The countdown to Christmas is already underway, at least at Toys R Us.
The company is betting that 15 toys ranging from a flying, inflatable remote-control fish to tiny collective monsters will be big hits this season.
There are 36 toys in the store's holiday toy list this year. At the top of the list is Sesame Street Let's Rock Elmo. The furry red monster rocks to the beat, inspiring little ones to move their feet..
Karen Dodge, senior vice president and chief merchandising officer of Toys R Us in the U.S. says there are a lot of "really interesting and different and unique toys on the list."
Some of those toys are Air Hogs Hyper Actives radio controlled miniature racing cars and Air Swimmers Extreme - inflatable fish and shark balloons that are radio controlled and seem to swim through the air. There are also Monster High Fearleading dolls - the offspring of famous monsters, dressed in "Fear Squad" cheerleading outfits.
Some of the other top picks include Figit Friends, the Trash Pack Garbage Truck, Nerf Vortex Vigilion and Leappad Explorers.
The holiday season can account for about 40 percent of a toy seller's annual profit. Last year, toy sales were up 2 percent to $21.87 billion. That's according to the marketing and research company NPD Group.
Here's a list of the 15 toys Toys R Us is betting will be big hits this season:
- Air Hogs Hyper Actives by Spin Master, $49.99: Radio controlled miniature racing cars.
- Air Swimmers Extreme by Animal Planet, $49.99: Inflatable fish and shark balloons that are radio controlled and seem to swim through the air. Helium tank sold separately.
- Lalaloopsy Silly Hair dolls by MGA Entertainment, $34.99: Rag dolls with button eyes and bendable hair. They come with an accompanying pet with a bendable tail.
- LeapPad Explorer by Leapfrog, $99.99: A tablet-like device which children can use to read books, play educational games and take pictures.
- Monster High Fearleading 3-Pack by Mattel, $42.99: Three dolls which are offspring of famous monsters, dressed in "Fear Squad" cheerleading outfits.
- Moshi Monsters Moshling Mini-Figures 3-pack by Spin Master, $5.99: Tiny collectible monsters related to a hit online game.
- My Keepon by Wow! Stuff, $39.99: A bright yellow blob-like robot that dances to music.
- Nerf Vortex Vigilon by Hasbro, $24.99: A foam dart gun that launches foam discs up to 50 feet.
- Ninjago Lightning Dragon Battle by Lego Systems Inc., $79.99: A 645-piece construction set offered exclusively at Toys R Us with characters from Lego's popular Ninjago line.
- Poppin' Park Elefun Busy Ball Popper by Hasbro's Playskool, $29.99: A colorful elephant that can launch plastic balls and plays music.
- Power Wheels Dune Racer by Mattel's Fisher-Price: $279.99. A child-size dune buggy that can ride over grass, gravel and mud.
- Radica Fijit Friends by Mattel, $49.99: Robotic toys that dance and respond to squeezes and spoken words.
- Sesame Street Let's Rock! Elmo by Hasbro, $69.99: An Elmo doll that sings and comes with a drum, tambourine and microphone.
- "Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure," by Activision, $69.99: A video game that includes action figures that can be placed in a portal and then appear in the game.- The Trash Pack Garbage Truck by Moose Toys, $19.99: A garbage truck that can hold 10 collectible Trashies, which are tiny collectible characters. It comes with two special edition Trashies and is a Toys R Us exclusive.
Do your kids have any favorite toys this year? Do you plan to spend the same as last year, more or less? Leave your thoughts below.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.
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