The Big Reveal, Millennial Nostalgia, Games Galore, Pet Play, Inspiring Imaginations, and Toys that Teach were named the biggest trends of the year.

Kids’ obsession with unboxing and collecting toys, a revival of nostalgic brands, a growing interest in board games, imaginative play, and toys that teach children to be better global citizens are just a few of 2018’s biggest toy trends announced by The Toy Association at its 115th North American International Toy Fair.

Adrienne Appell, leading trend specialist at The Toy Association, commented: “The toy industry continues to do an incredible job of keeping pace with innovation and trends seen beyond the toy aisle in order to bring kids and families exactly what they are looking for: play that is engaging, enriching, addictive, and fun. The top trends reflect a continued demand for collectibles, family games, creative toys, and tech-infused products that allow kids to create and explore new worlds and build lifelong skills through play.”

The Toy Association’s team of trend experts predicts that 2018 will see some of the best new products to hit store shelves in recent years. The team meets with hundreds of global toy companies throughout the year to track the latest developments in toys and youth entertainment. At New York Toy Fair, the team combs through thousands of products on the show floor before making an official announcement of the year’s hottest trends at a “Toy Trends Briefing” for media, buyers, and other show guests.