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Top 5 Toys Presented at the Australian Toy Fair for 2013

We recently spent 4 days at the 2013 Australian Toy Fair, an opportunity for local Australian and international toy manufacturers to present their new toys for 2013 to the Australian retail industry. Unfortunately not open to the public, the Australian Toy Fair is where major toy launches are announced by multinationals such as LEGO, Mattel and Hasbro and where young, innovative toy companies can showcase their latest ranges.

When compiling this list of out Top 5 Toys for 2013,we looked for excellent play value, which we define as toys that can be played with again and again rather than tossed aside after the first or second outing. We also sought out toys that have educational value and assist in various stages of development at a price point which would be affordable for the majority of parents.

After much deliberation, as there were hundreds of toys to choose from our Top 5 list includes:

1. Aqua Dragons

Aqua Dragons are a slightly different take on the more traditional Sea Monkeys, however with the ever popular Sea Monkeys no longer on the market the Aqua Dragons are a sure hit with children from the ago of 3 years.

Aqua Dragons are simply sea dragons which are present in the oceans and look a little like a fish crossed with a piece of seaweed. They hatch from eggs and are easy to look after so as a first pet are ideal for young children who will love watching them grow. Aqua Dragons come with their own small aquariums.

Aqua Dragons will fascinate children as they grow as well as teaching responsibility. Aqua Dragons are due for release in Australia in June 2013.

2. Eurotrike Ultima Canopy Plus Trike

New for 2013 the Eurotrike Ultima Canopy Plus improves on the older designs making the trike suitable for children from 10 months of age until at least 5 years through the many innovative design changes incorporated into this latest model.

This trike allows parents to purchase for their baby from 10 months of age, with a three point harness, a laid back seat, parental steering and brake control a baby remains super safe. As the child grows up, the trike converts to a toddler trike then later into a young child trike quickly and easily.

We loved this Eurotrike for the enormous play value and broad age range.

3. Combat Creatures – Attacknid

The Combat Creatures Attacknid has been called the Greatest Toy in the Universe by many, and whilst we see enormous play potential in this robot, the price point of around $150 will make it inaccessible to many Australian families. The Attacknid won Boys Toy of the Year at the Australian Toy Fair.

We had an opportunity to play with the Attacknid whilst at the Toy Fair and the robot is a highly entertaining and very intuitive toy that combines remote control and robot technology with shooting discs. One of the more fun aspects of the Attacknid is the fact that it’s armour flies off if hit by a disc, which makes having two of them and engaging in battles so much more fun.

This toy won our vote, despite it’s price point, as it’s a great toy for older children that require co-ordination and can be quite interactive if played in a group.

4. Lil Fairy Doors

Lil Fairy Doors are the brain child of an enterprising Australian mum who wanted to offer high quality fairy products around which children could build their own fairy worlds and enjoy the make believe.

Lil Fairy Doors are not only gorgeous but come supplied with fairy dust and special notes which the fairies can leave for their young charges. The play value of these is excellent with the doors attaching to walls, cupboards or any flat household surface with accessories such as fairy footprints, fairy toadstools and fairy grass. The products engage the child’s imagination and foster their creativity and we love them for the uniqueness.

5. My Studio Girl Sew Your Own

The My Studio Girl range is developed in Australia and focuses on developing dexterity and creativity through the Sew Your Own range. The range is terrific value, and teaches the lost art of sewing whilst ensuring that children still produce a quality product at the end which increases their confidence.

The clever kids safe needle that comes in each kit makes the projects simple and reduces the need for parent assistance. The range is well designed with smaller kits for beginners and larger kits with more complex sewing tasks for more experienced children.

Amazing play value for an Aussie home grown product range.

I hope you enjoyed our Top 5 Toys for 2013, there are many more toys with excellent play value on the market and as always buying toys that work well with your children’s interests whilst at the same time broadening their horizons will result in a terrific toy purchase.

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Presentation Tips for Beginners

An effective, compelling presentation has three clear parts: the introduction, the body and the conclusion.

