COMMENTARY: Keeping Kids’ Brains Active During the Summer

May 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Now the school year is drawing to an end, parents surely want to keep their little ones mentally active during the summer months. There’s a whole slew of toys out there that are fun and educational, of course, so the trick is to really find the ones that work for you and your kids. However, we’ve got a bunch of toys in our office that’ll help kids of all ages flex those mental muscles, even when they aren’t sitting in a classroom.

Hello SunshineThinkFun‘s Hello Sunshine is a hide-and-seek game that uses a huggable plush toy. Parents of kids ages 18 months and up hid Sunshine according to a set of flash cards. In searching for the toy, kids will learn positional concepts such as in, on top, below, next to, and more. It’s also the perfect game for a rainy summer day that has to be spent inside. [Read more...]

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Toys “R” Us Becomes Ultimate Despicable Me 2 Destination

May 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment

2012-12-10 125Toys inspired by the highly anticipated 3-D, CG-animated, comedy-adventure film Despicable Me 2, from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment, have made their debut at Toys “R” Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com. Through May, Toys “R” Us is the only U.S. retailer to offer an all-new line of toys based on the movie, making it the ultimate Despicable Me 2 destination. Fans eager to get their hands on action and interactive figures, plush, games and more, can find them all at Toys “R” Us.

The movie, which arrives in theaters on July 3, is the sequel to the 2010 Despicable Me, which became the 10th-biggest animated motion picture in U.S. history. Despicable Me 2 sees the return of super-villain Gru and his arsenal of gadgets and gizmos, his adorable girls, and the unpredictably hilarious Minions.

[Read more...]

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Build-A-Bear Workshop Meets Bikini Bottom with New SpongeBob SquarePants Collection

May 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Build-A-Bear Workshop, the interactive entertainment retailer of customizable stuffed animals, announced a new relationship with Nickelodeon to bring the animated series, SpongeBob SquarePants, to Build-A-Bear Workshop. Beginning May 17, the company will offer make-your-own SpongeBob and Patrick at Build-A-Bear Workshop stores throughout North America and online at buildabear.com. SpongeBob’s Bikini Bottom friends Sandy Cheeks and Gary the Snail will also be available as pre-stuffed minis.

Build-A-Bear Workshop stores nationwide will be celebrating the arrival of SpongeBob with a series of special events from May 17 through May 19. Guests will be encouraged to dress up in their favorite SpongeBob-themed apparel. Additionally, guests who purchase a SpongeBob or Patrick plush will receive a free paper pineapple hat while making one of these new furry friends.

Guests can dress their SpongeBob and Patrick plush in a variety of clothing and accessories, including SpongeBob’s Pirate Costume, Patrick’s Pirate Costume, Pineapple House, and SpongeBob SquarePants Song Sound Chip.

Additionally, any furry friend can dress up in SpongeBob PJ Pants and SpongeBob T-Shirt to join the Bikini Bottom fun.

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The Jim Henson Co. Launches Jim Henson Family TV on YouTube

May 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

the-jim-henson-company-post1On May 9, Jim Henson Family TV, the new paid channel from The Jim Henson Co., launched on YouTube. For the first time, the new channel, featuring ad-free full episodes of hit shows like Sid the Science Kid and Fraggle Rock, will provide hours of family-friendly Henson content for computer, phone, tablet, and TV viewing, all for the introductory price of $2.99/month or $24.99/year.

Launching on the same day, Jim Henson TV para la familia en espanol will debut Henson content in Spanish. Coming soon, subscribers to the English channel can upgrade to include the Spanish channel for an additional fee. [Read more...]

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Smart Toys and Games Adds Lights to SmartMax

May 8, 2013 By

SMX_505 Build&Light (pack)[1]

Smart Toys and Games, Inc., producer of the SmartMax magnetic construction system, has introduced 13 new SmartMax sets that will allow children to create structures that light up, vehicles that move on their own, and new items to help create construction masterpieces.

In addition to multiple bars and magnetic balls, the new SmartMax Lighthouse and Build & Light sets each include two LED-lit bars for building houses, towers, and other structures that light up and blink. The accompanying instruction guides will help model construction ideas so children can learn how to create designs of varying shapes and heights.

All SmartMax vehicle sets complement and work with the SmartMax construction sets. The new pull back vehicle sets include Loading Luke the dump truck; Speedy Sam & Stan, two racecars in red and blue; Tommy Train, a train with hopper cars; and Rob & Ringo, a sports car and flatbed truck just waiting to race. An additional vehicle set, Pip & Pete Plane, features Pip a compact car and Pete the yellow plane. All vehicle sets allow children ages 3 and up to build various vehicles. Magnetic bars, wheels, cockpits, propellers, and friendly eyes are just a few parts that can be used to personalize each vehicle.

Tommy Train can stretch up to 35 cm in length and is perfect for transporting loads of magnetic bars or balls included in the packaging, or even small items found around the house. Pip & Pete Plane, Rob & Ringo, and Speedy Sam & Stan are perfect to share with friends because children can easily create two separate vehicles.

