TFE/TFE Licensing, June 2019

tfe toys & family entertainment

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contents | 06/19 Volume 14, No. 2

Features

Departments

22 26

6

Observations & Opinions

8

Trending

10

Industry News

12

Industry Forum: ASTRA

14

Industry Forum: The Toy Association

16

Industry Forum: Design Edge

18

Industry Forum: Women in Toys

20

Industry Forum: Inveniam Capital Partners

96

You’re Hired

99

Calendar of Events

Sound the a-Llama: Llama Toys Have a Moment Food Fuels Fun Beyond Kitchen

by Deirdre Fanzo

28

Play: Sustained

by Ashley Rogers

30

Far Out Toys: Racing to the Far Out Reaches of Innovation

by Jennifer Lynch

32

ASTRA Marketplace 2019 Preview compiled by Jennifer Lynch

70

Toysmith Keeps Eye on Target: Retailer

by Jennifer Lynch

72

YuMe Toys Dreams Big with Top Brands

by Jennifer Lynch

74

Oh the Horror…Toys Roundup

On this Page Winterfell Wrebbit 3-D Puzzle; Funko Pop! NASCAR Jeff Gorden

page 76

76

rand rofile Secret ife of ets

78

icensing Expo

by Jennifer Lynch

1

review

compiled by Jennifer Lynch

86

rand rofile The ery ungry Caterpillar

94

rand rofile Mister ogers eighborhood

by Jennifer Lynch

by Jennifer Lynch

On the Cover Cover Design by Jennifer Lynch, art courtesy of Skyrocket Toys featuring Blume dolls

Who said size matters?

Credit card sized with full arcade game play and sounds.

See All of the Irresistble World’s Smallest Line.

ASTRA Booth #1046

www.superimpulse.com © Atari and the Atari logo are registered trademarks of Atari Interactive, Inc. ©Konami Digital Entertainment © TAITO CORP. 1978, 2017 TM & © 2019 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Tetris ® & © 1985~2019 Tetris Holding. PAC-MAN™& ©2019 BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. GALAXIAN™ & © BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. GALAGA™& ©1981 BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. POLE POSITION™ & ©2019 BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. Ms.PAC-MAN™& ©1982 BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. NEW RALLY-X™ & ©2019 BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. DIG DUG™& ©1982 BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

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TFE OBSERVATIONS & Opinions

ANBMEDIA.COM

Trade Wars Hit Toy Market

I BY

BOB GLASER

f your company does business in the toy industry and is not yet a member of the Toy Association, now is a good time to join. As of this writing, President Trump instituted more tariffs on goods manufactured in China that will raise prices as much as 25 percent—including toys.

Not the news anyone wants to hear as the industry gears up for the all-important holiday selling season. The toy industry was able to avoid the impact of tariffs last year as most products were already manufactured and prices were already set. Hopefully a fair resolution for all concerned Bob Glaser, Publisher will be reached and the 25 percent increase will not become a reality. Concurrently, the New York State Legislature is considering new legislation that would adversely affect toy companies selling products in the state. The law proposes a costly chemical disclosure and restriction program not based on specific scientific or safety criteria. f passed, many companies may reconsider selling their products in New York State because of the excessive cost and infeasibility of the new requirements, according to the Toy Association.

As we head to ASTRA Marketplace & Academy (page 32) and Licensing Expo (page 78) this month, I can’t help but think of how small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the companies that will feel these effects the most.

The association advocates on behalf of all companies doing business in the toy industry and is keeping its members up to date on both issues. Working locally on the state level as well as the national level, the organization ensures toy manufacturers’ ability to sell their products are not limited due to unnecessary or restrictive laws. As toy manufacturers concentrate on manufacturing new and innovative toys to keep children engaged and retailers focus on selling these toys, the Toy Association is doing its part behind the scenes to ensure that the playing field stays as level as possible on the state and the national level for all those involved in the making, selling, and promotion of toys. Head to page 14 for more on how you can leverage its resources.

That said, there is still a lot of good to focus on in this month’s issue, such as how toymakers are adjusting their CSRs to match consumer demands for sustainable products (page 28) or how food brands are tapping back into toy aisles (page 26). While Design Edge’s Matt Nuccio offers advice for designing the perfect package for goods at retail (page 16), Women in Toys’ Janice Ross also offers some great insight via Kickstarter on how to successfully launch your next great idea (page 18).

We hope you enjoy our June issue and be sure to tune into our ongoing coverage over at anbmedia.com for more of the latest news on toys and family entertainment.

