in the host and kid judges arenas,  though.  ?

[Diana Berry]

Hiding my head in shame, but I enjoyed this show.  Hope it comes back for the summer next year with some tweaking.

i figured 3 d art would  win.  The mentors was totally sold on it.  Plus as the toy critic said, it can be made cheap and has endless possibilities ( $ signs galore).  I would have loved it as a kid.

interesting, that candy crusher and noisy cards also got a deal ( two others that can be cheaply produced).

[luckyroll3]

My favorite line from the first episode, "I like to give constructive criticism when I'm crushing someone's dreams." I don't believe for a second that the kid came up with that on his own, but it made me laugh.

[rmontro]

On 5/21/2017 at 7:58 PM, Diana Berry said:

interesting, that candy crusher and noisy cards also got a deal ( two others that can be cheaply produced).

3d Liquid Art was renamed Artsplash, I wonder why.  Maybe someone else owned the name, or something like it?  Candy Crusher was renamed Sweet Shaper.  Again, not sure why but I definitely prefer the original names.  I suppose the Lightbox Terrier thing was too expensive to make?  I hated the Noisy Card game, hate hate hated it.  But like you said, Diana, it's cheap to produce.

I would have guessed that the four in one ball thing would have been a good toy.

I also liked the Cock It Rocket, but it didn't even get past the mentors.  I did think the 3D Liquid Art would win, it looked very cool.  I was kind of surprised that Mattel execs would put their business into the hands of a bunch of kid judges, but ultimately it looks like they made the right choice.

[needschocolate]

I liked seeing the toys presented to the adult judges, though I found the host to be "off" (I know he isn't Cameron in real life, but he seemed so uncomfortable at times, like a guy who had never been on tv before).  I usually fast-forwarded through the kid judging, but did see some of it. If it comes back without changes, I would probably watch it again the same way.  I imagine that making changes to it would only help, as long as they don't get rid of the first round of judging completely.

9 hours ago, rmontro said:

I was kind of surprised that Mattel execs would put their business into the hands of a bunch of kid judges, but ultimately it looks like they made the right choice.

The kid judges seemed "coached."  I got the feeling that most of their comments were not something they came up with entirely on their own.  They weren't necessarily scripted and rehearsed, but if you say a phrase in front of a kid and make it sound funny/cool, a kid will likely repeat it.  It is also fairly easy to sway a kid's opinion. I imagine there were Mattel personnel saying things like "Wow, this is really cool! And look at this part - that's awesome!" as well as, "It's nice, but it takes up a lot of room, right?  Would you want to clean up all the pieces afterwards?"

[rmontro]

13 hours ago, needschocolate said:

The kid judges seemed "coached."

Oh, I definitely think they were coached.  They way they all ran out enthusiastically to test each toy, the way they were respectful of each inventor and their toys, seemed like they were trying not to hurt anyone's feelings.  I'm okay with them being coached though, they're just kids.  They need some direction.  They may have even been pressured to choose certain items, but I'm not so sure about that, the toys sold themselves mostly.

I was a little uncomfortable with the idea of each kid having a veto.  If one kid didn't like a product, it was out.  One kid could sabotage the whole thing if he wanted.  If anything raises suspicion about the process, it's that.

Edited May 24, 2017 by rmontro
spelling

[jumper sage]

On 5/21/2017 at 7:58 PM, Diana Berry said:

Hiding my head in shame, but I enjoyed this show.  Hope it comes back for the summer next year with some tweaking.  I agree!

i figured 3 d art would  win.  The mentors was totally sold on it.  Plus as the toy critic said, it can be made cheap and has endless possibilities ( $ signs galore).  I would have loved it as a kid.  Renamed Artsplash.

interesting, that candy crusher and noisy cards also got a deal ( two others that can be cheaply produced).

Here is a link to the 3 toys, not just 1, chosen for mass production.  Included in the link is a video of the process of taking the idea of Artsplash.  I was surprised they actually were honest in saying that these toys are being manufactured in China.

[Diana Berry]

On 5/26/2017 at 7:59 AM, jumper sage said:

Here is a link to the 3 toys, not just 1, chosen for mass production.  Included in the link is a video of the process of taking the idea of Artsplash.  I was surprised they actually were honest in saying that these toys are being manufactured in China.

Interesting.  I see it is out of stock.  Guess that's good for the inventor.

On 5/23/2017 at 6:43 AM, needschocolate said:

I liked seeing the toys presented to the adult judges, though I found the host to be "off" (I know he isn't Cameron in real life, but he seemed so uncomfortable at times, like a guy who had never been on tv before).  I usually fast-forwarded through the kid judging, but did see some of it. If it comes back without changes, I would probably watch it again the same way.  I imagine that making changes to it would only help, as long as they don't get rid of the first round of judging completely.

