The Toy Book - June 2022

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JUNE 2022

IN THIS ISSUE Volume 38, No. 3 — Published by Adventure Media and Events LLC

Editor-in-Chief Maddie Michalik maddie@toybook.com

DEPARTMENTS 10 | From the Editor 12 | ASTRA’s Insights 13 | Toy Association Update 14 | Industry Update

Group Publisher Jackie Breyer jackie@toybook.com

90 | Giving Back: Mattel

16 | Toy Insider Events: Holiday of Play

92 | New in Town: TWEE

28 | Toy Association Perspectives

94 | Pop Quiz

88 | Marketing Memo

96 | WiT Stories

89 | Industry Insights

98 | Flashback

Deputy Editor James Zahn james@toybook.com Senior Editors Madeleine Buckley mbuckley@toybook.com Jackie Cucco jc@toybook.com Ali Mierzejewski ali@toybook.com Marissa Silva marissa@toybook.com Social Media Editor Nicole Savas nicole@toybook.com Editorial Assistants Annabelle Canela annabelle@toybook.com Hannah Sacks hannah@toybook.com

17 | Investing in the Next Generation of Toy Industry Creators TinkerTini’s Student Inventing Challenge program powers creative development in toys and games.

18 | Next-Gen Toy Stores A new era of specialty retailers lead play into the future.

22 | Check Out These Toys How Toy Libraries Are Finding Shelf Space in the Industry 26 | Connecting Toy Stores Worldwide A retailer passport program and digital database make finding toy stores fun.

30 | Chatting with the Industry Q&A Retailers and manufacturers discuss the ever-evolving specialty toy industry.

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FEATURES

From left to right: Rom Com from University Games, Alter Egos Avocado Cat from Squishable, Land of Dough Dino from Crazy Aaron’s, and Fire in the Hole from McMiller

Art Director Joe Ibraham joe@toybook.com

44 2022 Specialty Toy Launches

Junior Designer Elena Sorce elena@toybook.com

Whether you’re walking the floor of the Long Beach Convention Center at ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy or flipping through these pages digitally, take a look at what’s coming to specialty toy stores this year.

Production Director Bill Reese bill@toybook.com Executive Director of Sales & Marketing James Devin jd@toybook.com Sales & Marketing Executive Stephanie Infantino stephanie@toybook.com

84 | Navigating the Web of the Metaverse Innovation comes to the toy industry as companies decipher Web3.

By now, we’ve all heard of NFTs and the metaverse, but there’s a new digital trend you need to know about: Web3. Read more starting on page 84. | Source: Epic Games

Controller/Office Manager Lori Rubin lrubin@adventurepub.com

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CEO Laurie Schacht laurie@toybook.com

On the cover: A look inside Village Toy Castle in Brucefield, Ontario, Canada | Source: Erin Samuell The Toy Book Volume 38, No. 3 THE TOY BOOK (ISSN-0885-3991) is published bi-monthly by Adventure Media and Events LLC. Editorial and advertising offices are located at 307 Seventh Ave., Room 501, New York, NY 10001, Phone (212) 575-4510. Periodicals Postage paid at New York and additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2022 Adventure Media and Events LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Printed in USA. Subscription rates: $48 one year, foreign $200. The Toy Book is a trademark of Adventure Media and Events LLC. Registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Toy Book, c/o Adventure Media and Events LLC., 307 Seventh Ave., Room 501, New York, NY 10001 or e-mail bill@toybook.com. Opinions and comments expressed in this publication by editors, contributing writers, or solicited or unsolicited documents are not necessarily those of the management of The Toy Book.

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FROM THE EDITOR

SPECIALTY RETAILERS DELIVER THE MAGIC OF PLAY

by MADDIE MICHALIK, editor-in-chief RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU CAN RELATE to this statement: “You cannot walk into a toy store with its rubber chickens, mermaid Barbies, and whoopie cushions and be unaffected.”

All of us are raising our hands, right?

I mean, how can you not have a positive reaction when stepping inside a place that you’ve never been to before, but still feels familiar, filled with curious minds testing out floor samples, wide eyes trying to scope out every item on the shelves, and a vibe so comforting you have to convince yourself that it’s not real magic (as you put that Shashibo back on the shelf, making a mental note to Google how it works later).

And, above all, that feeling does not go away. I’ll never get tired of the way that no two specialty toy stores are alike — and consumers worldwide feel the same way, so much so that The Nacelle Co. created a Toy Stores of the World initiative.

With this program, consumers can keep track of their toy store journeys with a passport booklet. More than 100 retailers worldwide participate in Toy Stores of the World; turn to page 26 if you want to learn how to be a part of it.

Cassie Watt, owner of Mud Puddle Toys in Marblehead, Massachusetts, said it best in the quote I opened this letter with (and takes the crown for my favorite line in this issue of the Toy Book): It’s impossible to not be affected by these toy stores, and I think that’s why we’re all in this business.

Read more about how a new generation of toy retailers are taking their stores to the next level from Deputy Editor James Zahn on page 18. Because, after all, with great power comes great responsibility.

Our annual June issue celebrates the specialty market’s meaningful and ever-evolving presence within the toy and game industry — and that sometimes does include some pretty outside-the-box merchandise like rubber chickens and whoopee cushions. As we head into the second half of the year, be sure to check out our specialty toy showcase starting on page 44, featuring broad coverage of

some of the great, new, and even wacky products on display at ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy.

I spoke with several specialty toy retailers and manufacturers for our annual Chatting with the Industry Q&A beginning on page 30. Make sure to check out valuable perspectives from the pros about topics like Toy Fair moving to the fall, price increases, ordering for the remainder of the year, and more. Every time I speak with an independent retailer, they mention the importance of their community, and one way that neighborhoods without toy stores are filling in the gap is with toy libraries. Senior Editor Madeleine Buckley

breaks it all down on page 22.

We have so much more inside this magazine! I sincerely hope you enjoy this issue of the Toy Book. Our team can’t wait to walk through the show floor and play with all of the new toys you see on these pages. See you in Long Beach! » Maddie Michalik is the editor-inchief of the Toy Book and senior editor of the Toy Insider and the Pop Insider. She reports on new products and toy industry trends and has been featured on broadcast TV segments in the U.S. and Canada. Reach her at maddie@toybook.com.

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ASTRA’S INSIGHTS

IT’S SHOWTIME ON THE SEA ASTRA sets sail for a February toy show.

by SUE WARFIELD, president, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association AS THIS ISSUE GOES TO PRESS, ASTRA is moving full speed ahead for our Marketplace & Academy in Long Beach, California. We have a jam-packed schedule including our Kit and Game Session, educational breakout sessions, an opening party, two and a half days of show floor time, and general networking and social time as well. If you are joining us at the show: Welcome!

But we have a lot to look forward to next year, too! We will continue to have our Marketplace & Academy, which is scheduled to take place in Columbus, Ohio, from June 11-14, 2023. In addition, we are working with the various gift stores to schedule times to meet up with members and attract new members. We have started hosting regional events that offer opportunities for our members to gather, discuss current issues, and learn from one another. Thinking outside of the walls of hotels, showrooms, or convention centers, we are launching a whole new way for our industry to gather: the ASTRA Toy Boat, due to set sail from Feb. 20-24, 2023.

You heard correctly: Toy Boat. Let’s answer a few questions you may have about our newest adventure.

WHY A TOY BOAT? Based on a survey we conducted after The Toy Association announced it was moving Toy Fair to September in 2023, the vast majority of participants answered that they needed an event to take the place of Toy Fair in February. To make sure we were not replacing any other shows (gift shows, ToyFest, or our own Marketplace & Academy, for example), it needed to be something completely different. So, let’s try a cruise!

WHEN DO WE SAIL?

FEB.20: Ship leaves Ft. Lauderdale, Florida FEB. 21: Private Island at Cococay, Bahamas FEB. 22: Day at Sea FEB. 23: Nassau, Bahamas FEB. 24: Dock back at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, at 6 a.m.

WHAT CRUISE LINE? We’ll set sail on the Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas. No, we do not have the entire ship — we just reserved a variety of cabins.

WHAT WILL IT COST? Cost of the cabins (double occupancy) will vary by size and type of cabin booked. ASTRA has negotiated a group rate for the cabins that will be all inclusive of WiFi, a deluxe drink package, taxes, gratuities, and port fees. Prices for these all-inclusive packages will range from $921.74-2,514.74 per person. Kids who come will be priced based on the cabin chosen, but at a lower fee than the adult cost.

The only added costs will be for product display and service tables for manufacturers, affiliates, and representatives, if they choose to have them; excursions; or upscale or added dining. Table options for manufacturers, inventors, affiliates, and representatives will vary by size, ranging from $200-500 each. Table displays will be open on Feb. 22 and 23 — times TBD.

Source: stock.adobe.com

OTHER EVENTS Two of the three nights will be Game and Kit Nights — one night for ASTRA members and one open to the public.

Conference rooms will also be available for manufacturers to book. Both Game and Kit Night tables and conference room booking will be an additional fee.

For families, we’ll be hosting a family-friendly Toy Sync Battle Night, and Liberty of the Seas has great programs for kids that are all included in the cost of the package.

SAFETY AND HEALTH ISSUES There are not currently any issues with ports of call. The “return to service” protocols include every ship and every port of call worldwide. Ships have medical facilities for COVID-19 testing, isolation rooms (if needed), and specific disembark protocols for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19. Contact tracing is completed for guests who may have come in contact with the positive person or persons; those guests are tested and, if negative, free to continue their cruise as usual.

Visit astratoy.org/events for more information on the ASTRA Toy Boat. » Sue Warfield, president of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), has more than 30 years of experience working in the toy industry, including owning a retail store, being a sales representative, and working alongside her husband at a manufacturing business. Email swarfield@astratoy.org to contact her.

This article was written with input from Jean Bailey, consultant, researcher, and writer for the toy industry.

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TOY ASSOCIATION UPDATE

TOY ASSOCIATION PUSHES FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION Updates on The Toy Association’s Advocacy Efforts

by KRISTIN MORENCY GOLDMAN, senior advisor, strategic communications, The Toy Association THE TOY ASSOCIATION ADVOCATES for your business — in major cities and states; in Washington, D.C.; and in dozens of capitols worldwide.

Our activism continues to stop new, misguided regulations and legislation, while our fight against trade barriers and unwise policies further protects the business of toys and play.

FEDERAL ISSUES The global shipping crisis has delivered a harmful blow to the toy industry thanks to undue delays and exorbitant, unjustified charges. To date, The Toy Association has urged the U.S. government to take action in response to the shipping crisis and its harmful impact on the industry by contacting congressional offices in support of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021, as a first step toward addressing shipping delays, increased costs, and container shortages.

We remain part of a broad coalition of industries that collectively push for legislative and regulatory action, as we highlight the enormity of the problem — and the combined economical and consumer impacts — in the media.

New resources, including a slate of shipping-related webinars and updates on U.S. ports, will be rolling out for members in the next few months.

Intellectual property (IP) protection is another key issue for our members, and the Association is continuing its fight against counterfeit toys by working closely with federal officials to drive support for IP protection bills, such as the SHOP SAFE Act and INFORM Consumers Act. We are also part of the Buy Safe America Coalition, which supports efforts at all levels of government to protect consumers and communities from selling counterfeit and stolen goods. Enhancing consumer awareness about how to spot fake toys and collaborating with government agen-

cies to end the sale of illicit products remain critical components of our advocacy work on behalf of the toy community.

“Ensuring the continued safety of toys is a crucial component of our work.”

— Ed Desmond, The Toy Association STATE UPDATES Last year, The Toy Association advocated on an unprecedented number of state bills. No new legislation specific to children’s products were approved, although a handful of broad consumer privacy bills passed into law. These will impact some members, and The Association’s external affairs team will be providing additional information as states move forward to implement these new regulations.

We are continuing our work on regulatory issues in New York and will move forward with litigation to resolve regulatory conflicts in Oregon. The Association remains focused on fighting state regulations for children’s products that are inconsistent with federal law, are not based on sound scientific criteria, do not improve product safety, or would place undue cost burdens on companies.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS The Toy Association rolled out a new international membership category last year to address the needs of companies doing substantial business outside of North America. These members receive direct guidance on global issues and have the opportunity to participate in The Toy Association’s International Committee. To date, the committee has tackled topics from India market access and the Brazil conformity assessment to various proposals in EU member states.

Also on the global front, The Toy As-

sociation led a multistakeholder effort to defeat an International Organization for Standardization proposal for a standard on marketing to kids, because it would have layered redundant requirements on top of existing, effective regulatory structures. We also successfully convinced several foreign markets to accept ASTM F963 safety requirements, including Jamaica and Colombia. This advocacy win will reduce trade barriers and testing costs for members doing business in these countries.

“As The Toy Association, representing and protecting the North American toy community, advancing the business rights of our members, and ensuring the continued safety of toys is a crucial component of our work,” says Ed Desmond, executive vice president of external affairs at The Toy Association. “We are committed to maintaining our advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and in state houses and local legislatures across the country, while continuing to operate globally to help shape policy and address onerous regulations. We encourage any member with an interest in our advocacy efforts to reach out and provide feedback or become involved in any one of our advocacy committees.”

Companies that would like to get involved or learn more are invited to contact The Toy Association’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Jennifer Gibbons (jgibbons@toyassociation.org). » As The Toy Association’s senior advisor of strategic communications, Kristin Morency Goldman keeps members of the toy community apprised of the latest global developments in toy trends, safety, retail, marketplace events, international trade, market research, and other topics impacting the business of toys and youth entertainment. She holds a master’s degree in media, culture, and communications from NYU.

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INDUSTRY UPDATE

RAVENSBURGER TO RELEASE STAR WARS PUZZLES IN THE U.S.

German game and toy company Ravensburger will release its Star Wars puzzles in the U.S. for the first time.

The new line will include images and designs inspired by the original Star Wars trilogy and the Disney+ series The Mandalorian.

The line will include puzzles for a variety of ages, ranging from simpler, 200-piece jigsaws to complex, 2,000-piece designs.

A selection of the puzzles are available to preorder now on Amazon, with the full collection set to go on sale later this summer. »

TOMY INTERNATIONAL RELAUNCHES LAMAZE BRAND THIS SUMMER

TOMY is introducing a brand refresh for its Lamaze brand, which has offered early childhood development toys since 1993. Nine new Lamaze toys will be available at specialty retailers and online exclusively through Fat Brain Toys starting this July. All of the products in this collection will offer multiple play patterns and grow-with-me elements.

In conjunction with this launch, TOMY will host a digital campaign called “It’s Time to Play.” The campaign will reach pregnant women and new mothers, celebrating the time spent together in play. »

MATTEL FOCUSES ON REPRESENTATION WITH NEW BARBIE DOLLS, WHEELCHAIR R/C TOY

In an effort to encourage more inclusive stories through play, Mattel has released new products for its Barbie and Hot Wheels brands.

The company partnered with paralympic athlete Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham for a Hot Wheels R/C Aaron “Wheelz” Wheelie Chair. The toy features a built-in action figure modeled after Fotheringham and includes a ramp for kids to perform tricks. The R/C wheelchair can speed up to 6 mph.

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Art from The Mandalorianthemed Star Wars puzzle Source: Ravensburger

This year’s Barbie Fashionista line will also feature an expanded range of skin tones, body types, and disabilities, including the first Barbie with behind-ear hearing aids, a Barbie with a prosthetic leg, and a Ken doll with vitiligo. »

U.S. RETAIL IMPORTS HIT NEW MILESTONE

According to an update from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates’ monthly Global Port Tracker last month, a record number of freight containers have made their way through the U.S. shipping system during the spring. The mass quantities of freight — including toys and games — are expected to continue as retailers and manufacturers bring in seasonal merchandise early in an effort to mitigate future cost increases and more supply chain issues that could loom on the horizon.

The Global Port Tracker reports that U.S. ports handled 2.34 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units in April, which sets a record for the highest number of containers

imported in a single month since the NRF began tracking imports 20 years ago. »

ASMODEE LAUNCHES NEW STUDIO TO CREATE ACCESSIBLE GAMES

International board game company Asmodee is opening a new game studio called Access+ that will adapt its existing board games for players with cognitive disabilities that impact speech, social relation, attention, emotional control, planning, and memory.

Access+ will release accessible

Hot Wheels R/C Aaron “Wheelz” Wheelie Chair and new Barbie Fashionista Dolls | Source: Mattel

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versions of Spot It!, Cortex, and Timeline that will be available in France, Belgium, and Canada later this year and worldwide next year.

Some of the new accessibility features include larger cards, adapted rules, various levels of difficulty, and an option to play as a single player. Asmodee intends to tailor Access+ titles to medical practitioners, schools, and caregivers who care for people with disabilities. »

CAMP OPENS LOS ANGELES FLAGSHIP STORE The experiential toy retailer Camp is has arrived on the West Coast, opening a flagship outpost at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles. The 7,000-squarefoot space is the company’s ninth store overall and the first of several locations planned for the West Coast. »

WIT LAUNCHES NEW WELLNESS INITIATIVE

Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT) introduced its new WiT Wellness initiative, which launched in

tandem with National Mental Health month.

The year-round program is designed to raise awareness and create conversations around mental health and wellbeing, and to inspire individuals and companies to incorporate mental wellness into their lives.

WiT Wellness intends to share resources that women and their allies can use to manage their wellbeing and mental health. Additionally, WiT will host ongoing constructive conversations focused on diffusing the stigma around mental health. »

LEGO KICKS OFF 90TH ANNIVERSARY WITH A GREATEST HITS SET

This year marks The LEGO Group’s 90th anniversary, and the company has started celebrating by releasing a 1,100-piece set called 90 Years of Play.

The building set comes with pieces and

Source: The LEGO Group

instructions to build recreations (often miniature ones) of 15 iconic LEGO toys, ranging from the 1932 Duck to the 2020 Pineapple Pencil Holder.

The set comes in anniversary-branded packaging that features images of all of the models, along with photos of the original sets and the year they each debuted. »

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JINGLE, JINGLE! THE HOLIDAYS WILL be here before you know it, and the Toy Insider is already gearing up for its 11th annual Holiday of Play media and influencer toy party, set to take place on Sept.

16 at Pier 59 in New York City.

Holiday of Play will welcome hundreds of VIP digital influencers, YouTube creators with millions of subscribers, and traditional press. Last year’s Holiday of Play event was attended by producers and editors from The TODAY Show, CBS Newspath, BuzzFeed, Yahoo!, Associated Press/AP-TV, CNBC, USA Today, The Tamron Hall Show, News 12, and so many more, and provided everyone with a sneak peek at the top toys of the year.

The exclusive event will give members of the media and influencers the opportunity to chat one-on-one with representatives from the hottest toy and entertainment companies — as well as smaller companies gaining major exposure — for the inspiration they need for holiday gift guides, future toy reviews, and unboxing videos. This year’s exhibitors include Moose Toys, MGA Entertainment, LEGO, Spin Master, Jazwares, Mattel, PlayMonster, Crayola, VTech, Flybar, Bandai, and many more.

Every year at Holiday of Play, the Toy Insider reveals the top toys, games, and

collectibles of the holiday season from its annual holiday gift guide, unveiling its highly influential Hot 20, 12 Under $20, and STEM 10 lists. Guests are able to get a first look at these toys before anyone else, with product demonstrations from the manufacturers themselves. Plus, Holiday of Play guests will leave the event with enormous overstuffed swag bags full of products to review, share, post about, and enjoy with family and friends.

Last year, Holiday of Play became a live/virtual hybrid event for the first time ever, inviting media and influencers from near and far to check out all the best toys for the holiday season. More than 150 attendees from the New York metro area visited Holiday of Play in person at Pier 59, while the event’s interactive virtual event welcomed more than 300 guests nationwide. Overall, Holiday of Play generated more than 12 million impressions with countless posts across all social media platforms.

Holiday of Play 2022 sponsorships are nearly sold out, but it’s not too late! If you’re interested in securing booth space, contact Jackie Breyer (jackie@toyinsider.com), James Devin (jd@toyinsider.com), or Stephanie Infantino (stephanie@toyinsider.com) as soon as possible. »

2021 Highlights

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The Student Inventing Challenge powers creative development.

by TRINA MCFARLAND, owner and general manager, TinkerTini THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE THE TOY business, but the power of play has to be fueled by creativity. With that in mind, TOMY International and TinkerTini are embracing and inspiring the next generation of toy and game inventors that will carry the industry into the future.

For nearly 100 years, TOMY has been at the center of open innovation with products such as Active Snap, Ahoy There, and Greedy Granny, along with many new, exciting inventor concepts currently in development. TOMY has also been a long-standing supporter of academia, with a desire to give back and connect with up-and-coming talent as an organization in new ways.

The TOMY and TinkerTini teams put their heads together to create the inaugural Student Inventing Challenge program that launched with Brunel University London. The format kicked off with a focused brief and a series of recorded introductions and tutorials, plus a detailed challenge overview that students could watch and absorb on their own time.

“It’s important that university students experience design challenges that are grounded in real business opportunities to help provide context for what they’re studying, and how future employers or clients might expect them to apply their learnings and approach problem solving.” says Alpesh Patel, vice president of global toy design at TOMY International.

“We saw an opportunity to expand upon the workflows, tools, and discipline we have as a team around how we work with inventors and bring that to students in a meaningful way.”

During the program, the TOMY team and TinkerTini hosted an open Q&A session for participants to explain the fundamentals of submitting and licensing concepts in the toy industry. Then, students had several weeks to ideate and create against TOMY’s focused brief with

concept presentations given directly to TOMY and TinkerTini in an open pitch format, followed by students submitting their concepts through TinkerTini’s Tinkerly Innovation Platform to expedite a formal and thoughtful review process.

By developing and submitting in this way, new concepts were digested Students can practice developing toys through by the TOMY leadership the Student Investing Challenge. | Source: TinkerTini team, which then provided meaningful feedback to the students to to TOMY’s executive team for review and help them improve. The participating licensing consideration. One concept was students in this challenge were able to even prototyped by the TOMY design experience the same workflow, care, and team. Three students were given first, support that professional inventors who second, and third place prizes, while work with TOMY receive every day, giving all participants recieved Club Mocchithem a sneak peek into what it’s like to Mocchi- plush toys. Although none of work as an inventor in the industry and to the concepts progressed to a licensing partner with TOMY. agreement at this time, it’s clear that with Exposure to the invention busithe right guidance, focus, and access to ness model and the concept of design design leadership from the manufacturer’s entrepreneurship will help build valuable perspective, students are capable of deskillsets for any future creative in the toy livering marketable concepts with merit. industry. Hosting and facilitating foFollowing the success of the pilot cused inventing challenges for students program, the next TOMY Brunel Student provides them with practical, real-world Inventing Challenge is being developed exposure and learning opportunities now and is scheduled to launch with that encourage them to start thinking Brunel University London this fall. » like entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs.

Understanding the working processes of Trina McFarland is the owner and independent inventors, as well as that general manager of TinkerTini, a full-service inventor relations of the internal design teams that partner agency founded in 2018. In 2020, with inventors, will assist them in practical she launched Tinkerly, a first-ofways throughout their careers ahead. its-kind innovation platform for “This really can be a win-win on many managing external innovation levels,” Patel says. “We can’t wait to conoutreaches, connecting more than 500 global tinue to explore and refine this new format inventors with toy and game manufacturers and to give students a learning experience that licensors. Her path to inventor relations began at Disney in 2004, where she created and launched will serve them for years to come.” the first licensor-driven Inventor Outreach program.