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JUNE 2019 • VOLUME 14, NO. 2 PUBLISHER BOB GLASER BOB@TTPM.COM

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR DONNA MOORE DONNA@TTPM.COM

CONTROLLER MARY GROGAN MARY@TTPM.COM

EDITOR IN CHIEF JIM SILVER JIM@TTPM.COM

CREATIVE & EDITORIAL MANAGER JENNIFER LYNCH JENNIFER@TTPM.COM

WEB DEVELOPER BRENDAN SANABRIA BRENDAN@TTPM.COM

CONTRIBUTORS DEIRDRE FANZO; KRISTIN MORENCY; KIMBERLY MOSLEY; MATT NUCCIO; ASHLEY ROGERS; AND JANICE ROS

INTERESTED IN A SUBSCRIPTION? CONTACT MARY GROGAN AT MARY@TTPM.COM

ANB MEDIA, INC. 229 WEST 28TH STREET, SUITE 401, NEW YORK, NY 10001 PHONE: (646) 763–8710 • FAX: (646) 763–8727

TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT (TFE) is published three times per year by aNb Media. Copyright 2019 aNb Media. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. TFE, TFE LICENSING, and SPECIALTY EMPORIUM are registered trademarks of aNb Media. Opinions and comments expressed in this publication by editors, contributing writers, or solicited or unsolicited documents are not necessarily those of management.

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What’s Trending?

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These trending lists are based aNb Media’s consumer website, TTPM.coM. TTPM’s ToP Trending LisTs are generated by the number of views for that item across toy, baby, and pet categories. Here are the lists, in trending order, as of May 12.

TOP 10 Trending Toys Cloud Pets Jay @ Play

UNO Flip!

Mattel

August’s Ivy Kit Ivy Kids

Dr. Pimple Popper Pimple Pete Game Spin Master

FurReal Ricky the Trick-Lovin’ Pup Hasbro

Flushin’ Frenzy Mattel

Monopoly Fortnite Hasbro

Toy Story 4 Sheriff Woody with Interactive Drop-Down Action (1) Thinkway Toys

TOP 5 Baby Products Kuki Twin Stroller (2) Baby Monsters

Bebefit Smart Baby Carrier MONIT Corp.

2-in-1 Soothe ‘n Play Glider Plus Fisher-Price

16L Mini Baby Essentials Bundle Diaper Bag Backpack Vianetic

HALO Bassinest Newborn Insert

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Petlinks Wild Thing Electronic Motion Ballk

HALO Innovations

Plush Pet Football, Tasty Pizza, and Hotdog

Baby K’Tan Active Baby Carrier

Royal Animals

Baby K’tan

Dog H20 Sealand Industrial Co.

Wicked Cool Toys

Hasbro

TOP 5 Pet Products

Petlinks

Pokemon Detective Pikachu Talking Plush

Disney Aladdin A Whole New World Jasmine Doll

3

Dog Gone Ball Blaster (3) Marshmallow Fun Company

1

goDog Retrieval Ultimate Disk Worldwise

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HERE’S A RECAP OF INDUSTRY HEADLINES • For more up-to-date news, visit aNbMedia.com • Sign up to receive our FREE e-newsletter distributed every Wednesday

Disney Takes Full Control of Hulu Following a put/call agreement reached with the Comcast Corporation, Disney has assumed full operational control of Hulu. Regarding NBCUniversal’s 33 percent stake, as early as January 2024, Comcast can require Disney to buy NBCUniversal’s interest and Disney can require NBCUniversal to sell that interest to Disney for its fair market value at that future time. Hulu’s fair market value will be assessed by independent experts but Disney has guaranteed a sale price for Comcast that represents a minimum total equity value at that time of $27.5 billion.

Disney and Comcast have agreed to fund Hulu’s recent purchase of AT&T Inc.’s 9.5 percent interest, pro rata to their current two thirds/one third ownership interests. Going forward, Comcast will have the option, but not the obligation, to fund its proportionate share of Hulu’s future capital calls and will be diluted if it elects not to fund. Disney has agreed that only $1.5 billion of any year’s capital calls can be funded through further equity investments with any capital in excess of that annual amount being funded by non-diluting debt.

Whether Comcast funds its share of those equity capital calls or not, Disney has agreed that Comcast’s ownership interest will never be less than 21 percent such that Comcast is guaranteed to receive at least $5.8 billion under the put/call agreement.

Comcast has also agreed to extend the Hulu license of NBCUniversal content and the Hulu Live carriage agreement for NBCUniversal channels until late 2024 and to distribute on its Xfinity X1 platform. NBCUniversal can terminate most of its content license agreements in three years’ time, and in one year’s time NBCUniversal will have the right to exhibit on its own OTT service certain content that it currently licenses exclusively to Hulu in return for reducing the license fee payable.

Jakks Pacific Named Master Toy for ‘The Last Kids of Earth’

Atomic Cartoons, the kids and family division of Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc., and Cyber Group tudios entered into a master toy agreement with akks acific for The Last Kids on Earth series created by Max Brallier. akks acific will develop and bring to market a range of merchandise inspired by the bestselling book series and upcoming etflix productions. The line will be available in all territories except China.

This will include action figures, activity toys, roleplay accessories, vehicles, plush items, novelty items, games, and kids’ electronics. Cyber Group Studios brokered the deal on behalf of Atomic Cartoons.

