The Cake Boss created an I SPY cake for this year's Toy Fair!

While there’s always fun to be found New York City, that’s especially true each February, when the annual Toy Fair comes to town!  One of my favorite things to do when I was a kid was hang out at places like the Toys-R-us or FAO Schwartz. It was a dream come true to get to spend four days getting the scoop about how the toy industry works. I even got to shoot some exclusive video of the toy fair fun! Check it out below.

From February 13-16, 2011, thousands of companies and manufacturers in the toy industry descended upon New York City for Toy Fair 2011. Brands presented their newest gadgets, gizmos, toys, and books-plus activities to potential buyers and toy stores from around the globe. Klutz was there, introducing 12 exciting new titles that will hit stores throughout the spring!

From a giant safety pin bracelet to 3-foot-tall paper flowers to an official thumb wrestling ring, the Klutz Booth had it all. I got a chance to talk with Klutz president Matt Brown as we walked around the Fair, and he filled me in on what it’s like to work in the toy industry, what Klutz is all about, and to give you all an exclusive tour of the Klutz booth!

One of the coolest things at Toy Fair this year was when Klutz invited Lucha Libre to visit the booth to go thumb to thumb with Toy Fair spectators as they tested out the spectacular Sleeve of Doom from Klutz’s Thumb Wars: The Ultimate Guide. Klutz even had their own custom-made thumb wars ring for the event. I was impressed with some of the smooth moves and thumb-wrestling talent out there! People really gave Lucha a run for his money! Check it out!

Elsewhere at Toy Fair, Briarpatch (the creator of I SPY branded puzzles and games) threw a celebration in their booth in conjunction with Scholastic’s 20th anniversary celebration of the I SPY brand. In those 20 years, I SPY has become a family favorite, with 36 million books in print, not to mention an award-winning television series, apps for the iPhone and iPad, and video games.

While toys can provide hours of fun, they’re also tools for education and exploration – which is what Klutz is all about. Some of my favorite upcoming titles include the aforementioned Thumb Wars: The Ultimate Guide by Eva Steele-Saccio and the upcoming The Klutz Guide to the Galaxy by Pat Murphy and the Scientists of Klutz Labs; Mix and Match Drawing by the Editors of Klutz; and The Encyclopedia of MY Immaturity by The Editors of Klutz ($16.99, April 2011).

Readers, do you have favorite toys or books-plus that have helped you or your kids learn and explore in new ways? Chat us up in the comments.