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The Toy Insider: Trendy and unique toys for 2019

Toy experts share ideas for kids of all ages
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From toys that all the kids have or want, to the ones that are unique and educational, there's a toy for every child on your list this year.

The Toy Insider, a New York-based toy review site, visited Denver7 to show off toys for every age and price point.

One big trend this year is retro toys being marketed to kids whose parents grew up in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

"I think, in general, nostalgia is such a big, prevalent theme right now and that’s really found its way into the toy world for this holiday season," said Madeleine Buckley with The Toy Insider.

Here are The Toy Insider's picks for best retro toys for 2019:
-Tamagotchi On, ages 6-12, MSRP: $59.99
-Pretty Pretty Princess, ages 5+, MSRP: $16.95
-Arcade1Up Pac-Man CounterCade, ages 14+, MSRP: $199
-Doodle Bear, ages 3+, MSRP: $19.99
-Colorforms Classic Picture Panels play sets, ages 3+, MSRP: $24.99

Another trend is STEM toys that encourage exploring how something works.

"The kids are getting involved with making their toy work, using them to do experiments and just getting that extra educational value," Buckley said.

Other STEM toys, like the Artie 3000, are designed to use the right and left side of the brain by combining science with art and creativity.

"(The Artie 3000) comes pre-programmed to be able to draw different shapes, but then as kids learn about coding they can come up with different designs for Artie to draw," Buckley said.

Here are The Toy Insider's picks for best STEM toys for 2019:
-Air-walker, ages 8+, MSRP: $39.95
-Discovery Prehistoric Slimygoop Dig, ages 6+, MSRP: $16.99
-Confectionery Science, ages 8+, MSRP: $9.99
-Artie 3000, ages 7+, MSRP: $69.99
-Smart Pixelator, ages 7+, MSRP: $59.99

Finally, some trends are continuing from previous years. Some of this year's hottest toys fall into the "unboxing" or "surprise reveal" category. Others are based on popular social media and YouTube trends, like "What's in the Box," a game based on videos where people guess what's in a box.

Here are the Toy Insider's picks for the hottest toys of 2019:
-What's In the Box, ages 4+, MSRP: $21.99
-Blume, ages 5+, MSRP: $9.99
-Scruff-a-Luvs: My Real Rescue, ages 4+, MSRP: $39.99
-Cry Babies: Kristal Gets Sick & Feels Bettter, ages 3+, MSRP: $49.99
-Monster Jam Mega Grave Digger RC Truck, ages 4+, MSRP: $99.99
-Ryan's World Super Surprise Safe, Ages 3+, MSRP: $39.99

Here are the Toy Insiders picks for stocking stuffers for 2019:
-Unbox Me Girls, ages 6+, MSRP: $9.99
-Ryan's Racers, ages 3+, MSRP: $5.99
-Scorpion (by Hexbug), ages 8+, MSRP: $14.99
-Nickelodeon Premade Cupcake Slime, ages 6+, MSRP: $4.99
-Pop It!, ages 3+, MSRP: $7.99
-Jixelz 700- and 1,500-piece set, ages 6+, MSRP: $9.95 - $16.96
-Glitter Dots (by Crayola), ages 5+, MSRP: $4.99-$19.99 (Activity kits $10)