Cyber Group Studios, the animation production and distribution company, is the sole and exclusive representative worldwide for merchandising, ancillary and second window TV rights for the series.

pocket.watch Unveils Plans for HobbyKids TV

pocket.watch announced the launch of HobbyKids Adventures, the studio’s latest creator franchise featuring the YouTube family HobbyKids TV. HobbyKids Adventures will feature an animated series, consumer product lines, and exclusive retail and promotional partnerships. The franchise will kick off with the debut of a new animation created by Butch Hartman (The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom) in collaboration with pocket.watch and the HobbyKids family. The franchise will then expand to consumer products including toys, apparel, bedding, room décor, pajamas, backpacks, and several other soon to be announced categories all exclusively launching at Walmart; and will be supported through a major promotional partnership with Carl’s Jr. & Hardees (CKE).

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TTPM Reveals its Most Wanted List for Summer 2019, Recapping the Spring Showcase

Media and attendees gathered for the TTPM Spring Showcase on April 25 in New York City, revealing the 14 hot toys that made our Most Wanted Summer Toy List. The TTPM Holiday Showcase takes place on September 12. For more information on how to participate in the next event and reach key media, contact Bob Glaser at bob@ttpm.com or Donna Moore at donna@ttpm.com.

The event packed the Metropolitan West Pavilion with press and social media influencers of all ages, offering the chance to test-run all the latest products.

Visitors created the perfect social-media moments at this floral TTPM photo op.

The youngest showcase attendees enjoyed the enclosed Vtech playspace, offering lots of multi-purpose interactive play, such as the Smart Shots Sports Center.

Kid attendees got hands-on with one of TTPM’s Most Wanted Summer Toy List winners at the Spin Master station, Bakugan Battle Planet.

nanabébé, a TTPM Best of Baby 2018 winner, served up mocktails at the TTPM Baby Shop.

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INDUSTRY FORUM ASTRA

Proud to Be of Service: ASTRA’s Commitment to Giving & Sharing

O

KIMBERLY MOSLEY, ASTRA PRESIDENT

ne thousand backpacks, each filled with essential school supplies and toys for children at two elementary schools.

Eighteen items in each More than hours of volunteer time prepping high school buildings for the coming year and stuffing backpacks. early , toys donated, benefiting 1 families and educational programs including participants in Early ead Start, ead Start, home-based programs for young families, adult services, summer camps, and schools.

This is what can happen when you bring independent toy manufacturers, sales representatives, and retailers together for the American Specialty Toy etailing Association’s AST A Marketplace Academy. The AST A team accomplished all this and more last une in ew rleans, as part of AST A’s commitment to community service each year in the city that hosts Marketplace Academy.

Purpose Beyond Pro t There are always deals to do and new ideas to learn and friends to catch up with at AST A’s annual conference. ut AST A members mean more than ust business when they get together. t’s that willingness for so many to pause and do something for others ust as they do back home in their own communities. t’s good business to have a purpose beyond profit, according to a recent study by Cone Communications. wners of small companies such as AST A stores and emerging toy manufacturers may not think of themselves as players in the corporate social responsibility CS realm, but your customers do. Eighty-seven percent of consumers say they consider a company’s ethical practices and support for good causes when they are making purchase decisions. inty-one percent say they are more likely to switch brands if they have an option for purchasing from a socially responsible business. Seventy percent believe companies have an obligation to take actions to improve issues that may not be relevant to everyday business operations, and percent claim they would be more loyal to a company that supports important social or environmental issues.

AS A e bers e onstrate Co it ent to Ser i e AST A stores have always shown creativity in the ways they support their communities. etailers who participate in AST A’s annual eigh-

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borhood Toy Store Day on the second Saturday in ovember each year often include a charitable component to their activities that day. rom donating a straight percentage of sales to entering customers in pri e drawings if they purchase a toy for Toys for Tots to giving products to local preschools, store owners shape their efforts to fit what works in their market. Some retailers have year-round charitable giving and volunteer programs that build awareness of their store and help them, as they say, do good and do well.

Manufacturers are also part of the give back e uation. emember all those school supplies and toys donated in ew rleans Most came from AST A manufacturers many of whom also rolled up their sleeves, lifted furniture, and set up classrooms along with other AST A members. e can’t thank the volunteers enough for coming to help. t’s been a daunting task getting the schools moved in with very few staff members. aving y’all come in for even a few hours made all the difference, says a an ierre unter, operations coordinator at oseph S Clark reparatory igh School in ew rleans’ Treme’ neighborhood.

AST A manufacturers also stepped up when the longstanding Toys s holiday donation program was discontinued last year. artnering with ood , a global leader in product philanthropy that sources and distributes donated goods, AST A created the Toys for oy program to provide products that were disseminated to fully vetted charitable organiations serving disadvantaged children. More than a uarter million dollars worth of product were donated by AST A manufacturers. herever AST A stores and sales representatives and manufacturers are located, there’s always more to do. There are always more ways to make a difference in children’s lives. AST A will continue to do its part. hether you can volunteer for 15 minutes or four hours, please oin the give-back activities at this year’s Marketplace Academy. AST A’s 1 Maketplace Academy takes place une 1 in ittsburgh, a.

And watch for more information on its 1 Toys for oy effort coming this summer.

