Look Book, Best Toys For Kids, 2021

Scan this code by June 21 to vote for your favorites

June 2021

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outdoor/active FINALIST

Dimpl – So Much More than a “Fidget”

by Adam Carson, inventor of Dimpl

Popping fidget toys of every shape, color and variety have risen to prominence over the last several months.

The consumer demand has been so high, in fact, that counterfeiters and copycats have come flocking to the product category like bees to honey.

But long before the craze began, Dimpl was created for a much higher purpose than simply to “fidget.”

I designed Dimpl in 2017 as a sensory toy. Having trained in college as a physical and occupational therapist, the utilization of “toys as tools” was not lost on me as I embarked on my career in toy design and engineering. For babies or kids with developmental disabilities, what seem like simple tasks can be daunting physical challenges. Sensory toys are indispensable in this way, allowing a child to intuitively interact with the toy and benefit from the realtime feedback of that direct interaction. Dimpl was thoughtfully designed to elicit exactly that kind of cause and effect.

Designed with a sturdy frame for grasping; yet soft, pillowy silicone buttons for pressing, Dimpl invites the child to explore each button, and provides them with a satisfying POP! with every push. Building upon that naturally satisfying play pattern, the Dimpl line of products quickly expanded to the popular Simpl Dimpl, Dimpl Duo, Dimpl Digits, and Dimpl Wobbl. In summer 2021, Dimpl expands in exciting new directions with ’lil Dimpl, Dimpl Pops, and Dimpl Pops Deluxe.

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but unfortunately, that imitation can have very negative consequences when it’s a baby toy. Designed to the highest safety standards, only the original Dimpl brand is a “Dimpl.” If it looks like a Dimpl but doesn’t carry the Dimpl brand, be wary – it may be an untested, unsafe counterfeit version not suitable for children.

Pop over to FatBrainToyCo.com/dimpl to see the entire line of original, Dimpl brand toys

infant/toddler FINALIST

Best Toys for Kids is the Best Place for Fun “Yes, we really get to play with toys all day.

Yup, this is our real job.”

by Cynthia Compton, 4 Kids Books & Toys Zionsville, Indiana

H

ow many times has some young friend in your store asked you if you play all day, or has a customer asked if it’s fun to pick out new items for your shelves? Of course, our answer is always a big smile (this year, that smile has been behind a mask or over a screen as we Facetime and Zoom and sell over social media platforms, but the grin is still there) and a nod as we acknowledge just how wonderful this profession of play can be. We ignore the exhaustion of our new 24-hour business models, our concerns about cash flow and the supply chain issues facing our industry, and put that waiting pallet of boxes to be received firmly out of our minds as we take just a minute to celebrate that yes, this is our real job. We believe in the power of healthy play and its transformative role in development as surely as we believe

that the miracles of Christmas and Hanukkah shall come, that childhood is precious beyond measure, and that as ambassadors of play we fill vital roles in our local communities as we support parents and schools, grandparents and therapists, neighbors and friends.

Of course, as ASTRA members we have a deep bench of support in this mission.

Our colleagues in retail, our partners in manufacturing, design and distribution, and our sales reps who breathe new possibilities into every season as they arrive with samples and catalogs (or emails and links) make us the very best we can be. It’s easier to be “independent” when you are part of a community that supports, promotes and advises us as we source the very best in toys for our customers. One of those programs, Best

Toys for Kids, is our reason for celebration today and in this very special issue. You are holding tangible evidence of our community of play experts – the products featured in this magazine are the result of your colleagues’ commitment to our mutual success. Nominated by your peers from every segment of our industry, vetted and categorized by a volunteer group of retailers, and finally voted on by YOU, these are the ASTRA choices for this year’s award season.

As a member of that volunteer committee who “sorts and categorizes,” evaluates and compares all the nominees, I want to thank all of you for your contribution to our process this year. Our committee begins with an entreaty for nominations of toys to (continued on page 30)

Scan this code by June 21 to vote for your favorites

Finalists by Category 6

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Build & Play

22

Boks Desktop Windmill | Plus-Plus USA

Refillable Bubble Solution System | American Bubble Company

Incredible Aero Dancer | Thames & Kosmos

Drop Shot | Fat Brain Toy Co

LEGO Super Mario Starter Course | LEGO Group

Rainbow Wobble Board – Regular Size | Bunny Hopkins

Unit Brick Mini Unit Beams Eiffel Tower Set | Ukidz

Skimbe | Waterline Toys

Zig & Go Music | DJECO

Surge | Gel Blaster

Craft

26

Preschool

Create Your Own Light Box | Avenir

Magna-Tiles Structures Interactive Story Time | CreateOn

Hat Not Hate | Creativity for Kids by

Faber-Castell USA

Musical Whale Fountain | Hape Rocket Ball Air Stacker | Hape

Soapstone Carving Kit – Bear | Studiostone Creative

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Outdoor/Active

Space Immersion DIY Kaleidoscope | DJECO

Sensory Bin Dinosaur Dig | Creativity for Kids by

Faber-Castell USA

Spirograph Animator | PlayMonster

Toniebox Starter Set | Tonies

Games

26

Pretend

Clack! Thwack! | AMIGO Games

Galaxy Cape | Creative Education of Canada

Dragon Inferno | Smart Toys and Games

My Forest Floor | Tender Leaf Toys

Kaboom Blocks | Learning Advantage

Roo Games

Pearl Dragon Wristlet | Folkmanis Inc.

