Cutting edge technologies are changing the face of children’s toys forever. Whilst there will always be a place for the well-known traditional toys such as alphabet blocks, ride-ons and card games, the breathtaking advancement of electronic and tech toys means that more and more toys now have integrated microchips, battery-operated moving parts and even internet connections to expand their potential.
Electronic toys are surprisingly new - and this explains in part why every year we continue to see more and more amazing games released – many at remarkably low prices.
Speak & Spell – the wonderful looking electronic toy from Texus Instruments that was released in 1978 to delighted children all over the world, marked a revolution in the popularity of computer and electronic toys. The craze for having electronics in toys continued to grow in the 1980s with games like Simon attracting a popular following. This was followed by the explosive launch of Nintendo’s Game Boy in 1989 and then robotic pets – particularly Tamagotchi – that managed to capture public imagination right through the 1990s and into the 21st Century.
The new breed of electronic toys includes Elmo Live and the hugely popular animatronic talking parrot toy called Squawkers McCaw.
This sprawling website is filled with CDs, DVDs and electronic toys to suit all budgets.
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A specialist retailer of PC and video games, consoles and accessories.
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This online store stocks a truely eclectic selection of unusual toys, gifts, gadgets and curiosities that appeal to all ages and tastes.
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This online toy shops stock an impressive range of weird and wonderful electronic gadgets that are hard to find on the High Street.
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A Darlington-based stockist of action figures and much more
A Manchester-based toy store that sells quality outdoor, educational and wooden toys
An independent toy shop based in Lincolnshire