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v fluff·er·nut·ter I noun The iconic New England lunchbox staple is now official. “Fluffernutter” is one of 455 new words added to the MerriamWebster dictionary in 2021. The dictionary defines fluffernutter as “a sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow crème between two slices of white sandwich bread.” Other new words added to the dictionary this year include air fryer, deplatform, vaccine passport, doorbell camera and dad bod.
x Holiday Toy Drives Check out these organizations hosting toy drives this season to bring a little cheer to local children: Christmas in the City: Non-denominational holiday events for children and families experiencing homelessness and poverty in and around Boston, and gift distribution to thousands of families in need. christmasinthecity.org Wonderfund: Aims to provide the 53,000 children involved with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) with gifts to open during the holidays. wonderfundma.org Toys for Tots: Distributes new, unwrapped toys to less fortunate children across the state. toysfortots.org
v This year’s Hess Toy Truck isn’t a truck at all. The legendary holiday tradition is switching gears, if you will, with its 2021 Cargo Plane and Jet set. The design features foldable landing gear, 32 lights and a hidden slide-out ramp that stows a fold-up jet. The white and green lightup plane is the largest Hess vehicle ever produced, with a nearly 14-inchlong fuselage and 15-inch wingspan.
y Lego plans to remove gender stereotypes from toys, following a global survey that looked into how creative play is gendered. The research found that girls feel less restrained by and are less supportive of typical gender biases than boys when it comes to creative play, and they are more open towards different types of creative play compared to what their parents and society typically encourage. In summing up the study, Lego said that “girls are ready for the world but society isn’t quite ready to support their growth through play.” The company plans to work with the Geena Davis Institute and UNICEF to ensure that Lego products and marketing are free of gendered stereotypes. It also published a 10-step guide for inspiring inclusive creative play and is releasing short films to highlight inspiring and entrepreneurial girls as part of a new “Ready for Girls” campaign.
HESS
It’s only the third time an aircraft is the featured annual product in the toy line’s nearly six decade tradition. Hess toy trucks date back to 1964, and each year, a new collectible ranks among the best-selling toys of the year. The set, intended for ages 3 and up, goes for $39.99 with batteries included.
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6 | DECEMBER 2021 | BayStateParent
x Facebook plans to introduce new controls that enable parents or guardians to supervise what their teens are doing online. The social media giant will also be introducing several features including prompting teens to take a break using its photo sharing app Instagram, and “nudging” teens if they are repeatedly looking at the same content that’s not conducive to their wellbeing, according to their vice president for global affairs. The announcement came after a whistleblower appeared before Congress in the fall to accuse the social media platform of failing to make changes to Instagram after internal research showed apparent harm to some teens.