The kid judges seemed "coached."  I got the feeling that most of their comments were not something they came up with entirely on their own.  They weren't necessarily scripted and rehearsed, but if you say a phrase in front of a kid and make it sound funny/cool, a kid will likely repeat it.  It is also fairly easy to sway a kid's opinion. I imagine there were Mattel personnel saying things like "Wow, this is really cool! And look at this part - that's awesome!" as well as, "It's nice, but it takes up a lot of room, right?  Would you want to clean up all the pieces afterwards?"

I want them to keep the first round judges, too.  Keep the  kids in a focus group type setting and have the second round judges be adult Mattel execs.

[guilfoyleatpp]

On 5/20/2017 at 8:06 AM, Gyproselee said:

  Hide contents

The winner is already available at Toys R Us as is the Candy Crusher< with a different name> and the noisy card game that did not even make the finals.

Spoiler

I really wanted to be able to get the lightbox terrier.  That was SO COOL.

 

I also enjoyed the meltdown from the flip book lady. I totally understand the impulse behind getting really angry and screwing yourself, but it still makes me cringe to watch other people doing it.

[guilfoyleatpp]

I couldn't believe that Sophia Grace was a teenager. She's tiny. I think she's out of the age demographic, but what do I know? I only sort of remember being 13.

The one adult female judge. "I work at Pixar." "Well, since I work at Pixar." "You know, at Pixar we see a lot of..."

Oh, do you work for Pixar?  So does half of the island of Alameda.  What else ya got?

 

The other reddish haired judge lady getting all bent about the ladybug that records a voice? Because it's a bug? Um. It's a ladybug.  Everyone loves ladybugs.  They're hardly even considered bugs.  They're almost like micro kittens. But what is the reasoning there? So no stuffed dinosaurs or stuffed jaguars?  

[butterbody]

I like the new format. Glad they're rotating the kids and eliminating the preliminaries altogether. And no more pixar lady, woohoo!

[jodie]

I noticed the adults are gone. The kids are the one who play with the toys.

Some of those toys were lame. I didn't think that origami blanket was a toy.

[Whimsy]

So, no one is rushing right over here to talk about this, huh?  Lol. 

I am so very grateful they replaced the kids.  Well, just one kid in particular.  Noah, was it?  Gah, he was annoying.

I don't like that they took away the adults talking about the toy and deciding if it should go to the kids or not.  I am sure they probably still do that, but I liked that part of the episodes pretty much the best.  Without that, I don't think we would've gotten the meltdown by that one woman inventor last year.  I just don't think so much should rely on a 6-year old.  Obviously kids are an important part of the toy industry.  But, I think I would like it better if they were just a focus group and the adult experts talk about why it would or wouldn't work. 

[silverspoons]

I was happy they replaced the kids too. I do think they should have maybe one group of kids 6-9 & one 9-12 judging toys targeted at the age group. The blanket that was origami was good for 3-6 year olds while the sushi game was more for 9-12, both I think were the inventions that could be successful but the wrong age kids were deciding. 

 

I also think the inventors should give the retail price. It would be interesting if they gave each kid $50 or $100 to spend at the end and see what toys they would buy and that would help decide the winner. Price is one of the most important factor in selling toys. 

 

I wonder how much say Mattel really has? Do they sway the kids to vote a certain way? 

[jumper sage]

Came in on this a bit of the way through it.  So no more adults in the industry do a preview/vote of the toys?  I like the age range of the kids but I agree that 6 years old is too young.  Toys aimed for that age group should be a room with toys and 5/6 year olds and see who plays with what.

On 10/3/2017 at 1:59 AM, silverspoons said:

It would be interesting if they gave each kid $50 or $100 to spend at the end and see what toys they would buy and that would help decide the winner. Price is one of the most important factor in selling toys.

Great idea!

[hoosiermom]

Clickey bits? Really?

[Whimsy]

Ugh. Noah is back. I was hoping he was off the whole season. It’s funny because Eric doesn’t even seem to like him. I liked the older kids. Especially when they could rationalize that they didn’t like the toy, but could see the appeal for other kids and sent it through. I would like to see more thoughtful judging. I flet so bad for the lady with the stuffed toys. I mean, they were talking/singing/rapping stuffed animals- nothing really all that new and inventive, but she looked so hopeful. 

I didn’t like the mini golf game. As a parent, the pieces laying all over would annoy me. We didn’t really have any space to leave it set up. I also didn’t like the name. 

[retrograde]

I'm sad they got rid of the adult panel -- I actually found it super interesting to see what kind of considerations go into a successful toy from a professional perspective, and I think they were able to catch some things a bunch of precocious child actors wouldn't. 

I agree some of the younger kids don't have the critical thinking skills to make great decisions. That sushi game was rad, stupid kids. 

I actually did think Waterdodgers was also a good, versatile and fully realized toy that I would've enjoyed the hell out of as a kid. I was underwhelmed by all of episode 2's options, though. I did love mini golf as a kid, but I think a set that large is going to be expensive and a lot of parents will think it's too large and window-breaky. 

Wonder what the future of this show is with Toys R Us going bust?