Thirty Brunel students participated in She then went on to manage inventor relations for TOMY’s first Student Inventing Challenge, Jakks Pacific, Fisher-Price, and Mattel. with three concepts ultimately making it toybook.com | JUNE 2022 | THE TOY BOOK 17

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A new era of specialty retailers lead play into the future.

by JAMES ZAHN, deputy editor IN A WORLD DOMINATED BY MASS retail, the buy-it-now mentality, and same-day delivery, the shopping experience can feel pretty industrial — especially as these blind purchases are fulfilled by a faceless workforce. The in-person discovery and impulse buys that consumers can only experience in a hands-on environment get lost in a fast-paced, tech-reliant society, and perhaps no other category is more affected than the toy and game industry.

After years of digital retail growth, life during the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a new interest in returning to brick-andmortar stores. As supply chain issues flipped the script and resulted in better product selection in-store versus online, many people rediscovered that they actually like shopping in person.

Kids playing inside the Village Toy Castle.

Source: Erin Samuell

Across the U.S. and Canada, independent, specialty toy retailers — once expected to be decimated by pandemic-related closures — have found new ways to connect with local families. They are harnessing new technologies and planting the flag for toy stores to become destinations in their local communities.

New stores are opening their doors while existing retailers are, in some cases, passing the torch to the next generation of owners, all of whom are keenly reactive to the needs and interests of their customers. One constant remains true: Independent, neighborhood toy stores deliver a human element that mass retailers can’t match.

PROVIDING EXPERIENCES THAT THE MAJOR RETAILERS CAN’T About 90 minutes from the Port Huron border crossing between the U.S. and Canada, Village Toy Castle stands tall in a historic building in the tiny town of Brucefield, Ontario. The new store is run by a father with a background in creating toy-related cinema.

Isaac Elliott-Fisher is a Canadian cinematographer and a principal at Definitive Film, the company behind the toy-centric

documentaries Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. After years of making films about toys, he’s now selling toys and celebrating their history. Soon, he will be making them as well.

“I bought this 130-year-old brick hotel building that’s right off the highway in tourist country,” Elliott-Fisher says.

“There was nothing really out here for kids at all, and the idea was to make a true destination toy store by looking at what some of the world’s best toy stores have done. Can I be as big as Hamleys?

No. But can I beat them on experience?

Maybe. Perhaps it’s possible to create something as magical as Duncan’s Toy Chest in Home Alone 2.”

Village Toy Castle held its grand opening on Dec. 18 and has added fresh stock and new experiences ever since, including an indoor, castle-shaped play area for kids; a vintage toy museum; and a retro video arcade. Elliott-Fisher says that the product mix balances specialty staples from the likes of Playmobil and Schylling with action brands from Hasbro and Mattel.

As the business expands, Elliott-Fisher will begin producing miniature figures and wooden castle playsets in-house based on an original intellectual property, and consumers will be able to view the toy factory from within the toy store. He hopes to meet a need by zeroing in on the lack of fresh ideas in the action figures category for kids ages 5 and up.

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“Everyone seems to be either aging down their products to hit the preschool audience and chase the success of PAW Patrol, or they’re aging way up to where they’re too complex and expensive,” he says. “A 7-year-old does not need 57 points of articulation on a G.I. Joe, which can be $42 in Canada. Parents aren’t going to buy eight of those for their kids.”

Village Toy Castle has found an early hit in that very category with Moose Toys’ Heroes of Goo Jit Zu, which Elliot-Fisher points out is a brand that kids can call their own as it’s not leaning into something that their parents played with decades before them.

store. But I also had to learn to trust my own voice and to go with my gut on decisions that would affect the core of my business.”

Since its grand reopening on May 1, 2021, Mud Puddle Toys has expanded its footprint into a neighboring space to include a dedicated book section and a wider selection of new toys and games, most of which won’t even register a blip on the radar for the big boxes or digital giants.

Actors from The Royal Entertainers welcome “Because I was dropped shoppers to The Toy Box. | Source: The Toy Box EXPANDING A LEGACY into the middle of the supIn the coastal New England town of ply chain crisis and did not Marblehead, Massachusetts, Mud Puddle do my ordering in January and February maid Barbies, and whoopie cushions and Toys has been a fixture of the community like everyone else, I found myself having be unaffected.” since 2003. Last year, when founders Sam to get creative and find independently and Kristen Pollard planned to close up owned and local manufacturers who I FILLING A VOID shop, Cassie and Jay Watt stepped in to may never have found otherwise,” Watt In the seaside community of San buy the toy store that they’d been shopsays, citing Douglas, Toysmith, Bunny Clemente, California, Sean and Dolores ping at with their three kids. In just over a Hopkins, and Starlux as local hits. “They Sargeant answered the call for a cool toy year, the duo has not only continued the ended up being part of our core offering store with a local flavor. The experienced business, but they’ve also grown it. because we could count on them deliverowners of three Jerky & Cali Gifts stores “Starting out, I had no experience — ing their really cool products quickly.” kept getting asked if there was a toy not just in specialty toy stores, but in runA heavy dose of new products paired store nearby and wound up consulting ning any store or a business,” says Cassie with timeless classics is where indepenwith The Outlets of San Clemente to Watt, who assumed the role of “Mud dent retailers can win big, and Mud Pudmeet the demand. The couple opened Puddle Lady” after coming from a library dle is a prime example of the right mix.

The Toy Box last October as a pop culscience and research background. “So “We, more than anyone else, supply ture-infused destination for families. many other toy store owners stepped kids and families with the happiness, The couple spoke with families in the forward and were incredibly welcoming whimsy, and joy that we all desperately local community to develop a customer and helped me in those first few weeks need,” Watt says. “You cannot walk into service-based business that focused on to figure out the day-to-day of running a a toy store with its rubber chickens, mera great selection and presentation. They attended the Toy and Gift Market in Las Vegas to discover new products and began developing an inventory ranging from costumes by The Great Pretenders to plush by Squishables and GUND to military airplanes, Spin Master’s Tech Decks, and STEM activity kits.

“It’s been great since we opened and customers really love the store,” Dolores Sargeant says. “Tonies has been a big hit, particularly the Disney and Pixar characters from Cars and Toy Story.”

According to Sean Sargeant, the product mix is also an evolving balance between toys for kids and collectibles for all ages, and that means staying on-trend and focusing on fandoms.

“Funko has been doing really well for Mud Puddle Toys continues under next-gen ownership. us,” he says. “Horror Pop! Vinyl figures Source: Generating Media sell like crazy here and anime pops are 20 THE TOY BOOK | JUNE 2022 | toybook.com

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killing it alongside Spider-Man, Batman, and Harry Potter.” To offer something even more unique to their customers, the Sargeants visited WonderCon in Anaheim, California, and got some Pop! Vinyl figures autographed by actors to sell in the store.

Thanks to a front-facing location, The Toy Box is able to tap into a classic element of old-school retailing to capture the imagination and interest of passers-by: elaborate window displays.

According to the Sargeants, the main window gets a full overhaul every month or two with a mix of seasonal products and big brands like Marvel.

BRINGING HOME THE FUN Down in Hazard, Kentucky, a town of fewer than 6,000 residents, Joey and Nikki Jones opened the doors to Ready Set Play on April 15. The couple lived in Louisville for 10 years and enjoyed having access to local toy stores there, and began seeking out other independent toy stores to visit while traveling.

“After moving back to our hometown Hazard, we missed having access to those stores,” says Joey Jones. “We decided to bring a toy store to our small hometown so that the kids in our community can have the experience of shopping at a store dedicated to toys. The biggest challenge was not knowing anything about the toy industry. We had to learn about the process of purchasing our inventory, and which sales represenative groups service our area so that we can start building relationships with them.”

In its first month, Ready Set Play secured local media coverage and began forging partnerships with other local businesses to build awareness and expand its product offering. In the weeks since, the store has expanded its inventory and the Jones family has been using

social media to build consumer excitement around new developments and product offerings in the store.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND ONGOING CHALLENGES While the success of specialty toy stores is largely tied to engaging with their local communities, the importance of the toy community itself — the network of other store owners and supportive vendors — cannot be overstated. As consumers turn to social media to discover new products, independent retailers A fun assortment awaits at are also using it to share knowlReady Set Play. | Source: Ready Set Play edge and see what’s working in other stores.

“Instagram especially lets you retailers as being pricey when compared see trends as they are developing, and to mass retailers. lets you plug into those trends directly “The wholesale prices are too high with social media marketing campaigns,” for indie sellers,” Dolores Sargeant says.

Watt says.

“We sometimes see certain merchandise According to Jones, the proliferation come in, and for the price we pay, we of toy stores across social media helped could go buy two of them at Target.” to inspire and determine the initial prodPerception can stifle discovery, and uct assortment for Ready Set Play. “We that’s dangerous since independent followed many toy stores on social media retailers have become the incubators for and saw what they were carrying in their new products and ideas, filling the gap stores so we could start reaching out to of what Toys “R” Us once was. An indie those companies to gain access to the hit can become the next big thing, and products,” he says. specialty retailers are forever on the hunt Still, there are a few big elephants for newness while simultaneously keeping in the room when it comes to product classic toys and play alive for the generaaccess and fair pricing that desperatetions of the future. ly need to be addressed: many of the “I look for toys that are timeless, that major toymakers. It’s been no secret that hit that sense of whimsy and fun that I minimum order quantities, fluctuating know keeps people coming back,” Watt sales representative groups, higher costs, says. “I don’t want people to walk into my and mass retailer exclusivity have been store and think, ‘Oh, they have everything a major barrier to entry for I thought they would, everything I see independent toy stores on TV.’ I want them to go, ‘Wow, I never that are looking to knew half of this stuff existed, and it is so carry some of the cool and so different, I’m overjoyed.” » mainstream hits for James Zahn, best-known as The which kids are asking.

Rock Father, is the deputy editor Those factors can unof the Toy Book, and a senior fairly skew consumer editor of the Toy Insider and the perception of specialty

Classic play and new ideas emerge at Village Toy Castle. | Source: Isaac Elliott-Fisher

Pop Insider. Frequently called upon for expert commentary on the toy industry, he has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, and MarketWatch, and has appeared on Yahoo! Finance, CNBC, NBC, ABC, FOX, CNN, GCTN, WGN, BBC World News, and more. Connect with him on LinkedIn or follow him @therockfather.

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by MADELEINE BUCKLEY, senior editor RECENTLY, MATT SEIDEL WAS ENJOYing a make-belive dinner party with two toddlers, Elsa, and Baby Yoda. While this sounds unusal, this was a fairly typical day at work for Seidel, who had been invited to play pretend in a room filled with overflowing dress-up bins and wooden shelves stuffed with dozens of board games — all of which the young patrons at his table could choose to take home, free of charge. You see, Seidel runs the Toy Library at the Lincoln Branch Public Library in Rochester, New York.

Toy libraries are, for the most part, exactly what they sound like. Instead of books, their shelves are stacked with toys that patrons can borrow and play with, then bring back. But, the concept isn’t entirely new. The USA Toy Library Association (USATLA) was founded back in 1984 when 15 toy library locations came together to share ideas. At launch, the USATLA got financial support from Fisher-Price and its parent company at

Minneapolis Toy Library.

A toddler plays at the Library Source: Minneapolis Toy

the time, Quaker Oats.

Now, almost 40 years later, USATLA Executive Director Judith Iacuzzi says there are about 500 toy libraries in the U.S. Many are affiliated with a church or a public library and most — though not all — are nonprofit organizations.

THE BENEFITS OF SHARED PLAY Exactly what inventory these toy libraries offer varies. For example, the Finger Lakes Toy Library in Ithaca, New York, offers 14 toy categories — such as construction, games, infant, outdoor, dress-up, puzzles, and vehicles — and primarily caters to kids under age 10. The location doesn’t lend out toys based on TV or movie characters, battery-operated toys, stuffed animals, or books.

The Minneapolis Toy Library, however, specifically offers toys for kids ages 0-5.

At this location, some of the most popular options are trip kits (a selection of toys for travel) and cars from a collection of more than 500 vehicles.

Many toy libraries also offer some sort of play space or event area for kids in the community.

This is the case at the Rochester Toy Library, which offers professional training for parents, teachers, and childcare providers; summer programming; and a 2,500-squarefoot public play

space, complete with a puppet theater.

According to Seidel, these supplemental offerings all center around the ethos that play is a critical component in development. “It’s just as important to us that we offer a stimulating environment for childcare workers, schools, and other organizations to meet and work with kids,” he says. “We see this both as a way of providing a service to our patrons and connecting us more with Rochester as a whole.”

This sentiment also speaks to one of the most central toy library tenants, which is a sense of community. As Iacuzzi explains, “Toy libraries typically are located in neighborhoods so that families can network, congregate, and strengthen ties.” However, this is just one of the benefits of these lending libraries.

Another is the cost-saving opportunity for families of any socioeconomic status. Members often pay nothing (or very little) to access these services, which Rebecca Nutter of the Minneapolis Toy Library says can save families both money and space. “It’s alarming how much families spend on toys for their kids,” she says. “Then, talking about how many toys families have in their home, that can be overwhelming, too. The toy library fits all home sizes because you can bring back that large train set or bounce house after a couple of weeks.”

Additional perks include the opportunity for kids to learn how to choose their own toys as intelligent consumers and a decreased environmental impact, as multiple families sharing the same products results in less packaging waste and fewer toys in landfills.

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Entrance to the Finger Lakes Toy Library Source: Finger Lakes Toy Library

NOT ALL FUN AND GAMES While the premise of lending toys is fairly straightforward, these organizations can face plenty of challenges — most notably finding a location and keeping the library both staffed and funded.

“The idea is not simple, even though it may sound simple,” Iacuzzi says. “Toy libraries are nonprofit operations and require planning and people with various talents. We advise those interested in developing a toy library to begin with a core group of individuals who embrace the idea, are willing to help it take shape, and will volunteer to make a go of it.”

Nutter experienced all of these hurdles while starting the Minneapolis Toy Library, going so far as to host the library in her garage for one summer after the inventory outgrew what the team could bring to and from local public library meeting rooms. “Kids would browse the toy selection [in my garage] while some parents questioned, ‘Is the motorcycle available to borrow?’” she fondly recalls.

Now, this toy library is housed in a more permanent home at the Richfield Lutheran Church, where it has rented space for five years.

As it did with most industries, the COVID-19 pandemic also added new challenges for toy libraries, as most had to close their doors for at least a few months. Some locations, including the Rochester Toy Library, offered virtual programming, while all toy libraries had to ensure their cleaning procedures were top-notch upon reopening. These procedures vary by location, with some offering detailed cleaning instructions for families to follow at home and others

Part of the Rochester Toy Library’s play area Source: Rochester Toy Library

fully disinfecting toys upon their return.

Another more basic challenge that Seidel notes is the public’s unfamiliarity with the concept of a toy library. “Every day, I meet patrons who had never heard of our Toy Library before and this one has been here since 2000,” he says. “Fortunately, as difficult as getting funding to start one might be, the concept seems to be becoming more popular. My dream is that every library eventually has a toy library because it’s a perfect example of what libraries can offer communities across the country.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE One question remains in the toy library conversation: Where does the toy industry fit in? The very concept may seem antithetical to anyone who uses toy sales as an absolute metric of success.

Yet, both the USATLA and many toy library managers agree that toy manufacturers and toy libraries can not only coexist, but also help each other.

In fact, toy companies including Kaplan Learning, Hasbro, Lakeshore Learning, and Mattel have worked with the USATLA, supporting the association’s national conferences with tabletop displays, advertising in the USATLA newsletter, and sometimes offering discounted products to toy libraries.

Other toy companies have donated products directly to toy libraries around the country.

Debra Eileen Lewis, the founding board presi-

dent of the Finger Lakes Toy Library, says her location has received toy donations from companies including HABA USA and Peaceable Kingdom. The library team also affixes labels to these donated toys, thanking the manufacturers for their contribution.

Lewis also mentions that toy companies can make great financial sponsors of toy libraries, which often have strong community ties and visibility.

“It’s also a way for toy companies to share joy with kids whose families can’t afford to purchase toys … to show that they support kids of all backgrounds whether their families are customers or not,” Lewis says.

Additionally, she says many of the Finger Lakes Toy Library members — her own family included — have purchased toys after trying them out at the toy library. This is something Iacuzzi also highlights as a reason why the toy industry can (and should) embrace toy libraries.

“Both entities — toy companies and toy libraries — value and disperse quality products. … Toy libraries offer hands-on advertising support of quality toys from many manufacturing and retail sources! In a way, they are advertising hubs,” Iacuzzi says. “I believe there is much common ground to be walked between toy manufacturers, retailers, and toy libraries, now and in the future.” » Madeleine Buckley is a senior editor at the Toy Book, where she enjoys covering the latest trends in toys. When she’s not writing about the toy industry, you can usually find her at the movies or hanging out with her pup, Parker.

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by JAMES ZAHN, deputy editor

LAST YEAR, WHILE PAYING A VISIT TO Sequoia National Park, Brian Volk-Weiss found inspiration when he was in a crowd among rugged canyons and some of the world’s largest trees. The setting sparked an idea to support independent toy stores worldwide.

In addition to producing Emmy and Grammy Award-winning series and comedy albums, Volk-Weiss, founder and CEO of The Nacelle Co., had spent the past few years creating toyetic content for the screen, including Netflix’s The Toys That Made Us and the multiplatform A Toy Store Near You. Now, the vintage toy collector is extending his business into making toys and launched an initiative to support specialty retailers.

“We were in production on A Toy Store Near You for two years, so doing something more to support those stores was always on my mind,” Volk-Weiss says. “When I was in Sequoia National Park, there was this line of at least 12-13 people that were all waiting to get their National Park Passports stamped. I was driving home and it hit me like a ton of bricks: Why isn’t there something like this for toy stores?”

By the end of 2021, the Toy Stores of the World Passport Program started taking shape. The Nacelle Co. enlisted around 100 international toy retailers for the program, starting with stores that were featured in episodes of A Toy Store Near You. The program offers authentic, stitched passport booklets and unique stamps for each store. After purchasing

the $10 passport online or at a participating store, consumers can track their journeys in style by securing unique stamps from each store they visit.

The initial, diverse range of retailers spans both new and vintage specialty stores across the U.S., including Wonder Works (South Carolina), Toy de Jour (Illinois), Kokomo Toys (Indiana), and Billy Galaxy (Oregon). True to its name, Toy Stores of the World also includes an array of toy stores from Canada, Australia, Japan, the UK, and the Netherlands.

And, the list is growing steadily alongside consumer excitement.

“We set the goal high, and what we wanted to have by the end of 2022, we could hit by the end of June,” Volk-Weiss says. “Passport sales have increased to the point where we’re now selling in a day what we were selling in five weeks, and the fourth printing of the passports has been ordered.”

As the program continues to evolve, feedback from retailers and consumers will shape its future. Since its formal launch in February, which included a humorous commercial starring actor Todd Bridges (Diff’rent Strokes, Everybody Hates Chris), the passport program has already been updated.

“We’ve done a significant overhaul and added pages and cool additional features based on notes from the public,” Volk-Weiss says, estimating that around 75% of the feedback has become reality.

“The biggest issue was too few pages in each passport, so that has increased.

And, every time we do a new printing, the quantity doubles — we’re up to 10,000 units this time around. At launch, we did not include a counter display for retailers, but now we’re manufacturing displays that we’re sending to current and future stores, free of charge.”

CREATING A NETWORK OF TOY STORES While the number of independent toy stores has grown in recent years, the struggles created by the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors have resulted in a challenging business environment.

On top of that, it’s not always easy for families or collectors to find reliable information on the stores that are out there.

Another effort, ToyStoreGuide, created a working database of active toy stores around the world.

“While buying toys off of websites like Amazon and eBay, we had the realization that if we don’t go and support our local toy shops, they won’t be around much longer,” says Dave Conca, lead toy store hunter at toystoreguide.com, who says that a 2019 road trip for work inspired a growing database for independent retailers in the U.S. and beyond.

“We were excited to hunt for toy stores along the way, but we kept Googling ‘toy store’ and the only results were Target and Walmart locations. Since Google Maps wasn’t cutting it, and being that we have a background and resources in web development, we decided to take matters into our own hands.”

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ToyStoreGuide officially launched in 2020 as a resource for consumers to get up-to-date information on toy stores in any geographical location they’re searching for. The website hit a milestone this April with participation from 365 toy stores. “Our goal is to add at least three stores a week, zig-zagging the U.S. and sprinkling in some international spots along the way,” Conca says.

BUILDING BUSINESS FROM CROSS-GENERATIONAL APPEAL While both the Toy Stores of the World Passport Program and ToyStoreGuide have an enthusiastic following of vintage and retro toy enthusiasts — VolkWeiss and Conca among them — each initiative is growing the number of vintage stores that are starting to stock new toys and the amount of specialty stores that are starting to cater to collectors.

“The passport program is such an amazing and unique idea,” says Todd Jordan, owner of Kokomo Toys. “We’ve seen quite a few passports come through the shop. Our favorites are when the parents and the kids both have them! I hope more shops get on board and people have to have two passports to track all of the toy stores involved.”

Conca says that the toy community’s inclusive nature supports ToyStoreGuide, which often receives tips about new stores to add from other store owners.

“The best trend, in my opinion, is how many toy store owners support each other,” he says. “I get so many calls and

messages from toy stores that are featured on our site letting me know about a new toy store that is opening in their area.” He says that Tons of Toys, which has four locations in New Jersey; Launching Success Learning Store in Bellingham, Washington; and Wonder Works in South Carolina are some of the most popular stores on the site.

“Treehouse Toys & Play opened at the beginning of this year in Aurora, Ohio. It has a curated selection of learning toys and an indoor playground,” he says, noting that diversification of assortment is popping up across the board, and even the recent resurgence of Pokémon and other trading cards is giving consumers more reasons to visit toy stores for adjacent products.

For The Nacelle Co., combining a modern and vintage assortment is becoming a first-hand affair as the company moves from creating content surrounding toys to making toys itself. And it’s doing it by tapping into retro brands.

Over the past year, Nacelle has acquired the Marx Toys brand, Revell’s Power Lords, and Ideal’s Robo Force, along with inking a licensing deal with Seven Towns to relaunch Sectaurs. Former Hasbro and Toy Biz designer and artist David Vonner is leading the charge at Nacelle Toys, which plans to offer its products to both big box and specialty retailers on a level playing field, starting with Robo Force.

“We’re treating all retailers the same.

Right now, it’s 80% us reaching out and

20% stores getting in touch with us to order product,” Volk-Weiss says. “We’re even finding that museum shops are interested in increasing their toy selections in some locations.”

Of course, more places to buy toys can equal more places to collect a stamp for a passport. It’s a win-win situation, and at the end of the day, it’s all about getting great toys into the hands of the masses, whether its a fidget toy, a STEM kit, or a retro reboot that catches the eye of a parent who may have had it as a kid.

“With a bit of luck, the right toy will start a youngster on their toy journey, or maybe it will become the first piece for a new adult collector,” Conca says. “It always starts with just one!”

