I went to kid heaven last week, and that doesn't mean I spent a day at Chuck E. Cheese's. No, I attended the New York Toy Fair, where I got the inside scoop on the the biggest toy trend of 2019. And while there was a lot of fanfare around products with an element of surprise and nostalgia, the fad I could not stop noticing was everything llama-themed. Yep, 2019 is officially the year of llama toys, so you better find your DVD of The Emperor's New Groove STAT.
The NY Toy Fair is the spot for uncovering what's hot in kid land each year; the theme of 2018 was gross toys, with kids begging for poop products and pimple popper games according to USA Today. I still saw a fair amount of disgusting things to keep little ones entertained, but llamas had definitely usurped poop as the number one product for kids. (And for that, parents everywhere are thankful.) Seriously, you couldn't walk two feet at the fair without seeing a furry creature with a long neck, and the diversity of the kinds of toys you can get that are llama themed is honestly impressive. It might seem kind of random for the spitting mammals to all of a sudden be popular, but as Newsweek reports, llamas are probably coming out on top for 2019 as a result of Fortnite's popularity, which features a piñata llama as its main mascot. Don't hate the player, hate the game.
So now, toymakers are packaging the famed mascot in every different way you can imagine, so much so that it's inevitable at this point that your little ones will be begging for at least one llama toy for their birthday or Christmas this year. So read on to find out about some of the llama products making waves this year, and keep your fingers crossed that they'll give you the green light to toss out one of the dozen poop-themed toys you got them last year.
Boppi The Booty Shaking Llama
Did you know llamas can twerk? If not, Boppi, ZURU Toy's new booty shaking llama, is here to spread the good news. Boppi is part of ZURU's new Pets Alive line, building on their already popular Robo Alive line which features kid favorites like robotic lizards, tarantulas, and clownfish. Boppi can shake her tail-feather to three different songs with three unique dances, which is sure to keep little ones entertained for hours. The Pets Alive line is set to launch in June 2019 at a retail price of $20 per robot animal per PR Newswire, so tell your kiddos to start saving their allowance money now.
Musical Lili Llama
This precious interactive set from Manhattan Toys lets your little prodigy express themselves through music and explore the way things move. The 5-bar xylophone and mallets (which you can store in Lili's head, by the way) would be enough, but the wooden llama also comes equipped with spinners and gears little ones will have a blast playing with, as well as a maraca on her tail and other noisemaking extensions for ultimate play. Lili retails for $50 on the Manhattan Toy website, but you'll have to wait a bit to get her; she's currently sold out.
Pikmi Pops Pajama Llama
The creators of Pikmi Pops are getting into the llama game with Pajama Llamas, an adorable toy that comes in a box of popcorn and has a built in sleeping bag. Designed to stick with kids during waking and dreaming hours, effortlessly transitioning to bed time with a pouch on their backs that becomes a sleeping bag. Think of them as the ultimate slumber party companion, though they aren't on sale quite yet.
NERF Fortnite Micro Shots Micro Llama Dart Blaster Toy
NERF is taking the Fortnite llama inspiration quite literally, turning the video game into a real life battle game with their line of Fortnite collectible guns as The Verge reports. The Micro Llama is the smallest and most recognizably Fortnite of the bunch, fitting easily in the palm of kids' hands for easy collecting. The little but powerful llamas will retail for $10, and you can preorder them now on Toy Wiz.
Floppies Pink Llama
Manhattan Toy's Floppies stuffed animals get their name because weights in their feet cause them to sprawl out when you place them down. The llama edition comes in pink or white, and they retail for $14. Start your little one's collection today.
Giant Llama Pool Float
Big Mouth Inc. is adding to their line of giant sprinklers and pool toys with this giant llama pool float, and frankly, I'm obsessed. Think of it as the new swan float. You can snag one for $25 on Amazon to ensure your kids hit the pool in style come June. Psst: make sure to check out their five-foot-long llama pool noodle, too.
Hackin' Packin' Alpaca
Although alpaca and llamas are technically different, they're similar enough that this game from Mattel fits with the trend. In Hackin' Packin' Alpaca, kids have to stack items on the alpaca's back before he gets frustrated and literally spits on them. The game will sell for $20, according to ACD, though its not available for purchase yet. Make sure you stay out of the splash zone when the kids break this one out.
Llama Pegacorn Stuffed Animal- 12"
Wild Republic puts a magical twist on the llama trend with their Llama Pegacorn, also called a llamacorn, a combination of a unicorn and a llama. (Read: a kid's dream come true.) The cuddly and colorful lovey is big enough that your little one will have a blast playing make believe with their buddy, but its soft filling makes the llamacorn the perfect bed time companion. You can buy it for $15, and be sure to check out Wild Republic's other llama products for the year.
Super Flopsie Llamacorn
Speaking of llamacorns, this giant version from Aurora World is the ultimate stuffed pal for 2019. This 28 inch combination of llama and unicorn will bring a smile to your kiddo's face, and you can always get one of their smaller versions if this one feels too big. They're available now for $47 on the Aurora site.
Who's Your Llama?
Jakks is combining collectability, surprise, and llamas in Who's Your Llama?, a line of collectible llamas that each have their own personality. They're sold in two-packs, and you won't know which ones will be waiting for you inside thanks to the nifty camper the little guys are hiding in. Plus, each character has a silly feature — smiling, winking, sticking out its tongue, or, of course, spitting. They're available for $13 on Amazon, and your kid will want them all once they get their hands on the first pack.