Magic Mountain | AMIGO Games

Ride-on & Foldable Engine Table | Hape

Playdate Dolls Harper | Manhattan Toys

Mind the Gap | Solid Roots Pancake Monster | Blue Orange Games

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28

Puzzle

Story Time Chess | Story Time Chess

Caeser’s Codex | Project Genius

The Crew: Mission Deep Sea | Thames & Kosmos

Escape Puzzle Kids, Amusement Park | Ravensburger Musical Crossroads 72 Piece Puzzle | Little Likes Kids

Impulse/Fidget

SmartGames IQ Circuit | Smart Toys and Games

Dohjees | Schylling Fingears | Blue Orange Games

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28

Science

Hide Inside Putty – Flower Finds | Crazy Aaron’s

Bio Chem Creatures | Klutz

Loopy Looper | Blue Orange Games

Gravity Bugs | Thames & Kosmos Magical Unicorn Science | Klutz

Infant/Toddler

Smartivity Pinball Machine | Elenco (Smartivity Labs)

Dimpl Stack | Fat Brain Toy Co

Teach Tech Dizzy, The 6-in-1 Gyroscope | Elenco

Dizzy Bees | Fat Brain Toy Co

Trigmate | Mindwatts

Push & Pull Puppy | PlanToys

Mars Landing Survival Kit | Learning Advantage

Wild Env. Science

Spatial Rocket | PlanToys

30 The retailers that make up the Best Toys for Kids Selection Committee: Scott Friedland, Cynthia Compton, Tammy Clower, Scott Mazerall and David Castillo

Index of Finalists

June 2021

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build & play finalists Scan this code by June 21 to vote for your favorites Boks Desktop Windmill | Plus-Plus USA Incredible Aero Dancer | Thames & Kosmos LEGO Super Mario Starter Course | LEGO Group See ad on P. 9 Unit Brick Mini Unit Beams Eiffel Tower Set | Ukidz Zig & Go Music | DJECO See ad on PP. 8, 11

BOKS Windmill Set Plus-Plus, 888-830-4212, retailer.plus-plus.us Ages 5 to 12 The BOKS Windmill is a 220-piece set of Plus-Plus with a wheel and instructions. In addition to its role as a construction toy, the completed windmill is the perfect desk accessory, adding creativity to everyday playing and learning. It comes with an attractive wooden storage box and baseplate lid.

Adventures with Mario Starter Course LEGO, ITDOrders@lego.com Age 6+ This 231-piece interactive playset offers real-life LEGO Mario adventures.

Mario has a color sensor and LCD screens in his eyes, mouth and belly so he can display more than 100 different instant reactions to movement.

Meanwhile, a speaker plays iconic sounds and music from the video game for hours of creative, competitive fun.

Zig & Go Music DJECO, customerservice@djeco-us.com Age 7+ MSRP $57.99

This action-reaction kinetic construction course offers thrilling music and sound features. Children are challenged to replicate the three designs in the instruction booklet or invent their own designs. Along the way, they develop skills in physics, problem-solving, and dexterity.

Compatible with other Zig & Go sets for endless possibilities!

build & play FINALIST

The Summer Wind Danish breezes fuel new products from Plus-Plus over the next few months With the recent move to produce our products using 100-percent wind energy, our BOKS (Danish for “box”) Windmill Set has become a signature item reflecting our commitment to sustainability. We’re proud that this item has been named a finalist in ASTRA’s annual Best Toys for Kids Awards program. It is an exciting acknowledgment of the importance of both creative play and sustainability – characteristics that Plus-Plus toys represent.

This summer, in the months leading up to the ASTRA Marketplace, we will introduce many other new items including a collection of Summertime Fun Tubes, and a new collection of sets called Make & GO!. With larger and chunkier new wheels, these sets bring motion and movement to our popular BIG preschool sets.

Perfect for little hands on the move! The Make & GO! 70-piece set features 60 Plus-Plus BIG pieces, nine wheels and two BIG base plates.

Don’t forget our Plus-Plus Travel Cases for summertime fun. Our #1 new item for 2021!

TRAVEL CASE

WEB RETAILER.PLUS-PLUS.US CALL 1.888.830.4212

BOKS - WINDMILL

EMAIL INFO@PLUS-PLUS.US

June 2021

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build & play FINALIST

Part Marble Run, Part Domino Set, Part One-Man Band

by Alice Blair

Zig & Go Music from DJECO takes kinetic construction play to the next level – with song!

Percussion and high notes abound with each roll, tumble, and whirl. Hit a chime here, a bell there with Zig & Go Music, the musical action-reaction domino course for inventors young and old.

The latest addition to the Zig & Go line of creative combines the thrill of a marble run with unique obstacles, wooden dominos, and surprising interactive features. It includes six sets that range in size from 25 to 52 pieces. Designed to bring out everyone’s inner inventor, Zig & Go offers delightful model-building challenges for ages 7-99.

Kinetic chain-reaction courses have always captured the imaginations of children and adults alike. Zig & Go follows in the footsteps of beloved creators like Rube Goldberg, whose unique machines have mesmerized generations. Zig & Go is the brainchild of French designer Jean-René Ménard, whose signature features include precision and inventive wit. The suspense, the comedy!

Release the marble and watch each piece crash and spin into a delightful chain reaction. The attraction to these domino-style games is universal. Every setup is a chance to top the last: bigger tumbles, faster speed, and with Zig & Go Music, more sound!

The latest kit offers tangible challenges by encouraging children to explore and exercise their dexterity. Three built-in prompts offer opportunities to practice replicating models and following instructions. There’s also the opportunity to freestyle custom contraptions, and the possibilities are endless. The QR codes included in every Zig & Go set open helpful demo videos on YouTube.

Kids learn that perseverance pays off if their first models don’t work. The challenges presented by Zig & Go help kids practice patience, develop important problem-solving skills, and explore beginning physics concepts in real time, like the action and reaction of objects hitting other objects, and the interplay of acceleration, weight, angles and more. Grasping these ideas through play is made effortless, natural, and above all, fun.

