11 minute read
Spring Fair Preview what’s in store for visitors
Thames and Kosmos Gibson
Spring into 2023!
Discover magical new products in the Kids, Toy and Play destination at Spring Fair – Hall 5 is the place to be!
What: Spring Fair 2023 Where: NEC Birmingham When: 5-8 February Web: www.springfair.com
Spring Fair is a showcase for discovery and innovation in the toy sector, putting the most sought-after products, magical new finds, and industry-leading creative thinkers under one easy-to-navigate roof, while giving retailers unparalleled cross-buying opportunities to find their next bestsellers.
The show creates a compelling and unmissable platform for buyers to touch, feel, and experience the latest products, trends and innovations, so make a beeline for Kids, Toys and Play in Hall 5 to discover the latest launches and innovations.
Home to the finest, most magical children’s toys and gadgets, Kids, Toys and Play offers a celebration of the most beautiful, handcrafted toys, brain-teasing puzzles, must-have high-tech gadgets, and craft gifts for all ages. Tap into the hottest toy trends and those elusive Christmas hits from leading brands including Keel Toys, Orange Tree Toys, Noble Collection, BigJigs Toys, Inside Out Toys, Mai Clothing, Willsow, Djeco, House of Puzzles, Click Europe, Kiddicraft, and TY UK. The Toy Debut area, featuring “ up-and-coming designers showing for the first time, includes Happy Little Doers, Lewis and Scott, Reydon Sports, and Ada Baby.
Happy Little Doers is a multiaward-winning children’s toy brand that designs and makes educational activity flashcards, games and prints for kids. Products are designed to inspire children to reach their full potential by helping them discover their favourite way of learning through play. Each product encourages both mental and physical development, learning of essential skills and is designed to bring out confidence and happiness in every child. Reydon Sports, based in Nottingham, is Europe’s premier trade wholesaler and distributor of toys, sports, leisure and outdoor brands. It will be showcasing a
The show new wholesale range for kids. creates a Long-standing Spring Fair exhibitor compelling and Wilton Bradley is showing its new Sew Amazing range, created for kids taking unmissable an interest in sewing, and licensed platform for buyers kids cooking range Bake Me a Story, in partnership with Great British Bake Off to touch, feel, and winner Nadiya Hussain, and specifically experience the designed to make cooking and baking accessible to children. latest products, Hippychick has tripled its Vilac trends and innovations “ offering, and new additions to source at Spring Fair include beautifully crafted wooden tea sets, educational toys, games that get the whole family involved, and even traditional kites. The Puppet Company and its sister soft toy brand Wilberry will be
Must-see at Spring Fair
Wilton Bradley is showing its new Sew Amazing range, created for kids taking an interest in sewing, and licensed kids cooking range, Bake Me a Story, in partnership with Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain, and specifically designed to make cooking and baking accessible to children.
Bigjigs House of Marbles Ginger Fox
showcasing exciting new collections of ‘Walking’ Puppets and ECO Cuddlies made from 100% recycled materials. Re-using plastic bottles, every single thing in each puppet and soft toy - from the thread used to embroider the eyes to the stuffing making it extra cuddly - has been recycled and re-used, even the swing tickets and display stands.
Offering a wide collection of crafting kits for children, James Galt is showcasing arts and crafts products including creative cases, stationery, water magic and young art.
New to Spring Fair and based in the Netherlands, SES Creative offers a wide range of crafting kits for kids from fingerpaint, poster paint, colouring pencils, markers, chalk, play dough and more.
Visit Bachmann Europe for a new range of art and craft products for the three to six age group. This premium, eco-friendly range includes sticker puzzles, drawing books, reusable doodle mats and activity charts and much more. There are three ranges of dinosaur toys, all museum quality, plus fun and colourful 3D puzzles. Reviving an old favourite, Bachmann Europe also launches Thunderbird 2, International Rescue’s heavy transport aircraft model kit containing Pod 4 and its cargo Thunderbird 4 and piloted by Virgil Tracy.
Bigjigs Toys will showcase an extensive collection of toys including NeeDoh, the TikTok fidget toy sensation. The groovy glob is available in a range of exciting colours and has a silky smooth texture. Green Toys are green by both name and nature. These eco-friendly toys are made in the US from 100% recycled plastic from milk jugs - a food-safe, non-toxic material. Bigjigs Toys’ popular Wooden Railway is a great way to get little train drivers ‘on track’ with their creativity and fine motor skills. A classic toy that lasts for years to come, its toy train sets for kids are crafted from premium-quality, responsibly sourced materials.
Keel Toys celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 2022 and its ongoing commitment to creating a sustainable future has never been more important. Keeleco is an eco-friendly collection of soft toys, manufactured and filled with 100% recycled polyester made from plastic waste. In the two and half years since launching this range the company has recycled in excess of 100 million water bottles in the manufacture of these beautiful toys.
Lanka Kade is an established, family-run business based in the heart of the UK and specialising in the design, craft and supply of fairtrade wooden toys and gifts for children. Its distinctive range of educational toys offers both bright, bold colours and natural wood finishes.
Paper Engine creates an awardwinning range of eco-friendly children’s toys that you can build yourself. Made from sustainable cardboard, the STEM-inspired kits are great fun to build and provide hours of entertainment; reducing screen-time and bringing families together to create special memories. Assembled using simple slottogether techniques – there’s no glue, no mess, no fuss. Everything you need is provided in the kit and each of the kits has an on-pack star rating to show the complexity of the build. Proudly designed in the UK by a team of brilliant paper engineers, each Build Your Own kit is made from high-quality, sustainable materials, with minimal plastics. And the eco-friendly packaging is 100% recyclable.
