GAMES, PLAYTHINGS AND PLUSH Toy Store Trends Game and Toy Best-Sellers at Toy Stores

By Hilary Larson

After several years of pandemic disruptions, American kids are fidgety. Really fidgety. Retailers report that tactile toys of all kinds, especially those that involve fiddling or manipulating, are the top sellers going into the 2022 holiday season.

Classic Lego building sets, Shashibo cube toys from Fun In Motion and magnetic fidget balls from the Speks line are all favorites at Classic Toys in Anchorage, Alaska. “Those fidget toys are always a good seller,” noted Owner Ben Jarratt . He noted that lava lamps and jellyfish lamps, last seen in quantity in the 1970s, are also making a comeback as holiday gifts.

And while many tried and true games consistently do well, this year’s standout has been a new entertainment called Azul. “It’s sold out already here,” said Jarratt in early November.

At Just Imagine Toys in Wasilla, Alaska, Owner Mary Scheie is selling a lot of arts and crafts, magnetic construction toys, and so-called STEM kits that encourage scientific imagination. What all these have in common, Scheie noted, is that they are very tactile, keeping kids’ fingers engaged along with their minds.

“And of course, I sell anything with unicorns,” laughed Scheie. “The science toys are always popular too, both with the parents and with the kids.”

There haven’t been any standout games this year at Just Imagine Toys, but classic board games like Chutes and Ladders are consistent favorites with local shoppers. And Scheie is always looking for new merchandise; she scours websites, peruses industry magazines and goes to trade shows.

“Anything fidgety or squishy is big right now,” affirmed Robert Robert , manager at the Go! Calendar Toys & Games outlet in Anchorage. Stuffed animals and other malleable,

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What Are Your Top Selling Nostalgic Toys And Why?

“Ido best with board games — Chutes and Ladders, that kind of thing. You can actually play them, unlike some of the other classic toys like Slinkys and jacks, which just frustrate kids.” — Shane Powers, owner, The Toy Quest, Fairbanks

“We do a lot of Star

Wars, generation one Transformers, Funko Pop — icons from the 80s. Monopoly, Connect Four, Twister and other games are also popular.” — Ken Komoto, owner, From The Heart Hawaii, Honolulu

“Jack in the box. I think people remember from when they were young.

We’ve got some really cute ones.” — Mary Scheie, owner, Just Imagine Toys, Wasilla, Alaska

“Pick up sticks, Tinker Toys and Lincoln logs. People come in looking for these things specifically.” — Ben Jarratt, owner, Classic Toys, Anchorage ❖