Zig & Go Music’s high-quality painted wood and metal pieces lay the foundation for creative play. Opportunities exist for incorporating household items or combining forces with other Zig & Go sets.

For ages 7+ MSRP $57.99 customerservice@djeco-us.com 301-895-3790

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June 2021

build & play FINALIST

Real-Life LEGO Mario Adventures Kids can team up with their favorite character in the real world with with the Adventures with Mario Starter Course The set features a LEGO® Mario™ figure that gives instant expressive responses via the LCD screens and speaker. Players earn virtual coins moving LEGO Mario from the Start Pipe to the Goal Pole via spinning and cloud platforms, the ? Block, and super battles with the Goomba and Bowser Jr. toy figures. Rearrange the bricks to create new levels to master. A free LEGO Super Mario app is available for enhanced play with this gift toy for kids. It has zoom and rotate viewing tools to make building easier, suggests other creative ways to build and play, and is a safe forum to share ideas with friends. Mario unlimited! Great for solo play or group competitions, LEGO Super Mario sets bring a family-favorite character into the real world. This Starter Course and the Expansion Sets offer unlimited challenges and nurture problem-solving skills.

Please reach out to ITDOrders@lego.com if you are interested in placing an order.

June 2021

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craft finalists Scan this code by June 21 to vote for your favorites Create Your Own Light Box | Avenir Hat Not Hate | Creativity for Kids by Faber-Castell USA Soapstone Carving Kit – Bear | Studiostone Creative Space Immersion DIY Kaleidoscope | DJECO Spirograph Animator | PlayMonster See ad on PP. 12, 13

DIY Space Immersion Kaleidoscope DJECO, 301-895-3790, customerservice@djeco-us.com Age 7+ MSRP $14.99 Glow-in-the-dark stars, spaceships, and planets, oh my! With this giftable craft kit, kids can design their own spacethemed kaleidoscope by following the assembly instructions according to the guide. Then, they can try different pattern combinations with the accessories, included. The creative opportunities are out of this world.

NEW 2021!

for

Spirograph Animator PlayMonster, 800-524-4263, orders@playmonster.com Age 8+ With LED lights and a spinning platform, the allnew Spirograph Animator helps kids bring classic Spirograph drawings to life.

The set includes an animator, five pens, six Spirograph wheels, a 100-sheet pad of paper and helpful instructions. Last year, the Spirograph Scratch & Shimmer won ASTRA’s award in the Arts & Crafts category.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL 2021 ASTRA FINALISTS! Order today! 1.800.524.4263 or orders@playmonster.com www.playmonster.com • ©2021 PlayMonster LLC

Soapstone Carving Kit – Bear

SPIROGRAPH is a trademark of Hasbro and is used with permission. ©2021 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Licensed by Hasbro.

Studiostone Creative, StudiostoneCreative.com Ages 8 to 99 For an amazing creative experience with builtin success, choose this Studiostone Creative kit. Kids can carve a bear from rough-cut soapstone in five easy steps! Each stone has a surprise natural color. Our eco-kits are Canadian made and designed by two sculptors. Carve a masterpiece every time!

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June 2021

WATCH THE ANIMATOR IN ACTION!

build & play FINALIST

craft FINALIST

Vote for your favorites online: ADDRESS.com • June 2021

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craft FINALIST

Creativity Sets the Stage for STEAM Learning and Spirograph has been inspiring creativity since 1965 As Albert Einstein once said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” That’s why it’s important to encourage kids’ creativity in every way possible. It establishes a foundation for learning – if children are creative and open to new possibilities, they are ready to learn. Classic brands like Spirograph can help.

Today, moving the wheels and rings around on blank paper is mesmerizing, and beautiful, artistic designs appear as if by magic. Behind the art, though, complex mathematical principles are at work. Invented in 1965 by a mechanical engineer, the first “spirograph” was actually a drafting tool.

PlayMonster has licensed the classic brand from Hasbro, and has expanded upon it with innovative updates and extensions with great results. For instance, we’ve reengineered and updated the wheels and rings of the award-winning Original Spirograph Deluxe, and today it remains a bestseller.

In 2020, Spirograph Scratch & Shimmer was the winner of ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids Award in the Arts & Crafts category. This set allows kids to create Spirograph art using coated rainbow or sparkle paper.

This year, the all-new Spirograph Animator is a finalist in NEW the same category. Its2021!

LED lights feature different settings to animate the designs. With the spinning platform, classic Spirograph drawings are brought to life. for

Let’s take a look at more new Spirograph iterations.

Spirograph Jr. (age 3 and up) With jumbo pieces for the youngest Spirograph artist, this set comes with a carrying case that features a built-in work desk, washable markers and a drawing pad.

Spirograph Cyclex (age 5 and up) Mandala-type designs are created with a non-slip drawing tool and enclosed Spirograph wheels.

Spirograph Craft Activity Set (age 6 and up) It comes with everything needed to complete more than 30 messfree paper-craft projects: punchout pieces, cards and envelopes, adhesive magnets, frames and backers, ribbon, string, and more.

Design Set Tin (age 8 and up) This compact tin is great for travel because the pieces snap into the interior tray for easy storage. The set includes nine pieces, reusable putty, fine-line pens, and a design pad.

Spirograph Retro Deluxe (age 8 and up) The classic set from the 1970s has been reproduced with throwback packaging and retro graphics. There are 21 Spirograph pieces, reusable Spirograph putty, fine-line pens, and paper.

“We know that kids, parents, and grandparents love Spirograph for many reasons,” says Scott Flynn, Playmonster’s vice president of sales and marketing.

“It’s a true testament of the strength of the brand’s play value.”