Smart Toys and Games is home to eight award-winning educational brands including SmartGames, the worldwide leader in multi-level logic games; SmartMax, the pioneering preschool magnetic construction system for young children; and GeoSmart, the future of geomagnetic play. Other award-winning brands in the portfolio are Happy Cube, a fun range of EVA foam puzzles; Smartivity, a collection of sustainable wooden construction and activity sets; Go Genius, an eco-friendly collection of educational board games; True Balance, a fantastic fidget toy for adults and children, and The Happy Puzzle Company. Smart Toys and Games cater for children as young as one all the way up to adults. All Smart Toys and Games feature engaging and educational mechanics that encourage learning through play and mindfulness.
Kids crafting expert Thames & Kosmos returns to Spring Fair with a range of scientific kits to enable kids to explore their imagination and learn through play.
Gibsons, the family-owned jigsaw puzzle and board game company is launching 40 new puzzles in the new year, including artwork from Gibsons’ most popular artists, Val Goldfinch, Steve Crisp and Robert Opie. The new Robert Opie launch, Treats that Built Britain, takes the puzzlers on a nostalgic trip back to the mid-20th century and is filled with delicious chocolates from the 40s, 50s and 60s.
As well as classic puzzles, Gibsons has also teamed up with new artists. A Collective of Creatures is a 1,000-piece puzzle that’s been created by design studio Snowtap and features whimsical and playful illustrations of all kinds of creatures. Another new addition is Jungle Dream by artist Catalina Estrada, which takes the puzzler on a mystical journey of patterns and shapes that are full of colour.
Finally, Gibsons will be debuting its new game release, Kingmaker. First launched in the 70s, this incredible game has a huge cult following, so Gibsons decided to bring it back to life in autumn 2022 via a Kickstarter campaign. Kingmaker will be available to order late spring, so Spring Fair is one of the first chances that people will get to see the new game in the flesh.
A world of
possibilities
WILTON BRADLEY
01626 835400 | www.wiltonbradley.com Hall 5 Stand G20 – H21- Toy & Beach | Hall 4 Stand G26 - VW & Osprey
Wilton Bradley will be exhibiting a host of toys at the NEC Birmingham, from ride ons for young adventurers and a sewing machine for creative kids to a light-up globe for budding geographers and astronomers!
The new Xootz Wild Thing LED Scooter will be the biggest hit in the park! With a fun leopard print grip tape, the Wild Thing scooter features LED wheels, deck and handlebar grips for a super fun light show when you ride. Perfect for ages five-plus, the Wild Thing features a lightweight aluminium frame and an easy folding mechanism, making it perfect for transporting.
The Power Play 4 in 1 Stand Up Games table is the perfect addition to any party. This fun table includes all the party favourites; hockey, pool, table tennis and table football. Simply lift the games deck and replace with your chosen game. The table also includes handy storage for keeping the included balls, bats and cues safe while not in use.
The new Eclipse Electric scooter offers a scooter experience like never before. Reaching speeds of up to 10km/h, kids age six-plus are able to dart in and out of obstacles with ease. PU wheels make for a super smooth ride along pavements and parks, and the collapsible bars make the Eclipse easy to transport.
Encourage kids to learn about the world around them with the 2-in-1 Globe. Built-in LED lights allow you to explore both Earth and the constellations at the flick of a switch. This 25cm globe includes all capitals and major cities across the planet.
Discover a great way to introduce kids to sewing with the Sew Amazing Sewing Workshop. This sewing machine is a fullyfunctional machine that will encourage children’s creativity, while developing their skills.
Creative kids will be able to make and customise their own clothes and accessories, producing finished pieces that they can be proud of. The Sew Amazing Workshop is completely safe for kids aged six years and over.
The machine is mains or battery operated and features two speed settings and a foot pedal control.
Mi-Mic Live is an easy-to-use, digital wireless microphone and light system that is designed to capture better quality sound to a range of devices such as your mobile phone, tablet, or laptop. The clip-on microphone sends live audio to the compact receiver that plugs into your device, allowing the system to deliver live wireless content with up to 15m range from your source device. The clip-on ring light features 15 active light settings, that will illuminate your content when you’re vlogging or even just taking a selfie. Mi Mic Live helps create the perfect live streaming experience, perfect for tutorials, interviews, live jamming sessions, budding YouTubers, Tiktok-ers, and Vloggers. Take the party wherever you go with the new Mi Mic Karaoke Speaker. Complete with two wireless microphones, the new Mi Mic is perfect for parties and gatherings. Simply connect your device or insert your SD card and sing along to your favourite hits. The Bubble Go Trike is a new way for kids to have fun. Watch their little face light up as they cycle along on their tricycle leaving a cloud of bubble magic behind them. Add the included bubble solution to the Bubble Go machine for hundreds of bubbles. Get ready for some awesome 360 bumper fun with the Xootz Big Bumper car. Suitable for ages 24 months and up, the Xootz Big Bumper car is easy to manoeuvre, giving kids complete control as they perform full 360 spins and reach speeds of up to 2.5mph. The Big Bumper car has adjustable seatbelts, anti-flat tires and a rubberized bumper that offers protection to your home and children. Bring all the fun of the fairground dodgem home with LED lights and fairground themed music.