New add on component sets come in transparent containers and include: six long bars, eight metal balls, eight medium bars, eight curved bars, six mixed medium and large glow- in-the-dark bars, and four flowers. All SmartMax items can be used with all other SmartMax sets.

The entire 2013 SmartMax product line will be available online here in June.

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SwimWays’ Efforts Approach $1 Million for Operation Smile

May 7, 2013 By

Untitled1Swimways Corp., a leading outdoor recreational products manufacturer, celebrated raising more than $900,000 for charity organization Operation Smile. Over the last six years, Swimways has created nearly 5,000 smiles around the world.

Packaging for the SwimWays Swim Steps product line has highlighted Swimways support for Operation Smile since 2007. Swim Steps packaging also includes a donation brochure insert featuring a special message from Swimways Corp. President David Arias, inviting consumers to make direct contributions to Operation Smile. Swim Steps is a three-step program consisting of a line of floats and swim training gear for children. Swim Step 1 supports young children as they are introduced to the water, Swim Step 2 provides support as children explore the water and become more confident, and Swim Step 3’s graduated support gives parents a swim training system to empower their child in the water.

In addition to packaging and print support, Swimways also supports the charity online, with direct links from Swimways.com to the Operation Smile website, and via social media. Last April, Swimways launched a social media campaign with a Facebook challenge to benefit the charity, donating $2 for each new “like,” resulting in 11,000 new Operation Smile Facebook fans and a 171 percent increase in Facebook monthly revenue, funding 91 surgeries.

This year Operation Smile launched its 30th Anniversary celebration with the “change forever” campaign, featuring a year-long series of events in the U.S. and globally. Athlete Tony Hawk stars in an interactive film that can be viewed at www.wecanchangeforever.com. In the film, viewers can upload their smile through Facebook and watch as their smile travels around the world to help a child suffering from a facial deformity such as cleft lip and cleft palate. They are also asked to take a pledge to help create greater awareness for children suffering from facial deformities.

SwimWays Swim Steps, a product line created for swim development, includes the Swim Sweater, Sea Squirts Swim Assist Vest, and the Baby Spring Float. SwimWays Swim Steps products are available nationwide at Target, Walmart, Toys “R” Us, Leslies’ Pool Supplies, and other retailers.

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Mindshapes Unveils New Mobile Story Adventure App

May 3, 2013 By

My_Story_World_logoMindshapes, creator of fun educational mobile apps for kids, released My Story World. My Story World offers an enhanced story adventure experience, where kids ages 3 to 7 will discover stories filled with characters they know and love, with educational content specifically designed to reinforce their comprehension, critical thinking, and social emotional skills.

The app contains story adventures featuring Sid the Science Kid, Winnie the Witch, Elmer the Elephant, and other family favorites from TV, books, and film. Each story features two key modes, “Read to Me” and “Play and Learn.”

“Play and Learn” mode is a fun way to engage children in the story, designed to reinforce their higher order thinking and social/emotional skills, by participating in embedded learning moments. The stories provide a jumping off point into creative activities that stimulate their imaginations. The sophistication of the learning and creative activities grows with the child’s use of My Story World. The user interface and rewards systems are simple, easy, and intuitive to use, making this an experience for kids to enjoy either on their own or with a parent or sibling. 

My Story World is Mindshapes’ follow-up to its award-winning Magic Town platform. It has been developed based on consumer feedback and insights, key learnings in the market, and in partnership with world-leading play scientists and interactive education product experts.

My Story World is available for iPad and is free on the App Store. The app can be downloaded here.

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Alexander Doll Co. Celebrates 90 Years with New Offices, a Limited Edition Anniversary Collection, New Licensed Products, and a New Product Category

May 1, 2013 By

The Alexander Doll Co. unveiled its new mid-town location, new doll lines, and new licensed products yesterday in celebration of the company’s 90th anniversary. Since 1923, the company has grown to include collectibles, play dolls, and baby dolls for girls of all ages. For this 90th anniversary, the company has developed an assortment of six dolls to commemorate the company’s history. Re-introductions of classic sculpts and characters included in this collection are a 21-inch Cissy in a beaded dress, inspired by a photograph of Madame Alexander from 1923; an 8-inch Wendy with a Tony Sarg inspired marionette theater; a classic McGuffey Ana; and an 8-inch Wendy and a 10-inch Cissy both dressed to commemorate the anniversary. Each doll comes with a commemorative hang tag and Certificate of Authenticity.

DorothyInThePoppyField

Also on the anniversary front, Madame Alexander has marked the 75th anniversary of two iconic movies, The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind, which were among the company’s first and longest continuous licenses. Each and every year since 1938, new designs have been added to these special collections, and this year is no exception. The three doll sets for Wizard of Oz collectors include a 10-inch Wicked Witch of the West with three 5-inch Winged Monkeys, a 10-inch Glinda the Good Witch withthree 5-inch girls of the Lullaby League, and a 10-inch Dorothy with three 5-inch Poppy dolls. For Gone With the Wind anniversary, the company has created a 21-inch Scarlett O’Hara resplendent in her white ruffled Prayer Dress.