SPIROGRAPH is a trademark of Hasbro and is used with permission. ©2021 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

Licensed by Hasbro.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL 2021 ASTRA FINALISTS! Order today! 1.800.524.4263 or orders@playmonster.com www.playmonster.com • ©2021 PlayMonster LLC

WATCH THE ANIMATOR IN ACTION!

SPIROGRAPH is a trademark of Hasbro and is used with permission. ©2021 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Licensed by Hasbro.

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June 2021

NEW 2021!

for

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL 2021 ASTRA FINALISTS!

WATCH THE Order today! 1.800.524.4263 or orders@playmonster.com ANIMATOR IN www.playmonster.com • ©2021 PlayMonster LLC ACTION! SPIROGRAPH is a trademark of Hasbro and is used with permission.

Hasbro.favorites All Rights Reserved.

Licensed

by Hasbro.

Vote ©2021 for your online: ADDRESS.com • June 2021

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games finalists Scan this code by June 21 to vote for your favorites Clack! Thwack! | AMIGO Games Dragon Inferno | Smart Toys & Games See ad on P. 27 Kaboom Blocks | Learning Advantage/Roo Games Magic Mountain | Amigo Games Mind the Gap | Solid Roots Pancake Monster | Blue Orange Games See ad on PP. 18, 19 Story Time Chess | Story Time Chess See ad on P. 16, 17 The Crew: Mission Deep Sea | Thames & Kosmos

CLACK! THWACK! AMIGO Games, customerservice@amigo.games For 2 to 4 players age 6+ Suction-cup Thwackers add sound and sensory appeal to this unique take on a matching game. Players race to identify tiles that match the picture/number/color of a dice throw. When they see a match, they Thwack! it. Play is simultaneous and fast-paced! It’s an exciting new spin on our top-selling line of CLACK! games.

Dragon Inferno

Magic Mountain

Smart Toys & Games, 800-542-6375, SmartUSASales.com For 2 players age 7+

AMIGO Games, customerservice@amigo.games For 2 to 6 players ages 4 to adult

Rule the kingdom or go down in flames!

Dragon Inferno challenges players to strategically build the biggest kingdom in the Dragon Valley but watch out – firebreathing dragons can turn kingdoms into ashes. However, smart players can use the dragon’s inferno against their opponents. The player with the biggest kingdom at the end of the game is the winner.

A cooperative game in which players work together to save the village from bad witches, Magic Mountain is great for parents to play with their children. Game play reinforces planning skills and teaches physics modeling as the players roll marbles down the sloped board to move the heroes faster than the villains.

Pancake Monster

Blue Orange Games, sales@blueorangegames.com For 2 to 4 players age 3+ Players take turns feeding the Giant Monster by placing a pancake card inside his mouth and pressing the button as many times as there are toppings on the pancake.

But they never know when the monster will pop up and eat their whole arm!

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June 2021

Story Time Chess

info@storytimechess.com For 2 to 4 players ages 3 to 103 Using exciting stories, colorful characters and easy mini-games, Story Time Chess is the only game in the world that can teach children as young as 3 how to play chess. Guaranteed! It’s a proven early childhood chess curriculum backed by multiple awards, including the 2021 People’s Choice Toy of the Year Award!

games FINALISTS

AMIGO’s Finalists Have Great Toy Value

by Alex Yeager, COO, Amigo Games

AMIGO Games brings more than 40 years of German toy and game innovation plus strong sales to the U.S. market.

Our two finalists for ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids continue the AMIGO Games’ tradition of best-selling fun. Magic Mountain allows parents and kids to play together as they try to move the heroes faster than the bad guys by rolling balls down the sloped board. The game teaches practical learning skills such as planning and physics modeling and couples them with exciting and cooperative play.

CLACK! THWACK! is an exciting new spin on our top-selling line of CLACK! games. Players race to identify the tiles that match a dice throw. When they see a match, players “thwack” the tile with the suction-cupped thwacker. The simultaneous play and exciting toy value of the thwackers means that CLACK! THWACK! is ready to reach the sales success that CLACK! and CLACK! Categories achieved for retail stores!

Amigo Games has sold millions of games around the world, and we are proud that our Best Toys for Kids finalists continue our tradition of excellence. For more information visit us at amigo.games.

AMIGO Games is known for producing games that feature high quality components, excellent gameplay, and themes that resonate with consumers, all at a fair price. AMIGO’s games are sold in 38 countries worldwide, with AMIGO Games established in 2018 to serve the North American market.

TOY?GAME? WHY NOT BOT

H!

artwork NOT final

Roll balls to move the pieces!

Parents and kids play together to outrun the bad guys and win!

Roll the dice, and THWACK the tiles to win! · Simultaneous play and fast-paced action · The newest game in our top-selling CLACK line

www.amigo.games customerservice@amigo.games 844-YO-AMIGO (962-6446)

· Teaches educational values like planning ahead June 2021

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games FINALIST

Three-year-olds Learn to Play Chess, One Silly Story at a Time

by Andrew Kashian, founder, Story Time Chess

Remarkable Story Time Chess has everything parents need to teach their kids chess.

Since 2006, we’ve been working to equip children with learning tools and life skills. Story Time Chess is actually a curriculum. It’s based on two key principles: children can learn anything through fun stories, and anyone can teach through fun storytelling – no previous chess experience required, for children or adults.

Here’s what you get with Story Time Chess.

Storybook with chess instructions New players learn how to move the chess pieces by reading the stories in this book about King Chomper and Queen Bella, and King Shaky and Queen Allegra, their subjects and children. Each story about a character corresponds to how that chess piece moves.

The storybook also includes 30 mini-games players can play.

When they’re familiar with how the pieces move, players can practice and develop their new skills by playing full games of chess with the character chess pieces.