With new toy stores opening every week — from a new Camp in Los Angeles to Midco Toy Planet in the UK to Planet Happy and Back to the Toys in the Netherlands — the additional entries to the ToyStoreGuide and stamps for the the Toy Stores of the World Passport will continue for many years to come. » Calling all toy stores! Scan the QR code below to contact The Nacelle Co. to get everything you need to start stamping in your store.

Brian Volk-Weiss is surrounded by toys in his office.

Source: The Nacelle Co.

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TOY ASSOCIATION PERSPECTIVES

CELEBRATE SUSTAINABILITY The Toy Association supports toy community efforts to go green.

by KRISTIN MORENCY GOLDMAN, senior advisor, strategic communications, The Toy Association THIS YEAR, THE TOY ASSOCIATION named “Toys for Social & Environmental Good” as a top trend, encompassing products that teach kids how to build a happier and healthier tomorrow through play. These items include hands-on toys and games that explore recycling, renewable energy sources, pollution, endangered species, and more.

Tied to this trend, many Association members have been working diligently toward environmental goals by improving the recyclability of their toys, reducing packaging, and utilizing sustainable materials in production and packaging.

“Studies show that the majority of consumers today are committed to reducing their environmental footprint.

In fact, a recent Toy Association-commissioned survey revealed that 78% of parents said the sustainability of a toy for their child was important to them,” says Adrienne Appell, executive vice president of marketing and communications at The Toy Association. “Some consumers are even willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly toys and find value in playthings that teach their kids about sustainability. Although we are calling this a trend, it really goes beyond that. Sustainability is here to stay, and the developments we are seeing now point to the future of our industry.”

FIGHTING A PERCEPTION PROBLEM As the toy community — from manufacturers to retailers, inventors, and everyone in between — continues to make strides in this area, The Toy Association is offering resources to assist members.

“Despite studies indicating that toy packaging accounts for less than 1% of the typical household’s annual waste stream, our industry has a perception issue,” says Alan Kaufman, senior vice president of technical affairs at The Toy Association. “That said, all industries have an obligation to do what they can to reduce their environmental impact, and The Toy Association has developed

member tools to assist companies, from a database of packaging and product materials and their associated environmental footprints, to white papers on more sustainable manufacturing.”

Recently, The Toy Association formed an Extended Producer Responsibility Working Group that will begin developing principles for managing recyclable materials. These principles will guide the toy industry in increasing sustainability and navigating the emerging patchwork of state packaging regulations.

The Association also offers members access to the Smart Packaging Initiative (SPI) — a tool that helps companies rate their package designs based on sustainability and benchmark them against others in the industry producing in the same category — as well as members-only issue briefs and guides on environmental sustainability topics.

Members are also encouraged to join the Environmental Sustainability Committee so that they can stay at the forefront of issues related to protecting and preserving the environment.

To learn more, contact Senior Vice President of Technical Affairs Alan Kaufman (akaufman@toyassociation.org).

NEW SUSTAINABLE TOYS As parents look to reduce their environmental footprint and educate kids about sustainability, they can turn to ecofriendly toys for kids of all ages. Examples include the Wild Science! Climate Change Kit from Learning Advantage, which makes sense of global weather systems and the impact of human activity.

Hape’s Uniche Collective Starter Block Set is made from environmentally friendly cork (harvested from cork oak bark without cutting it down) and contains 20 pieces in eight different shapes, similar to classic wooden building blocks.

Playfoam Naturals from Educational Insights also uses sustainable material from cork trees, offering an eco-friendly twist to the popular Playfoam compound.

The WindBots: 6-in-1 Wind-Powered Machine Kit by Thames & Kosmos includes materials for six bots that move without batteries or electricity. A full-color manual guides creators to make a bigwheel tricycle, a quadruped, a soaring machine, a drilling monster, and more.

Just Play’s CoComelon Eco Plush is an environmentally soft toy range that is made with 100% recycled materials — including the fabric, filling, and thread — while staying true to classic CoComelon styling. The packaging is also made from sustainable Forest Stewardship Council-certified cardboard.

Mattel’s MEGA Bloks Green Town Build & Learn Eco House also teaches preschoolers about green behaviors and topics, including renewable energy, playing outdoors, and energy consumption.

The Toy Association is proudly promoting members that are making efforts to go green. Each week, Toy News Tuesday, The Association’s weekly e-newsletter, spotlights a company and its sustainable products or practices. Any company that would like to be included is encouraged to contact Jenn Lynch at jlynch@toyassociation.org. »

Source: Thames & Kosmos

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CHATTING WITH THE INDUSTRY

TERRI-NICHELLE BRADLEY FOUNDER & CEO BROWN TOY BOX

KAREEM BURTON & FEON COOPER OWNERS & CO-FOUNDERS BLACK STAR COLLECTIBLES CARSON, CA

MARK CARSON

PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER FAT BRAIN TOYS OMAHA, NE & OVERLAND PARK, KS

PATRICK HOLLAND

CO-OWNER LEARNING EXPRESS TOYS OF CHATTANOOGA & MOUNTAIN TOP TOYS CHATTANOOGA & SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, TN

The Toy Book spoke with independent retailers and manufacturers about the latest trends, industry happenings, and how business strategies are evolving in the specialty toy market.

What has your company’s experience been with shipping container delays and price gouging? How is your company mitigating the effects of supply chain disruptions?

Bradley: The supply chain crisis has impacted all businesses, and small businesses are no exception. But, we have weathered through it, and I’m very lucky to have a hardworking, capable, and mission-driven team at Brown Toy Box committed to getting our goods here no matter what. They fought through some tough times.

During the holidays, we were trying to find a way to make sure we could deliver to everybody by Christmas. But, it was a challenge to get containers since most of our products are produced overseas, and then when you do, getting containers on vessels was a huge challenge, too.

Smaller companies like ours can easily get pushed off as some spaces simply go to the highest bidder, and we cannot compete with that.

Luckily, our Brown Toy Box products didn’t come through the Long Beach port; they came through Savannah, Georgia, which is now getting just as backed up, but it was a little better at the time.

You hear about the burden on the “big guys,” but the excess costs are especially crushing for small businesses.

The delays and changes in the industry impacted profits and our ability to deliver some items on a timely basis. I’m also very proud that we debuted our inaugural Brown Toy Box program at Target stores nationwide and our wider product line at browntoybox.com for the holidays, and now for spring.

Burton and Cooper: We’ve had some delays, but it hasn’t really affected us too much because when we order, we order heavy. We have a huge bulk of product that comes in when we put in our orders.

Price gouging in our business is normal, but we always make sure that we keep

our products listed at the fair and current value for our customers.

Carson: As a retailer and manufacturer, we have had a front row seat to both! We also know first-hand how difficult it is to navigate around these issues.

Mitigation is the key word, as supply chain disruptions are unavoidable. We have certainly adapted our purchasing to provide the buffer we need to sustain the variability of the supply chain. But we’ve also changed our thinking. We’re no longer sitting around “wishing,” and instead controlling what we can control, and providing the best option available at any given moment.

Holland: What a crazy 18 months it’s been. On one hand, we saw significant shipping delays across much of the industry, especially in core lines. On the other, we experienced this explosion in demand for sensory fidget toys, and a push by manufacturers and distributors to quickly bring new variations to market to take advantage of that demand. And with few exceptions, they did! Quickly. And, thankfully, that’s where the money was for the heart of last year.

Balancing where to source new trend items that ship relatively quickly while not losing sight of core item backorders still stuck at sea has been “the buyers’ dance” for nearly 18 months. It’s exhausting, yes, but we’ve all picked up some new moves in the process.

We’ve been fortunate not to experience much in terms of price gouging, and I think that may be a result of being part of a franchise. However, fees have returned: import fees, fuel surcharges, an uptick in credit card fees, and more. And while I think retailers understand such fees are manufacturers trying to recoup some of what they are losing due to significantly higher container costs, fees bring some confusion and questions with them, along with skepticism for anyone who experienced fuel surcharges nearly

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a decade ago that often remained long after fuel prices normalized.

And, of course, these fees are often accompanied by price increases. There isn’t an order I place now where I don’t go through and scrutinize every item I’m reordering, factoring in the new math of short-term fees and permanent price hikes, and whether an item can withstand those increases and still turn at a rate necessary to remain on our store shelves.

Kamen: During the third and fourth quarters of 2021, many of our containers for back-to-school and holiday merchandise sat at the port for more than six weeks before they were loaded or started to move on the water. This, of course, delayed receipt of our goods and forced us to start this year heavy on inventory.

We were lucky that most of these items were not seasonal and are still relevant.

The container cost increases were very difficult to absorb and forced us to raise prices on some of our items this year. It pushed us to be smarter about how we are packaging our products going forward and to re-evaluate the size of some of our products and the case pack quantities we sell them in.

Quartin: Maintaining a geographically diverse supply chain has been a blessing.

Our products are made in Taiwan, China, Thailand, Germany, Poland, France, and right here in the U.S. Having our products originate from a variety of countries and ports helps us ensure a consistent flow of goods. In addition, we’ve expanded our planning horizon to accommodate for longer lead times; in some cases, ordering our products more than a year in advance.

Saldanha: We are continuing to experience significant shipping delays and price increases along with other retailers. We are continuing to spend significant time securing alternative inventory.

Woldenberg: We had trouble with transit times, escalating freight costs, and penalties last year, but it is somewhat better now. Container costs have come down a bit and storage penalties have also improved. That said, transit times remain at historic highs and the situation remains volatile with many different threats looming. Our strategy has been to take more inventory earlier and work hard to get placement so we can sell it through.

Toy Fair is making a big move to the fall season next year, officially taking place from Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2023. How will this affect your business?

Bradley: We were all set to exhibit at our first Toy Fair this past February and were disappointed at the shift; for us, it was going to be access to a lot of new buyers coming to the booth and also catching us as they walk through the show. Now, we will have to wait until September 2023, but Brown Toy Box will be ready. I am truly excited and looking forward to the countless opportunities it will bring to meet with buyers and the media to show them our line for 2024. In the meantime, we are having individual meetings with buyers in several channels, some of which have different seasonality and timeliness than mass, including the educational channel. We are essentially researching and devloping all year to grow our portfolio of STEAM products for retail and to support our growing corporate-funded, in-school business through the Brown Toy Box Foundation.

Carson: I personally feel that it’s a step in the wrong direction. From a buying cycle perspective, it’s effectively elongating the process by a full six months. In this age of technology and rapid change, progressive companies are making faster decisions, not slower. I understand the factors that are driving this change, but it goes against many of the tenets that have given rise to the most successful modernday companies.

Holland: Instead of braving the elements in New York City in February, I’ll be discovering and ordering new toys from specialty vendors aboard a four-day Caribbean cruise on the ASTRA Toy Boat. I am shedding no tears about the move.

Between the Toy Boat and the January Atlanta Gift Market, our business needs will be covered at the start of the year. Summer and fourth quarter ordering is largely covered by ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy and the Learning Express Toys convention. As for Toy Fair in the fall, what a great time to be in New York — just not necessarily at The Javits Center, at least for specialty buyers.

Kamen: Change is always difficult, but we always look at it with the glass-half-full mentality. Fall is a much easier season

JENNIFER KAMEN VICE PRESIDENT ISCREAM

ANDREW QUARTIN CEO THAMES & KOSMOS

AMY SALDANHA FOUNDER & CEO KIDDYWAMPUS MINNEAPOLIS, MN

RICK WOLDENBERG CEO LEARNING RESOURCES, EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS, & HAND2MIND

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point, but the continuation of ridiculous inbound freight costs, as well as price increases at UPS and FedEx, could still lead to higher costs as the year progresses.

Holland: Yes, absolutely. So far, we’ve absorbed more of the increases from manufacturers than I expected and it’s due to healthy margins prior to inflation.

For the short-term, we’ll trade some of that margin for keeping popular product that turns well on our shelves. But, we’ve identified a number of good-selling items that we feel are at their price ceiling right now. While we work to find better-priced replacements at similar quality levels, we’re happy to continue to buy what sells and just make a bit less. It’s a grace period of sorts. Consumers have been somewhat understanding because of increases at the pump and in the grocery store — pretty much everything has gone up.

The Easter Bunny made it out pretty much unscathed as it related to price increases. Consumers barely blinked. But, my fear is that Santa won’t be so lucky.

Kamen: I think that manufacturers will have to become creative about what materials they use going forward and avoid the ones that are becoming more price prohibitive.

Fat Brain Toys, Overland Park, Kansas Source: Fat Brain Toys

for customers to travel since there will be fewer weather restrictions. It is a beautiful time of the year to visit New York City, so we hope the attendance will increase.

Quartin: As with any kind of change, there’s bound to be some apprehension — that’s only natural. Toy Fair has taken place in New York City in February for more than a century, so it’s a major shift in a long-held tradition. But, if nothing else, the past two years have provided everyone in the toy industry — and the world, for that matter — the opportunity to practice being flexible and being able to adjust to ever-changing circumstances. The good news is that we’ve done without Toy Fair in February for two years now, so we’ve been able to test out and execute different courses of action for getting our new products out to retailers, press, and the public during that important time of year. Toy Fair, no matter when it happens, is an important event for the industry; it’s the best chance to get as many members of the industry together as possible.

Whether or not it’s successful depends on individual goals and expectations, so while

these may need to shift, we shouldn’t be afraid of the shift — the pandemic has forced us to hone our hoop-jumping skills!

Saldanha: I won’t attend as the timing doesn’t make sense for my store.

Woldenberg: Rescheduling Toy Fair to the fall puts the show on a schedule geared toward the national mass-market retailers. As most of our customers adopt and sell our products on a much shorter timeline, the timing of the show does not fit our model well. Because Toy Fair will take place so far ahead of planned product introductions, it runs the risk of turning into a “closed” show to avoid copying, which could change the character of Toy Fair significantly. We are concerned that the show will not be as effective for us as a result.

Do you expect the continued cost increases for raw materials to impact prices throughout the rest of the year?

Carson: I’m hopeful that most product price increases have been baked in at this

Woldenberg: We have seen aggressive price increases in the market this year.

There is certainly a lot of pricing pressure, but we are hopeful that these pressures will back off. Cost increases seem traceable to disruption, which should not be permanent, but if costs keep rising, they will need to be addressed.

Have you changed any of your existing or plans for upcoming products or packaging as a direct result of supply chain issues? If so, how?

Quartin: Yes. We slimmed down packaging across the board. Where possible, we made our boxes smaller. This is the easiest way to save cost without removing real value from our kits. Consequently, sales per square foot increases as our products take up less square footage.

Smaller boxes also mean less cardboard and air, which also helps us reach our sustainability goals.

Woldenberg: We delayed some product introductions by a few months to avoid high transportation costs, but the jury is

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Black Star Collectibles storefront in Carson, California Source: Black Star Collectibles

out on whether we were able to rein in costs as a result.

Given the changing timelines of production, distribution, and retail availability, how important are trade shows to your buying decisions and new product discovery?

Burton and Cooper: At the present time, we do not attend trade shows. However, to deal with the changing timeline of production and distribution and retail availability, we just order as early as possible. As soon as a trending product from a streaming platform, TV show, or a new movie comes to our attention, we try to order it 4-5 months in advance.

Carson: We’ve adapted as needed, but it still doesn’t replace the hands-on, faceto-face experience of a trade show.

Holland: Let me first state the obvious: Trade shows have never been more important in terms of breathing new life into all of us. Attending ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy in Minneapolis last year was amazing. It just felt great to see people in the industry again, and to touch and feel new products. Trade shows may be exhausting, but they refuel our passion and desire for the industry and our own business.

Product discovery is my primary reason for attending shows. Just one or two quality finds can result in many thousands of dollars of benefit over time. We don’t look at a single order at a trade show as

a measurement of success, but look at its lifetime value over 2-3 years. At Marketplace & Academy 2019, AirFort and SpinCopter were both in the new vendor area, and I fell for both immediately. To date, our two stores have done close to $50,000 in AirFort sales, and $15,000 with SpinCopter. That’s quite a return on investment for that show. Further, a store with a reputation for finding quality items early gives its customers another reason to shop often with them — and builds up a whole lot of trust.

One thing that has changed over the past few years is that I no longer look at trade shows outside of the Learning Express convention as where I want to place reorders if I need inventory quickly. I was reminded in March that placing orders at trade shows is akin to buying shovels during a blizzard, umbrellas during a downpour, or joining a gym on Jan. 2. If you need anything right away, get in line; you’re going to be waiting a while.

Trade shows remain a critical component for specialty buyers as it relates to new product discovery. But there is a real need for innovation when it comes to order processing at these events.

Kamen: I think working closely with buying teams has given us insight into what they are looking for so we can reach out to our existing partners to source these items. We rely on our factories to share new concepts as well. Listening to our retailers and talking to them about what has been successful has always been important to our product development as well.

Quartin: There’s no absolute alternative to face-to-face interactions with buyers and retailers, particularly with the types of products we make. The ability to demo a STEM kit or game with key decision makers — to allow them to hold it and try it themselves — is a huge advantage of in-person trade shows. That said, since we’ve all had to pivot to virtual line reviews and pitches made over a Zoom call, we’ve seen that we can get by without face-to-face meetings, if pushed to that point. It helps, too, to be an established toy company with a reputation of quality products. A buyer needs to feel confident in their decision to carry a product and if they can’t touch it or try it firsthand, it can feel a bit like a trust exercise. For this reason, trade shows are optimal.

Saldanha: Trade shows continue to be the best place to see the most products, spot trends, and learn about their availability. Depending on the show, they’re also an incredibly valuable way to develop and extend the relationships that have kept us going to this point.

How is your company working with retailers to make sure that their shelves remain stocked?

Kamen: We are ordering best-selling products earlier so that there is more time to produce them in the event of any delays. We are also offering alternative recommendations when something they order is not available.

Quartin: Transparency is key. With all the supply chain issues of the last couple years, everyone is used to delays at this point; unfortunately, delays are somewhat of an inevitability. We’ve found it to be extremely helpful to share delays with our retail partners in real time. As soon as we’re made aware of any kind of delay in production, we adjust our schedules accordingly and share that information with our customers. Our customer service team sends out a weekly product availability announcement, bringing special attention to major shifts in schedules.

Additionally, we’ve encouraged forecasting and submission of purchase orders with future ship dates more than ever before. A retailer will not be invoiced until their shipment leaves our warehouse and makes its way to their store, and they do have the option to cancel before it ships.

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Placing purchase orders and making us aware of their needs as early as possible is beneficial for everyone involved.

Woldenberg: We are watching our inventory carefully and keep close tabs on production and shipping status. We have encouraged key customers to buy early and stay in close communication with us.

How is your store making sure that its shelves remain stocked throughout the year?

Burton and Cooper: We are making sure that shelves remain stocked throughout the year by keeping up with release dates for all items, including action figures, comic books, and other toys and accessories. We are also making sure we order accordingly to keep our shelves stocked and loaded.

Carson: We are making some key bets on select products, buying earlier and more aggressive, but the overarching tactic is to be more dynamic. If gaps arise, we aren’t going to sit around wishing a certain product would show up. Instead, we will quickly shift focus to what we do have, which is still substantial.

Holland: Honestly, we’re at a healthier inventory level than we’ve ever been without significantly increasing our dead inventory percentage. There’s nothing like a supply chain crisis to act as a kick in the pants to retail buyers to think ahead, source creatively, and find extra storage space in November and December (read as: convert the basement man-cave into a seasonal warehouse).

That playbook worked in 2021, and I believe we’re going to need to use it again for the back half of this year as well.

We may also be faced with the fact that it won’t just be about shipping delays, but manufacturers announcing that they’re flat-out going to be sold out of certain items much earlier in the year. We started hearing that about a few products in April.

What has changed due to availability issues is our product brand mix, even with core lines. Whereas we’d normally stay true to the brands that sell well year-in and year-out, due to price hikes and supply issues, we’ve really started playing the field. We’re ordering wider, watching turn rates, and then going deeper with the better sellers who have supply.

It honestly feels like baseball during spring training. You have your returning veteran major leaguers, and then your minor league up-and-coming prospects who are eagerly looking to make it to the big time. In 2021, we expanded our roster and moved up some of the younger untested players earlier due to unforeseen injuries/unavailability with some of our veteran players, and to give the rookies the opportunity to shine.

How have your marketing strategies shifted with changing consumer shopping habits between physical and digital retail?

Burton and Cooper: Our marketing strategy has always been to make sure that we post our items consistently across all social media platforms. We also highlight them in video posts and give detailed information about the products so that consumers can have everything at their fingertips digitally.

Carson: So much of our marketing revolves around meeting the customer where they are, moving seamlessly from physical to digital and back again. At the same time, we’ve seen success by offering in-store exclusives or events that simply can’t be replicated online.

Holland: During what was our best-selling year to date, we spent next to nothing on traditional marketing. Outside of our catalog mailers, we spent a total of $200 last year between two stores. Through Easter of this year, we haven’t spent a dollar.

Digital marketing, on the other hand, has offered us the gift of immediacy. When you don’t know what orders are arriving when, leveraging social media and email to communicate when new product has

arrived serves as both an informational update (which doesn’t feel like marketing) and provides a fun element of excitement.

TikTok has been a major force in promoting our store and brand. Being part of a franchise where stores across the country share a common name, brand, and voice has elevated TikTok’s effectiveness for all of our stores many times over.

A Learning Express in Bend, Oregon; Houston, Texas; or Birmingham, Alabama creates an amazing video, and we see kids come into our Chattanooga store because of it. We have families travel hours to see us because “We just had to visit the closest Learning Express to us!” Why? TikTok videos. That’s amazing, and also free. That won’t last, but Learning Express stores certainly optimized the opportunity during TikTok’s explosive organic growth in 2021 and early 2022.

What trends will have the biggest impact on the toy industry in the back half of 2022?

Bradley: I’m excited to see that STEM and STEAM toys are gaining popularity in the toy industry. Especially during the pandemic, I’ve had parents who look for activities that don’t rely on a tablet. Our Brown Toy Box STEAM Kits are perfect for tactile play and to inspire kids’ creativity through fun activities and lessons taught

by Black and Brown characters so kids can see themselves and possibilities through their play. We do see the importance of technology and continued learning online. So, we are planning to expand our online education content as well.

Representation in toys matters and I see this growing in the toy industry. Brown Toy Box is committed to exposing Black and Brown children to STEAM careers so that they can take part in the future of work.

Brown Toy Box’s Museum Arts STEAM Kit | Source: Brown Toy Box

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Burton and Cooper: New merchandise based on Disney+ content; new theatrical releases; and items from Funko, Hasbro, and Mattel that depict people of color will have a great impact on the rest of the year.

Carson: I do have concerns about the accumulating impact of inflation as the year progresses. The toy industry has come off of two really strong years, but there is already evidence to suggest that consumers are starting to pull back discretionary spending as the realities of near universal price increases hit home.

Holland: I could answer “dinosaurs, unique candy, and ‘whatever TikTok determines is the next big thing,’” but the seismic shift that has happened the past 18 months has not been a specific toy trend, but the return of older kids — ages 12-16, and in some cases college students — who act as their own decision makers and hold their own purse strings.

