Hasbro Tickle Me Elmo
(Hasbro $30)
Look who’s back in town? It‘s the original Tickle Me Elmo, the guy we introduced on the Today Show in 1996, so many years ago. I remember waiting in the Green Room to go on air and Bryant Gumbel kept teasing our holiday toy segment by squeezing Elmo’s foot or pressing Elmo’s belly. He had everyone in the studio laughing along. By the time I got down to the set Elmo was already the hottest toy of the year. Wherever Stephanie and I appeared on TV that year the producers would make sure we were bringing Elmo and leaving him behind, too. (Yes, back in the day, Stephanie was on the set, but I was doing the segments....happily she has taken over that job!) So, how do we feel about having the original doll back? We think he’s still the best—simple, no tricks, no doo-dads, no kidding. They say his body is softer now, but he doesn’t feel that way to us. That said, he’s a lovable toy with the kind of repetition and cause and effect action that any toddler or preschooler (and some TV anchors) will enjoy as a novelty item. 18 months and up.
Ages: Toddlers, Preschoolers
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2017