Traditional chess pieces and character cutouts There are 16 white and 16 black pieces, all custom made with slots to hold the cardboard storybook-character cutout. Each color comes with its own storage bag.

A 2-in-1 chessboard On one side is the storybook board; on the other is a standard chessboard.

32 mini-game tokens Skill-building workbooks and a second storybook focusing on strategy are also available, sold separately.

“The game has captured my 3-year-old daughter’s imagination by adding characters and stories to all of the chess pieces on the board. As we work our way through the rules of the game, she is completely engaged because of the storybook that ties everything together.” writes Ryan Billingsley on his website, dadsuggests.com, where he dispenses “fatherly thoughts on kids books, board games and more.”

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June 2021

“I am completely blown away by how quickly she learns how the chess pieces move and, even more important, how much she loves playing with me. She asks me to get out Story Time Chess to revisit stories we’ve already read, and to play through exercises we’ve already completed. That’s the holy grail of teaching right there – when a student is motivated to revisit old material for fun.”

Vote for your favorites online: ADDRESS.com • June 2021

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impulse/fidget FINALIST games FINALISTS

Blue Orange is Honored to Have Three ASTRA Finalists Since 2000, Blue Orange Games has earned a reputation for creating high-quality, award-winning tabletop board games. We want them to be enjoyed by families for years to come, so we make sure each one engages a wide range of ages, and are easy to learn and fun to play.

One of our most popular new children’s games, Pancake Monster, is a finalist in ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids program. It delights young players with its surprising effect and huge 27-inch size. Children feed the monster pancake cards and press a button as many times as there are toppings on the pancakes. They never know when the spring mechanism will trigger the monster to safely POP! and swallow the player’s arm!

Another bestseller, Hide ’N Squeak, is an interactive toy for preschoolers.

One child hides the adorable little mouse and the rest of the players must find her. To help, Squeaky the Mouse makes little sounds – very quiet at first then gradually louder.

Our success in games and our special partnerships with retailers around the country inspired us to extend our reach with other lines.

A few years ago, we put a twist on traditional outdoor games with Djubi, the ultimate game of catch. This year we are adding Clydo, a patented light-up foam football that can be seen in the dark. It’s made with highquality materials and designed to play anywhere, any time. Both items are perfect for sports enthusiasts who want to up their game!

FinGears and Loopy Looper We continue to expand our line of fidgets. FinGears, our magnetic rings, were very popular in toy stores last year. This year, we launched Loopy Looper, the original marble spinner. This skill fidget consists of spinning a metal ball in a round toy until the centrifugal force takes over.

Loopy Looper is the brainchild of Thierry Denoual, founder of Blue Orange Games. Thierry was looking for something he could use to take breaks at his desk and quietly fidget with while working. After playing around with a marble and tin, Loopy Looper was born. With the renewed interest in the fidget category, we are excited to make our mark with this new device. Both FinGears and Loopy Looper are finalists in the Fidget category so it may be tough choice for voting retailers.

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June 2021

the n i s t lis t Fina idge F / e ls Impu gory cate

e n th i t s i l Fina e Gam gory e t a c

www.blueorangegames.com Vote for your favorites online: ADDRESS.com

• June 2021

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impulse/fidget finalists Scan this code by June 21 to vote for your favorites Dohjees | Schylling Fingears | Blue Orange Games See ad on PP. 18, 19 Hide Inside Putty – Flower Finds | Crazy Aaron’s Loopy Looper | Blue Orange Games See ad on PP. 18, 19

Hide Inside! Flower Finds

Crazy Aaron’s, crazyaarons.com, Age 3+ If you look close enough you’ll always find what you’re looking for.

With the Hide Inside! Flower Finds Thinking Putty you will be on the hunt to discover the six unique critter pieces among the flowers!

The challenge of discovering them all is captivating.

infant/toddler finalists Scan this code by June 21 to vote for your favorites Dimpl Stack | Fat Brain Toy Co See ad on PP. 2, 3

Push & Pull Puppy | PlanToys

Dizzy Bees | Fat Brain Toy Co See ad on PP. 2, 3

Spatial Rocket | PlanToys

Dimpl Stack

Push & Pull Puppy

Fat Brain Toy Co, fatbraintoyco.com Age 6 months+ A vibrant stack-and-discover experience!

The top of each cup features a squishy silicone bubble embossed with a unique texture pattern. Little fingers will love to touch, push, and pop them again and again. Meanwhile, its unique stackability engages curious and growing minds while providing the hours of fun parents have come to expect from the entire line of Dimpl toys.

PlanToys, info@plantoysinc.com Age 1+

Dizzy Bees Fat Brain Toy Co fatbraintoyco.com Age 10 months+ Young minds will be abuzz with tactile-learning excitement! The three bees connect magnetically to stack atop the reversible honeycomb base. Spin them, wobble them, and then pull them apart to explore each one.

The textured silicone wings fascinate the fingers and soothe sore gums while bright colors and big friendly eyes send the imagination soaring. It’s a honey-sweet playtime delight!

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June 2021

The darling Push & Pull Puppy is great for active tots. It has a tilting puppy face and makes a click-clack sound as it moves. It’s also versatile: the wooden handle can be removed for free play, or replaced with a tail and pull string. Help children develop fine motor skills plus balance and coordination.

Spatial Rocket PlanToys, info@plantoysinc.com Age 2+ The Spatial Rocket Set helps children understand how objects and people move in relation to one another. Using basic shapes and a deck of 20 cards, the set helps develop their ability to describe their surroundings, enhances their language and communication skills, and improves hand-eye coordination through play. It includes 4 shapes, 1 astronaut, and 20 cards that feature a range of challenges. Additional cards can be downloaded from Plantoys.com.

infant/toddler FINALIST

Play With a Purpose

by Rudy Valenta, ASTRA Certified Play Expert National Sales & Marketing, PlanToys

In play, we can imagine and experience situations we have never encountered before and learn from them.