Kids are shopping with intent. Whether it be impulse, Pokémon cards, candy, or collectibles, there is a determination and drive to shop, discover, and share their

Candy Vending Machine from Thames & Kosmos Source: Thames & Kosmos

finds with friends that I haven’t seen in a number of years. An age group that traditionally stops shopping at toy stores as they find greater independence has returned. They are here for the experience.

Should that trend continue, it will remain the biggest impact for the back half of 2022. Pre-pandemic, we used to brainstorm how to engage that older sister who brings in her younger siblings to shop with their allowance money, but uses her phone while they do. Now that older sister is grabbing Squishmallows, a Nee Doh, some candy, and coming in with her own friends.

Kamen: We are still seeing the fidget trend continue strong. We also have seen our interactive plush continue to grow.

This relates back to the multiple uses of products and playful positivity. It’s not just pretty to look at; it also has added play value. Fun lights and other room accessories that help create personal spaces are also trending. All of these items have something in common: They have to do with feeling good about who you are and where you are.

Quartin: The pandemic saw a lot of adults looking for new ways to pass the time with their kids, and toys, puzzles, and games proved to be a great way to do that. It brought out the kid in every adult, reminding them of the toys they used to play with when they were their kids’ age, while also providing them with a wholesome way to destress with their families. This led to a trend of toys for “kidults;” The Toy Foundation even created a new Grown-Up Toy category in its annual Toy of the Year Awards. I think we’ll continue to see this trend grow.

You’ll see more products that, while aged for younger kids, will have crossover appeal that spans different generations.

In our board game line alone, we’re releasing a Lord of the Rings-themed EXIT game, as well as Karak, an introduction to dungeon-crawling games, perfect for adults who want to get their kids into this genre of board games that grew in popularity in the early years of Gen X. On the STEM side, we’re launching our Essential STEM Tools line, for which we’ve created fresh, new designs for three timeless, fundamental scientific devices: a plasma ball, a gyroscope, and a telescope. These three tools are essential for any kid’s scientific journey and are

tools that parents and grandparents undoubtedly remember and will be excited to play around with yet again. Different generations are used to spending quality time together more than ever before and are eager for new and interesting ways to do that.

Woldenberg: We are in the education segment, so the biggest trend affecting our company is the need to address learning loss from the pandemic. Kids have been affected in many ways by COVID-19: academically, socially, and emotionally. We have an opportunity to add meaning to their lives as a result.

What are your predictions for the state of toy retail for the rest of this year?

Burton and Cooper: We believe that the state of toy retail will be positive and that licensed products will drive sales. When you think about all the TV shows, movies, and and cartoons coming out, we feel that the sky will be the limit this year.

Carson: I’m still optimistic at this point, but my sense is that the growth experienced over the last two years will slow noticeably in many categories.

Holland: The headline from last year was, “The Neighborhood Toy Store Is Back.”

In-store traffic jumped, many retailers had secondary income from e-commerce sales for the first time, and the joy of shopping returned, and that reverses a trend that began years prior to 2020.

So far in 2022, sales have continued to be historically strong, but I do worry we could be in for a world of hurt regarding Q4 inventory. There are so many uncertainties. Availability is going to be all over the place. Some delays will occur due to ongoing container, lockdown, safety, and labor issues. Other delays and shortages will be the result of manufacturers getting new product out late this year and therefore not having accurate forecasting based on early sales for the back half of the year. Sales reps and retailers are again going to need to think ahead in terms of ensuring their best-sellers are instore (or in storage) early. And, communication between manufacturers and their reps and retailers about delays and stock status is really going to need to improve in year two of supply chain chaos. It can only improve.

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What is more difficult to predict is the longer-term effects these continued supply chain issues will have on smaller manufacturers. Just as last year was a good time for some successful retailers to sell their business after such a strong year boosted their valuation, smaller manufacturers that have been at it for some time and had a strong 18 months, but continue to struggle with logistics, staffing, container prices, and cash flow may find now a good time to be open for acquisition.

I also believe that now is as good a time as there ever has been for startups in our industry to find solid footing faster.

It’s no longer just about buying space at Toy Fair in the LaunchPad and praying, but getting in on a selling platform; leveraging TikTok or social media; focusing on what sales representative group is the best fit (if any) based on your needs and expansion plans; and looking to organizations like ASTRA for added exposure, mentorship, and networking.

Saldanha: This year continues to be a wild year — our customers are looking to us to help their kids learn, grow, and have fun. Customers are looking for fun experiences. We are in a strong, visible position in our local communities. We’re having a great year.

Kamen: The toy industry will continue to flourish because the market it is selling to is a priority for spending for families.

Burton and Cooper: We’re working on introducting customizable dolls and action figures that consumers can make of themselves. If we don’t have it finalized by this year, we will definitely debut this in-store feature next year.

Woldenberg: We think that toys are an important part of and celebrate childhood. After a hard couple of years, families will want to bring joy and surprises into the home during the holiday season.

We expect toys to be big sellers!

What types of innovation are you offering to consumers this year?

Bradley: We are working on a portfolio of more than 50 new products this year, all with a STEAM focus. As a small business, this is aggressive for us. We are very intentional with what we create and test in schools, making sure our products are what teachers, parents, and kids enjoy.

Carson: We are offering even better communication and even more transparency.

This has historically been a strong suit for our company, but the supply chain disruptions of the last couple years have challenged us to evolve our approaches and, in some cases, start from scratch.

Iscream’s ICEE Shaved Ice Machine Source: Iscream

Holland: While I would never say we’re taking time off from innovating, this year’s luxury is that we’re focusing on fine-tuning the many innovations we’ve made since spring of 2020. For example, we’ve seen our web sales slow a touch as instore has jumped, and we’d like to find a way to better integrate the two through more meaningful partnerships with area schools. We would like to expand our successful loyalty program to include rewards from area businesses, our own local network.

Where we’re looking for innovation this year and next — and perhaps I speak for a number of retailers here — is from manufacturers. Not on product innovation, but on process and logistics.

2020 was the year of retailer innovation, including launching e-commerce,

curbside delivery, etc. It was innovate or close. 2021 was the year sales rep groups launched B2B ordering portals and adapted to the needs of their vendors and retailers in a hybrid ordering year between virtual and in-person. And in 2022-2023, nothing would make me happier than seeing more established specialty manufacturers look inward and audit their backend infrastructure and to think as if they were a startup. How do we invest in our fulfilment and finance platforms to make processes run smoother? To make it easier to take payment from our customers?

While staffing issues affect us all, several retailers — myself included — are beginning to make some buying decisions not entirely based on product, but also on process. If two companies sell similar products at similar prices, I’m going with the one who is easier to do business with, which costs my team less time because its time is my money.

Quartin: As a STEM company, it’s important for us to always stay on the cutting edge and to pay close attention to scientific discoveries and technological innovations as we make our product development decisions. For us, the innovation is not solely in the product itself, but also in the way it’s presented to the consumer. For example, drones have gained significant popularity over the past few years, and this year we’re releasing our first-ever drone kit, Robotics: Smart Machines — 5-in-1 Buildable Drone. With it, kids don’t just get a drone; they get to build their own drone. In doing so, the experience goes beyond the play value of the final product; it’s about the journey kids take to get there, assembling the drone piece by piece and learning about how real drones fly and how robotic machines work.

Saldanha: We are continuing to customize our shopping experiences based on our customers’ needs, from continuing to offer curbside pickup to personal shopping. We’re also using technology to provide a more cohesive customer experience and make shopping with us easier, from in-store to our website and through our social media platforms.

Woldenberg: We have many exciting innovations this year. We were honored to be named the global master toy licensee for the hit preschool TV series Numberblocks from the UK. Our first Num-

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registry program, though, is the crown jewel. A satisfying experience for the family of the birthday child and party guests — while also acting as a leading platform for us as so many kids and their parents first visit our store because of this gift registry program when invited to a friend’s party.

What products are performing well for your company this year?

Bradley: Our three top-selling products are the Museum Arts, Chemistry, and Marine Biology STEAM Kits. Each of these kits are available in Target stores, target.com, and browntoybox.com. We are working diligently on the expansion to other retailers.

Store owner Patrick Holland at the Squishmallows section of the Mountain Top Toys at Mount Signal, Tennessee Source: Anthony Cepak, anthonycepak.com

berblocks product, the MathLink Cubes Activity Sets from hand2mind, adds a hands-on element to the storyline and extends the learning in a playful way.

Educational Insights introduced a new coding robot, Artie Max, for kids ages 8 and up with an advanced coding platform and six major coding languages.

Learning Resources extended its fine motor toys range with Poppy the Count and Stack Flower Pot. This friendly flower pot helps kids develop hand-eye coordination while engaging in imaginative play.

Another exciting development is our pet toy introduction under two brands, Brightkins and Hunger For Words. The Hunger For Words products builds on last year’s entry into the talking pet movement with Christina Hunger, while Brightkins will add new enriching experiences for the whole family and their furry friends.

What, if any, special activations or promotions are you offering to consumers to keep them coming back to your store?

Burton and Cooper: No. 1 is great customer service! We also offer a fun environment and plan on hosting customer appreciation days on which we will raffle off exclusive items and give everyone a

chance to participate in Q&As and instore games.

Carson: Events are still the key driver to our in-store engagement. Whether it’s book readings, magicians, or “real life” unicorns, parents are eager to take advantage of events that truly engage their kids. This has been especially the case as COVID-19 has subsided and parents are seeking out rewarding experiences for their kids close to home.

Holland: No promotion is stronger than “new” right now. While the fidget trading trend has cooled in 2022, kids are still very much in discovery mode when they walk in our stores. They want to see new every time they visit. And not just toys — finding new candy options is enough to keep kids coming back. Every time we get Slime Lickers back into our stores, tweens and teens are on their phones texting friends that we’ve just got in a new shipment. That demo activates return visits for us: word-of-mouth via text.

For parents and adults, we have had a loyalty program in place for years, and with so many new in-store customers the past 18 months, to have such a program in place to help get more shoppers to return has been huge. Our birthday box

Kamen: Plush toys continue to do well, beauty has grown to be one of our stronger categories, and new stationery sets that have a more giftable feel have been top performers. Of course, our ICEE range continues to be one of our best-sellers.

Quartin: Several of our new releases for 2022 were inspired by products that came out in the past two or three years and continue to be strong sellers for us. With the Ultra Bionic Blaster, which will be available this summer, kids assemble a wearable robotic glove that blasts foam darts thanks to an innovative pneumatic system.

We’re releasing this kit in response to the Mega Cyborg Hand, which won the 2021 STEAM Toy of the Year Award and continues to perform extremely well.

Then there’s the Candy Vending Machine, which will be in-stock this summer as well: Kids assemble a working toy vending machine that relies on the laws of physics and mechanical engineering to dispense prizes and sort coins properly.

We’re also getting a lot of great feedback and interest in three licensed products for this year: two in the STEM space and one board game. I previously mentioned our upcoming Lord of the Ringsthemed EXIT game. We also partnered with Universal Brand Development to release two new STEM kits inspired by the upcoming Jurassic World Dominion film.

In our Dinosaur Dig kit, kids can excavate Jurassic World-themed prehistoric treasures from a plaster block. In the Jurassic World Dominion — Flying Pterosaur kit, kids will assemble and fly a model of the largest flying creature of all time.

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Woldenberg: Learning Resources’ Big Feelings Pineapple and Gears! Gears!

Gears! Mega Builds Construction Set were both nominated for TOTYs this year and are in line with social-emotional learning and STEM trends. Educational Insights’ ever-popular Kanoodle line of brain-building puzzle games is a strong performer with a popular social media following. Kanoodle is loved not only by kids, but also by kids at heart. At hand2mind, we are seeing a lot of strength in Sensory Fidget Tubes, which launched in 2020, and the more recent Mindful Maze Set, which helps kids develop mindfulness and self-management skills.

Owner Amy Saldanha playing with a customer at kiddywampus in Minneapolis, Minnesota Source: kiddywampus

What categories performed well for your store last year? What were some of your top sellers?

Burton and Cooper: The items that performed well for us this past year were action figures, such as Sam Wilson as Captain America and Miles Morales Spider-Man. Milestone Media’s comic books Static Shock and Miles and Rocket performed very well.

Carson: Our sensory toys category continues to grow and evolve. Led by our own dimpl range, we view sensory toys as much more than simple fidgets and see them crossing over into completely new categories like bath.

Holland: It was a great year to be a specialty toy retailer, and an even better one to be part of a franchise with its connections and relationships with some major growth categories and vendors.

We had the benefit of a close relationship with Kellytoy bridged by our corporate buyers during a year when Squishmallows was beyond a juggernaut.

And, in 2021, we witnessed the value that exclusives can add when done well and as part of a toy line that is highly sought after and collectible.

Speaking of foresight, thanks to the Learning Express Nashville store, the franchise formed a special relationship with Dope Slimes during a year when older kids saw the gourmet slime category redefined. The impact of that relationship both to the bottom line of our franchise stores and to Dope Slimes’ young business is as big of a success story over 12 months as I’ve ever seen in specialty retail since I got into the industry in 2013.

What is one of the biggest challenges specialty toy retailers face today, and how is your company addressing it?

What are the ways in which you develop and maintain relationships with specialty retailers?

Burton and Cooper: Keeping up with the demand of hot items is one of our biggest challenges. We address this problem by researching the items and trying to forecast the demand and order accordingly to have an overstock of those products to keep up with the supply and demand for our consumers.

Kamen: We are available to them for any questions they have regarding products.

We offer a wide variety of products at multiple price points to reach a variety of customers. We help them develop assortments and stories to create collections in their stores. Our line also includes seasonal options to help them build on seasonal opportunities.

Carson: It’s not unique to the toy industry, but I think one of the biggest challenges is still the eternal battle between David and Goliath. While David came out victorious in the Bible, it still required immense courage and commitment to win the battle. For our company, that simply means constant innovation and the courage to challenge the status quo.

Holland: Staffing. In particular, finding and retaining new employees. Our core team is amazing. Our younger staff work very hard. But, in the past 1-2 years, we have lost a lot of new staff early on because the job is more demanding than they may have anticipated. Competitive pay is a challenge. We have improved how we set expectations up front (beginning with the job interview) and are working on better new employee training, but we have a long way to go on those fronts.

Quartin: Specialty retailers are the heart of our customer base. The support they provide our products and brand is invaluable, and as such, we do our best to return the favor. We strive to keep the lines of communication open as much as possible. Between our external team of sales reps and our internal customer service and tech support team, we have a group of dedicated, knowledgeable professionals who are well-versed in our products and policies and are available to answer questions, receive feedback, and fix what’s not working in a timely manner.

We pride ourselves on listening to the needs and wants of specialty stores. If a retailer has specific requests to support their promotion of our products, all they have to do is ask.

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meetings and offer marketing support with downloadable assets and other promotional programs to help our retail partners attract customers to their stores.

We are also focused on pleasing the consumer with our products, so our specialty retail dealers will have happy customers and strong repeat business.

In what ways did you feel supported by your community, government, or toy industry groups?

Bradley: I’m grateful for my community. I felt supported from Google for its startup program and received a Black Founders Fund Grant.

I feel very supported by Women in Toys, and am also very intentional about making sure I can do trade or business with other Black women-owned and Black-lead organizations and companies so that we can see our dollars circulate in this community. We can be the change that we seek. For me, Brown Toy Box is an economic driver just as much as it is a tool for educating and disrupting generational poverty.

Burton and Cooper: When we first

opened a year and a half ago, the community was overwhelmingly supportive.

The news media and local organizations came out and gave us a massive amount of support. We’ve been featured in DC Comics commercials; Funko features; and reports on ABC News, NBC News, and Spectrum One News. The attention has truly been overwhelming!

Holland: We survived 2020 due to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), some leniency from our landlord, a very hard-working corporate team from Learning Express, and our business working together with vendors and reps to find creative ways to continue to sell in a challenging climate and ensure as many of us make it through without closing.

In 2021, it was all about community support. The community shopped local because families wanted to, not because they felt obligated by the shop local beating drum; they realized the value of small businesses in their community and saw a highly in-demand product mix coming out of the worst of the pandemic.

With the return of more in-person trade shows, this year has already been about better communication within the

industry to get more help hitting moving targets. Alone, you’re doing that blindfolded. With industry groups and the networks and connections they provide, it’s like getting handed a pair of spy glasses that lets you see in the dark. Sure, it’s still rather difficult to see far off in the distance, but it’s enough to help you navigate one step at a time in a direction you need to follow.

Kamen: Over the past two years, we have found that all of the communities we belong to — whether rep groups, industry groups, or retail groups — have worked hard to share information. We have added Zoom meetings and other check ins that we did not previously have to stay informed. Virtual trade shows and Zoom buyer meetings all have helped us maintain our relationships and continue to grow our businesses.

Saldanha: The unexpected silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a toy retailer, is the incredible support we continue to receive from the local communities in which our stores are located. We thrive in relation to our communities: We support the schools, nonprofits, civic groups, and other local businesses.

Woldenberg: The Toy Association has been a leader in advocacy for our industry, active in regulatory and other legal matters, and an important liaison to global toy markets. The Toy Association also does a good job at keeping toys in the public eye and presenting a positive image of toys in kids’ lives today.

What advice do you have to other specialty toy manufacturers to get through these challenging times?

Bradley: Community is so important. I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to learn from mentors and have gained guidance while on this journey of founding a small business as a Black female entrepreneur.

Educational Insights’ Kanoodle Fusion, coming out this fall Source: Educational Insights

Woldenberg: Stay in close contact with your customers and make sure they are delighted by your offerings and services.

The personal touch and insight of the specialty retailer cannot be replaced by websites or big box retailers. Relationships are the natural advantage of the local retailer. They know their customers better than anyone else. »

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SPECIALTY TOY LAUNCHES HAND2MIND 1) The Express My Feelings Journal | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $24.99 | Available: Now

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This journal features 20 common feelings that range from comfortable to uncomfortable. Preschoolers can choose to identify their feelings using the interactive pages and select from three actions they should take when feeling that way. After, they can think about their emotions using the provided 10 reflective activities.

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2) My Feelings Rainbow Fidget | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $19.99 | Available: Now This double-sided, sensory rainbow features a flow of colors coming from the happy cloud and from the sad cloud. Kids can use the rainbow to identify their emotions as they flip the rainbow upside down. It also includes an activity guide that helps facilitate discussion about emotions and self-management strategies.

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3) ConfiDice! | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $24.99 | Available: Summer 2022 Kids can master basic math and literacy skills with this self-checking answer system that features 100 activities, including 80 skills-practice worksheets and 20 games. The kit includes 50 double-sided cards, a ConfiDice! case with six answer dice, and an instruction sheet.

SQUISHABLE 1) Squishable Alter Egos | Ages: 0+ | MSRP: $11.99-13.99 | Available: Now This plush avocado collection features designs from another dimension, where popular Squishables characters are slightly different. The first, avocado-themed series includes styles such as Avocado Unicorn, Avocado Alien, Avocado Skeleton, Avocado Rainbow, and Avocado Cat (pictured).

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2) Picnic Baby by Squishable | Ages: 0+ MSRP: $14.99 | Available: Now These plush characters feature developmental activities for babies, such as ribbon grips, crinkle leaves, a chime bell, and textured fabrics. The available designs include an avocado, a pineapple, a banana (pictures), and shrimp sushi.

3) Snugglemi Snackers | Ages: 0+ MSRP: $11.99-13.99 Available: Now Kids can collect dozens of new designs from this 5-inch plush collection.

The plush feature Squishable’s signature soft fur and are weighted with polyfill and beans.

WREBBIT3D Le Château Frontenac Wrebbit3D Jigsaw Puzzle (865 pieces) | Ages: 14+ MSRP: $54.95 | Available: Now

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Wrebbit3D celebrates its 30th anniversary with this set, which commemorates the world’s first 3D puzzle.

The puzzle reproduces a picture of Le Château Frontenac, a popular Canadian landmark to pay homage to the Canadian invention. The 865-piece replica is made entirely in Canada.

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MAGFORMERS 1) Magformers STEM Starter Builder 15pc Set | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $26.99 Available: Fall 2022

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MINDWARE 1) Paint Your Own Porcelain Tree Light | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $34.95 Available: Summer 2022 This Christmas tree kit comes with paints, paintbrushes, and a painting guide, along with 95 lights that kids can use to decorate a porcelain tree. The battery-powered lights feature a timer for 6 hours on and 18 hours off. Kids can use the finished tree as a tabletop decoration or give it to someone as a handmade gift.

2) Best Dressed Banana | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $24.95 | Available: Summer 2022 With this cooperative game, kids can use the magnetic pieces to dress up their banana to be the silliest, most creative, or most likely to be a circus star. Kids can compare their dressed bananas to the other players and determine whose banana best fits each category.

3) Klondice | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $29.95 | Available: Fall 2022 Kids can rush to collect the most gold in this easy-to-learn game of strategy and luck. Players will roll and place dice as they compete for gold-scoring claims on the moving mine cart game board holder.

But, they must prospect wisely or they may set their opponents up to complete a claim and strike it rich before they can. The shifting cart creates new claim objectives for every round.

Kids will create 3D structures, develop color and shape recognition, and hone fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities with this magnetic building set. The set features a variety of different geometric shapes for kids to get creative with their designs.

2) Magformers STEM Builder 19pc Set Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $34.99 Available: Fall 2022 This magnetic building set comes with 19 different magnetic pieces for kids to build seven different geometric shapes. Kids can choose to follow the included building guide or get creative and build their own designs.

3) Magformers STEM Master Builder 24pc Set | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $39.99 Available: Fall 2022 With this 24-piece magnetic building set, kids can build nine different geometric shapes. Little builders can choose to follow the included guide’s designs or build their own creations.

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TOMY INTERNATIONAL Lamaze Collection | Ages: 0+ | MSRP: $10.95-34.95 | Available: July 2022 TOMY is relaunching its Lamaze brand this summer with an assortment of nine new toys for babies and toddlers. Each toy, including the 3-in-1 Surprise Bear Clip & Go, Stack Rattle & Roll Block Set, and the Squeeze Beats First Drum Set, incorporates multiple play patterns and grow-with-me elements. The refreshed assortment will be available exclusively through Fat Brain Toys and specialty retailers.

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SPECIALTY TOY LAUNCHES 2

FAT BRAIN TOYS

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1) Trestle Tracks | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $41.95 | Available: Now Kids can build a new type of marble run with an invisible slope that propels marbles forward. Each track’s cut-out path widens almost imperceptibly from one end to the other.

2) Lidzy | Ages: 18 MOS+ | MSRP: $19.95 | Available: Now Toddlers can enjoy a texture-based, tactile adventure with this collection of uniquely shaped lids. Kids can twist and untwist the lids, each having a different sensory experience to discover, including a squeaker, a mirror, a spinner, and a bumpy texture.

3) Sew Fast | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $16.95 | Available: Now Players face off in a race to see who can sew the fastest.

Each player gets a sewing board and three strings in three colors. Then, they flip a sewing challenge card and race to see who can complete it first.

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HEY BUDDY HEY PAL Cake-N-Bake Challenge | Ages: 4+ MSRP: $27.99 | Available: Now

TOP SECRET TOYS

In this game, players must correctly stack their “cake” according to the image on the card they receive. Players must stack the textured foam cake slices and icing cards to replicate the cake on their card before the other players. After kids are done creating their slices, they ring the provided bell and win a candle card.