Kimberly Mosley is president of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. To learn more about ASTRA and its member services, visit astratoy.org.

2019 October 2-4 discover | preview | sell

i dallas

Where brands ready to make Holiday '19 deals and Q4 '20 reveals do business with mass, long-lead, and specialty buyers all in one place!

Registration Opens in June

To exhibit, contact: Stacy Liebensohn sliebensohn@toyassociation.org 646.520.4852

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Top Tips INDUSTRY FORUM TOY ASSOCIATION

for Safe Play this Summer Safety Gear is a Must.

Store Your Toys.

Spreading the Word About Toy Safety

S

Kids should wear helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads when playing with ride-on toys.

KRISTIN MORENCY

ummer is here, which means kids have more opportunities to get outside and play. It’s also a great time to remind parents and caregivers of some simple precautions they can take to ensure both indoor and outdoor play is safe. As The Toy Association ramps up efforts to educate families about toy safety, we are encouraging toy companies and retailers to leverage our resources and help spread the word.

New Safety Brochure & Infographic The Toy Association’s new safety resources are easy to share online and in-store with families: • An infographic (shown) that is shareable across social media includes tips for safe outdoor play, including how to properly store toys and make sure water balloon play is safe.

• A brochure called “Top 5 Tips for Fun & Safe Play” is easy for retailers to print and hand out to customers. It features safe shopping and toy selection advice, tips for battery safety, and underscores the importance of parental supervision during play.

“These free resources to make it easy for toy companies and retailers to share crucial safety information with their social media followers and customers,” says Adrienne Appell, senior director of strategic communications at The Toy Association. “Given that children’s safety is our industry’s top priority, it is so important for us to work together to educate parents on how to ensure that every play date is a safe one.”

The Toy Association has provided the brochure to state legislative offices in ew ork additional legislators, educators, medical professionals, and others who work with kids and families can receive the brochure by request.

Retailers and toy companies that would like to use the safety infographic and/or brochure in their outreach efforts are encouraged to contact Kristin Morency Goldman (kmorency@toyassociation.org).

Look for Us at ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy Toy Association staff will present a safety seminar at the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) Marketplace & Academy.

The presentation will highlight current toy standards and regulations, tips

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When toys are not being used, keep them away from pools, driveways, and streets with traffic so children aren’t lured into an unsafe situation.

Shop at a Retailer You Know & Trust.

These businesses are knowledgeable about recalls. Be extra vigilant when shopping at garage sales, flea markets, and online marketplaces.

Broken pieces from water balloons can be a choking hazard..

Clean up balloon parts so they don’t end up in the mouths of little ones.

Retail Toy Store

For more trusted advice about keeping kids safe while they play all year long, visit www.PlaySafe.org.

for safe outdoor play, and advice for parents related to counterfeits and connected toys.

“We’re looking forward to connecting with independent and specialty toy store owners who interface with families on a day-to-day basis,” says Appell. “Our goal is to provide them with the most up-to-date toy safety information so that they can effectively educate their shoppers.”

Find More at PlaySafe.org The Toy Association’s primary, year-round safety resource is www.

PlaySafe.org. It includes a ton of tips including guidance for choosing age-appropriate toys, advice for new parents, recent toy recalls, and everything else a parent or caregiver needs to know to make sure that their kids are staying safe while having fun.

“We’re proud to offer PlaySafe.org as a trusted safety resource for families,” adds Appell. “It is continually updated by our in-house safety experts to ensure that all the latest concerns are addressed. We encourage everyone in the toy industry – from manufacturers to retailers – to share PlaySafe.org and its many tips with consumers.”

Questions about The Toy Association’s safety program? Feel free to reach out to Adrienne Appell, senior director of strategic communications (aappell@toyassociation.org).

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INDUSTRY FORUM DESIGN EDGE THE DESIGNER’S PERSPECTIVE

Packaged for Success MATT NUCCIO

Want to design a successful package? You’ll need to answer some important questions first. If you can answer them you’re golden. The catch: Some of these questions are moving targets.

What makes a package made for mass market vs. specialty?

The simplest way to answer this is to understand the difference between a mass market retailer’s approach to selling an item vs. a specialty retailer’s way of selling the same item.

The mass market is massive. Packages sit side by side, row above row in an over-stimulating ocean of staple products, lost leaders, trending products, and markdowns. The non-promoted products are left to speak for themselves or die a fast retail death.

Mass-market packaging must tell a quick, clear and concise message f your package doesn’t tell the story in a snap of the fingers, consumers will often pass right over it. It needs to stand out.

Specialty, we’d all like to think of as our neighborhood pond.

By scale there is a massive difference between a 2,500-squarefoot strip mall store and a free-standing 100,000-square-foot bigbox retailer. ut, ust because there are less fish in that specialty pond doesn’t mean you can let your design guard down. No matter what the size of the body of water, there will always be bigger fish trying to eat you. hat makes specialty such an interesting design environment is the way it supports product. The specialty market tends to educate its consumers, by engaging potential customers in conversations to help steer them to the right product fit for them. etailers will demo and display products. Some will support products in newsletters and blogs. They will champion a product and drive new trends.

