| It is no secret that toys have been changing in | | | | Furby was just as big a hit as the Furby of the |
| the last ten years. With all of the technological | | | | year before, and toy stores made a good profit |
| advances made by toy makers and | | | | off of this interactive toy. |
| manufacturers, the word "toy" means something | | | | After these toy trends were over, the TV show, |
| completely different than it did to the past | | | | "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" hit the airwaves, |
| generations. Parents will remember when toys | | | | and of course, the board game came out before |
| meant things like dolls, tea sets, non battery | | | | Christmas and was asked for by many kids that |
| operated cars and trucks, train sets and Lego | | | | year. Along with this popular game came some |
| blocks. Their children however, will remember toys | | | | toys that were a lot more technologically |
| like Nintendo, X Box, Guitar Hero, Robot toys and | | | | advanced than the toys of Christmas past. One |
| remote controlled cars, trucks and planes. | | | | example of this type of toy is the robotic pet. |
| Granted, there were some technological toys on | | | | This toy was very popular with both parents and |
| the market ten years ago, but they were | | | | kids, because it provided a type of surrogate for |
| nowhere near the toys of today! If the toy | | | | a real pet, without being smelly, dirty or noisy. |
| making trends are to continue on as they have | | | | The robotic pet did a lot of real, pet like things |
| been, I am sure that the next ten years will find | | | | without the hassle of having to care for a real |
| us buying robots for our children that have the | | | | pet. It was also a great idea for families with pet |
| ability to convert into a few different types of | | | | allergies. |
| toys. | | | | After the robotic pet, technology basically took |
| Ten years ago, the top few toys on the market | | | | over the toy industry, and now there are toys |
| that children were asking for were toys like the | | | | like, more advanced robotic toys, video games, X |
| Furby, the Tickle Me Elmo, the Tamagotchi, | | | | Box, Guitar Hero, Nintendo Wii and all of the plug |
| Beanie Babies and the Teletubbies. There was | | | | and play games. There are actually toys that |
| nothing too technological about these types of | | | | allow kids to exercise without even stepping |
| toys, and all parents understood them, and how | | | | outside! There are still toys in the stores that are |
| they worked. (Except for the Tamagotchi...some | | | | like the ones we had years ago, such as doll, cars, |
| parents may have had some trouble | | | | Thomas the tank engine train sets, and the like, |
| understanding what the point of an electronic pet | | | | but kids these days are asking more for the |
| was!) After that year, the next fads in toys were | | | | technological toys. Toys have almost become a |
| toys such as, the Baby Furby and, believe it or | | | | popularity contest - kids want what their friends |
| not, the Yo Yo! The Yo Yo came back on the | | | | have, and if they don't own certain toy, they are |
| scene after being completely redone and | | | | not "cool" to their classmates. |
| presented as the new and improved ProYo. Baby | | | | |