The first player to win six candle cards wins the game.

GigaPets Collector’s Edition Series | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $15.99 Available: Now GigaPets is celebrating its 25th anniversary with new animations, games, and a better speaker to project realistic animal sounds. Kids can nurture these interactive, virtual pets by feeding them, bathing them, taking them to the doctor, and teaching them tricks to unlock surprise animations. The more kids play with them, the bigger and happier the pets will get as they go through multiple stages of development. The Collector’s Edition Series comes in Pixel Puppy, Virtual Unicorn, and Tech T-Rex designs with semi-transparent shells.

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SPECIALTY TOY LAUNCHES HOG WILD

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1) Feel Goo! | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $5.99 | Available: Now This new line of sensory playthings comes in dozens of handheld shapes and sizes. Kids can choose from animals; food; and common silhouettes like spheres, ovals, and eggs. Each is made up of multiple chambers of sensory fillings, such as slime, beads, and gel; satisfying textures; bright colors; and different sounds like crackling, sloshing, and squishing. Squeeze, touch, prod, and stretch the toy for a satisfying experience.

2) Pee-Wee Poppers | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $9.99 | Available: Now Pee-Wee Poppers are a line of hyper-stylized, mini Poppers that shoot soft foam balls up to 20 feet with one squeeze. There are six styles for kids to choose from in the initial launch, including a dragon, a unicorn, a kitten, a pug, a seal, and an otter.

3) Stiky Punx | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $13.99 | Available: Now Kids can launch sticky, foam balls with the included plastic slingshot to try and knock down their Stiky Punx, the tiki-themed target. Each carnival-themed Stiky Punx is more than 1 foot tall and rocks back and forth for an added challenge.

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SPIN MASTER 1) Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide Game | Ages: 14+ | MSRP: $34.99 Available: Fall 2022 This cooperative board game brings together the Marvel and Zombicide universes. The game features game pieces depicting iconic Marvel characters and is based on the core mechanics of the Zombicide game series.

2) Zillionaires Road Trip USA | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $24.99 | Available: Fall 2022

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In this auction party game, kids will bid, bluff, and buy 49 legendary American roadside attractions that are up for sale. Players must outbid and out-bluff their opponents to be the first one to buy up four attractions in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal line.

3) Legacy Mexican Train Dominoes | Ages: 8+ MSRP: $45.99 | Available: Now

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This Legacy version of the classic game is crafted from wood, features decorative finishes, and is designed to display. This domino matching game requires at least two people to play.

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SPECIALTY TOY LAUNCHES

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THAMES & KOSMOS 1) Huey: The Line-Tracking, Color-Sensing Robot | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $59.99 Available: Now This kit offers kids a hands-on, screen-free introduction to the world of robotics and coding. With a built-in color sensor, Huey the robot navigates around maps that kids create using 81 puzzle-shaped tiles. Huey recognizes the colors of the 32 coding discs, which tell it whether to turn right, turn left, or continue straight, making fun sounds and movements. Huey revs its engine as it gets started, and does a little dance when it reaches home. Kids can build one of the 18 maps included in the full-color, 16-page challenge book and figure out where to place the coding discs to help Huey find its way home. There are four levels of challenges; the size of the map grows with the difficulty of the challenge. Huey does not require a smartphone or tablet to operate and can be muted for quiet play.

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2) Catch the Moon | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $34.95 | Available: Now Players aim to cleverly place ladders to climb through clouds and reach for the moon, but they have to be careful: If they venture too high, they may lose the ladders under their feet.

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3) Creatto | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $8.95-32.95 | Available: Now Thames & Kosmos adds light-up building sets to its Creatto line this year. The new collection of Creatto sets include the Flashy Fish & Silly Swimmers featuring a cartoony fish and other sea pals ($11.95); the Twilight Rocking Horse & The Giddyup Gang featuring a rocking horse, a pony, and more ($21.95); and Sunshine Sabertooth & Ferocious Friends, which features a sabertooth tiger, a mammoth, and more ($32.95). There will also be two PDQ collections available that are grab-and-go at one-fourth the size: Barnyard Buddies and Holiday Classics ($8.95 each).

UNIVERSITY GAMES 1) Rom Com | Ages: 12+ | MSRP: $24.99 | Available: August 2022

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This trivia based-game features questions from nostalgic romantic comedy films. Players compete in teams to earn hearts across three different categories, including quotes, romantic leads, and one-word hints.

2) Richard Scarry’s Things That Go! and Richard Scarry’s Seek and Find Giant Floor Puzzles | Ages: 3+ MSRP: $14.99 each | Available: August 2022 These two giant floor puzzles each include 26 jumbo pieces that connect to build a 5-foot-long activity puzzle. The puzzles feature art from The Busy World of Richard Scarry.

3) Mission: Black Hawk | Ages: 14+ | MSRP: $24.99 Available: September 2022 This newest Murder Mystery Party Case File installment takes players through a high stakes heist, as they work to stop an impending cyber attack. Players communicate with operatives via their smartphones in real time as they try to complete the mission.

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SPECIALTY TOY LAUNCHES LEARNING RESOURCES 1) Switcheroo Coding Crew | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $59.99 | Available: Fall 2022

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With this interactive coding adventure set, kids can practice STEM skills like early coding and critical thinking, while staging interactive rescue missions. Kids can assemble the nine puzzle cards into a town map, draw a coding challenge card, and use one of three interchangeable shells to select the best vehicle for the mission. Kids can also explore each vehicle’s unique lights, sounds, and tricks in play mode. The set includes a rescue robot with three interchangeable vehicle shells, nine town map puzzle tiles, 10 accessory pieces, 15 critical thinking and coding challenge cards, and an activity guide.

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2) Solar System Globe Puzzle | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $36.99 | Available: Fall 2022 Preschoolers can explore the solar system and build fine motor skills as they solve this rotating, 3D puzzle. The set comes with eight planet puzzle pieces, a sun puzzle piece, glowin-the-dark astronaut and constellations pieces, and a spaceship. The planet and sun puzzle pieces are self-correcting with unique shapes that help kids find the right answer. The set also includes a full-color planet guide filled with scientific space facts.

3) Poppy the Count & Stack Flower Pot | Ages: 18 MOS+ | MSRP: $14.99 | Available: Now Toddlers can practice fine motor, color identification, and counting skills with this flower pot. As kids explore Poppy’s five stackable, two-piece flowers, they’ll build hand-eye coordination. Each flower comes with different colors and numbers, and all of the pieces fit inside the flower pot for storage.

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1) Not It! — The Camping Chaos Edition | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $15.99 Available: Now This fast-paced game features a camping theme. When the ranger rolls the three dice out of the tent flap, players must find a card in their hand that does not match the design or color that appears on the die.

This edition of the game features a special wild raccoon card.

2) Chunky Monkey Business | Ages: 10+ | MSRP: $26.99 | Available: Now During this fast-paced, fill-in-the-blank party game, players must match wits to figure out the monkey in the middle riddle.

When a player thinks they know the answer to the riddle, they can grab the chunky monkey and shout out their guess. There is only one right answer, but the wrong ones are hilarious.

3) The Color Scheme | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $26.99 | Available: Now

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With this two-player game of memory, maneuvers, and manipulation, each player will attempt to be the first to decipher a color code that their opponent created. Players are challenged to not get distracted by the shifting cubes, and must scheme to outwit their opponent to stay one step ahead and win.

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SPECIALTY TOY LAUNCHES FOXMIND 1) Sports Dice Baseball | Ages: 7+ | MSRP: $11.95 Available: Now Sports Dice Baseball is a fast-paced, easy-to-learn, and quick-to-play dice game that recreates the action of a real baseball game for two or four players. Kids can roll to try and strike out their opponent, then take their spot in the batter’s box to try to hit a home run.

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2) Sports Dice Football | Ages: 7+ | MSRP: $11.95 Available: Now

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Two or four players can play a dice version of football in this quick and easy-to-learn dice game. Kids can go for it on fourth down and reach the end zone to score a touchdown, then try to stop the opposing team by sacking their quarterback.

3) Sports Dice Soccer | Ages: 7+ | MSRP: $11.95 Available: Now Kids can roll their way to victory in this fast-paced, easy-to-learn, soccer-themed dice game. Two players can take turns rolling the dice and kicking the ball in the opponent’s net to score. The first player with three points wins the game.

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ADVENTERRA GAMES myEco House and myEco School Jumbo Puzzles | Ages: 3+ MSRP: $22.99 each | Available: Now These puzzles each depict a four-level building featuring three jumbo pieces per level. Each area of the school or house (pictured) showcases common habits that harm the environment. Kids can find the matching shapes to cover them up with eco-friendly habits. As kids build, they will develop hand-eye coordination, visual memory, association, and classification skills. Each puzzle also includes a guide for parents.

DOUGLAS CO. 1) Douglas’ Soft Dolls | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $20 (doll); $9 (pups) Available: Now This new line consists of three soft dolls: Vera the Floral Doll (pictured), Lainey the Lemon Doll, and Pippa the Rainbow Doll. Each 13-inch soft doll features embroidered facial features and has a pup that wears a matching outfit (sold separately).

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2) Berrie Surprise Sassy Sak | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $20 | Available: Now The Sassy Pet Sak line features 6.5-inch, tote-style bags that have intricately corded edges, a fully lined interior, and two handles. The bags each fit the included small pet with room for kids’ must-carry items. The Berrie Surprise Sassy Sak features a white fabric background with brightly colored fruits and animals on the outside and holds a caramel-colored llama.

3) Gretta the Cat | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $38 | Available: Now Gretta is a new addition to Douglas’ DLux Plush line.

The 24-inch, gray and white plush cat has soft fur and golden eyes.

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FUNKO GAMES 1) Pattern Party Games: Disney Princess, Dr. Seuss, and CoComelon Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $15.99 | Available: Now In this game, each player gets their own spinner, which everyone will swap during each turn. Two to four players can spin and match the character, color, shape, or pattern, trying to match the four squares on their goal card to win. The game is available in Disney Princess, Dr. Seuss, and CoComelon (pictured) themes.

2) Disney Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Game | Ages: 9+ | MSRP: $29.99 Available: Summer 2022 This game is based on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad attraction at Disney theme parks. Two to four players can step off the stagecoach and into the cursed mining town of Tumbleweed to discover gold-filled veins, grow their mining operations with new equipment, and invest in the town’s businesses. With the right strategy and some luck, they may strike it rich, or they might awaken the dangers of the mountain.

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3) Marvel Battleworld: Ultimate Armory Series 3 | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $9.99-22.99 Available: Now Battleworld is a cooperative, expandable, collectible adventure game featuring dozens of characters from the Marvel universe. Players can pick their favorite hero, rescue their friends, and win battles to defeat Thanos. Kids can crack open the Thanostones during the course of play to reveal the mystery character inside. Series 3 features new locations, battles, and game mechanics that will challenge players and test their strategies.

LITTLE KIDS 1) Föm Mania! Fömalanche | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $59.99 | Available: Now

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With the press of a button, kids can make piles of light, airy foam by placing Föm solution and water into the onboard reservoir. No clean up is required because the foam dissolves.The Fömalanche machine comes with three 3.3-ounce foam concentrate packets alongside Föm play ideas.

2) Föm Mania! Fömilator | Ages: 5+ MSRP: $24.99 | Available: Now Kids can use the Fömilator to jet out streams of thick, fluffy foam up to 15 feet. They can pour foam concentrate into the Fömilator reservoir, fill it with water, and blast away. The Fömilator comes with a 4-ounce bottle of foam concentrate and additional Föm play ideas.

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SPECIALTY TOY LAUNCHES 1

CONNETIX TILES 1) Connetix 66 Piece Ball Run Expansion Pack | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $79 Available: Now

Kids can build a rainbow ball run using colorful, magnetic tiles and Connetix’ signature, clear, fluted tubes. This expansion pack comes with 66 pieces, including the new, exclusively designed spiral, X-shape, and double-bowl pieces. Kids can explore STEAM learning while engineering bigger ball run designs full of twists and turns.

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2) Connetix 80 Piece Pastel Ball Run Expansion Pack Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $115 | Available: Now

This expansion pack features three new, exclusively designed pieces for kids to create ball runs with, including the spiral, X-shape, and double-bowl pieces. This pack also features magnetic connector pieces in eight pastel colors; clear, fluted tubes; and quarter pieces for twists and turns.

CRAZY AARON’S Land of Dough from Crazy Aaron’s Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $15 | Available: Now When kids open this eco-friendly dough, they’ll see a design, such as a unicorn or a dinosaur (pictured) that they can mix together for sensory play. Land of Dough is made from all-natural dough and colors, compostable glitters, and essential oils. It features eco-friendly packaging and comes with a natural, sustainably sourced, wooden shovel made from birch. Land of Dough is made in the U.S. in a wind-powered facility using reclaimed landfill gas as a heat source.

SMARTLAB TOYS 1) Ultimate Squishy Human Body | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $99.99 | Available: Now This detailed, realistic human anatomy model is composed of 10 removable, squishy organs and 15 other removable bones, muscles, and body parts to help teach kids about their bodies. Little scientists can remove one of the eight SmartParts and place it on the electronic SmartScan module to begin either Scan Mode or Quiz Mode. Scan Mode provides kids with information about the body part, while Quiz Mode tests what they just learned. The module also plays sounds based on the organ in question, so kids can hear lungs inhaling as well as funny sounds like burps and gurgles.

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2) STEM 101 | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $49.99 | Available: Now Kids can get a general introduction to STEM concepts with this kit, which includes a selection of science equipment, building materials, and 30 activity cards. The cards guide kids through 35 projects that demonstrate STEM concepts and show how they translate to the world around them.

3) Tiny Art! | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $21.99 | Available: Now

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The latest addition to SmartLab’s line of Tiny!

STEAM kits introduces a creative element. The miniature art studio kit comes with tools that kids can use to draw, paint, collage, sculpt, and more. Kids can learn about art history and famous artists’ techniques, then apply those techniques to their tiny art.

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1) National Geographic Pottery Wheel | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $79.99 Available: Now This STEAM kit features a pottery wheel with an integrated arm tool and three attachments that make the process of centering and opening the included clay simple. Kids can shape their vessel and create their own pottery with no baking or firing required. The set includes texture tools and paints to add artistic flair to kids’ creations. The kit also features instructions with links to step-by-step video lessons.

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2) National Geographic Flower Growing Kit | Ages: 6+ | $19.99 | Available: Now With this STEAM gardening kit, kids can plant cosmos, nasturtium, and zinnia flowers, then watch their very own garden grow. Kids can also decorate the three stainless steel pots with the included paints and nature-themed stickers.

3) National Geographic River Rock Craft Kit | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $9.99 | Available: Now Kids can paint and decorate smooth river stones with the six included paint colors, googly eyes, and transfer stickers, then display them in a garden or on a trail. While they create, kids can use the included learning guide to learn about prehistoric rock painting and the different materials ancient cultures used to create their works of art.

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HAPE 1) Birthday Party Set | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $36.99 | Available: Fall 2022 This birthday party playset lights up and plays “Happy Birthday” and other melodies. The layered cake features an LED flickering candle, and when kids make a wish and blow it out, the light will turn off and kids will hear applause sound effects. The set comes with a cake, a cake plate, a cake cutter, and a birthday party hat for kids to wear.

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2) Store & Go Easel | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $24.99 | Available: Fall 2022

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This portable, double-sided, magnetic easel includes black chalk and white marker boards for kids to practice their letters, draw shapes, or play school with 10 different colored chalks and two marker pens.

It also includes a chalk holder and an eraser, and all of the accessories pack up into the easy-folding easy that locks with a wooden latch.

3) Super Cityscape Transport Bucket Set | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $124.99 Available: Fall 2022

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This 80-piece set includes a freight train with two carriages; a light-up, intercity, battery-powered train with two passenger cars; a fire truck; a crane; a taxi; and a plane. It also includes accessories for kids to build their city, including trees, a watch tower, and two figures. Kids can configure the wooden train track in multiple different ways, encouraging imaginative play. All of the pieces fit inside the bucket, which also becomes part of the city.

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KLUTZ 1) LEGO Race Cars | Ages: 7+ | MSRP: $29.99 Available: Fall 2022

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Kids can assemble a chipboard track and build 10 LEGO race cars to pit them against each other in their own LEGO derby. Little drivers will learn aerodynamic tips and tricks to put physics into action to build, rebuild, and experiment with their LEGO race cars.

2) Super Cute Embroidery | Ages: 10+ | MSRP: $22.99 Available: Fall 2022

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This craft set helps kids learn the art of embroidery.

Select a design, fix it in the included hoop, and start stitching. The 32-page guidebook teaches little weavers all the stitches they’ll need to sew eight colorful canvases.

3) Gross Nose Science | Ages: 7+ | MSRP: $24.99 Available: Fall 2022

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With this science set, kids will explore 10 different experiments on sinus-based anatomy, make sense of scents with the power of smell, and whip up a batch of boogers. Kids will learn how snot, mucus, and nose hairs protect their body and try out soapy science activities to see how to defeat germs.

TANGLE TOYS 1) Tangle Phone Fidget | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $9 Available: July 2022

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1) Zzzopa Ball — Angry Birds Collection | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $12.99 Available: Fall 2022 Kids can spin, bounce, or throw these ball-fidget spinner hybrids that they can play with inside or outside. The line now features four different Angry Birds versions with iconic characters from the mobile game.

2) Brawl Stars Collectible Figures — Blind Box 1 Pack | Ages: 8+ MSRP: $2.99 each | Available: Now

This 3-in-1 phone accessory attaches to a phone from the back, which kids can use as an adjustable phone stand, a fidget device, and a therapy tool. It features an array of interchangeable connectors and twistable sections that can wrap around kids’ hands for a functional grip.

2) Tangle Pets Aquatic | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $7 Available: Now These Tangle pets are aquatic-themed creatures that kids can bring anywhere for a sensory experience. The pets feature trendy colors and tactile textures.

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The first wave of these Brawl Stars blind-box collectibles features 16 different styles of the popular characters from the Brawl Stars mobile game. Each figure’s design captures the likeness of each character’s unique style.

3) Among Us Red Imposter Special Edition 10-inch Plush | Ages: 8+ MSRP: $12.99 | Available: Fall 2022 This 10-inch, special-edition plush features the fan-favorite villain from the Among Us game. Its vibrant red plush makes it a must-have to bring the game into the real world.

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STORYASTIC 1) The Rank Game | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $24.99 | Available: Now This game comes with topic cards that list four things. Players take turns being the “ranker” and writing the items in their preferred order. All other players must try to guess the ranker’s preferred order, earning a point for every correct item. After 10 rounds, the player or team with the most points wins the game.

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2) Swipe Swap Swindle | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $24.99 | Available: Now Players’ goal in this game is to build their best five-card hand while risking wager wafers. With wild cards, players can use the a wafer to swipe a card from an opponent, swap a card with an opponent, or swindle an extra card from the deck.

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3) Razor Deck | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $12.99 | Available: Now These cards are a only a third of standard playing cards’ width, so players can more easily hold a five-card hand. The deck comes in a two-piece telescopic box for playing on the go, is made of eco-friendly PET, and is both waterproof and tearproof.

GEOMAGWORLD 1) Magicube Shapes | Ages: 1+ | MSRP: $59.99 | Available: Now Geomagworld’s Magicube line features a building system consisting of magnetic cubes that attach to each other on all six sides so that kids can build colorful, 3D models. The 25-piece Shapes set is new to the line this year. All sets in the Magicube Recycled collection are made with 100% recycled plastic.

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2) Glitter and Glow Geomag Classic Sets | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $19.99-54.99 Available: Now Geomagworld’s Geomag Classic line features magnetic building sets that come with rods, panels, and bases that are made of 100% recycled plastic. The new Glitter sets feature shimmering pieces, while the Glow sets (pictured) feature a glow-in-the-dark design.

3) Geomag Mechanics Challenge Strike | Ages: 7+ | MSRP: $69.99 Available: Now Geomagworld’s Geomag Mechanics line features magnetic building sets with added elements that make some parts of the structure able to rotate, triggering chain reactions from the magnetic attraction and repulsion. All parts are made from 100% recycled plastics. The Mechanics Challenge Strike is new to the line this year.

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1) It’s All Me Dolls | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $49.95 | Available: August 2022 These 8-inch dolls come in six styles themed around mash-ups of interests and activities, such as camping and chess or yoga and baking. Each doll comes with apparel and accessories to match the activities and can be cleaned with a damp cloth.

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2) Babble Baby — Pink Swan or Starfish | Ages: 18MOS+ | MSRP: $69.95 | Available: Now These 14-inch dolls make more than 25 sounds that kids can activate by gently pushing the dolls’ chests. They are available in two clothing styles: Starfish in turquoise and grey with a sleep cap (pictured) or Pink Swan in a fluffy tutu ensemble with a fabric crown.

3) Splash and Play — Mermaid Princess or Seahorse | Ages: 2+ | MSRP: $54.95 each Available: Now

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These 12-inch dolls feature fully submersible cloth bodies for kids to engage with in the bath or the beach. There are two styles of dolls to collect: The Mermaid Princess wears a mermaid swim set and the Seahorse (pictured) wears striped seahorse print. Both styles include accessories like a squirt toy, a bottle, and a hooded towel. Adults can easily clean the dolls with a damp cloth and hang them up to dry after bathtime.

FUN IN MOTION TOYS 1) Grateful Dead x Shashibo | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $25 | Available: Now

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Fans can transform each Shashibo cube into more than 70 shapes. Each cube in this special-edition collection features iconic Grateful Dead art, including Steal Your Face, Haight-Ashbury, Dancing Bears, and Skull and Roses. Fans can collect and connect them for even more puzzle fun.

2) Wes Peden Signature Series Glow.0 LED Juggling Balls | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $45 Available: Now Each soft and squeezable Glow.0 Juggling Ball features two LED lights for a bright and colorful juggling experience. With the programmable memory chip, kids can select different colors for each light. These juggling balls are dimmable and rechargeable with the included USB charger.

3) Shashibo Battle Shapes | Ages: 10+ | MSRP: $49.99 | Available: July 2022

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BattleShapes is a two-player Shashibo game that includes two matching Shashibo magnetic puzzle cubes with a special-edition design; a deck of cards featuring a different Shashibo shape on each card; and a point system for easy, moderate, or difficult shapes. Players will draw a card and compete to see who can complete the shape transformation first. When they have finished the shape challenge, players ring the included bell.

Each shape card also features a QR code that links to a video for players to learn how to make the shapes.

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EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS 1) Playfoam Sand Ice Cream Sundae Set | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $21.99 | Available: Now Preschoolers can use this pretend ice cream set to scoop up and serve shapeable Playfoam Sand. Kids can also follow the ice cream order cards to make pretend sundaes. The set includes a pink and yellow tins of Playfoam sand, two ice cream bowls, four plastic ice cream toppings, an ice cream scooper, and three ice cream order cards.

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2) Playfoam Sand Sensory Set | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $21.99 | Available: Now This playset includes a bin, three colors of Playfoam Sand in blue, pink, and green; two stampers; a double-sided roller/shovel; a double-sided stamper/poker; and a pair of scissor scoopers. Kids can use the included tools to scoop and mold the nontoxic sand.