So what does this have to do with design? Shouldn’t one box design fit all The answer could be yes, but consider how sales are made in specialty and you’ll see the difference. Specialty tends to connect to the consumer with a one-on-one pitch approach to sales. They trend toward packaging that is slightly less garish and instant message-oriented to the more sleek, subtle and sexy. The package artwork, to them, is a conversation starter rather than the entire sales campaign. hile you still need to make the product’s

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use evident, you should leave room for the retailers to tell the story in their own words.

What and how much copy should go on the front vs. the back of a package?

This is a common question I get, and, for that, I have a stock answer. I liken packaging to the way people gravitate to one another. The front of the package is the way people look. From afar, it can tell a quick story of how smart and sophisticated they are or give an impression of being silly, goofy, or even aloof. The attractiveness of the package, as with a person, draws you in to engage with the product. This should be done in a clean, concise way that projects the essence of the product. On the front, images are more important than words. Copy should be clean, easy to read from afar, and not at all distracting. Any visual clues that can say “look at me” should be engaged. The front tells the story in an instant, a moment of attraction. The back of the package is the brains and personality of the person/product. Imagine the back as a first conversation. This is the moment when you’ll find out ust how sophisticated, goofy, or aloof that person/product can be. If you can balance the looks with the brains, you’ll have a successful package.

How do you determine package sizing for a retail planogram?

A planogram is the method by which retailers determine where products will be placed on a shelf or a display to optimize and increase customer purchases. t’s how they figure out which product goes where. Since there is a method to the madness of placing items on a shelf or an end cap, you need to be aware of how your package will fit into their overall plan. or this reason, most packaging categories are modular. If a retailer wants to know if your product is under-performing, it can swap it out

INDUSTRY FORUM DESIGN EDGE

without having to re-layout the entire shelf. How the hell do you figure out the si ing f you can’t get the guidelines from the retailer directly, then walk some retail shelves with a ruler.

Measure your competitor’s items. If you’re lucky, the retailer will replace those items with yours.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when designing a package? hile see mistakes on the retail landscape all the time, there are three that could have easily been avoided if the designers had a packaging background to begin with.

1) Monochromatic Layouts: Far too often, when I’m speaking on packaging at trade shows, start-up companies with great products come to me confused as to why they have such poor sales. Many times they have some very thoughtout, asthetically pleasing monochromatic packaging. My first question is “From what design discipline does your designer come from?” The answer is almost always print or web design. The potential problem with that is unlike with print and web design, consumers picking up your package at retail are not a captured audience. By making your packaging monochromatic you are camouflaging your product on shelf. ou need to make sure the right elements pop off the package.

Using 10 shades of the same blue won’t achieve this effect.

2) Poorly Spaced Type: Too often designers think that making a font large and bold constitutes a logo. hile will confess that on occasion it can work, nothing drives me crazier than a designer who doesn’t know how to properly space letters. There needs to be a spatial relationship that will balance things out. This is a Design Edge staple. e teach our interns to imagine a small ball that needs to travel within the negative space between the letters and in a channel that is a perfect size for that ball. It is then their job, as the designer, to make sure that ball can travel perfectly between the letters without getting stuck or having too much space on either side.

3) Overly Attractive Layouts that Tell No Story: I see this a lot when designers over-aim for the specialty market.

They make gorgeous layouts that don’t tell you diddlysquat about the product. For the designer, it can be a proud centerpiece for their portfolio. For the manufacturer, it can be a disaster with thousands of pieces in dead inventory. These packages are basically really attractive people with no brains.

If you’re having a hard time conveying a message on the package or have limited real estate or production requirements, I suggest you roll with the Steve Buscemi approach to packaging. ou may know him from ’s Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos or Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.

He is so ugly in a unique way that he is attractive. Don’t get hung up making your package sexy, make it “Buscemi.” The odd-looking package that stands out in stores full of sexy packages.

Matt Nuccio is president of Design Edge, a New York-based graphic design and research development studio. For more information, he can be reached at (516) 377–0500 or matt@ designedge.net.

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INDUSTRY FORUM WOMEN IN TOYS

Deciding the Best Move for Your Game Idea

I

How to Know if Kickstarter is the Right Path for You

BY JANICE ROSS

deas for tabletop games could remain just unrealized ideas if not for Kickstarter, the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects. The numbers tell the story with 17,000 successfully funded game projects to date and close to $1 billion in pledges.

We win both as creators and consumers with innovative concepts finding the lifeline they need on Kickstarter to reach people who love the game category. Luke Crane, Head of Games at Kickstarter and designer of games including Burning Wheel, Mouse Guard and Inheritance, provided some of his top tips for a successful tabletop game campaign.

The Concept. Crane shared that niche and focused ideas get the most backers. In fact, he says “game ideas that do well on Kickstarter wouldn’t necessarily work at retail.” Board and card games found at retail need to target a broad audience who enjoys casual gameplay. Whereas, Kickstarter reaches a community of people who are passionate about tabletop games and want depth of story, quality, and detail of the product. And adds Crane,“they want weird.”

