Every year new toys hit the shelves and parents are bombarded with requests from their kids to get the latest thing. That’s why McLaughlin on Your Side put the call out for a highly skilled group of researchers and someone from one of Canada’s biggest toy stores to help us narrow the search.

Toy experts six-year old Jack, five-year old Presley, 10-year old Cash, four-year old Sophie and two-year old Maya answered that call, all willing to play in the name of research. And Ryan Carr from Mastermind Toys provided the merchandise.

Sophie and Maya were slow to warm up, but soon enjoyed playing with the latest Paw Patrol toy, while the boys were enamored by a remote controlled spider, that casts a web. It wasn’t a big hit with the girls but by the end of the ‘play session’ Sophie wouldn’t let go of it.

This year’s lineup included the typical riding toys, old fashioned games like darts, skill testing activities and more advanced tech toys to help kids learn to code. The older kids enjoyed training a robotic mouse to find its cheese, but the toy was a little advanced for the younger ones.

Watch our video to see how they work and the reactions they got from the kids.

Here’s the list of some of the favourites:

IGLOO-MANIA GAME ($29.99), AGES 5+

Take turns removing the igloo’s blocks using your ice pick.

CODE AND GO ROBOT MOUSE ACTIVITY SET ($79.99), AGES 6+

Build your maze, and then use the coding cards to create a step-by-step path for the Robot Mouse.

CIRCUITSCRIBE ($110) OVER 8

Non-toxic silver ink makes drawing circuits as easy as doodling.

KID DARTS SAFETY TIP DART BOARD ($24.99), AGES 6+

The darts feature a special safety-tip that ensures a hole-free wall, and no fear of injuries.

LIMBO HOP GAME ($49.99), AGES 6+

Limbo Hop challenges you to limbo under or hop over the sweeper, flicking the score tabs as you go.

http://www.mastermindtoys.com/Limbo-Hop-Game.aspx

PAW PATROL ZOOMER MARSHALL ($79.99), AGES 4+

Paw Patrol Zooming Marshall is an interactive pup who responds to touch and movement.

REMOTE CONTROL WEB ATTACK TARANTULA ($44.99), AGES 6+

Control your very own creepy crawler with the remote-control Web Blasting Tarantula.

Of course, no two kids are the same so it’s impossible for one toy to stand out as the hottest toy of the season. For more reviews of kid-approved toys for all ages click here.