Try to involve your audience. Inject variety through the use of a whiteboard or PowerPoint bullet points. Invite comment or feedback whenever possible. Questions or comment from the audience provide valuable breaks as well as a chance to regather your thoughts.

Remember – you are there to communicate with your audience, not to talk at them. So use language they find compelling. Paint pictures of events and ideas they can see in their mind. And keep them thinking with occasional questions. Keep them well informed about the structure and length of your presentation. If in doubt – cut it out.

PowerPoint

Keep PowerPoint text to an absolute minimum.

Brief bullet points are fine. But sentences and paragraphs should be avoided. Never read a presentation directly from PowerPoint

PowerPoint is best when used as a prompt. Too much information will send your audience to sleep. Keep them alert through the inclusion of photos, sound files or interesting background graphics.

Top Tips:

1. Encourage questions

2. Introduce props, MPEG clips or product samples

3. Be conversational – don’t rely entirely on notes

4. Smile – it projects confidence

5. Use repetition to ensure key facts sink in

6. Pause for effect on key points

Tips for presenting to a hostile audience:

1. Anticipate the tough questions.

2. Explain early you may not have all the answers.

3. Listen carefully to the question and look directly at the person asking.

4. If you need time to think, repeat the question aloud.

5. Whenever possible, provide an answer linked back to your speech.

6. If you cannot link back, acknowledge their concern and promise to investigate.

7. When appropriate, suggest another person or avenue that might be helpful.

8. Remain calm and helpful. Never show temper or exasperation.

9. Avoid bad body language: crossing arms, shaking head.

10. Keep things moving – respond to another member of the audience.

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Making the Environment Right for a Presentation

Giving a presentation to your colleagues at work needn’t be a horrific experience. All it takes is a little planning and preparation on your part to impress the boss and keep your coworkers awake while imparting the information you want to get across.

The environment of a presentation can be key to success or failure. Many a fine presentation was ruined by an uncomfortable or unsuitable environment. The make the environment as comfortable and productive as possible try to arrange the following items:

1) Room size and location. You want to have the room fit the number of people attending your presentation. Too small a room and your listeners may have to stand, or even sit on the floor. Too large a room, and your listeners could be scattered all over the four corners of the place, making it difficult to establish eye contact, or draw in your audience. If at all possible, have a good idea how many people are attending your presentation before you book a room.

The room location should be clearly indicated in any brochures or advertisements for your presentation. You don’t want your audience wandering all over a building looking for your room and missing half your presentation. You also don’t want your room location to be too close to a potential distraction, like a swimming pool, or a bar.

2) Room temperature, seating, tables. You want the temperature to be cool enough to keep your listeners awake, yet warm enough so they aren’t uncomfortable. Ask your listeners before you begin if they are comfortable. Show them where the thermostat is so they can adjust it during the presentation if need be.

Seats should have good back support, and there should be enough seats for everyone. The seats should have armrests and be adjustable.

Tables should be clean of any extraneous items and allow for a unobstructed view of the speaker. You may want to be sure the tables are grouped together to facilitate team work and exchange of ideas. Prepare the tables with any materials the participants need for your presentation, such as paper to take notes, outlines or copies of the slides you are presenting, pens, markers (if needed), and name tags.

3) Comfort. Nothing is worse for a presenter than a room full of caffeine or food depraved listeners. If you have a morning presentation, it is pleasant to offer coffee, tea, juice and other breakfast type items such as cereal bars or muffins for the participants to have prior or during your presentation. For a later day presentation, pitchers of ice water, soda, and energy bars are appreciated. If your room is near a place that offers food, such as a cafeteria, or vending machines, please point these out to your participants prior to getting into your talk. In addition to food, please tell your listeners where the bathrooms are.

Now that your environment is conducive to good listening and your listeners are comfortable and feel a little pampered and special, all eyes and ears will be on you, not on their growling tummies or sore backs. All it takes is a little preparation.

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