The highest funded game on Kickstarter to date is Kingdom Death: Monster 1.5, a cooperative board game set in a nightmare-horror world.

19,264 backers pledged nearly $12.4 million to bring this dark and macabre project to life.

If you’ve got a novel game idea, the next question you should ask is what success looks like to you, if you’re a unicorn creator; to your team, which is more commonly the case on Kickstarter; or to the small, independent game publisher who uses Kickstarter to bring its pipeline of game ideas to life.

Set Realistic Expectations. The typical range of funding is $10,000$50,000 with an average of 255 backers. While there are some stand-out campaigns such as Exploding Kittens with 219,382 backers, Kickstarter is not a hit-driven ecosystem. What it can help you do is build and amplify your community of fans, if you do the upfront work.

Perfect the Play. Before launching your campaign, connect with your local tabletop game community to play-test your game. Early feedback

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helps creators refine the gameplay before going live on Kickstarter. Attending game conventions such as GenCon and PAX Unplugged gives you visibility to the industry at large, and as an exhibitor can help build awareness with a fanbase.

Do Your Research. Talk to manufacturers early on to see if your game is feasible to make or what adjustments you should consider to avoid manufacturing delays. Plan for shipping by getting cost estimates to deliver the final product to your backers.

Promote. Once you launch your campaign, post meaningful and frequent communication. Someone Has Died is a good example. Not only did its co-creators Adi Slepack and Ellie Black post videos that explained the gameplay, they shared audio and video playthroughs with New Yorkbased comedians that built anticipation leading up to the game launch.

They were also responsive to questions from their backers and quickly addressed any concerns, such as delays in delivery of the game.

Keep Engaging. Once the project concludes, creators should continue to connect with their community and drive them to their social media channels, share updates if they’re attending or exhibiting at any game shows, or simply find out how people are en oying the gameplay. Creators can also provide details on any planned game sequels.

Kickstarter’s game projects are one of the most successful categories on the platform and continues to thrive. In 2018, tabletop games delivered a . percent success rate defined as fully funded and 1 is starting off well with a 54 percent success rate.

Creators who tested, planned for production, and actively developed a community of interested backers in anticipation of their campaign can count on the Kickstarter platform to help bring their idea to life.

Janice Ross is vice-president of Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment, and managing partner of Brand Fresh Management, a licensing and business development agency that helps companies transform and accelerate their brands through the execution of innovative consumer product strategies.

INDUSTRY FORUM INVENIAM CAPITAL PARTNERS

A

The Focus Group of One JOHN BRADY, DIRECTOR OF INVENIAM CAPITAL PARTNERS

s a business consultant, I’ve warned clients time and time again about making decisions based on the focus group of one. In an ideal world, you build a team of independent thinkers who analyze the marketplace, evaluate each situation and opportunity, and consider all options. All while keeping in mind cost, timing, consumer appeal, and profitability, while being open-minded to opposing opinions before making decisions.

In the real world, you sometimes must go with your gut and make major business decisions based on how you feel, how you think, and what you like. You try to limit those situations, but sometimes you lack that sounding board or colleague whose opinions you value but who doesn’t always —or often—agree with you. You have no choice but to rely on that focus group of one.

Now that I’ve made it clear how risky the focus group of one may be, I must confess to my own focus group of one. I have seven grandchildren— all boys. They range in age from 2 to 12, and lately they have caused me a great deal of concern, particularly as it relates to the future outlook of the toy industry.

If I look at sales results over the past two years through the eyes of my grandsons, I see alarming trends. My grandsons aren’t playing with LEGOs as long as they used to; they play games (we host game nights for the whole brood every month), but none that require strategy or patience—just quick reaction and activity games. They have zero interest in action figures and playsets, even those based on ma or movie licenses.

They consider arts and crafts boring, and unless their vehicles have some kind of control or action features, they lose interest quickly. Of all the traditional toys, the only ones that seems to hold their interest and bring them back for repeat play are science sets—experiments, DIY, learningwhile-fun devices, and kits that have some kind of visual or audio payoff.

Outdoor sport toys and real sporting goods also get steady use in season.

What has really dominated their interest from youngest to oldest is mobile devices. Surprised? I didn’t think so. According to Common Sense Media, daily mobile media use among kids under 8 is up nearly 10 times what it was less than a decade ago—almost 2.5 hours per day. The average age kids are when they get their own mobile phone is now just over 10 years old. Until then, they use their parents’ mobile devices—because it’s the perfect ‘shut-up’ toy. A 2017, Neilsen Company study showed that more than 45 percent of U.S. kids ages 10–12 own a mobile phone with a service plan. That number is likely higher today.

20 tfe June 2019

My concern also includes gaming systems. In our family, the most requested Christmas gifts this past year were PS4, Xbox Live, and Nintendo eShop gift cards. With phones, this all contributes to increased screen time, not to mention exposure to outside influencers such as older gamers.