3) Playfoam Sand ABC Cookies Set | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $21.99 | Available: Now This set includes two colors of Playfoam Sand in blue and green, a cookie cutter, a hand roller, a spatula, and 26 letter stamps, each including an image of an object that begins with that letter. Preschoolers can stamp and trace the letters in the sand to learn letter recognition.

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PLAYMOBIL 1) Research Tower with Compass | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $79.99 | Available: September 2022 This multilevel tower features a rotating platform at the top and a functional compass on the roof. The set comes with two teenager figures, a research tower, an informational animal card, animal figures, and more accessories. Kids can use the collectible animal card with the Discover the Planet app to learn about animals and their habitats. Kids can also take selfies with the animals by projecting their images into their home via augmented reality. Playmobil’s eco-friendly Discover the Planet product line consists of more than 80% sustainable materials on average. The set is compatible with the rest of the Discover the Planet collection.

2) Skull Pirate Ship | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $99.99 | Available: Now Kids can use the pirate ship’s functioning cannons to defend the crew against enemies, keep a lookout for danger from the crow’s nest, access the ship’s stores in the cargo area below deck, and remove the main deck platform to see into the captain’s quarters. This set comes with three pirates, a pirate ship, a monkey, a parrot, and pirate accessories. The boat can float in water, and also comes with rollers for kids to play with it on dry land. Kids can connect this set to the Playmobil Underwater Motor (sold separately) to automatically propel the ship through water, or combine it with other sets in the Playmobil pirates theme.

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3) Air Stunt Show Phoenix Biplane | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $79.99 | Available: August 2022

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Kids can perform tricks and stunts with this agile biplane that features handles on the top, motorized propellers that turn, and an engine that makes sounds. The set comes with two figures, a plane, pylons, a platform, a map, and other accessories. Kids can use the included tools to switch from a two-blade propeller to a four-blade propeller. Kids can place the large pylon on smooth surfaces to mark out an aerial course for the plane. Kids can also combine this set with others in the Air Stunt Show theme (sold separately).

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WINNING MOVES GAMES 1) Classic Wham-O Assortment | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $4.95-12.95 | Available: Now The original Wham-O Superball, Hacky Sack, and Frisbee are back from Winning Moves Games with retro styling and packaging. The 2-inch, multicolored Superball features 50,000 pounds of compressed energy for the ultimate bounce; the Hacky Sack looks like the original two-panel model in yellow and blue colors; and 2 kids can play rounds of catch with the 9-inch Frisbee (pictured).

2) Snail Mail | Ages: 7+ | MSRP: $16.95 | Available: Now During this game, four Snail Mail characters are out on their routes and it’s up to 2-4 players to help them make their deliveries. Players will fill their Snail Mail carrier bags with four cards, each featuring a number and a color. To complete the deliveries, players will need their cards to match the goal on a delivery card. The game includes four snail-shaped card racks, a deck of 48 mail cards, and a deck of 23 delivery cards.

3) The Mermaid’s Jewels: String Together a Treasure from the Sea | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $16.95 | Available: Now In this game, players roll the die and collect pearls from the pearl-sorting treasure chest in order to string them together to make a necklace. The game includes a plastic treasure chest, four necklace strings with safety clasps, a custom die, and 200 plastic beads in different colors.

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BOOGIE BOARD 1) Sketch Pals — Ocean Friends | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $19.99 each | Available: Summer 2022 Kids can draw on these clippable doodle board characters with anything, including the attached stylus, a pen cap, or even their fingernail. When kids push the character’s nose, the doodle board instantly clears itself with no eraser marks or wiping needed. Kids can clip the boards onto backpacks, lunch boxes, or luggage to take on the go. The Ocean Friends characters include Noa the Narwhal, Sandy the Sea Turtle, and Clark the Shark.

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2) Sketch Pals Doodle Board — Norah the Narwhal | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $34.99 Available: Summer 2022

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Kids can draw on this clippable board character with anything, including the attached stylus, a pen cap, or even their fingernail. Norah the Narwhal is the big sister to Noa, her narwhal little sister. Norah is a leader and a great friend, helping her pals and her sister to do the right thing, love one another, and take care of our planet. When kids are done doodling, they can push Norah’s nose to make the doodle board instantly clear itself. Kids can clip the board onto backpacks, lunch boxes, or luggage to take on the go.

3) Jot Kids — Lil’ Helpers Collection | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $29.99 each | Available: Now

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This reusable writing tablet features an 8.5-inch writing screen, a kid-friendly protective cover, an integrated kickstand, and a replaceable battery. The limited-edition Lil’ Helpers collection is designed to inspire kids to explore fun hobbies around the house. Kids can write with anything, including the stylus, a pen cap, or even their fingernail. With the push of a button, the Jot Kids instantly clears itself with no eraser marks or wiping needed.

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UNICHE COLLECTIVE 1) Trido | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $49.99 (12 pieces); $89.99 (24 pieces); $149.99 (36 pieces) Available: Now Kids can build 3D constructs by connecting Trido’s magnetic prism shapes to one another. The Trido shapes include tetrahedrons, octahedrons, and more. Trido’s design is inspired by ancient Greece and the Platonic concept of three dimensions. The sets come in three sizes: introductory (12 pieces), medium (24 pieces), and large (36 pieces). Current styles include sky, honey, jungle, and flamingo, with more colorways to come.

2) Korko Starter Block Set | Ages: 18 MOS+ | MSRP: $24.99 | Available: Fall 2022 This set comes with 20 lightweight cork blocks in eight different shapes with rounded edges. Korko blocks are eco-friendly, made from 100% natural and sustainable cork that is fully renewable, biocompatible, recyclable, and carbon negative. Due to their light weight and natural surface friction, Korko blocks stay in positions that are not possible with most wooden blocks. They are also water resistant and can float on water.

WATERLINE TOYS Skim to the Pin | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $44.99 Available: Now

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This game incorporates Waterline Toys’ SkimBe outdoor disc and a vinyl, inflatable pin-shaped target that floats on water. This year, new SkimBe color combinations for the game are available: light blue/blue and blue/green, and light blue/green. The goal of the game is to get closest to or hit down the inflatable pin using the SkimBe.

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FUNORMOUS 1) Mickey Mouse Funhouse Inflatable | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $399 | Available: Now This residential, inflatable version of the Mickey Mouse Funhouse features a bouncing area, a basketball hoop, a slide, a ball pit area, a ring toss area, and Disney graphics. Up to three kids can bounce at a time.

2) Disney Princess Carriage Inflatable | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $489 Available: Now

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This residential, inflatable bounce house is shaped like a carriage and features Disney Princess graphics, including Cinderella, Tiana, Jasmine, and Belle. It includes a bouncing area, a basketball hoop, a ball pit, and a slide. Up to three kids can play on it at once.

3) Spider-Man Bounce and Slide Inflatable | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $349 | Available: Now This Spider-Man-themed, residential bouncer and slide can fit up to three kids at once. The inflatable features a bouncing area, a basketball hoop, and a slide.

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1) Outdoor Discovery Backyard Explorer Set | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $19.99 | Available: Now Kids can explore outside using this kit, which comes with a critter case, a magnifier, and safe bug-capture tools. After observing the insects they catch, kids can safely release them. A portion of sales benefit the Greening Youth Foundation.

2) Beetle & Bee Critter Case | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $12.99 | Available: Now This wooden case is made of FSC-certified wood, features a woven carrying strap, and is decorated with an image of a beetle character on its swinging door.

The carrier has mesh sides so kids can observe — then release — critters.

3) 4M Scientific Discovery Volume 2 | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $49.99 | Available: Now With a focus on environmental science, this STEAM kit includes more than 40 projects that help kids learn about topics such as the climate, weather changes, and the greenhouse effect.

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UKIDZ 1) UGears Hexapod Explorer | Ages: 14+ | MSRP: $52.99 | Available: Now The Hexapod Explorer can walk up to 3 meters on its legs that are driven by a powerful spring motor. The walker also includes a variable speed dial.

2) PIXIO Mini Dinos | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $49.99 | Available: Now This set includes colorful magnetic cubes that kids can attach to create dinosaur shapes. Kids can build all four mini dinosaurs with this set that features 80 PIXIO blocks in four colors.

3) Wanderlust Safari | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $29.99 | Available: Now

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1) Zip Linx Sets | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $19.99-39.99 Available: Fall 2022 Zip Linx are building kits with which kids can construct their own high-flying chain reactions.

Kids can create their own designs, link it, then launch it up to 30 inches. The Zip Linx Hi-Fly Set (pictured), Zip Linx Jump Set, and the Zip Linx Triple Tower Blaster are new for the fall.

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2) GIGABOTS | Ages: 5+ MSRP: $16.99 Available: July 2022 Kids can transform these 13-inch, fully poseable action figures from energy cores to action figures.

They feature an easy snap-together building process.

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This set features 10 wooden blocks decorated with felt that feature zoo animals and safari pieces such as trees and vans. The included wooden storage box features a chalkboard interior that kids can use to create their own backgrounds to serve as landscapes to display their wooden blocks.

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CREATIVE KIDS 1) Sense & Grow Sort and Balance Bin | Ages: 5 MOS+ | MSRP: $19.99 Available: Fall 2022 Infants can rock and balance this semicircle shape sorter to get the seven colorful, textured shapes into the top of the sorter. Kids can easily remove the shapes through the stretchy band sides to replay over and over.

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2) Science to the Max Gears & Gadgets | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $34.99 | Available: Now With this 194-piece set, kids can learn about engineering momentum, and cause and effect while they build their own contraptions to launch socks across the room, flip a light switch without getting up, and more. The contraptions kids can build range from mini to room-scale creations.

3) Play-Doh Ultimate Sculpting Studio | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $29.99 Available: Fall 2022 With this craft set, kids can create durable objects that dry in 24-48 hours using 18 colors of air-dry clay; four sculpting tools to roll, cut, and shape; 20 key rings; a pack of googly eyes; and an easy to follow inspiration manual. The set also includes a carrying case that folds out to a table with a lid that features six molds to create shapes.

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GREEN TOYS 1) Cupcake Truck | Ages: 2+ | Available: Summer 2022 Little bakers can practice colors and counting, develop fine motor skills, and host make-believe parties with this eco-friendly, mix-and-match set. The set features eight pieces, including a removable canopy tray, frosting, cakes, and cupcake liners so kids can build and rebuild two complete cupcakes.

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2) Loader Truck | Ages: 2+ | Available: Summer 2022 This eco-friendly loader truck features two different handles — one stationary on top of the cab and one on the end of the oversized, moveable arm — for kids to scoop, load, and dump both inside and outside. Kids can rotate the dumping bucket over the truck and dump out the back using the 180-degree rotating arm.

3) Stack & Link Racers | Ages: 6 MOS+ | Available: Summer 2022

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Kids can use these pocket-size cars individually, linked together in a chain, or stacked up to form a tower. Each car includes textured detailing for tactile stimulation.

The whole fleet features an eco-friendly design with no metal axles or external coatings.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

PLAYTRIX LLC

1) The Dregg Disaster: An Algebra 1 Gamebook | Ages: 12+ MSRP: $21.99 | Available: October 2022

Spokester | MSRP: $9.99 | Available: Now

This Dregg Disaster book is an interactive story for students learning Algebra 1. Kids can solve the mystery of Dregg Corporation, but they need to find the answers through algebraic equations along the way.

This gamebook includes four chapters, an “Adventurer’s Advice” section to help students with algebra, and a free online download, which includes more algebra problems for practice.

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This plastic accessory snaps onto the front fork of a bicycle to create a motorcycle sound effect and is inspired by decades of kids using baseball cards, clothespins, and water bottles to give their bikes some noise. Spokester comes in blue, green, purple, red, or black colors and is made in North Carolina.

2) Brooklyn Mermaid | Ages: 9+ | MSRP: $7.99 Available: October 2022

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In this sequel to Journey Under the Sea, the reader is a mermaid living on the outskirts of the city of Atlantis with their family, who are part of the anarchist Merzood clan. They are hiding from the Ruler of Atlantis, who wants to use the Merzood magic for evil. He imprisons the reader’s family and asks for them to retrieve “The Eye,” an ancient evil relic. Will the reader be able to find The Eye, rescue their family, and stop evil from taking over the world?

3) Fairy House | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $8.99 | Available: Now In this paperback, kids can build a fairy house and meet Bert the Below Average, a real fairy. The fairy takes the reader on fun adventures.

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THINKFUN 1) GeoLogic | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $12.99 | Available: Now Players begin with a 30-sided planet core and 14 different biome tiles. Each of the 60 challenge cards shows a different starting position for some of the biome tiles, and players must figure out how to position the remaining tiles in order to complete the planet’s surface. A variety of environments in different shapes pro2 vide multiple unique planet combinations, but each challenge has only one correct solution.

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2) Dragon Falls | Ages: 8+ | MSRP: $21.99 Available: Summer 2022 Kids can create a 3D scene of intertwining water dragons with this logic game. Players start by choosing one of the 60 beginner-to-expert level challenge cards and place the dragon segments and blockers on the vertical, double-sided game grid as shown on the card. Then, they must place the remaining dragon segments to complete the bodies for both dragons.

3) Solitaire Chess Magnetic Travel Puzzle | Ages: 8+ MSRP: $14.99 | Available: Summer 2022

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Players start by setting up the magnetic pieces to match a challenge, then capture and eliminate pieces following the rules of traditional chess, but every move they make must capture another piece until there is only one piece left. The 120 challenges range from beginner to expert in this single-player, travelfriendly game.

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SPECIALTY TOY LAUNCHES UPBOUNDERS 1) Mommy’s Shadow Flash Cards | Ages: 4+ MSRP: $12.99 | Available: Now Kids can learn about different careers and daily tasks that people complete every day with these illustrated flash cards.

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2) Popular Sports Playing Cards & Camping Outdoors Playing Cards Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $9.99 each Available: Now These Go Fish playing card sets (sold separately) come with four sets of 13 illustrated cards and two instruction cards, which are all made from FSC-certified paper. The themed illustrations feature diverse characters participating in sports or camping activities.

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Kidamento Kids’ Digital Camera — Model K | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $79.99 Available: Now This digital camera features a brightly colored animal design and a large, 3-inch IPS touchscreen that accommodates little hands. It comes with a detachable, lightweight silicone covering that is tough enough to endure dropping and rough play. The camera comes with features such as filters and frames, a selfie timer, and burst mode.

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1) BOX CANDIY Totally Santa Make Your Own Felt Animal Ornaments | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $19.99 Available: August 2022 With this set, kids can create their own felt animal ornaments featuring a reindeer, a polar bear, and more. It includes pre-cut felt, flexible wire, a kid-safe crafting needle, colored thread, colored ribbon, cotton stuffing, and a keepsake storage box made from recycled cardboard.

2) BOX CANDIY Totally Spooky Haunted House Lantern Scratch Art Set | Ages: 6+ MSRP: $19.99 | Available: August 2022

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Kids can make spooky origami art like ghosts and more, then set the scene for fall festivities with this scratch art set. The set includes four art board scratch cards with haunted scenes, a wooden craft stick, 10 cardboard puzzle pieces to build a 3D lantern, a flameless LED candle with a battery, a roll of double-sided tape, and a keepsake storage box made from recycled cardboard.

3) BOX CANDIY Totally Spooky Origami Set | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $19.99 | Available: August 2022

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Kids can fold together colorful paper into ghosts, bats, spiders, and more with this spooky origami art set. It includes 20 sheets of origami paper with pre-printed folding lines, glitter sticker sheets, a colored sticker sheet, four sets of self-stick “googly” eyes, a colored craft cord, and a keepsake storage box made from recycled cardboard.

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MINILAND USA 1) Asian Girl with Down Syndrome | Ages: 3+ MSRP: $40.98 | Available: Now Kids can raise their awareness of diversity and learn to be more inclusive with this doll of an Asian girl with Down Syndrome. The doll is anatomically correct and comes clothed in a Miniland tank top and a pair of underwear.

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2) Hispanic Boy with Hearing Implant Ages: 3+ | MSRP:$42.98 | Available: Now

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Kids can learn more about inclusive values and engage with diversity at an early age with this doll. The baby doll of a Hispanic boy with a hearing aid is anatomically correct and sports a Miniland tank top and a pair of underwear.

3) Caucasian Dirty Blonde Girl | Ages: 3+ MSRP: $40.98 | Available: Now

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This baby doll Cacasian girl aims to promote social-emotional learning for kids. The doll is anatomically correct and includes a Miniland tank top and a pair of underwear.

CHATTYSNAPS 1) ChattySnaps | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $2 each Available: Now Kids can express themselves and their interests with this line of collectible, classic buttons that look like pin-backs, but without the pin because they snap. ChattySnaps come in hundreds of designs, and specialty retailers can place orders with custom logos and images at no extra cost.

2) ChattySnaps Tales | Ages: 4+ MSRP: $8 each | Available: Now Each Tale includes three snap-backs for kids to display a few of their favorite ChattySnaps buttons. The sturdy carabiner clip makes them easy to attach to backpacks, sport bags, belt loops, and luggage. Tales are available in a variety of colors and patterns.

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SPECIALTY TOY LAUNCHES MCMILLER

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1) Fire in the Hole | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $31.99 | Available: Now This plundering pirate game centers around a large, pop-up pirate ship. Gameplay is simple: Play a card, fire a cannonball, and be the first to link four cannonballs in the ship to win. Fire In The Hole is 100% plastic-free, biodegradable, and carbon neutral.

2) It’s Bananas | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $23.99 | Available: Now During this party game, players split into teams, strap on a tail, and spin the spinner to complete a monkey tail challenge. Players must squat and show off their backward thrust in order to hook the monkey tail on the banana hoops. The player who completes the challenge first — using only their tail — wins the round. Whoever collects the most banana tokens wins.

3) UpRoar | Ages: 7+ | MSRP: $11.99 | Available: Now This game tasks players to make silly sounds such as mooing like a confused cow. Players will take two cards, spot the matching pair of words, and be first to sound them out to win the cards. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins. UpRoar is 100% plastic-free, biodegradable, compostable, and carbon neutral.

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SALUS BRANDS 1) Stack-a-Roos Zoo Animal Assortment Ages: 18 MOS+ | MSRP: $24.99 Available: Fall 2022 Made of soft, durable plastic, Stack-aRoos are designed to help toddlers develop their hand-eye coordination, sensory exploration, and motor skills. The first wave of zoo animals, which includes a tiger, a giraffe, and a zebra, are stacked on a curved base for more wobbly fun. When toddlers stack the pieces in the correct order, they are rewarded with lights and sounds.

2) Build Buddiez | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $14.99 each Available: Fall 2022

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Kids can assemble their Build Buddiez and mix and match the accessories for different combinations, then store all of the accessories inside the base until next time.

The Deluxe Snowman and the Deluxe JackO-Lantern are new for this year.

TURBOSPOKE 1) Turbospoke — Bicycle Exhaust System | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $21.99-$39.99 | Available: Now This exhaust system makes kids’ bikes sound like a motorbike using durable plastic motorcards and a realistic megaphone exhaust pipe. The system fits on either side of a 14-24-inch bike. It is also waterproof and does not require batteries. The system includes a full fitting kit and 24 stickers for decoration.

2) Turbospoke — Spokerimz | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $14.99 | Available: Now With this accessory, kids can transform both wheels on their bikes to look like alloy wheels. This accessory is fully adjustable and fits all bike wheels from 14-24 inches — kids simply trim them to fit and mount them to their bike wheels using the included universal hubs and fitting kit.

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THE PINKFONG COMPANY 1) Pinkfong Baby Shark Halloween Songs Sound Book | Ages: 18 MOS+ MSRP: $19.99 | Available: July 2022 This sound book features Halloween-themed Pinkfong and Baby Shark songs to read and sing along. There are 10 press-play buttons for toddlers to enjoy 10 full festive songs, including a remix of the iconic Baby Shark song. The book also features spooky characters and illustrations on non-glaring, durable pages.

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2) Pinkfong Baby Shark 1-Button Christmas Sharks | Ages: 18 MOS+ MSRP: $14.99 | Available: September 2022 This compact, mini board book plays the Christmas version of the “Baby Shark” song and includes a short story of the Shark family and other sea animals in holiday costumes. The book features a lightweight design and curved edges designed to be easy for toddlers to hold and carry.

3) Pinkfong Baby Shark Mini Gamepad | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $24.99 Available: November 2022

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This gamepad features seven squishy character buttons that play the “Baby Shark” song, as well as game sound effects and lights. The gamepad comes in four versions: Baby Shark, William, Mommy Shark, and Daddy Shark.

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SPECIALTY TOY LAUNCHES 1

SKY CASTLE TOYS 1) DoodleJamz BrightBoard | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $24.99 | Available: Now This drawing pad features a LED display battery-powered BrightBoard, which slides underneath the drawing board and illuminates the different colors of gel and beads. The drawing board set includes a kickstand to display creations.

2) DoodleJamz JellyBoards | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $8.99 | Available: Now

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Kids can draw, swipe, and erase on these vacuum-sealed, travel-friendly drawing pads. Each pad features two layers of colored gel; a stylus that blends and morphs gel color; and a removable, replaceable, double-sided backer card to enhance the gel colors.

3) DoodleJamz JellyPics | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $8.99 | Available: Now This drawing pad is vacuum-sealed and filled with transparent gel and colored beads for kids to sculpt, mold, and design over any picture. Kids can separate the colors or use the included stylus to get more detail. The kit includes an emoji face backer card that kids can swap in and out of the frame for a background of their choice.

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SIMPLAY3 1) Carry and Go Ocean Drive Water Table Ages: 18 MOS+ | MSRP: $69.99 Available: Now

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MONOGRAM INTERNATIONAL 1) Thor Figural Bank | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $29.99 Available: Now The God of Thunder gets cute as a figural bank. Thor features a detailed helmet and Mjolnir hammer, and has a coin slot on his back.

2) Groot Figural Bank | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $29.99 Available: Now The adorable Guardian of the Galaxy is ready to protect kids’ change. Groot has a smile on his face and a coin slot on his back.

3) Stitch Figural Bank | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $29.99 Available: Now The cute, titular creature from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch is ready to hold and protect his family’s coins.

This two-sided water table comes with a water spinner, a vehicle, and a boat. One side of the table is a large reservoir for water and the other side is a lazy river.

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2) Seed to Sprout Raised Garden Planter Ages: 2+ | MSRP: $79.99 Available: Now Kids can learn the joys of gardening with this raised garden planter. There are three separate compartments where little gardeners can set up different plants. Each planter comes with garden utensils and an educational pamphlet.

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3) Seed to Sprout Two Level Planter Ages: 2+ | MSRP: $89.99 Available: Now This two-piece, raised garden features two levels for planting.

Little gardeners can plant in both planters, or plant on the top level and store their tools below. Each set comes with garden tools and an educational pamphlet.

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LICENSE 2 PLAY

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1) Toxic Waste Slime Licker Plush Line | Ages: 0+ MSRP: $4.99-$19.99 | Available: August 2022 These plush are made to look like the sour candy Toxic Waste Slime Lickers. There are four different styles for kids to choose from: Blind Bag Minis, 6-inch Beanie Plush, Giant 14inch Plush, and Mr. Toxie Head.

