Up, Up and Away: Toys That Take Flight

Who couldn’t use a bit of a lift during these white-knuckle inducing times? Scores of 2009 Toy Fair attendees discovered precisely such a boost at the World’s Largest Levitating Objects, an event organized by the toy wizards at Unitech (Booth 5921, daily showings at 11am and 2pm, unitechtoys.com). Using Unitech’s signature product—the FunFlyStick magic levitation wand ($26.95) that emits a static to raise Mylar tinsel high into the air—demonstrator Olga Ousherovitch wowed oglers by elevating an enormous tinsel ball.

Move over, Harry Potter: There’s a new secret sorcerer in town. Though FunFlyStick is approved for children 5 years and up, Unitech execs have stumbled upon a loyal market among an unexpected audience. “Men just love this gadget!” says Ousherovitch, VP of sales and marketing at Unitech. “Maybe it’s a power thing—there’s something addictive about using the gadget to make an object move.” Memo to Olga: Let us introduce you to some females who would share in the power grab.

What else is, um, up at this year’s Toy Fair? Plenty—including Megatech’s radio-controlled, indoor-outdoor Hopper-Fly helicopter (see megatech.com for price information). The ’copter hovers at 100 feet in the air (with a little help from nine batteries, that is) and it comes complete with a charging station and transmitter. The counter-rotating blades ensure that even a novice pilot can navigate smoothly—before bringing down the aircraft for a landing that would make eve pilot Sully (a la miracle on New York’s Hudson) quite proud.

If planes and wands aren’t quite your obsession of choice, come with me to a galaxy far, far away. This fall, Uncle Milton Industries will finally release the toy that Star Wars geeks and 1980s kids (yes, I’m one) have been awaiting. At $129, it’s a touch pricey—but we would-be Skywalkers might’ve guessed that being able to control a Jedi Training Remote with the latest brainwave technology wouldn’t exactly come cheap.

Here’s what’s so freakin’ cool about the Star Wars gadget: The deeper you concentrate as you wear the headset, the greater affect you have on the Training Sphere, a ball that moves up or down a cylinder based on how well you’re focusing. After 15 levels of training (may the force be with you), you can progress from Padawan to Jedi Master. Familiar movie character voices (think Yoda) guide you through the process.

Oh, and one more thing: For another game involving mental acuity and biofeedback technology, you should also check out Mattel’s new MindFlex game ($79.99 this fall,mattelbrandsmedia.com). Users navigate a customizable obstacle course only the power of the mind—and maybe just a smidgen of perseverance to keep the ball afloat.