At Red Tricycle, the most cutting-edge gear for babies and kids is totally our jam. In order to bring you the best in new & cool, we hit up the 2016 ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas and it did not disappoint. Read on to discover the color trend you’ll be seeing everywhere in 2017, learn which toys will be a smash hit with kids, and get the heads up on gear you’ll actually use.
Trends for 2017
Expect to see these trends in the new year.
photo: courtesy @lunchesandlittles via Instagram
Gray is having a heyday.
Gray is here to stay. It was a constant theme at ABC; the classic hue will hit the kids and baby market in full force in 2017. The new JETT stroller line from Nuna is offered in cool gray hues, the new 3DTote Convenience Stroller (available in January 2017 at Amazon and Target) from Summer Infant will sport a gray and black design, and the reversible play mats from Lollaland (featuring a contemporary, geometric pattern on one side and a kid-friendly, playful pattern on the other) are now offered in gray. In mid-November, Skip Hop will launch a six-piece baby gift set in soft grays; we also spotted nursing pillows from Nursie, teething toys from Zoli, and sippy cups from Drink a Duex, all dressed up in chic shades of gray.
Collaborations are so hot right now.
We dig a good collab. Seems like other folks do too: There were a few exciting projects between style mavens and baby/kids gear companies at ABC this year. One that stood out was the Rachel Zoe for Maxi-Cosi line—infant seat, car seat, stroller, and diaper bag—designed by style guru Rachel Zoe. Admittedly luxe, the gear had leather accents and white (gasp!) fabric, but still kept comfort, utility, and safety a priority.
Another cool collaboration we spotted was mega-hot graphic design company Tokidoki, paired up with not one, but two different brands! The company lent its larger-than-life, fun characters (the unicorns and cactus friends are particularly awesome) to Zoli’s food and beverage containers, and it paired up with Itzy Ritzy (launching January 2017) to add its cult-status graphics to the popular reusable snack bags.
Forget one of everything. Get one that DOES everything.
It used to be that new parents needed one of everything. These days, to maximize space and convenience, parents need one that does everything. We thought the new Tuo high chair (available December 2016) from Skip Hop was a modern parents dream. Stylish and functional, when baby is ready to make the move to toddler chair, simply shorten the legs and ditch the tray. Bonus points for the easy-clean, reversible seat pad. The Splash n’ Store (available December 2016) from Summer Infant also caught our eye for it’s multi-stage, fold-up-and-store features.
Silicon is the new plastic.
Forget BPA-free plastic. The newest material for eating, drinking, bathing, and even playing is silicone. Yup, it’s bendable, dishwasher, microwave and oven safe, is hypo-allergenic and PVC, BPA, BPS and phthalate free. The Brushies is a brightly colored set of finger puppets that double as toothbrushes. Designed by two moms, a dentist and a child psychologist, this new toy-and-book set gives parents a whole new outlook on oral hygiene. EZPZ caught our eyes with its fun and colorful line of happy mats, bowls, and play mats (available December 2016). Marcus & Marcus had a brand-new line of bath toys (available December 2016) at ABC: Mold-free submarines and rockets in bright, fun colors featuring their signature animal friends. Silikids will soon have their new bowl/plate combo on the market. The fun colors, multiple functions, and cool design are ideal for busy parents.
Other Cool Products That Caught Our Eye
There were many other cool and innovative products at ABC. Here are a few that really stood out.
Green Toys – Farm Playset
From the maker of your kiddo’s favorite upcycled tea set, trucks and boats comes a new line of pretend play toys, including the Farm Playset, which was a 2016 ABC Kids Expo award winner. The farm set comes with 13 pieces, including animals and a farmer— we’re betting you’ll see it on hot toy gift guides this year.
Dr. Brown’s – Options Bottle
The easy-flow bottles moms know and love got a makeover in 2016. The new Options Bottle allows parents to choose whether or not they want to deal with the vent parts. Can you say genius?
Janod – The Fantastic Castle
The french toy company has launched its latest adorable imaginary cardboard world, the Fantastic Castle. The 16-piece puzzle comes with 10 wooden accessories, and 8 cardboard accessories. The intricate illustrations and fold-up, stow-away capabilities caught our eye!
Keen – The Moxie Collection
Keen shoes are known for sturdy construction and easy-on-easy-off capabilities. We got a peek at the new Moxie Collection (Spring/Summer 2017) and if you’ve got girls who love to be active but still love style and fun colors, this will be the one shoe you buy for summer and maybe even keep through fall.
Tegu – Sticky Monsters
Tegu will launch their latest line of magnetic blocks—Sticky Monsters—just in time for the holidays (December 2016). They come with fun names like Zip Zap, Finklebear, and Marbles, have bright, bold pieces, and are compatible with all other Tegu blocks. If you already have a growing collection, these new friends will be a cool addition. If you’ve never bought Tegu blocks before, this is a good place to start.
Innobaby – The Robot
This brand-new teether is made from TPE—a non-toxic, high quality food grade material. Every Innobaby teether are bisphenol-A (BPA) free, phthalate free, pvc free, lead free and latex free.
Are you excited for any of these new & cool products? Share with us in a Comment!
—Gabby Cullen