2) ”Who Says?” the Card Game | Ages: 10+ | MSRP: $9.99 Available: August 2022

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In this card game, players must remember which TV or movie characters said popular quotes like “Wubba Lubba Dub Dub.” There are four editions to choose from: Harry Potter, Rick and Morty, Seinfeld, and Friends. Kids can play as a single player or with friends.

3) Figistiks Textured Fidget Stickers | Ages: 0+ | MSRP: $4.99 Available: August 2022 Figistiks are stickers that use raised textures and trendy designs to promote focus. These stickers are sold in themed packs of four and each sticker is sized to fit on kids’ phones, computers, and more.

There are 40 designs to collect and two different textures to touch, scratch, and fidget.

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SPECIALTY TOY LAUNCHES BTL DIFFUSION 1) Lovelight Buddies (Cloud b) | Ages: 0+ | MSRP: $34.99 | Available: Now

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These multisensory toys feature soothing sounds, calming lights, and a soft touch. In addition to the melodies and white noise, the LoveLight Buddies have a recording function for parents to leave a message or record themselves singing a favorite lullaby. They also light up with a warm glow that gently pulses to soothe babies. The Shake & Play motion sensor reactivates the functions with a gentle movement, in which the light, sound, and the recorded message will turn back on where it left off. Parents and caregivers can attach the LoveLight Buddies to a crib with a removable fastener or place them in bed as kids grow.

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2) Musical Friends (Little Big Friends) | Ages: 0+ | MSRP: $29.99 | Available: Now Each animal plays a different melody that will help sooth babies and prepare them for sleep. They are made of soft, hypoallergenic material that is easy to clean.

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3) Stack & Learn Rings (BabyToLove) | Ages: 6 MOS+ | MSRP: $14.99 | Available: Summer 2022 This set of six colorful rings with textured shapes helps babies to develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. This multisensory toy will keep babies engaged with classic play.

GOOD BANANA 1) 3D Puzzles | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $14.99 | Available: Now

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This collection of 3D, snack-themed puzzles is precision cut into shapes that turn, curve, and loop in unexpected ways. Kids can choose from a burger, a cupcake, or a s’more. Each puzzle comes preassembled, for kids to see the finished product before attempting to reassemble.

2) Fidgets | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $12.99 | Available: Now Each fidget features clicky buttons, spinning sections, and shape-specific sensory actions to help sustain focus. Kids can choose from a burger or a rocket shape (pictured). Kids can carry them in backpacks, jacket pockets, and more thanks to the fidgets’ small size.

SD TOYZ SD Spinz | Ages: 3+ | MSRP: $11.99 Available: Now These 1:43-scale racers combine the play pattern of crash and bash vehicles with a flying disc. Kids can use the powerful pull-back motor to drive the vehicle forward. A crash depresses the front bumper to activate a spring-loaded propeller that can fly up to 15 feet in the air. Each vehicle includes colorful, rubber accents for a tactile experience.

SD Spinz are available in red, blue, and yellow colors, each sold separately.

3) LED Flashlights | Ages: 6+ | MSRP: $24.99 | Available: Now This LED flashlight comes in either a dragon or unicorn (pictured) shape. Kids can squeeze each handle and an LED will light the way with a bright, clear beam of light. With each squeeze, the characters’ wings flap, encouraging imaginative play.

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THE ATOM BRICK 1) Willis Tower Building Set | Ages: 14+ MSRP: $24.99 Available: Now

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Kids can build a replica of the Willis Tower — best-known as the Sears Tower — with this 351-piece building set. This detailed architectural model comes with an instruction booklet that also provides details on the history and design of the second-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

2) National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Building Set | Ages: 14+ | MSRP: $99.99 | Available: Now Kids and adults can build a scale replica of the famous Cooperstown landmark with this 1,265-piece construction set. The included booklet features information about the history of the game and the Hall of Fame.

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3) Frank Lloyd Wright Ennis Textile Block Building Set | Ages: 14+ | MSRP: $29.99 | Available: Now Created in partnership with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, this 352-piece building set pays tribute to the “textile block construction” building system that Frank Lloyd Wright designed in the early 1920s. Builders can create a replica of the textile block detail from the Ennis House that Wright designed in 1923.

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SPECIALTY TOY LAUNCHES 1

BLUE ORANGE 1) Tongues Out! | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $21.99 | Available: Summer 2022 This memory game features squishy pugs that ate all the lollipops, but every pug’s tongue has been dyed the color of the lollipop they had. When players gently squeeze the pups, their tongue sticks out. On each turn, kids must try to match two lollipops on the dice with two squishy pugs they think licked them. The first one to match six sets wins.

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2) Freeze Dance with Chilly | Ages: 4+ | MSRP: $14.99 Available: Summer 2022 Kids can dance along to five special songs with this chilly little penguin. Kids must listen to the penguin’s words and follow what they say.

When the penguin says freeze, kids must freeze where they are. Otherwise, keep dancing!

3) Pear Shaped | Ages: 7+ | MSRP: $13.99 | Available: Summer 2022 In this fast, frantic, pair-making, pear-grabbing card game, players must get rid of all their pear-shaped cards by matching pear-shaped objects, numbers, and colors before the timer stops. When the pear timer stops, kids must point at the pear while rocking side to side like the pear timer. The first player to get rid of all of their cards wins.

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U.S. TOY CO.

MODI TOYS

Whacky Racket | Ages: 5+ | MSRP: $23.99 | Available: Now

Shhhanti Musical Crib Mobile | Ages: 0+ | MSRP: $50 Available: Now

Kids can play a new sport that puts a fresh twist on tennis and badminton. The set comes with two mesh rackets and a pair of light-up Boingy Balls.

This musical crib mobile features more than an hour of continuous, soothing instrumental hymns, mantras, and aartis. The mobile is embroidered with four designs of Baby Ganesh, Baby Krishna, Baby Hanuman, and Devi Ma.

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Innovation comes to the toy industry as companies decipher Web3.

by JACKIE CUCCO, senior editor LET’S FACE IT: KIDS ARE OBSESSED with their devices and they use them often. Even parents who are trying to limit screen time need to realize that their kids are living in a digital age more advanced than the dial-up internet sessions with which older generations grew up.

Generation Alpha socializes and plays in a network of virtual worlds called the metaverse, and even the internet itself is evolving into a new stage called Web3.

This new lingo may sound like a bunch of mumbo jumbo to those who are less technologically inclined, but it’s crucial for the toy industry to stay on top of these trends because consumer behavior is shifting. Brands need to be where kids are. After all, you can’t ignore your target audience. So, what exactly is the metaverse and Web3?

The Associated Press (AP) added “metaverse” and “Web3” to its widely used AP Stylebook in February.

According to AP, the metaverse is an “immersive, all-encompassing online world where people can gather virtually for a range of activities.” This can incorporate technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), and people can use online avatars to travel to virtual settings to play games, communicate with others, shop, and more. Users are not simply consuming 2D content through a screen; they’re experiencing content in interactive ways.

The metaverse is a creative and collaborative platform, so companies can partner together for in-game activations or virtual events, or they can create their own digital games and experiential campaigns for users to play or attend.

The concept of metaverse play is not

new, but it is evolving to become more multidimensional. Gaming platforms and video games with interactive features, such as Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft, and Second Life, have been around for quite some time.

Jazwares has been the master toy partner for Roblox for many years, and it was the first toy partner for Minecraft prior to Mattel’s work with the license. “The idea of digital universes opening play opportunities for traditional toy consumers is a more than 10-year-old concept,” says Jazwares Chief Brand Officer Jeremy Padawer. “The metaverse will evolve over the next generation, much like console gaming, from a 1-2 senses offering to a full five senses offering. I’m not saying this will be The Matrix. It will, however, be something much more fantastical than what we currently experience.”

The AP Stylebook describes Web3 as “a catchall term for the prospect of a new stage of the internet driven by the cryptocurrency-related technology blockchain. Although blockchain is best known as a mechanism that makes bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies possible, it can also store data and even software code that can self-execute under certain conditions.” People can create Web3 applications, such as bitcoin, without involving the metaverse, but the two are often intertwined.

If you’re wondering what came before Web3, let’s take it back to the early days of the World Wide Web. Think of Web 1.0 as the read-only web, a place used mainly for information sharing on static pages without much interactivity. In Web 2.0 — which is the internet as we know it today — interactivity, including user-gen-

erated content and sharing on social media, became central to the experience.

THE TRENDS, THEY ARE A-CHANGING Just five years ago, the growing trend in toy technology was for companies to create a companion app for their brands.

Now, toymakers are turning to new technology to market their brands within the metaverse and Web3, whether that be through virtual events, non-fungible tokens (NFT), blockchain games, or activations within Roblox or Fortnite.

David Kleeman, senior vice president of global trends for Dubit, a research and strategy consultancy and a metaverse studio, believes that the concept of screen time has become outdated because Gen Alpha is made up of digital natives.

“There is no longer a binary choice between physical play and digital play,” he says. “This is important for the toy industry as it considers how to create logical and seamless connections between products and their virtual extensions.”

Since the native format of the metaverse is more interactive than the video storytelling of TV, marketing needs to be more complex in order to be effective. Kleeman says that there are three primary forms of effective marketing within the metaverse: integrating a brand into an existing game; creating a short-term (1-6 weeks) branded event; or creating a game as a service, including ongoing updates. “The first two have the easiest opportunities for returns on investment,” he says, while “the last is perhaps the most effective in the long run, but also the biggest investment.”

Promoting a brand within a metaverse game is more cost effective than creating

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a companion app for a toy line. “Based on Dubit’s experience creating Roblox activations around intellectual property (IP) that might, in the past, have launched an app as an interactive strategy, the cost of prompting a new app store download can be up to 100 times as expensive as attracting a new player to the Roblox experience,” Kleeman says.

VIRTUAL ECONOMICS 101 Roblox is a digital platform featuring more than 40 million games that are free to download and play. Kids can customize their avatars and meet up with friends to play games and hang out, just like in the video games Fortnite and Minecraft. These games are not technically considered Web3 because they do not integrate cryptocurrency, although some people consider them “Web 2.5” because they do have their own virtual currency — called “Robux,” “V-Bucks,” and “Minecoins,” respectively — that players can purchase using real money.

Gamefam develops metaverse games and experiences, with an exclusive focus on Roblox at the moment. “I think ‘Web 2.5’ is a really interesting way of putting it because there is a persistence to the virtual goods on Roblox,” says Gamefam Chief Executive Officer Joe Ferencz.

“There is a delineated rarity of those virtual goods, there is a trading economy for virtual goods, and there is interoperability across all of Roblox’s content for the most part. In that regard, Roblox has all

of the aspects of Web3, except that it’s not on the blockchain.”

The blockchain uses decentralized technology to cut out the middleman, allowing participants to trade cryptocurrency and information directly between users without passing data between third parties, such as banks. “Because the Web3 platforms are truly decentralized, there is less opportunity for safety oversight and moderation, and for ensuring fair play and protection of owned items,” Kleeman says. “These platforms, therefore, are less appropriate for kids’ exploration and play, at present.”

Safety becomes a concern when companies marketing to kids have to consider the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA). “We’re so far away from a proper Web3 being COPPA-compliant that when toy companies are looking at playing in the larger metaverse — not in Roblox — it’s in a very parent-focused, very cautious way to see where the trends are going because Web3 is still in its infancy. We’re all still navigating it,” says Sydney Wiseman, vice president of brand development and creative strategy at WowWee. “Our Web3 strategy that we’re focusing on internally next year is 80% Roblox and 20% questioning how we dabble in the bigger metaverse.”

Where kids are concerned, Roblox offers a controlled way of buying and trading virtual goods while parents still have the upper hand. There are tools like parental controls that adults can use to

Fortnite players can customize their gaming experience with themed outfits and accessories. | Source: Epic Games

curate age-appropriate experiences for their kids, monitor account activity, and track monthly spending in a secure way.

That being said, Roblox does have some rare virtual goods that are worth a lot of money — some even worth thousands of dollars — in the platform’s trading economy. What compels consumers to spend real money on digital collectibles in free-to-play games? Metaverse economies are driven by progression, self-expression, collection, and clout. The desire for bragging rights, personalization, and ownership play into consumer behavior — and that’s true outside the metaverse, too.

Some people spend money to customize their metaverse avatar or style their characters’ outfits or “skins” to stand out in a game. Some players buy virtual equipment, accessories, or special powers for the sake of progression, giving them new abilities to help them advance in the game, while some people strive to complete a collection. Many people are fueled by influence, wanting to own things for bragging rights, simply because they are rare and limited.

“One of the things that we’re thinking about as a company in Roblox specifically is how we do things to support our toy partners using limited runs, even if it’s not on the blockchain,” Ferencz says. This summer, WowWee is launching a line of collectible dolls based on Gamefam’s Twilight Daycare game on Roblox. Gamefam will support that in-game with digital goods that are limited to the number of dolls sold. Players will be able to walk up to these “super collectibles” in the game and see exactly how many will ever be sold and exactly how many are left.

In true Web3 gaming, players can build up their in-game collections and sell items for cryptocurrency, which they can then exchange for other currencies, including USD. Gamers really own their virtual goods and they can potentially earn actual money by selling their digital assets.

STOP, COLLABORATE, AND LISTEN Collaboration is an important part of the metaverse and Web3. Toy companies don’t need to build their own games or virtual events from scratch, although they can if they want to. Manufacturers or IP owners will often partner with game developers to cross-promote their brands. toybook.com | JUNE 2022 | THE TOY BOOK 85

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“For smaller companies, it’s not necessary to create an extensive world for a brand to have a metaverse presence. It’s possible to launch a smaller experience and then build out depending on how players use the game,” Kleeman says.

“It’s possible to work with existing popular games to insert your toys, environments, or designs, either for a short-term activation (say, to bring attention to a new product launch) or on an ongoing basis (a branded space within the world).”

Fortnite is a metaverse video game platform that often drives its story elements through collaboration with a range of content IPs, including character skins and experiences based on Marvel, DC, Star Wars, The Walking Dead, Universal Monsters, the NFL, and more. While Fortnite often hosts pop culture brands geared toward older kids and teens, Roblox seems to be the platform of choice for many toy companies and kid-focused IPs, with appearances from WowWee’s My Squishy Little Dumplings, Jazwares’ Squishmallows, Spin Master’s Purse Pets and Mermaid High, MGA Entertainment’s L.O.L. Surprise!, HEXBUG’s Junkbots, Hasbro’s NERF, and Ryan’s World in various games and events.

LIVING IN A PHYGITAL WORLD Online experiences may have physical extensions that extend the metaverse and Web3 experiences beyond the screen via tech like AR, social platforms that continue offline, or tangible merchandise. This is bringing new innovation to toys and collectibles. According to a Dubit trends survey, physical products still dominated parents’ spending over digital and experiences last year.

If kids are already playing with digital versions of toys, as they do in Twilight Daycare, they’re going to want to play with the real-life versions when they see them in stores. On the other hand, the physical toys can also act as an entry-level step for parents who are hesitant to let their young kids participate in the metaverse. “It’s a safe product for parents if they’re not ready for their kids to be immersed in the metaworld of things, but also if your kid is obsessed with a metaverse game, then this is something that you’re going to buy in addition to buying Robux,” Wiseman says.

In March, Jazwares inked a multi-

year, global licensing deal to serve as the master toy and collectible partner for the World of Women (WoW) NFT collective.

Set to hit retailers next year, Jazwares will have exclusive rights to design, manufacture, and market dolls, figures, plush, playsets, role-play items, costumes, and accessories inspired by the WoW NFT universe — a realm that celebrates diversity and inclusion across more than 10,000 pieces of digital art.

There is a reason that there aren’t many toys based on NFTs yet, according to Jazwares’ Padawer. “Barriers to entry in the NFT space are minimal. For every program that existed 12 months ago, there are 100 programs today.

The space is exploding and it takes time to spot the blue chip programs,” he says. Blue chip NFTs have records of growth and value, and are considered safer long-term investments. “World of Women is a blue chip with an extraordinary market cap, transactions, and, just as importantly, a clear play pattern and theme: fashion and empowerment. It is a true visual point of difference from other fashion-oriented dolls.”

Padawer says it’s worth learning about licensing in the NFT space, but he heeds this warning: “If picking content on TV or movies was difficult in the 1990s–2010s, where most content doesn’t relate well to consumer products, this is a whole different level. You must educate yourself intensely before diving into this segment.”

Designer toy manufacturer Mighty Jaxx is exploring the phygital trend as well. Each Mighty Jaxx collectible comes with a digital authentication, and the new AllStars F1 2022 Collector’s figures based on Formula 1 race car drivers also come enabled with a Mighty Jaxx Xtended Xperience. Collectors can use this feature to tap into gamified offerings, showcase their pieces, and customize digital displays through various skins.

Mighty Jaxx is also working on designing Web3 experiences in the form of a journey or a roadmap that gives fans curated privileges in phases. In phase one, consumers will be able to receive digital badges, wallpapers, and a virtual

Concept artwork of World of Women Creator Series Doll | Source: Jazwares

vault for them to store and manage their collectibles. Mighty Jaxx is working with partners and brands to provide other experiences for future phases, such as exclusive drops and event invites.

“We believe Web3 will be the future of consumer engagement and is becoming increasingly relevant to the new generation of consumer collectibles,” says Mighty Jaxx Chief Strategy Officer Bryan Tan. “Digital collectibles and experiences such as NFTs, AR, and VR are becoming more commonplace, so it is important to ensure our products are Web3 ready.”

We’re in a new era of metaverse marketing that allows brands to get more inventive and for fans of those brands to connect in more interactive ways. Kids are growing up, playing, and socializing in these digital spaces, and brands have the opportunity to increase their exposure like never before. Take flight into these new corners of the web while they’re still fresh, and prepare for the innovation that’s bound to erupt. » Jackie Cucco is a senior editor at Adventure Media & Events.

She covers toy trends and news for the Toy Book, the Toy Insider, and the Pop Insider. You can visit her on Instagram @saucyjac and say hello to her pet bunny Peepers @thebigpeeps.

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MARKETING MEMO

ENGAGING THE MODERN GIRL How to Leverage Talkability, Passions, and Connectivity to Relate to a Younger Audience

by TIFFANY TASKER, head of industry, toys, SuperAwesome MARKETERS CAN BENEFIT FROM today’s digital media landscape by leveraging existing behavioral patterns at scale. Brands can find success by creating safe, online spaces for girls to experience and share what they love with others in a branded or brand-sponsored environment.

Last issue, we spoke about inclusivity and diversity. Keeping those best practices in mind, in this issue, we’re going to highlight some of the ways to promote brands, products, and initiatives with today’s cohort of girls and kids who identify as girls. Our three core campaign tenets are all interconnected: talkability, passions, and connectivity.

Brand campaigns for girls have to take into consideration the talkability factor. Bottom line, talkability has to be interesting. Girls respond positively to talkability — in fact, it is the most important driver for brand discovery, awareness, and desire for them. Why? Because this factor feeds into and supports one of the top passions and pastimes of girls ages 7-12: connecting with friends.

It’s also important to differentiate between passions and hobbies. Although the uptick in crafting during the COVID-19 pandemic could be considered a hobby, girls ages 7-12 seem to have different passions. According to SuperAwesome’s primary research, girls ages 7-12 are most passionate about activities like gaming, music, content, video chatting, watching influencer content, and posting photos and videos.

Connection is extremely important for kids developmentally because it’s how they make sense of the world and understand how to be a part of it. Whether online or offline, sharing experiences and connecting with friends, brands,

or passions is essential.

Connection with a community provides a sense of belonging, inclusiveness, and recognition of their opinions, thoughts, and feelings.

So, what does this look like in practice? How can we bring together talkability and passions while supporting girls to build connections with brands and each other in kidsafe spaces?

First, choosing a platform that aligns with passions is important. Spreading media across digital, social, and gaming is critical to reach girls’ audiences in 2022 — and you need to know where your audience is spending their time. Younger girls ages 6-7 are more immersed in Roblox and proto-metaverses, while their older counterparts, ages 10 and up, are strongly influenced by TikTok and other social platforms.

Second, giving your audience a kidsafe call to action is a great way to foster talkability, connection, and engagement with your target audience.

On Roblox, when SuperAwesome integrated Spirit from Spirit Untamed into the popular game Horse Valley, we tapped into the passion girls have for Roblox and for horses. We developed connection through a clear call to action to finish the Spirit Quest and win Spirit for their in-game stable. In just three weeks, kids won more than 350,000 Spirit horses. Those horses still digitally live on in Roblox, creating a community of like-minded players that have an ongoing connection to the brand.

The talkability factor was powerful.

The limited-time integration offered players the chance to win something valuable

Source: stock.adobe.com

for their ongoing gameplay, reinforced through conversations with the movie characters in-game. Within one day of the campaign launch, kid creators posted user-generated content of the Spirit integration on YouTube, further proving the talkability of the game’s integration.

As we look toward the second half of the year and the all-important holiday season, it’s important to consider the talkability of your marketing strategy — the social amplification factor that’s deeper and more effective than engagement and dwell time. Remember that aligning with both your brand’s identity and your audience’s passions is key for authenticity, and to be inclusive and supportive in your approach.

And finally — remember to always be kid-safe! » Tiffany Tasker is a digital media and marketing specialist for the kids and youth space. With more than 10 years experience creating digital strategies for toy companies in the U.S. and the UK, Tasker is now the head of industry, toys at SuperAwesome.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

REACHING THE SUPER INFORMED FAMILY

Brands must adjust strategies as consumer behavior changes.

by INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE TEAM, The Insights Family WHEN LOOKING TO BUY A TOY, families today have access to more information than ever before. Before the internet, the only information that was readily available to prospective purchasers was marketing material from the brand and word-of-mouth testimonials. Now, there is a plethora of data available online from third parties, customers, and respected sources, empowering customers to shop with confidence. Families are able to search social media and different educational platforms to do in-depth research into the products they are purchasing.

It is crucial for brands and intellectual property (IP) owners to understand their target demographic in order to engage the family audience. In previous generations, there was a degree of information imbalance between brands and consumers, spotlighting the demand for more informed purchase decisions. As a result, customers were more susceptible to marketing and more likely to make impulse purchases. As parents have access to more information before they make a purchase, they are more likely to seek out reviews, influencer opinions, and online discussions to make sure they are informed with all the facts.

Globally, Generation Z parents are approximately 16% more likely to plan out their purchases, while millennial parents are 19% more likely to plan out their purchases when compared to parents ages 55 and up, who are more likely to act impulsively in their purchase behavior.

In the U.S., millennial parents are more than twice as likely to plan their purchases when compared to those in the oldest generation we survey.

With all of this information available to the modern consumer, it has become difficult for brands to cut through the noise and connect with shoppers in order to build meaningful relationships.

Customers are less brand-loyal, or rather,

not as inclined to purchase one brand’s product offering when they have access to freely available information to make a purchase that they consider the best quality and value for money. Parents in every country we survey, with the exception of Japan, rank quality as the No. 1 factor for why they trust a brand.

The amount of information available digitally means that today, parents are much less trustworthy of advertisements than generations prior. Our data shows that trust in TV advertising correlates positively with age. Globally, parents ages 18-25 are 41% less likely to trust TV commercials than those ages 56 and up.

“There will be a new wave of brands co-creating with their audience.”

