One of the Biggest Toy Trends of 2016 will be Gamified Drones

Drones have been a hot but controversial topic in the tech space for quite some time, but following the trend of whatever’s popular among adults — from cars to mobile devices — it was only a matter of time before kids would want a drone of their own, too.

Kid-friendly drones is one of the biggest toy trends to land at the 2016 International Toy Fair held in New York City this weekend. But we’re not just talking about your typical fly-and-control drones. These drones are games in disguise.”Although drones aren’t new, the abundance and variety of them is a major trend for the year,” Adrienne Appell, director of strategic communications at the Toy Industry Association, told Mashable. “There are drones with play patterns built into them, voice-activated options and others made specifically for girls.”Gamifying a drone means taking your standard remote-controlled drone and adding a game element to it, whether it’s a race course, a dog fight or adding a video game-like spin. With the help of apps, augmented reality and innovative technologies, these drones are leading the future of gamified flight.

There’s a natural cause for concern for drone use among kids; after all, the fast-spinning propellers alone are enough to give parents a healthy dose of anxiety. But these drones have protection on the outside of their blades, so you shouldn’t have to worry about cutting up the wallpaper or taking out an eyeball.

All drones that weigh above 0.55 pounds have to be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, but luckily these drones are all under the cut-off.

Let’s take a look at some of the coolest drones we’ve seen so far at Toy Fair.

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