[jumper sage]

15 hours ago, retrograde said:

I actually did think Waterdodgers was also a good, versatile and fully realized toy that I would've enjoyed the hell out of as a kid.

Me too.  I think the problem with having actor kids is that they have probably grown up in a sheltered home.  When I was a kid and with my own kid we would call over the neighbor kids during rainy days and set up fun stuff in the garage.  Parents would take turns having the gang over and serving snacks or lunch.  That Waterdodgers would have been a huge hit.  It's the garage so who cares if water gets on the floor.  I don't think the kids on the show got that it was an outside toy.  I could see it at the pool, on a picnic table or just on the driveway on a hot day.

This whole show is kind of meaningless, no?  My niece was involved in a panel of children and toys about 25 years ago.  She was 6 and was recommended by her photographer who must have done some freelance work with the major toy store.  They didn't get paid but did get to choose an outfit to take home and received a few toys to take home too.  Each child had their parent with them and the parents filled out the child interview forms.  Questions like:  Does your child gravitate more towards gender specific toys?  Does your child enjoy arts and crafts? Does your child mind getting dirty? etc.  The children were divided into groups by age.  She was in the 5 - 8 yr old group.  Parent and child showed up at the Toy Lab at a specified time.  The time chosen directly correlated with their age group.  The Toy Lab looked like a converted daycare center except that the glass in the classrooms was ceiling to floor.  There were 4 glass classrooms.  Each age had their own classroom overseen by licensed daycare workers trained to facilitate the survey.  Parents were in the waiting room which was on the other side of the glass and both parent and child could always see their counterparts.  The classrooms were situated where they were in a row with an open aisle in the back so that the children could visit any area they wanted to.  The kids were split up by gender and age.  Classic favorite toys and new toys were displayed.  Parents could see and hear the kids but the kids could only see them.  Executives were in another area of the building watching the kids through cameras.  Parents could visit with each other or follow along on the hit sheets. If a child wanted to see a toy the facilitators gave it to him/her and that would be a hit if the child continue to explore the toy.  If other kids gathered - hit.  If they squatted - hit.  If the sat on the floor - hit.  The kids could go out and see their parents at any time.  Parents were provided with beverages and snacks.  My sister said they were probably watching what snacks the adults chose.  

By Eric telling the kids that they were responsible for the making or breaking of dreams seems wrong.

[roctavia]

I actually like the format change, but mostly because it seems like they can get through more toys this way... and really, like shark tank, I care about the products and could not care less about the discussion/opinions on the toy. So I can watch this show in about 15 minutes, which is nice.

 

I just like to see new products and new ideas, but some of this stuff is lame... or just a slight change to an existing toy- like the 'fortune teller" fidget spinners. The hugalope thing had some potential... there are already so many little cheap collectable things out there, that I don't think there is any competing with the big names doing shopkins and stuff like that, so the charm thing was meh. The water play set looked like fun, but also a pain to set up and maintain all of the pieces.

[butterbody]

Those plastic charms were huge for me in the 80's. I don't know what I was missing with these chain charms because they were exactly the same ones from my childhood. Same clip, same chain, same everything.

I have always thought Noah was cute and didn't understand the hate here. But I GET IT NOW! Ugh that little shit is purposely contradicting Paxton for spite, and meanwhile destroying the inventor's big chance at getting their toy through. He needs to go now, and take the little blonde chick with him. Everyone needs to get off Paxton's back! He is thoughtful and sweet, and secure in his pink shoes. He likes motley crue! Yet each time they asked his opinion, the other kids would huff and roll their eyes. In kid world, that is bullying.

[hoosiermom]

I hope all the rudeness,eye rolling and nasty remarks by these kids is producer driven because if not, these kids! I too love to see the toys and can do without the comments. I am almost to the point of thinking they should get rid of the kids and only have adult judges but that would ruin the premise of the show. Loved the water toy!

[jumper sage]

22 minutes ago, hoosiermom said:

I hope all the rudeness,eye rolling and nasty remarks by these kids is producer driven because if not, these kids! I too love to see the toys and can do without the comments. I am almost to the point of thinking they should get rid of the kids and only have adult judges but that would ruin the premise of the show. Loved the water toy!

I hope the rivalry between Noah, who I can't stand, and the other very young boy is also producer driven.  For the kids to yell at each other for voting a certain way was unseemly.

I also rooted for the water toy.

[retrograde]

Yes the kids shrieking at each other was really unpleasant and unnecessary. 

Still, I agreed with the little blonde girl (for once) that the charms had been done a million times. I also agreed with whichever kids said the fidget spinner knock-off was lazy plagiarism. I guess the best toy won this week (although water wastage is a real issue in some cities) but it was another underwhelming batch. 

[sab85]

Oh man, I only watched this week cause I actually knew of Rocket Bob. So glad his hovercraft won.  He does shows and demonstrations at schools, fairs, etc. around the area. He also has a book called 'Yep, it's Rocket Science '. And to my knowledge he's never been married or had bio kids but he's been fostering kids since at least the 70s. Just an awesome guy.