You may want to spend some of your bonus on special toys for your little loved ones.
(Editor’s note: As you know, FTF News has been keeping an eye on gadgets for adults who want to spend some of their bonus on fun and sometimes useful gadgets. This time we review some of Hasbro’s offerings for children as some of you may have dependents who would love that special toy. The following offerings were on display via Pepcom’s Holiday Spectacular! East, a meet-and-greet between press and the makers of consumer electronics, held in New York in the fall. Of course, some of the toys may need the involvement of parents. These and other toys are most likely available at major retailers nationwide or via HasbroToyShop.com.)
THE BOP IT GAME
Hasbro has released the “BOP IT Game” for kids eight and up. The game “prompts kids to Hammer It, Sing It, Selfie It and more with 10 new voice commands.” The goal is to react fast to each command and perform the action “as you seek to beat the Bop It,” according to the company. “Challenge friends to see who can level up as the commands get faster or play solo to master all the new moves.” The game is an electronic unit that includes three games played in solo or social mode.
SESAME STREET’S ELMO RETURNS
Hasbro has brought back a favorite, the “LOVE2LEARN ELMO,” a plush toy and app that is geared to children ages 18 months and up. 
The toy delivers Elmo’s “silly laughs” and the accompanying app delivers “a customized play experience for children.” Parents have to download the app and to program the Elmo toy so that it knows “their child’s name, favorite colors, favorite animals, and favorite foods.” Parents can also use “Parent Helpers” in the app to select songs and phrases that the Elmo toy can say in real time.
THE SIMON AIR GAME
The SIMON AIR Game, for children eight-years-old and older, is an update of the “classic SIMON gameplay” but with touch-free technology. “Play solo against the new SIMON AIR Game or team up with a friend and work together to remember the sequence, repeat the pattern and conquer the SIMON AIR Game,” according to the vendor. “The Simon game senses every hand motion and registers correct sequences. Stay on top of the game and conquer the speed-increasing levels with double moves, swoop moves, and even moves that light up all four lights! If the pattern is repeated incorrectly, a buzzer will sound and signal the end of the game. The player with the highest score is the winner!”
AND A STAR WARS STORMTROOPER
The STAR WARS InteracTech Stormtrooper Figure, which is appropriate for kids aged four or older, responds to how people play, Hasbro says. “Thanks to more than 70 light and sound effects and precise motion sensors, this trooper is ready for almost anything. March him into battle and then listen as the InteracTech Stormtrooper figure leads the charge with unique sounds and phrases,” according to the vendor. “Get up close and personal with hand-to-hand combat sounds, or blast at the Rebels with a flick of the wrist and feel the power of the trooper’s E-11 Blaster. And if the Rebels get the better of him, the InteracTech Stormtrooper yells out in defeat when falling!”
No word yet on a Darth Vader version.
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