Dr. Stuart Brown, Founder of the National Institute for Play

With at-home learning here to stay, parents are looking for toys that teach as they also entertain their children at home. To help meet their needs, PlanToys has created the Spatial Rocket set. This fun game helps children learn about spatial relationships through play. It’s ideal for family-time play or as a teaching tool. Players draw a card and then replicate the picture on it using the astronaut and rocket pieces. Parents help by directing the conversation to how the different objects are placed around, behind, above, below and next to each other. So, at the same time they’re developing spatial skills, kids are also building language and communication skills and developing hand-eye coordination – all through play. To keep the game fresh, parents can visit PlanToys.com when they’re ready to download an additional 40 cards.

The Spatial Rocket is sustainably made in Thailand with repurposed wood and water-based paints.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of PlanToys and its continued leadership in sustainable toy manufacturing.

June 2021

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outdoor/active finalists Scan this code by June 21 to vote for your favorites Refillable Bubble Solution System | American Bubble Company See ad on back cover Drop Shot | Fat Brain Toy Co See ad on PP. 2, 3 Rainbow Wobble Board – Regular Size | Bunny Hopkins

Refillable Bubble Solution System American Bubble, bubbletreeusa.com Age 3+ Our sustainable, eco-friendly portable bubble system, made in USA, dispenses a superior nontoxic solution into high-quality aluminum bottles that can be refilled, reused and recycled.

Skimbe | Waterline Toys Surge | Gel Blaster

Drop Shot Fat Brain Toy Co, fatbraintoyco.com Age 6+ Let gravity do the tossing! Each player gets six arrows in one color.

Taking turns, they have to put their spatial reasoning skills to the test as they try and drop their arrows into the honeycomb gameboard. Only players with a steady hand and a keen eye will have what it takes to land three in a straight row first!

SkimBe®

Waterline Toys, 949-246-8789, waterlinetoys.com support@waterlinetoys.com Age 3+ Award-winning SkimBe® is a 10 ounce soft polyurethane disc with a patented rocker bottom and thumb grip.

When thrown in a crossbody motion or a flick of the wrist, SkimBe skips, skims, slides and jumps across your favorite playground up to 100 feet! Use it in water, snow, ice and even wet grass! SkimBe is currently available in three colors. New colors and game extensions are coming soon.

outdoor/active FINALIST

Building a Better Bubble American Bubble Company, established in 2020, is proud to launch Bubble Tree, a new brand dedicated to changing the way we play with bubbles, forever.

In 70 years, bubbles have not changed. Until now.

Bubble Tree is the very first patentpending, eco-friendly, and sustainable bubble system made in the USA. It has three innovative and easy-to-use parts.

1. Aluminum bubble bottles that can be refilled, reused and recycled.

Ergonomically designed to fit into a child’s hand, the bottles feature a proprietary soft-coated texture that helps provide a non-slip grip.

2. A convenient bubble-in-a-box system with a storage area that allows you to dispense bubble solution. It’s available in four sizes, and durable enough to last all season long.

3. Our safe and high-quality bubble solution. It produces the best performing and most vibrant bubbles you will ever see.

Using our decades of experience, we also perfected the bubble wand.

Our multi-ring device allows for maximum output of bubbles without having to use a lot of solution.

Everything is contained in colorful, contemporary packaging that displays great on store shelves. Our systems feature simple step-by-step instructions that help Bubble Tree sell itself.

Each year, more than 300 million one-time-use plastic bubble bottles are imported to the United States. Many will contain bubble solution from foreign countries with formulas and ingredients that often fall below the levels of safety, sustainability, and quality that modern American consumers demand.

We felt that the problem presented an opportunity – to build a company focused on delivering products with the highest quality standards and do it in a sustainable way.

Today’s parents want an ecofriendly product with reliable ingredients from accountable sources.

Our goal is to fulfill that request by delivering high-quality American-made products that are not only sustainable and environmentally friendly, but also

eliminate one-time-use plastic bubble bottles. American Bubble Company is here to deliver. Come join our family and be part of the solution.

June 2021

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preschool FINALIST

The Best New Trend?

Screen-Free Entertainment!

We have so many screens that we love for movies, TV, and video games, but too much of a good thing is too much sometimes. Kids (and adults!) need a break. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a new way for kids to play, something totally different … dare we say magical, even?

We’ve found it and have to share it! Meet Tonies!

What Is a Toniebox?

The Toniebox is an imagination-building, interactive and screen-free digital listening experience that plays stories, songs and more. It comes to life when paired with Tonies: hand-painted characters with stories to tell, worlds to explore and songs to sing along with. Made for kids three and up, Tonies are simple to use, so kids can play all on their own or together with friends and family!

Pro tip: Tonies are a huge help with bedtime routines since the Toniebox is squeezable and bed-friendly. Soft and strong, the Toniebox is made for hands-on play, and can handle it all. Parents never have to worry about a shattered screen – what a relief!

What are Tonies?

Each Tonie magnetically attaches to the Toniebox, making it simple for little listeners to control their audio.

Content Tonies come pre-loaded with content, including stories from Disney’s “The Lion King” and “Cars,” fun new characters like The Gruffalo, and so much more.

There are also Creative Tonies, which you can customize with up to 90 minutes of content. Parents can upload their child’s favorite songs and stories, or have grandparents read their favorite book, which can be played on the Toniebox for an extra-special bedtime treat!

How does it work?

