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KIMBERLEY MOSLEY, ASTRA FOUNDATION PRESIDENT
Here we are, full speed ahead into the new decade. You don’t need to be good at arithmetic to figure out that in ten short years, it will be the year 2030. Why do I mention that? 2030 is the year that all baby boomers will be over 65 years old. One in five Americans will be at retirement age. Four years later, the U.S. Census Bureau projects a stunning demographic shift: for the first time in our country’s history, people aged 65 and older will outnumber people under age eighteen. In its role as a leader in advancing growth of the independent toy industry, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) has been watching demographic trends. Our strategic plan includes a commitment to expanding into markets that recognize the importance of toys and play—and certainly a huge market out there is adults. A challenging part of tapping any market for play products is getting adults to incorporate play time into their lives and their children’s lives, and to value its many benefits. Role of the ASTRA Foundation That’s one big reason that the ASTRA Board of Directors created the ASTRA Foundation. Its mission is to increase awareness of the importance of play and its impact across the lifespan from early childhood through adulthood by way of research, education and philanthropic activities. Many ASTRA members have participated in the foundation’s philanthropic efforts. Together we’ve rolled up our sleeves for hands-on volunteer projects in ASTRA Marketplace & Academy host cities, stepped up for friendly ASTRA-wide competition through the playful Holidash program, donated toys through the Toys for Joy project, and bought tickets to February’s Night in New York party, which donates a portion of each ticket sale to the foundation.
conference to explore the connection between play and issues of health, education, access, equity, inclusion, design and more. ASTRA has supported the group as a partner and content provider. For example, ASTRA led two seminars at the Coalition’s most recent conference. • Resources. Supported by a generous grant from the US Play Coalition, ASTRA recently completed a Spanish translation of its popular Make Way for Play: Brilliant Benefits of Toys Guide that members can download from the ASTRA website. This is the first of several research-based resources that ASTRA plans to make available for parents, workplaces, and other groups that can embrace and support healthy play. • Education. Many ASTRA members are familiar with ASTRA education programs—Certified Play Expert, Certified Master Retailer, and Certified Master Sales Representative—that can lead to a credential or certificate. Where appropriate, content about play across the lifespan is included in ASTRA education products—particularly in the Certified Play Expert curriculum. What members may not know is that the play expert program is available as professional education in a company-wide, on-site format. For example, ASTRA delivered the program to a group of Faber-Castell employees in Cleveland, Ohio. The intent was both to deepen the company’s understanding of play and to promote a playful work environment—a model that is relevant both within the toy industry and beyond.
Promoting the importance of play The support of ASTRA members and others is deeply appreciated. What is ASTRA doing to leverage that generosity and advance the foundation’s mission? Here’s a sample of ASTRA’s tactics for promoting the importance of play at any and all ages:
Joining forces to increase impact Erik Quam of Fat Brain Toys and past chair of the ASTRA Board of Directors is an ASTRA leader who helped make the ASTRA Foundation a reality. “Sharing has always been a hallmark of the ASTRA culture, whether it’s helping a new retailer learn the ropes, spending time to help new parents understand the importance of play, or donating to local organizations,“ says Quam. “We created the Foundation because we realized there are even more ways ASTRA members could make a difference if we joined forces—particularly around communicating the value of play for everyone and building some larger scale volunteer and toy donation programs.”
• Collaborations. ASTRA is working to establish collaborations and partnerships through which the value of play can be amplified. One example is the US Play Coalition, which is affiliated with Clemson University. Dedicated to promoting play benefits throughout life and drawing on evidence-based research to make the case, the Coalition holds an annual
“As ASTRA members, there is so much we can do to make a difference now that we have the Foundation to help us make an impact,” says Quam. “It’s a great addition to the purpose- beyond-profit activities we do in our individual businesses. We are just getting started. Come join us and get involved!”
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TFE Feb 2020 ASTRA.indd 20
2/7/20 4:55 PM