September 2011

BeginAgain Toys Acquires ImagiPlay

Newly launched company BeginAgain Toys, created by Chris Clemmer and David Bowen, the founders of Sprig Toys, Inc., has acquired eco-toymaker ImagiPlay.

BeginAgain will launch its initial product lineup of more than 50 products at ABC Kids Expo, to be held September 23-26. The products will be available in stores this fall. In addition to its original playthings, BeginAgain will carry many of ImagiPlay’s wooden toys, and has plans to update several of ImagiPlay’s designs for release next year.

BeginAgain describes its eco-friendly toys as being “powered by kids, not batteries” and are made from “plant-based materials whenever possible.” The company said ImagiPlay’s rubberwood toys are a perfect addition to the BeginAgain workshop. ImagiPlay Founder Barbera Aimes will serve as an advisor to BeginAgain.

Bigjigs Toys Crosses the Pond

Bigjigs Toys, an English-based manufacturer and distributor of wooden toys, is making its American debut. The company is bringing two of its most popular play set lines, Bigjigs Rail and Bigjigs Heritage, across the pond.

The Rail collection is a complete wooden railway play set. It includes track sets, train tables, and battery-operated engines, and is fully compatible with other rail sets as well. The Heritage play sets are complete play worlds in a box, and include figures, vehicles, or animals for hours of role-playing fun.

Games & Puzzles: New Dungeons & Dragons

Wizards of the Coast is releasing a new Dungeons & Dragons board game: Conquest of Nerath. Designed for strategy gamers who want to immerse themselves in the world of D&D, Conquest of Nerath has players gather armies of footsoldiers, and siege engines, monsters, and dragons in an effort to protect the fate of the fragile League of Nerath against the undead.

The Conquest of Nerath board game includes a rulebook, a game board, dice, 110 cards, and 252 plastic playing pieces representing champions and the armies of Nerath, Karkoth, the Iron Circle, and Vailin.

For more games & puzzles, read The Toy Book‘s July/August issue. Click here to read!

Games & Puzzles: Tales to Play Line from Patch Products

Patch Products’ new Tales to Play line brings classic children’s stories to life through board games. Each game includes a colorful board, 3-D accessories, and pawns featuring children’s favorite characters from the book.

The initial board games include The Mother Goose Game, in which players travel around the board collecting eggs; The Berenstain Bears Learn to Share Game, challenging kids to be the first reach Mama and Papa Bear; The Little Engine That Could Game that has players chant “I think I can” as they zoom up and down the hill; and Where the Wild Things Are Game, which allows kids to imagine they are Max, traveling to the forest to become the king of the Wild Things.

Each game is for two to four players.

For more games & puzzles, read The Toy Book‘s July/August issue. Click here to read!

Games & Puzzles: Wild Republic’s Nature-Themed Games

Wild Republic is launching new children’s nature-themed games that put a “natural twist” on the classics. Games include the Chess Board Game, which uses animal pieces; a double-sided board game called Dino Ludo & Ladders; the new Flippin Frogs and Butterflies games; and Wild Card Games, featuring original artwork of different animals.

For more games & puzzles, read The Toy Book‘s July/August issue. Click here to read!

Games & Puzzles: Double Duel Sound-Alike Word Game

It’s a color. The wind did this. What’s the answer? Blue/Blew!

Learning Resources‘ new high-speed challenge, Double Duel Sound-Alike Word Game, helps build vocabulary connections. When players know the answer, they try to be the first to hit their buzzer. Each buzzer makes a different fun sound: honk honk, boxing bell, doorbell, and boing. Color-coded question cards provide two levels of play.

The game, for three or more players, ages 7 and up, includes 200 double-sided, self-checking clue cards; an activity guide; and four buzzers.

For more games & puzzles, read The Toy Book‘s July/August issue. Click here to read!

Top Trumps Championship Announces Winner

Shawal Malik poses with contest goodies.

On September 1 at 10 a.m., 40 VIP guests and onlookers gathered to watch the six semi-finalists compete for the grand prize in the Top Trumps Championship. The championship was held on the 67th floor of The Top of The Rock Observation Deck in New York City.

This year’s winner, 11-year-old Shawal Malik, took home the prize package (valued at over $750), which included admission to the Top of The Rock Observation Deck for his entire class, 10 passes to The Bronx Zoo, Moshi Monster plush and collectibles, various Top Trumps games, and the Top Trumps Championship Trophy.

The Top Trumps competition was part of a six-week program in conjunction with the Queens and Brooklyn Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, held from July 12 to August 21. To qualify, children had to visit a participating branch of a Queens or Brooklyn Public Library to play rounds of Top Trumps. Participants were given scorecards and each time they won a round, the librarian would reward the player with a sticker on his or her scorecard. For every five games won, the child earned a prize, and if the child won 15 games by August 21 he or she won the right to enter the online tournament. The children then competed online to earn a spot as semi-finalists on the leader board.

New Product: Save the World(s) with Mechatars

iloveRobots invites gamers to choose one of three types of Mechatars, remote-controlled robots with unique personalities, and become immersed in the combined online and offline battle experience to restore peace in the fictional Mechaverse world.

Start out with the free online missions then level up the purchased Mechatar robot to fight here on Earth, competing in either solo or multiplayer battles. The more time played in the virtual and physical realms, the more skills, weapons, and abilities gamers can acquire for their Mechatar.

New Product: Ready, Set, Action!

Kids of all ages can now record their extreme sport stunts on and off the track with the Hot Wheels Video Racer. The 1:64-scale vehicle comes encased with a video camera, equipped with real-time playback and delete functionality on a built-in LCD screen, as well as memory capacity to record up to 12 minutes of footage. The package also includes attachment accessories to affix the Video Racer to a bike handlebar, skateboard, or snowboard helmet. Free video-editing software is available at www.hotwheels.com/videoracer.

Poof-Slinky Acquires Product Lines from Elmer’s

Poof-Slinky, Inc., has acquired the Scientific Explorer and Fuzzoodles product lines, and other related assets, from Elmer’s Products, Inc. Both product lines, formerly assets of Elmer’s Giddy Up division, have extensive North American and international distribution.

The Scientific Explorer line, a decades long mainstay in the science and activity category, consists of a wide range of multi-faceted kits that introduce hands-on science in a fun, easy format. Several kits such as Bubble Gum Activity Kit, Spa Science, Meteor Rocket Kit, and Magic Science Wizards, cover the quirky side of science, and within each kit, combine an equal mix of education and activity to capture kids’ interest and imagination.

Fuzzoodles, an activity line made up of fluffy, colorful noodles that bend and twist, were introduced in 2010 and promoted through television, print and social media outlets. Each product in the activity line includes an array of wacky accessories that allow a child to flip and switch parts to create endless customized characters. Products such as Monster Madness, Crazy Critters, Glamour Girl, and Plush Pals are a few of the many items within the line.

According to Ray Dallavecchia, President and CEO of POOF®-Slinky®, Inc., “we are pleased to add these innovative product lines to our portfolio of brands. We believe with the addition of the Scientific Explorer line, Poof-Slinky, Inc. will be the premier provider of science and activity related products in the industry. The Fuzzoodles line will broaden our activity range under the Ideal brand, and give us a platform to expand further within this category.”