The Toniebox is smart technology that instantly recognizes any Tonie, so the storytime magic begins right away. The Toniebox will start telling a story, playing music or leading children on an audio adventure! Kids just pick any Tonie they like and pop it onto the box. When putting a Tonie on for its first adventure, their story automatically downloads to the Toniebox. They can play the Tonie anywhere – at a friend’s house or on a road trip, and no Wi-Fi is needed. There are seven hours of battery life between charges!

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June 2021

preschool finalists Scan this code by June 21 to vote for your favorites

pretend finalists Scan this code by June 21 to vote for your favorites

Magna-Tiles Structures Interactive Story Time | CreateOn

Galaxy Cape | Creative Education of Canada

Musical Whale Fountain | Hape

My Forest Floor | Tender Leaf Toys

Rocket Ball Air Stacker | Hape

Pearl Dragon Wristlet | Folkmanis Inc.

Sensory Bin Dinosaur Dig | Creativity for Kids by Faber-Castell USA

Playdate Dolls Harper | Manhattan Toys

Toniebox Starter Set | Tonies See ad on PP. 24, 25

Ride-on & Foldable Engine Table | Hape

Magna-Tiles Structures Interactive Story Time

Pearl Dragon Wristlet

CreateOn, createon.com Age 3+ With the Sesame Street Monster at the End of this Story Magna-Tiles structure set, children have fun playing with Grover and learning at the same time.

Sparked with colorful, imaginative, interactive play, Interactive Story Time is a great alternative to screens.

We are proud to be a 2021 ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Finalist.

Toniebox Starter Set Tonies, salesUSA@tonies.com Age 3+ The Toniebox is an imagination-building, interactive and screen-free digital speaker system that plays stories, songs and more. It comes to life when paired with characters called Tonies; each one comes filled with its own adventure for endless listening entertainment.

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June 2021

Folkmanis, 800-654-8922, info@folkmanis.com Age 3+ The Pearl Dragon Wristlet with magnetic closure dazzles and shines as wearable art or puppet jewelry. It’s an exquisite pearlescent finger puppet, perfect for cosplay and imaginative play for all ages! .

puzzle FINALIST

games FINALIST

Expanding the Multi-Player Universe Smart Toys and Games is honored to present two 2021 Best Toys for Kids Finalists: SmartGames IQ Circuit and SmartGames Dragon Inferno.

IQ Circuit is an outstanding addition to the well-known IQ travel-game line, while Dragon Inferno (two players, age 7 to adult) is part of the second wave of multiplayer games that we introduced in 2020 with Froggit – a Best Toys for Kids winner!

Dragon Inferno’s players are challenged to strategically place pieces on the game board to build the largest kingdom. They use dragons to burn their opponent’s kingdom at the same time they attempt to avoid that fate themselves!

SmartGames multiplayer games adhere to our core principles: high-quality products that are both fun and enriching. Like our single-player games, Dragon Inferno builds key cognitive skills including planning, visual perception and concentration.

We hope everybody enjoys our BTFK nominees and all our new products!

We really can’t wait to see you in person at ASTRA Marketplace, Booth 714!

June 2021

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science finalists

puzzle finalists Scan this code by June 21 to vote for your favorites

Scan this code by June 21 to vote for your favorites

Caeser’s Codex | Project Genius

Bio Chem Creatures | Klutz

Escape Puzzle Kids, Amusement Park | Ravensburger

Gravity Bugs | Thames & Kosmos

Musical Crossroads 72 Piece Puzzle | Little Likes Kids

Magical Unicorn Science | Klutz

SmartGames IQ Circuit | Smart Toys and Games See ad on P. 27

Smartivity Pinball Machine | Elenco (Smartivity Labs) Teach Tech Dizzy, The 6-in-1 Gyroscope | Elenco

Musical Crossroads

Little Likes Kids, sales@littlelikeskids.com Ages 5-9

Trigmate | Mindwatts Mars Landing Survival Kit | Learning Advantage/Wild Env. Science

The Musical Crossroads 72-piece jumbo puzzle piques a young child’s interest in all things rocking and tunes their tastes to music and culture. Joyfully diverse and beautifully illustrated, this thoughtfully designed toy is perfect for your customers who are looking for the perfect gift for music-loving kids!

Trigmate

IQ Circuit

Mars Landing Survival Kit

Smart Toys and Games SmartUSASales.com Age 8+ Can you connect the dots without short-circuiting your brain? Place all the puzzle pieces on the game board to create paths.

Includes 120 challenges across five levels, from Starter to Wizard! Playing IQ Circuit stimulates many cognitive skills including concentration, logic and problem solving.

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June 2021

Mindwatts, trigmate.com Age 9+ Trigmate, a hands-on math and engineering toy, motivates kids to understand and retain important STEM theories with fun and easy challenges. As a result, they visualize and apply those concepts in their everyday indoor and outdoor surroundings. Its Ez-astrolabe is a favorite with young astronomers.

Learning Advantage/Wild Environmental Science 866-564-8251, info@learningadvantage.com Age 8+ This eco-engineering science kit includes more than 30 components and a fullcolor instruction booklet.

With it, kids can build an inhabitable environment on Mars by creating a biodome, germinating seeds (included), filtering water, brewing compost and more. As the plants grow, they can clone food and test for UV radiation and plant nutrients.

science FINALIST

A Family Activity Where You’d Least Expect It

by Angie Jordan, Vice President of Sales, Learning Advantage As parents and caregivers worked from home during the past 12 months, the toy industry saw burgeoning sales in products that families could engage in together, like board games, for instance. Playthings that stimulate togetherness and enable parents to teach their children new skills will continue to be in demand this year.

Specialty toy retailers can gain confidence in this shift in consumer behavior.

Science kits are one example of a product line that could reach new heights.