Younger parents are more likely to seek out organic messaging from digital sources they trust. As a result, globally, parents between the ages of 18-25 are approximately 72% more likely to trust influencer recommendations than parents ages 56 and up. Similarly, younger kids have the same affinity toward endorsement-based recommendations. Last year, we measured more than a 30% global increase in kids of all ages saying that celebrity or influencer endorsements are important when purchasing a product and supporting a brand.

As influencers become more integral in providing a relatable and trustworthy brand touchpoint with consumers, it is likely that we will see an increase in brands utilizing them in advocacy-led marketing campaigns. However, we predict that this will soon become a two-way relationship. There will be a new wave of brands co-creating with their audience, offering new customization and person-

alization options, and allowing them to play a significant role in shaping brands’ long-term vision.

The most popular influencers in the kids space are often YouTubers. Currently, Ryan’s World is the No. 1 YouTube channel among kids ages 3-12 in the U.S. Fans of Ryan’s World are 98% more likely than the average kid ages 6-12 to purchase a toy related to their favorite YouTuber and 78% more likely to purchase a toy related to their favorite TV show. This shows how avid followers of influencers are more engaged with licensed toys than the average kid. This signals an opportunity for brands and IP owners to look to YouTubers for licensing opportunities and as a platform for product endorsements.

Toy purchases are a family decision, with both kids and parents forming an opinion on which brands to support. As companies look to engage families that have access to more information than ever, it is clear that advertising, marketing, and licensing strategies must change.

The future promises exciting opportunities for developments in this industry in terms of product development, influencer engagement, and sales platforms. » *All statistics are taken from the last six months of data collected by Kids Insights (Sept. 2021-March 2022).

The Insights Family is the global leader in kids, parents, and family market intelligence, providing real-time data on attitudes, behaviors, and consumption patterns. Kids Insights surveys 7,780 kids every week between ages 3-18. Parents Insights surveys more than 3,800 parents of kids between ages 1-16 every week.

Both services operate in 22 countries across six continents and in total survey more than 469,040 kids and 228,800 parents per year.

Download your free copy here: get.theinsightsfamily.com/familyreport2022 toybook.com | JUNE 2022 | THE TOY BOOK 89

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GIVING BACK

MATTEL TAKES GREEN INITIATIVES TO ITS ROOTS Fighting Social Inequity, Climate Change, and More Through Toys

by NICOLE SAVAS, social media editor MATTEL IS NO STRANGER TO DOING good. Through its various foundations and philanthropic enterprises, its goal is to give back to the communities in which the company lives, works, and plays.

Now, it plans to fight environmental inequity from the roots up through its partnership with American Forests.

“Low-income neighborhoods across the country are too often situated in areas where trees are sparse, preventing them from realizing the numerous well-being benefits trees provide,” says Pamela Gill-Alabaster, head of global sustainability at Mattel. She gives the example of Phoenix, which went more than 143 days with temperatures above 100 degrees in 2020. “This dangerous heat is felt more strongly in communities with less tree canopy cover to provide shade and lower

temperatures,” Gill-Alabaster says. Many of these areas are lower-income and communities of color.

“The scope of that ambition is global, but the company cares about giving back to its local community in particular.”

— Pamela Gill-Alabaster, Mattel

American Forests launched nearly 150 years ago with the idea to conserve forests using science-based methods and strategy. Today, it uses the same ideals and heavily focuses on modern problems:

climate change and social inequity. The organization hopes that its Tree Equity program will help to end both issues by planting trees in the areas that need their benefits the most.

According to American Forests, neighborhoods that were historically redlined have fewer trees. By planting more trees, the organization can provide communities with shade and fresh air. This, in turn, reduces heat-related illnesses and utility costs. American Forests plans to plant trees in 100 cities, establish 100,00 forestry jobs, and create heat resillent communities — all by 2030.

DOING GOOD WHERE THEY PLAY Mattel will join American Forests and its local Los Angeles partner, North East Trees, to help bring these goals to frui-

Mattel’s goal is to positively influence the world in which kids play — one tree and one toy at a time. | Source: stock.adobe.com

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Mattel has a number of new products that are created using eco-friendly materials, including: Left: Matchbox Recycling Truck Right: MEGA Bloks Green Town Sort & Recycle Squad Bottom: Barbie Loves the Ocean Source: Mattel

tion. The partnership kicked off early this year when Mattel employees got a little dirt on their hands and planted several trees near the company’s headquarters.

Mattel’s South Los Angeles location was chosen for the volunteer effort using American Forests’ Tree Equity Score — a measurement that is based on the canopy cover, surface temperature, income, employment, race, age, and health factors of an area. For communities with a low score, a team of forestry professionals provides recommendations on the best location and distribution for the trees to be distributed.

“The scope of that ambition is global, but the company cares about giving back to its local community in particular,” Gill-Alabaster says.

REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS In addition to planting trees, Mattel is determined to reduce its carbon emissions by taking less trees out of our forests. In 2020, the company achieved its goal to use 97% recycled or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified content in the wood and fiber used in its products.

By 2030, its goal is to achieve 100% recycled, recyclable, or bio-based plastic materials in all products and packaging.

The company believes that addressing its own materials waste can help influence packaging and waste systems for other companies trying to make a difference.

Mattel’s packaging approach incorporates four principles of circularity: reduce, replace, reuse, and recover. The company

hopes to use less harmful materials, substitute virgin plastics with renewable or recycled materials, develop packaging that can be used in multiple ways, and add more communications on how consumers can recycle products properly. In short: Plastic is out; renewable is in.

Since 2011, Mattel has worked with the Rainforest Alliance, an international organization that works toward global sustainability, to audit its paper packaging and wood fiber use by source, volume, and type. As a part of the alliance and its goals, Mattel is taking the brands we all know — and most of us grew up with — and turning them green.

Last year, Mattel launched Matchbox Driving Toward a Better Future, a product roadmap that aligns the toy car brand with the company’s goals for plastic elimination and greener play patterns. This April, the company continued the program by introducing the Matchbox Recycling Truck. The 15-inch truck is made from 80% International Sustainability & Carbon (ISCC)-certified plastic. During that same month, Mattel also launched

the MEGA Bloks Green Town line. Each of the four playsets in the line are certified carbon neutral and made from a minimum of 56% plant-based materials and 26% ISCC-certified, bio-circular plastics.

In the doll aisle, Barbie Loves the Ocean is the first fashion doll to be made from 90% plastic (not including the dolls’ head and some accessories) sourced from within roughly 30 miles of waterways without a formal waste collection system. The doll features 100% plastic-free packaging that is also FSC-certified.

These toys and more are a part of the growing trend of toy companies taking control of what they put into the world.

It’s not just about giving kids something to play with, it’s about making sure they have a world in which they can continue to play.

Mattel gives back to the communities in which it lives, works, and plays — but also hopes to make the world a better place for us all to live, work, and play for years to come. » As a kid, Nicole Savas either wanted to be a writer or a professional toy player-wither.

Somehow, as a social media editor with the Toy Book, she’s found a career as both. She’s grateful to work somewhere that she can fully embrace both her love of teddy bears and her admiration for the Oxford comma.

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NEW IN TOWN

TWEE helps foster creativity and independence in kids.

by HANNAH SACKS, editorial assistant WHAT DO A FAILED EXPERIMENT and chalk have in common? They both helped to create TWEE, an artisanal chalk company based in Philadelphia.

When her kids were younger, Owner and CEO Margaux DelCollo started TWEE — British slang for “too cute” — as a classroom project gone wrong. The failed experiment caused DelCollo to realize that artisanal chalk was like nothing she’d ever seen on the market before.

“There wasn’t anything that spoke to kids where they’re at,” she says. “The toy market was lacking a [chalk] product that catered to kids, instead of dumbing things down to a lower age level.”

DelCollo launched TWEE out of her garage, taking the time to perfect her recipes. Although she doesn’t have a business degree, DelCollo put her public relations skills to work and facilitated a contract with Nordstrom during a spur-ofthe-moment shopping trip with her mom.

From there, it was only a matter of time before TWEE was in every Nordstrom

store nationwide.

Despite its initial success, the company never lost its independent spunk.

When the Nordstrom truck driver arrived to collect TWEE’s products, he pulled up behind DelCollo’s Philadelphia rowhouse.

“The driver said, ‘You know, I’ve never picked up from someone’s house before,’ to which I responded, ‘Well, we’ve never shipped pallets before, so we’re all in the same spot!’” DelCollo recalls.

THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK As a business, TWEE operates behind the motto “always say yes.” According to DelCollo, “It’s always say yes, and then you figure out how to make it happen.”

This sentiment has helped the small business grow, starting with its very first appearance at Toy Fair New York. At the end of the event, TWEE was approached by scouting company Cool Hunting to collaborate with an unnamed partner. Prior to this meeting, TWEE had not worked with anyone else and was still learning as

TWEE’s Sam’s Slider with Fries chalk set | Source: TWEE

it was growing. Although this collaboration was new for the freshman company, DelCollo thought back to her motto and refused to say no.

The business collaboration turned out to be a positive one. TWEE was matched with Audi for its Summer of Audi Event and tasked with making chalk versions of Audi R8 cars. “That’s one of the good things that happened from not saying no,” says DelCollo. “We didn’t say no, we said yes, and we had to figure it out.”

From there, TWEE began branching out into different shapes, such as unicorn horns and succulents, and collaborating with other companies — never saying no. One of the company’s most beloved products is called Mason’s Planets. The chalk planets are geodes, meaning that as kids use the chalk, the first layer of color is worn down to reveal another, different color.

Inspired by DelCollo’s son’s childhood friend, each purchase of Mason’s Planets results in a $2 donation to support autism research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “People really resonate with the give back and the cause it supports,” DelCollo says.

CHALK IT UP TO A NEW STYLE Each chalk design is handmade in TWEE’s Philadelphia studio, which DelCollo refers to as her “makery” — a combination of a maker’s space and a bakery.

The process itself is a lot like baking: The chalk is measured out, blended with a hand mixer, and poured into molds.

When it has set, the chalk is then popped out and taken to the drying room. “It’s really important to us that every design is as beautiful, if not more beautiful, than the one that just debuted,” DelCollo explains. “I think the realism of the designs

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NEW IN TOWN

A collection of TWEE’s chalk products | Source: TWEE

is the part that keeps kids so attracted to our products.”

It’s easy to see what DelCollo is talking about. TWEE has made a name for itself with its hyper-realistic chalk designs, stemming from its Sushi Maki Roll set that comes packaged as sushi takeout to its Sam’s Slider & Fries, a hamburger that looks good enough to eat. “Our favorite thing is when kids realize that the chalk is realistic, but they can draw with it,” DelCollo says. “How grown up they must feel when they play with something like sushi — food they know their mom eats.” When kids are little, all they want is to have things that make them feel like an adult. TWEE’s products cultivate this

TWEE founder Margaux DelCollo with her kids Source: TWEE

sense of independence, but also help to encourage kids get their hands dirty and inspire them to get creative.

LEAVING THE PLANET BETTER THAN IT WAS BEFORE TWEE is an eco-friendly company that strives to have the smallest ecological footprint possible. Its packaging is recyclable, down to the “plastic” vegetable-based screen that accompanies each box. Although TWEE started out using glitter, DelCollo quickly learned that glitter was just tiny pieces of plastic. In order to combat this plastic waste, TWEE shifted to using mica in its products, an ingredient commonly used to make eye makeup sparkle. “I wouldn’t want my kids to use something that wasn’t eco-friendly,” DelCollo says. “If that’s the standard I have at my house, why would I produce something that has a lower standard for other people’s houses?”

These eco-friendly habits don’t just end with TWEE’s products. The company’s business practices also factor in Mother Earth: “We just really like this idea of something not being considered trash or finished with,” DelCollo says.

“It has a second life and we continue to use it for that kind of stuff.” Due to the nature of chalk, the products can often break apart, cause a paint explosion, or simply have too much glitter. Instead of throwing these products out and causing more waste, TWEE started a program called Misfit Toys. All of TWEE’s broken, misshaped, or otherwise incorrect

chalk pieces are donated to schools and nonprofits so that those organizations can expand their art programs.

This environmentally conscious company is also a woman-owned and female-lead business, making a name for itself in a field largely dominated by men.

The company employs mainly women, which is rare for a growing toy company. Although the business is physically manufacturing each product itself, DelCollo can’t wrap her head around calling herself a manufacturer. “I’ve always shied away from using the term manufacturer because in my mind, a manufacturer is an older man who has been doing it forever,” she asserts. “Until I realized that there are very few women in manufacturing. Now, I’m proud to say that we are a woman-owned manufacturer!”

Above everything else, DelCollo is just proud to be in the toy space. “I love this company that we have built collectively, and feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by people who believe so much in TWEE’s mission and goals,” she raves. Her passion is palpable — you only have to hold TWEE’s chalk in your hands to feel it. » Hannah Sacks is an editorial assistant at Adventure Media & Events. She writes feature pieces, trend articles, news, and product roundups for the Toy Book, the Toy Insider, and the Pop Insider.

You can follow her on Instagram at @hannahsacks.

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EVERY TOY IS SPECIAL, BUT WHERE AND HOW IT’S SOLD CAN BE of equal importance. In recognition of ASTRA and specialty retailers’ “special” place in our products’ success, this month’s Pop Quiz focuses on the not-so-FAQs about favorite specialty brands.

1. HEY, KIDS! DRINK YOUR MILK — THEN PLAY WITH THESE TOYS. WHAT COMPANY HAS RECYCLED MORE THAN 121,524,195 (AND COUNTING!) MILK JUGS INTO ECO-FRIENDLY, MADE-INTHE-U.S. TOYS?

Hint: This Marshmallow Unicorn is one of the company’s newest mythical additions.

2. WHAT CLASSIC COMPANY HAS CREATED A MAKE-YOUR-OWN ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND FOR MORE THAN 600 HIGHLY DETAILED ANIMALS, INCLUDING LIONS, WARTHOGS, DINOS, PONIES, AND EVEN UNICORNS?

4. ALTHOUGH THE WORLD’S LARGEST PUZZLE IS MADE BY GRAFIKA AND HAS 54,000 PIECES, RAVENBURGER OFFERS A GIANT JIGSAW THAT IS STILL IMPRESSIVE AT A 40,320 PIECE COUNT. WHICH CLASSIC CHARACTER DOES THE PUZZLE FEATURE?

5. SINCE 1974, THIS COMPANY HAS CREATED BUILDABLE PLAYSETS AND COLORFUL WORLDS FOR AROUND 4,000 DIFFERENT TYPES OF MINI ACTION FIGURES — BUT ITS ORIGINAL PRODUCT WAS PITCHED TO A BUSINESS PRODUCING CASKET HANDLES. NAME THIS COMPANY!

6. FOUNDED IN 1985, UNIVERSITY GAMES HAS RELEASED SOME OF THE MOST FUN GAMES YOU’VE EVER PLAYED. WHICH OF THESE GAMES IS NOT IN THEIR PORTFOLIO? A. MURDER MYSTERY PARTY

3. PHYLLIS BRODY AND EVELYN GREENWALD STARTED PRODUCING CRAFTY KITS IN THEIR GARAGE, HOPING TO INSPIRE CREATIVITY. NAME THEIR COMPANY, NOW OWNED

BY FABER-CASTELL!

B. 20 QUESTIONS

Hint: This detailed Beaked Dragon joined this company’s family last year.

7. IF YOU’VE WALKED A TOY TRADE SHOW FLOOR IN THE LAST 46 YEARS, YOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN THIS COMPANY’S PLUSH MENAGERIE ADDING MOVABLE MAGIC TO THE AISLES. NAME THAT COMPANY!

8. EEBOO, THE SMALL-BUT-MIGHTY PIECE & LOVE PUZZLE COMPANY, CREATED A 500-PIECE, ROUND PUZZLE COMMEMORATING WHAT HISTORIC 2017 EVENT?

9. EVEN IF YOU NEVER MASTERED “WALK THE DOG,” YOU’VE PROBABLY AT LEAST PLAYED WITH A DUNCAN YO-YO. WHICH OF THESE ISN’T A RECOGNIZED YO-YO TRICK? A. AROUND THE WORLD

C. WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARMEN SANDIEGO?

B. THE ZIPPER

D. GO TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS

C. BRAIN WAVE

Answers: 1. Green Toys 2. Schleich 3. Creativity for Kids 4. Mickey Mouse 5. Playmobil 6. D. Go to the Head of the Class 7. Folkmanis 8. Women’s March on Washington 9. C. Brain Wave

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WIT STORIES

GROWING A GREENER TOY INDUSTRY

WiT launches a new sustainability initiative to combat climate change.

by KELSEY ALPAIO, copywriter, Women in Toys, Licensing, & Entertainment AS MEMBERS OF THE TOY COMMUnity, we are united by kids — their learning, development, and joy. The products and services we create are there for them during the most important and formative years of their lives. And, in that way, we have the opportunity to help kids build the best possible future.

But it’s impossible to talk about the future without acknowledging the danger that climate change poses to our world.

We are already seeing its impacts on a daily basis and we have a responsibility to address the role that the toy industry plays in creating this global emergency.

We owe it to kids worldwide to make play more sustainable and help them create a more positive future.

How can the toys we provide protect our climate, planet, and kids’ safe futures? What can we do as an industry to be more sustainable? Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT) is launching a new Sustainability Learning

Community to discuss these questions and more. WiT, the industry’s leading nonprofit organization for the advancement of women, recently debuted this initiative to bring its members together to ask questions, find answers, and help the toy industry become more sustainable.

The WiT Sustainability Learning Community — along with its co-chairs Paola Dyboski, owner and managing director of Dr Zigs, and Sharon Keilthy, founder and CEO of Jiminy Eco Toys — will open this discussion and create a shared space where industry members can discuss ideas, solutions, and challenges. This initiative welcomes everyone and every question because the topics that members raise during these meetings will help shape the community.

“As an industry, what we do best is inspire, enable, and create opportunities for role play, skill development, problem solving, and of course, laughter,” Dyboski says. “We are there for the early years,

in those crucial learning moments. It’s so important that these years are filled with games and toys that are right for kids, and that these items are ones that families can feel good about.”

“When I speak with members of the toy industry about sustainability, I see that people really want to do better, but often don’t know how,” Keilthy says.

“Which materials are sustainable and workable? Is the toy or packaging more important? Which has a bigger effect: choice of material or transport-distance?

It’s very clear that our industry — and every other industry — needs to urgently reach net-zero emissions. It’s a no-brainer to bring everyone together to swap what they know and to energize each other about this change.”

The term sustainability can mean a lot of things, but Keilthy shares a few ways to think about it. A “sustainable” product in 2022: • Is made from plants (because we

Source: Women in Toys, Licensing, and Entertainment

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can regrow those) or recycled materials (using up waste — such as recycled plastic, wood, or cotton); • Protects our climate by being carbon neutral (plants and recycled materials help achieve this); • Protects our environment by minimizing trash, which doesn’t just mean recyclable packaging. It also means making toys durable, recyclable, modular, and repairable.

There are already major players in the toy industry that offer eco-friendly inspiration, such as LEGO and its 2030 Sustainability Plan. LEGO has promised to make 100% of its business sustainable, including toy materials, reusable toys, packaging, and renewable electricity. Mattel has also committed to 100% recycled, recyclable, or bio-based plastic materials in all of its products and packaging by 2030, and recently unveiled a new range of carbon-neutral toys from Matchbox and MEGA. These changes matter, not only to build a better tomorrow, but also for the success of the toy industry. A recent Toy Association-commissioned survey revealed that 78% of parents believe that the sustainability of a toy for their kids is important.

WiT is uniquely positioned to bring people together to move the needle on toy sustainability, most notably because its gathers women in this industry together. As with most challenges we face as a society, we must approach sustainability with intersectionality in mind. For something to be truly sustainable, it must involve all of us.

“It is well known that to achieve any form of true change, equality is crucial,” Dyboski says. “As women, we play key roles in managing everyday resources. We see the importance of sustainability in our everyday lives. We are the key to change. But this isn’t just women’s rights — it’s about equality for all. It’s about the rainbow. It’s about gender, racial, and ability equality, too. We are more likely to succeed at finding peace, prosperity, and, of course, sustainability, if everyone has an equal voice.”

That is what WiT’s Sustainability Learning Community is all about. This community will be a place to exchange ideas, connect with others, ask questions, and truly bring about change — together. We are at a turning point in our industry and the possibilities for innovation are huge.

Although it can be scary, it can also be empowering. Shifting to a more sustainable approach is no longer optional.

It’s a must-do for every maker and for every toy. Once we accept that as an industry, we can start making progress.

WiT’s Sustainability Learning Community is just the beginning. As it creates a roadmap for a topic-focused, global learning community, WiT anticipates to create additional learning groups focused on other important topics in the future. »

Kelsey Alpaio is a writer and editor who loves telling stories about entrepreneurship, innovation, and work.

She received an undergraduate degree in journalism from Lehigh University, where she also earned a masters of engineering in technical entrepreneurship. She is currently a copywriter for WiT.

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HARRY POTTER ON DVD

On May 28, 2002, Warner Home Video will offer Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone fans an interactive, two-disc DVD-ROM set featuring One Voice technology, allowing users to navigate the DVD-ROM special features using only their voices and their computer’s microphone.

In addition, Harry Potter enthusiasts will be brought together using Magical Trading Cards, a virtual, online community where fans can collect and trade digital cards containing special features and content accessible only with the DVD.

LEAP INTO THE PAST

With the touch of an interactive pen, LeapFrog’s Quantum Pad Learning System walks kids through each story with audio accompaniment. Students can select from a variety of titles in three series to match their interests.

VIDEO STAR BARBIE

The new Barbie Video Magic wireless video camera from KID Designs makes it easy for little filmmakers to make their own movies.

Kids simply watch the instructional video, program the camera’s remote to record onto any VCR, then insert a blank tape to create their own films.

NICKELODEON WELCOMES NEW PROPERTIES

Nickelodeon has awarded THQ with interactive publishing rights to Hey Arnold!: The Movie, Nickelodeon’s first feature film based on the Hey Arnold TV show.

Nickelodeon also plans to introduce two new properties — Fairly Odd Parents and Oswald — as well as bolster existing ones. Jim Davey, vice-president of toys, thinks Fairly Odd Parents will be the next hit for the company. Nickelodeon is also planning on solidifying its licensing programs for Dora the Explorer, Jimmy Neutron, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

TALKIN’ MAGIC

Magic Talkin’ Grill from Playskool is a friendly, animated grill that says more than 50 phrases.

The grill features pretend glowing coals and interacts with its character-like attached accessories and condiments.

LIBERTY’S KIDS

DIC Entertainment is giving a new look to its Madeline brand, as well as adding a broadcast partnership to its Liberty’s Kids stable. Debuting on PBS this fall, Liberty’s Kids will benefit from a retail-direct partnership that is in development to provide a destination for games, back-to-school supplies, accessories, apparel, toys, and more.

JAM OUT WITH THE WIGGLES

Hoop-Dee-Doo! It’s a Wiggles party! The Wiggles’ first DVD features 55 minutes of the group’s blend of danceable rhythms, catchy tunes, and whimsical sets, all reinforcing themes and concepts appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers.

98 THE TOY BOOK | JUNE 2022 | toybook.com

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