Toy Fair 2010: Four key trends

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NEW YORK -- With more than 100,000 products at this week’s toy fair in New York -- including Legos, bouncy balls, electronics, Uglydolls, Twilight board games and no-spill bubbles -- it can be tough to figure out what’s hot and what’s not.

But Reyne Rice, a toy trend expert at the Toy Industry Assn., said the best products this year are those that fall under the four A’s: active, accessible, affordable, aspirational.

Speaking to a group of reporters, Rice said she expected arts and crafts, construction sets and classics such as Crayola to do well this year. She also raved about traditional games that are being updated with modern twists, such as a new Monopoly game with a circular board and a version of Trivial Pursuit that allows players to bet on their opponents.

And with consumers still spending frugally, Rice said toy makers had gone to great lengths to make sure this year’s toys are reasonably priced.

‘All year round, we’re going to see great value,’ she said.

-- Andrea Chang