“It is possible to make a self-sustaining city on Mars by 2050,” said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. NASA, China and others are also investigating signs of life on Mars. Our Wild Environmental Science Mars Landing Survival Kit gives families hands-on experience in constructing their own biodome to simulate life on the red planet. This topical kit helps children imagine their own lives on Mars as they learn how to create oxygen, build a water filtration system, brew compost, grow plants from seeds and more. The kit includes 30+ components and a child-friendly, full-color instruction booklet.

It’s an engaging activity that will inspire a love of agriculture, space travel, and hours of family togetherness.

WILD SCIENCE

TM

Create your own botanical biodome!

• Full color instruction booklet • Safety equipment • 100% tested and compliant • Seeds included

Exclusively destributed by

Watch Video

ASTRA2021_WES-Mars-Landing-Half-Page-Ad.indd 1

For more information please contact: info@learningadvantage.com

5/6/21 4:25 PM

June 2021

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index of finalists American Bubble Company..............................americanbubble.com..................................... 22, 23, 32 Amigo Games...................................................amigotoys.net........................................................14, 15 Avenir/DAM .....................................................dam-toys.com.............................................................10 Blue Orange Games..........................................blueorangegames.com................................... 14, 18, 19 Bunny Hopkins..................................................bunnyhopkinstoys.com...............................................22 Crazy Aaron Enterprises....................................puttyworld.com...........................................................20 CreateOn............................................................createon.com...............................................................26 Creative Education of Canada ..........................greatpretenders.ca.......................................................26 Creativity for Kids................................................fabercastell.com...........................................................10 DJECO US...........................................................djeco-us.com.................................................6, 8, 10, 11 Elenco ...............................................................elenco.com...................................................................28 Fat Brain Toy Co..................................................fatbraintoyco.com..........................................2, 3, 20, 22 Folkmanis..........................................................folkmanis.com.............................................................26 Gel Blaster.........................................................gelblaster.com.............................................................22 Hape International............................................hape.com.....................................................................26 Klutz..................................................................klutz.com.....................................................................28 Learning Advantage/Roo Games..........................learningadvantage.com..............................................14 Learning Advantage/Wild Env. Science...........learningadvantage.com........................................28, 29 LEGO Group.......................................................lego.com....................................................................6, 9 Little Likes Kids.................................................littlelikeskids.com........................................................28 Manhattan Toy..................................................manhattantoy.com......................................................26 Mindwatts.........................................................trigmate.com...............................................................28 PlanToys.............................................................plantoysusa.com....................................................20, 21 PlayMonster......................................................playmonster.com............................................ 10, 12, 13 Plus-Plus USA...................................................plus-plus.us...............................................................6, 7 Project Genius...................................................projectgeniusinc.com..................................................28 Ravensburger....................................................ravensburger.com........................................................28 Schylling Associates..........................................schylling.com...............................................................20 Smart Toys and Games.....................................SmartUSASales.com....................................... 14, 27, 28 SolidRoots.........................................................solidroots.com.............................................................14 Story Time Chess...............................................storytimechess.com........................................ 14, 16, 17 Studiostone Creative.........................................studiostonecreative.com.............................................10 Tender Leaf Toys................................................tenderleaftoys.com......................................................26 Thames & Kosmos............................................thamesandkosmos.com....................................6, 14, 28 Tonies - Boxine GmbH......................................boxine.de........................................................ 24, 25, 26 Ukidz (d.b.a. UGears US)..................................ugears.us........................................................................6 Waterline Toys...................................................waterlinetoys.com.......................................................22 Scan this code by June 21 to vote for your favorites 30

June 2021

Selection Committee continued from page 4

consider, and you always deliver. This year, hundreds of individual items were submitted, and your enthusiasm and discernment of potential award winners was evident in every response.

Our stalwart group of retailers, including David Castillo from The Red Balloon Toy Store in Salt Lake City; Tammy Clower of Giggle Monkey Toys in Dahlonega, Georgia; the “scotts”: Scott Friedland from Timeless Toys in Chicago and Scott Mazerall of Maziply Toys in Kingston, Massachusetts, are all charged with researching and reviewing each product on the list.

This year, as we were unable to gather and play in person, all of that research happened on our screens, mostly (in my case) late at night after closing the store. We met over Zoom calls, ably supported by Jenna Stirling at ASTRA, and kindly herded like easily distracted cats by the always-patient Sue Warfield.

Those discussions, to me, are exactly what ASTRA membership represents, played out in real life.

Learning from my colleagues in those meetings, hearing about their creativity in store operations, listening to their careful analysis of the play value of each item in the current marketplace, and recognizing their commitment to good design and open-ended play is like a master class in toy selling.

Oh, how I wish all of you could be in that room* or on those calls.

Once we have sorted and tallied, grouped by category and developed the list of finalists from your nominations and our charter to showcase and acknowledge the best offerings from that massive stack of toys, we turn our award decisions back over to you, our retail members. Your wisdom, your experience, and your excitement for this fourth quarter and all the possibilities it represents are now needed. Your votes pick the award winners.

Congratulations are due, to be sure, to every product nominated and to the teams of inventors, designers and artists, manufacturers, distributors, and sales professionals who bring those wonderful playthings to our attention and ultimately to our shelves. But it is your turn, friends, to help select this year’s list of award winners. Look carefully at the products included in this exciting, first-of-its-kind special issue.

Vote for those you select, and share your feedback with the rest of us.

On behalf of the Best Toys for Kids Committee for 2021, we can’t wait to hear what you think. *actually, you CAN be in that room. Want to volunteer for next year’s committee? Let us know on the ASTRA website or email Sue Warfield at swarfield@astratoy.org.

ASTRA

Make meaningful connections, gain fresh ideas & inspiration and discover the newest toys & children's products -- all in one place!

August 5-8, 2021 * Minneapolis, MN www.marketplaceandacademy.org