That said, mobile devices pose the greatest threat to traditional toys ever, in my opinion. Neilsen tells us that kids 6–12 spend their phone time texting (81 percent), downloading apps (59 percent), and playing games (53 percent). Let’s consider the apps and games in this context. The mobile market research firm Sensor Tower pro ects that available apps for the iPhone alone will top 5 million by 2020, and of all apps developed and downloaded, about 45 percent are games. The next largest category is educational apps, accounting for roughly 5 percent of the total.

These rates of use, time of use, and number of apps are all still rising. We haven’t seen what the endgame looks like. Our industry lost two percent of sales volume last year. Has it leveled out, or is there still more to come?

Using my little focus group of one as a general indicator, I’d say kids are moving through traditional products faster. Entertainment licenses are losing their ability to dominate and hold the imagination—with the notable exception of those applied to video games. The stimulation and instant gratification of mobile devices are having a profound, imminent effect on the future of the toy business. This is a fight for the imagination of today’s kids, and it’s a fight we must win.

SounD THE a-LLa ma Here’s Some Toys That Bring the Drama

If 2018 was all about the mythical mystic of the unicorn, 2019 is bringing the llama drama. Perhaps spurred on in part by Fortnite’s highly coveted and recognizable Llama Loot, llama-themed toys and games are taking over the toy aisles. From infant toys to party games, llama-themed play is having a moment.

The Musical Lili Llama from Manhattan Toy is filled for a music toy for ages 1 and up, available now. t features a five-bar xylophone, one maraca tail, two clacking saddle blankets, plus mallets that store atop the head.

The Fisher-Price Llama Grow-withMe Tummy Time Play Pillow offers little ones support and play as they grow.

The tummy time pillow takes baby can be used with baby from birth, and features a double-sided blanket, a pocket to hide the included toys, and mirror.

The llama’s body acts as a plush wedge that supports babies as they grow from lying on their back to pushing up in tummy time, sitting up to play, and playing on the go.

Who’s Your Llama from akks acific expands its lineup of silly collectible llamas for fall with new characters and varieties. The articulated series three collection of ho’s our lama figures each stand at four-inches tall. There are 12 new llamas to collect such as Dr. lama, edding lama, lama-corn, Hula lama, and Frenchy lama. akks will also introduce series two of its mini collectibles—each stored in a reusable, eruvian-inspired home—and series two six-inch plush pictured .

22 tfe June 2019

Boppi The Booty Shaking Llama pictured , part of uru’s ets Alive line, boasts twerking and head-spinning moves as it dances to three songs. n addition, uru expands it ainbocorns collection with the addition of the ainbocorn parkle Heart urprise lama. op the included gem in your ainbocorn or onto your bling ring, and swap your rainbocorn’s hearts and wings to create a uni ue surprise. ther surprises include boo-boocorns, rainbocorn poop, and more. oth are for ages and up, it launches later this year.

Spitzy the Llama, part of MC Toys’ Club etz line, is a new interactive pet llama. pitzy is always hungry and makes a lot of noise as he chews. He also burps a lot and hates when people grab his ears. atch out, if pitzy gets too annoyed by eargrabs, he’ll spit water. pitzy is available this August, for ages 1 months and up.

Tee Turtle offers up a new llama-themed card game, Llamas Unleashed. t includes 1 brand new cards starring llamas—along with alpacas, goats, and rams—that use the same game mechanics as nstable nicorns. The first player with seven animals in his her field wins.

Collect three or more of any type of animal to get a special herd bonus to help defeat enemies. t’s for ages 1 and up.

The Craft-tastic Llama String Art Kit from Ann illiams is packed with plenty of string and enough fluffy stuff to make two llama canvases, such as this one pictured right.

June 2019 tfe 23

ALL IN THE

Family:

W

Goliath Games

Adi Golad, founder of Goliath Games, shares his family’s toy story

BY MARY COUZIN

hat makes the following names so special and recognizable?

Hassenfeld, Golad, Kohner, Fuhrer, Nuccio, Moody, Guyer, Henson, Woldenberg, Norman, Wunderlich, Pressman, Klamer, Goldfarb, Parker, Ellman, Verrecchia, Weintraub, Pasin, Calvin, Irwin, Levine, Donner, Voigt, Teuber, Ryan, Daniels, Herbert, Ganger, Meyers, Lennon, Killgallon, Gray, Stark, Stebben, Burtch, Cohn, Meyer, Pillai/Chandra, Berger, Conrad, Gregory, Becker, Soehn, Clementoni, Glanz, Rudell, Disney, Falco, Steiner, Kislevitz, Friedman/Stern, Azoulai, Breuil, Bernstein, Ditomassi, Shure, Campagna/Lanham, Hendel/Petty, Lewis, Richter, Hess, Eisenberg, Mor/Lushi, Kremer, Pariente, Foster, Hirtle/ Fulford, Gray, Lerner, Russo, Brown, Simons, Jill Gaynor, Lifschutz, Gardner/ Martin, Demoen, Jones, Monchik, Nyberg/Klint, Collins, Pavalek, Halitzer, Greenfield, Di as uale, auer, ravitz, rince, Gaynor, ebert, rbanes and Christiansen.

