Kinder Joy candy now comes with rockets, rovers and other space toys

Kinder Joy's new space toy collection includes planetary rovers and rocketships, as well as astronaut figures.
Kinder Joy's new space toy collection includes planetary rovers and rocketships, as well as astronaut figures. (Image credit: Kinder USA)

A popular candy brand is helping children imagine their future in space with the help of aspiring astronaut.

Kinder Joy, the sweet treat packaged with a bonus toy, has worked with "future Mars walker" Alyssa Carson to launch its new space collection ahead of World Space Week. Designed for young kids, the space toys include astronauts, rocket ships, planetary rovers and more.

"Ever since I was a young girl, I had my heart set on the stars," Carson said in a statement. "That's why I partnered with Kinder Joy to help share my passion for space exploration, so families can be inspired to learn more about our galaxy and raise the next generation of explorers."

Related: Food in space: What do astronauts eat?

Carson introduces kids and their parents to the toys in a series of videos shared on Kinder Joy's social media channels.

"This is the Zero-Gravity Astronaut," Carson said in one of the new "Explore the Galaxy" videos. "Zero gravity is definitely the most exciting part about going to space for astronauts. I have been lucky to experience zero gravity twice now using airplanes."

"Do you think you could open a Kinder Joy egg in zero gravity?" she asks.

A Kinder Joy egg is a plastic shell that splits into halves. One half is filled with two layers of milky sweet creams with two crispy wafer bites filled with cocoa cream. The other half of the egg contains a small plastic toy. Kinder Joy is produced by Ferrero, the confectionery company that also makes Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tac and the hazelnut spread Nutella.

Each of the toys in the new collection appears to be loosely based on real space vehicles and equipment. The "Rocketship" resembles SpaceX's Dragon capsule; the "Moon Racer" evokes the Apollo lunar roving vehicle; and the "Explorer Rover" is similar in design to NASA's "Spirit" and "Opportunity" Mars rovers. Another toy, the "Sojouner," is named after the first wheeled vehicle sent to the Red Planet 25 years ago.

All 12 Kinder Joy space toys interact with Applaydu, a free augmented reality app available on the App Store and Google Play. Additional space features can also be accessed through the app.

"Be sure to scan the toy with your kid and bring it to life in the Applaydu app for even more space discoveries," Carson tells parents in the "Kinder Joy" videos.

Each of the Kinder Joy space toys interact with the free augmented reality app Applaydu available for iOS and Android. (Image credit: Kinder USA)

The collection's release is timed with World Space Week, an annual celebration that recognizes to dates in history: the launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, on Oct. 4, 1957 and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty on Oct. 10, 1967.

"Space exploration is more exciting than ever, and we are proud to partner with Alyssa Carson to help inspire kids and parents to explore the galaxy through the new Kinder Joy space toy collection," Miguel Zorrilla, vice president of marketing for Kinder Joy, said. "With the excitement and discovery of opening a delicious Kinder Joy, we hope the new space collection sparks the imagination of kids and parents, motivating them to play, learn and dream together."

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Robert Z. Pearlman
collectSPACE.com Editor, Space.com Contributor

Robert Pearlman is a space historian, journalist and the founder and editor of collectSPACE.com, an online publication and community devoted to space history with a particular focus on how and where space exploration intersects with pop culture. Pearlman is also a contributing writer for Space.com and co-author of "Space Stations: The Art, Science, and Reality of Working in Space” published by Smithsonian Books in 2018. He previously developed online content for the National Space Society and Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, helped establish the space tourism company Space Adventures and currently serves on the History Committee of the American Astronautical Society, the advisory committee for The Mars Generation and leadership board of For All Moonkind. In 2009, he was inducted into the U.S. Space Camp Hall of Fame in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2021, he was honored by the American Astronautical Society with the Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History.