HOUSTON – They're the hottest toys of the holiday season -- Fingerlings, Oonies and Batbot Xtreme -- but do they live up to all the hype?
Channel 2's Amy Davis is getting answers straight from the most important consumers: children between the ages of 4 to 10. She reveals which toys are duds and which ones will keep the kids entertained.
Flying cars, a ferocious tiger, a vacation jet and 15 kids. It's all to help you find the best gifts for your kids. KPRC 2 focused on the popular toys this holiday season and then had kids ages 4 to 10 test them out.
First up, let's talk crafts. You might be seeing Oonies in every store. They're supposed to inflate to make animals. But only one inflated, making this craft a dud.
The bigger hit was the 3-D printer pen. The parents loved the creativity aspect and the kids love making stuff, even without following the instructions.
Next up are the big-ticket items. The Imaginext Batbot Xtreme, which costs about $84, has extendable wings, missiles and even a Batman voice changer. This was a hit with both boys and girls.
KPRC 2 tested the FurReal Tiger, which costs $117, roars and moves his head. One thing everyone agreed on was how cute it was. But it didn't seem to hold their attention too long.
The toys that held attention the longest were the ones they could all play together with.
Shopkins are still trendy and this year, they have a travel theme. The girls really loved playing with the World Vacation Jet.
And we couldn't get the boys away from the Nerf Nitro FlashFury Chaos. You can shoot cars, creating cool stunts. For just $20, it was a big hit with our testers and their parents.
Last year's craze is back again in mini-form. KPRC 2 set out a carton of Hatchimal Minis, and the kids ran right for them. But mom and dad, get ready, because after the animals hatch, you're left with quite the mess on the floor.
Next, KPRC 2 tried testing Lego Chain Reactions, but the kids really weren't into reading the directions.
When asked which toy they'd prefer, our testers didn't chose the Fingerling. While the Fingerling was exciting for the kids to test at first, after about 15 minutes, it was abandoned.
KPRC 2 tested good old-fashioned games too, from Soggy Doggy to Toilet Trouble.
First up, water games. Toilet Trouble has been on the shelves for a few months, costing $16. This year's hot game is Soggy Doggy, which costs about $20.
Toilet Trouble is easy: Spin the toilet paper roll and flush the handle as many times as it says. If you get sprayed with water, you're out.
It's quick to pick up and it actually sprays the kids with water, but it didn't seem to hold their attention too long.
Soggy Doggy is a bit more complicated. You move around the game board, either pressing one of the tub's handles to get the dog wet or spinning the other one for your chance at getting sprayed.
Your objective is to get all the way around the board, but we found while the dog is supposed to shake water at you, it really doesn't.
But that apparently didn't matter -- the kids liked the dog more, making Soggy Doggy our winner.
Moving onto the famous pie face games. We pitted last year's Pie Face Showdown, which is about $18, against this year's new Pie Face Sky High, costing $22.
When we asked which one was their favorite, we got mixed reviews. Kids liked the new Pie Face, but most preferred the old one, Pie Face Showdown, making that our winner.
Just remember, Pie Face leaves a sticky mess to clean up. But what did the kids really liked the most? Eating the whipped cream.