April 2010

Grand Opening of BabyLand General Hospital Set for Mother’s Day Weekend

Cabbage Patch Kids creator Xavier Roberts has announced that the grand opening of BabyLand General Hospital will take place on May 8 in Cleveland, Ga. The Official Grand Opening Celebration and Family Reunion, held during Mother’s Day weekend, will honor past, present, and future moms and dads who have loved and cared for their Cabbage Patch Kids.

The official celebration will begin at 9 a.m. at 300 N.O.K. Drive and will continue throughout the day with activities, entertainment, prize drawings, and costume characters. Roberts will also make a special appearance to sign, with proof of purchase, Cabbage Patch Kids adopted at BabyLand General Hospital and from www.cabbagepatchkids.com, during the week of May 2 to May 8. The appearance will mark Roberts’ first public signing in almost seven years.

A2 to Premiere Secret Millionaire’s Club This Saturday

A2 Entertainment will premiere Secret Millionaire’s Club, a new animated series inspired by the teachings of Warren Buffett, at this year’s annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting on May 1. Created in partnership by A2 and AOL, Secret Millionaires Club teaches kids about finance through a series of webisodes, online games, and other activities.

The show tells the story of four kids who save their community center by selling old baseball memorabilia. Little did they know, the memorabilia was worth millions, and after paying off their creditors the kids turn to Buffett (who voices himself in the series) to help them manage their newfound wealth. The animated Buffett teaches the group about business and how the world around them works, exploring concepts such as supply and demand, the importance of location, pursuing your dreams, understanding the best investment you can make is in yourself, and more.

Shout! Factory to Distribute Marvel Knights Animation DVDs

Under a multi-year agreement, Shout! Factory has been named the exclusive U.S. home entertainment distributor with licensing rights to Marvel Knights Animation properties, including Astonishing X-Men: Gifted, Black Panther, Iron Man: Extremis, Spider-Woman, and more to be announced.

Marvel Knights Animation merges Marvel comic book graphics with dynamic animation to create motion comics.

Early this year, Shout! Factory was named the exclusive U.S. home entertainment distributor for Marvel’s animated series, The Super Hero Squad Show.

Fraggle Rock’s Sprocket the Dog, New from Manhattan Toy

I loved Fraggle Rock as a kid, especially Sprocket the Dog. This plush Sprocket the Dog from Manhattan Toy is new for 2010.

Sprocket is an intelligent sheepdog owned by Doc, the inventor of Fraggle Rock, and proves the motto that dog is truly man’s best friend. He spends much of his time in Doc’s Workshop, where his bed and food dish are, observing Doc at work. Sprocket is very communicative and frequently talks to Doc by barking lively, giving facial expressions, or by pointing to objects in a form of charades. Doc often relies on Sprocket to help with household chores, including repairs on the water pipes.

Bandai’s Pocoyo Line to Include Plush, Bath Toys, and More

Bandai America Incorporated, the master toy licensee for Pocoyo in the U.S. and Canada, is launching an extensive toy line for the animated series, which will hit store shelves in North America this fall.

Bandai’s Pocoyo products will include a 10-inch basic plush of Pocoyo, Elly (the elephant), and Pato (the duck); Squeeze n’ Play plush of the characters; 2.5-inch bath figures; a bath water taxi; a six-inch mini-plush assortment of the Pocoyo, Elly, Pato, and Loula the dog; and Bump n’ Go, an electronic car of Pocoyo that stops, turns, and moves backward.

Garanimals Toys at Walmart

This summer, Garanimals will debut a new array of infant plush exclusively at Walmart. Inspired by the Garanimals newborn and infant apparel, the collection will include 28 soft, cuddly, and cute plush items available in a variety of colors and prints for boys and girls, as well as gender-neutral options. Prices range from $5-$12.

At Walmart in June, Garanimals is also introducing a wide-range of toys and accessories for infants through age 2, including activity gyms, crib mirrors, finger puppets, mini o-balls, rattles, soft squeakers, teethers, wood toys, and more. The toys range in price from $1 to $12.

The new lines will be available in the infant department of Walmart.

Report: HDTVs and Laptops Grow in Popularity Among Kids

According to a new report by The NPD Group, high-definition televisions (HDTVs) and laptops have become more popular with kids, while all other consumer electronics have remain stable in popularity.

The report, Kids & Consumer Electronics 6, states that HDTVs and laptop computers surpassed digital cameras last year in percentage of households that acquired one in the past 12 months. Cell phones, however, remain the most acquired consumer electronic device with 30 percent of households with kids ages 4 to 14 purchasing mobile phones in the past year.

Video: Haywire Helps Set Guinness World Record for Rubber Chicken Toss

Webkinz World Celebrates 5th Anniversary with Twitter Party

Ganz is celebrating the 5th anniversary of Webkinz World on April 29, which is being hailed as Webkinz Day. The day will be highlighted by a Twitter party—a first for Webkinz—featuring prizes, new information about upcoming Webkinz releases, and more. The Twitter party, hosted by Ganz and Resourceful Mommy, will be held from 8 to 9 p.m. this Thursday. To learn more, visit www.webkinznewz.com.

Launched in 2005 by Ganz, Webkinz pets combine plush with the world of the Internet. In Webkinz World, children can adopt a pet, play games, do quizzes, create rooms, earn KinzCash, and “chat” with other members. Since its launch, new languages and features have been added, including Zumwhere, the Caring Valley, and the Kinzville Academy.