SwanLakeOn the plush side, Alexander Doll Co. has responded to the concerns of modern parents relating to toy hygiene by developing a new washable dolls category. Machine washable and dryable, this collection includes the Wizard of Oz gang, Fancy Nancy, Pinkalicious, and Angelina Ballerina. Alexander Doll’s 18-inch soft cloth play dolls include several new additions, such as Bedtime Angelina, Fancy Nancy, Marabelle, and Swan Lake Angelina.

Alexander Doll will introduce a new facial sculpt on their Favorite Friends line of 18-inch vinyl play dolls this year. Favorite Friends feature rooted hair, sleep eyes, a soft cloth body, five-way jointing, and stylish outfits. Separate outfits are sold and fit most 18-inch play dolls in the market. In addition, the Dollie & Me brand of 18-inch dolls complements an apparel collection of little girl dresses sold with matching doll dresses.

Hearts&RosesBaby dolls have been an integral part of the Alexander Doll Company since the 1930s. Doll ranges include My First Baby with painted eyes and hair, and Newborn Nursery, which are lifelike baby dolls with rooted hair, sleep eyes, and a selection of accessories and outfits.

The history of the Alexander Doll Co. is a tale of growth from a small doll company to one of today’s exclusive brands in the girls’ sector. Kahn Lucas Lancaster Inc., a global designer and wholesaler of branded girls’ dresses and fashion collections, now owns the company.

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LeapFrog Introduces the New LeapReader

April 30, 2013 By

LearnToReadLeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. has unveiled their latest product, LeapReader: the complete learn to read and write solution for kids. LeapReader, from the creator of the Tag Reading System, is the next generation of learning that helps children build literacy skills and reading confidence. With LeapReader’s three essential experiences–learn to read, learn to write, and learn through listening–kids can sound out words, read sentences, write letters with interactive guidance, and develop comprehension skills through audio books and music, all available in the LeapReader library of more than 150 learning experiences.

The LeapReader Library

  • Learn to Read: Kids learn to read by sounding out words, reading sentences, and building comprehension through LeapReader books, maps, and flash cards. The LeapReader books help kids with feedback by not only recognizing letters, but also helping them through the irregularities of letter sounds. Some Learn to Read titles also include pages with 3-D elements. 
  • Learn to Write: Interactive LeapReader workbooks feature audio coaching and support to help kids learn the sequence of strokes and build writing fluency. These new workbooks feature revolutionary LeapFrog Learning Paper, which contains ink embedded within the page for a mess-free writing solution. These workbooks provide feedback on stroke order, and teach letters by similar curves or lines instead of in alphabetical order.
  • Learn through listening: LeapReader audio books, learning songs, and trivia challenges foster children’s comprehension skills, vocabulary, and imagination. By making the learning process interactive, it makes reading and writing more engaging and motivates kids to not only learn to read, but also to want to read.

LearnToWriteLeapFrog worked closely with world-class publishing partners, including Random House, Scholastic Inc., and Kidz Bop, to select the audio content for the LeapReader library. The library will feature children’s characters and audio books such as The Magic Tree House and Little Golden Books from Listening Library, a division of Random House Inc.; Clifford and The Velveteen Rabbit from Scholastic Inc.; and today’s hits from the audio series Kidz Bop.

LeapReader is available in pink and green for kids ages 4 to 8. The LeapReader will be available for pre-order on June 12, and it will be available at major retail locations and at LeapFrog.com in early July. All audio books and music albums will be available for download using LeapFrog Connect Application for LeapReader. LeapReader holds audio for up to 40 books or 175 songs at a time, works with most Tag books, and has a USB-rechargeable battery that lasts up to five hours.

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COMMENTARY: Storytime and Playtime Collide

April 29, 2013 By

Storytime Toys Fuses Play Houses with Classic Fairy Tales

It can be really difficult to get kids enthusiastic about reading at a young age. When I was young, my mom gave me an enormous, leather-bound book full of fairy tales. Each page was laden with beautiful graphics and trimmed with gold. After having the stories read to me over and over again, I would use the tales and characters as inspiration for playtime, making my Barbie dolls act as Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel.

New specialty toy company Storytime Toys, is making it even easier for kids to incorporate reading into playtime. Kara Dyer and Sara Argue have created a line of toy houses and storybooks based on classic fairy tales. Now, kids can read along to fairy tales including Goldilocks & the Three Bears, Hansel & Gretel, and The Three Little Pigs, while they build a house (or three, in the pigs’ case) that corresponds to each story.

Storytime.H&G

Each house features stunning, hand-painted imagery and comes with furniture and dolls for extended creative play. The pieces of the house can be assembled easily by kids ages 3 to 6. The stories are age-appropriate and will allow kids to associate playtime fun with the concept of reading. [Read more...]

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