We often say we are all part of one big family, but these families have the credentials. All have been part of the toy and game industry for at least two generations—some as long as four.

Apart from the mafia, there is no industry can think of where family connections are more prevalent. I think it is because we love what we do, take our work home, and involve our children. We create products that our children enjoy and we use their feedback. In the process, we pass our love of the business along to them. I’ve always enjoyed the stories behind our products and think we should be using them more in our marketing.

Consumers want to know the story behind their favorite toys and games, so that’s what we’re going to do.

This marks the first in a new weekly series highlighting different storied industry dynasties, to be featured on anbmedia.com.

We kick things off with the family behind Goliath Games, the Golad family, one that I’ve been fortunate to spend a lot of time with over the years (although never enough). From a garage to one of the largest com-

24 tfe June 2019

panies in our industry and still family owned, here’s how founder Adi Golad started their family’s global business: How did your family first enter the toy industry?

It all happened by coincidence, or rather serendipitously. Margreeth, then my girlfriend, now my wife and mother of four, grandmother of two, and I, along with my army buddy and his wife, were touring the Sinai Desert in Egypt. As night set, three were playing a game unknown to us. I was totally uninterested. “Games are for kids and women not for machos,” I thought. If I had only known then how this evening would change our life and my passion for games.

Margreeth liked the game so much she purchased one in a nearby shop as a present for her mother in The etherlands. nce exposed to our many aunties, all re uested their own game and it was clear we had an opportunity that we needed to exploit.

We sold our only asset, a small car, and with the money we bought our first 00 ummikub games. ure of our instant and huge success, we shipped the goods from Israel to The Netherlands before having even registered a business, trade name, tax number, office, storage or even had a place to live. ur confidence was in great contrast with reality. After selling to all family members, it was retail that refused to cooperate. Having no alternative, we turned to the public, demonstrating the one and only item we had in campgrounds, malls, restaurants, and markets. It was hard work, but it paid off. By 1986, we sold more than one million pieces. An empire was born.

tfe LICENSING

The Golad family at the 2017 TAGIE Awards, where Adi was honored with the TAGIE Lifetime Achievment Award.

Pictured clockwise from top left: Jair, Jochanan, Rich (Jael’s husband), Jael, Adi, Margreeth, and Naomi.

Who has been involved and who is involved now?

In a family business, everybody is involved: wife, husband, parents, grandparents, children, and grandchildren. From the day we are conceived, we are involved.

We carry entrepreneurial DNA on both sides of the family, with generations of active merchants; It’s in our blood. When we were homeless, we stayed with our parents. hen we needed financing, our parents came to the rescue as well. hen we needed extra hands, the kids were recruited. eated in the living room, they packed games for shipping, unloaded containers, selected new items, wrote the company manifest, and created trademarks. Eventually, the second generation started running the company while the third generation is being incubated and educated in the same way.

chips for a premium price. Everything was regulated: food, health care, leisure, bathing, retirement, and arranged sex. ven the uni ue Amazonian spider and his humble web were part of the fun. There were rules and life was good.

Slowly the spider’s web grew to become unbearably tangled and complex. The spider became a huge monster, breaking the fence. ild animals got loose. The zookeeper disappeared with the entrance controller. Entry was free, and the zoo was flooded with street animals. ext to the fish and chips truck, a man was offering hot dogs for free. (His livelihood came from selling socks in another town.) The zoo became a jungle again. No rules, the fittest will rule.

Anyone need an explanation of this analogy

Do you think the next generation will get involved?

The second generation is already at the wheel. Jochanan is leading our operation today as C , and it’s five times larger than when stepped down.

What advice do you have for others considering the family business?

A family business’s freedom is not free. It’s self slavery and hard work 2 7. t’s difficult to resign and even harder to sack. Despite it all, it’s the most beneficial environment to grow, educate, and care for family members and devoted employees.

How has business changed over the years?

We lived for years in a zoo. There were animals all around, some vicious, some cute. There were cages to protect and deter, a zookeeper, an entrance controller, costly tickets, and a family business selling fish and

Mary Couzin is the CEO and founder of the Chicago Toy & Game Week (CHITAG). This year’s events will take place November 21–24. Visit chitag. com for more information.

June 2019 tfe 25

Food Fuels Fun Beyond the Kitchen How food and beverage brands are moving back into the toy aisles

M

BY

DEIRDRE FANZO

any food and beverage brands used to go hand in hand with favorite television and movie characters, and of course sports stars (read: Wheaties)—particularly for today’s parents who grew up in the 80s and 90s. Whether it was on a cereal box or picked up at the drive-thru of a favorite fast-food joint, characters drove kids’ food-fueled desires.

Today, entertainment and toy brands are much more aware of the role they play in influencing kids’ diets, with many choosing to shy away from food and beverage partnerships in general—unless it’s a healthy fit.

The Taste of Nostalgia

One area that’s offered a renewed opportunity for food brands in the toy space is in the collectibles aisle. This is an aisle that continues to attract older toy collectors and fans, allowing food and beverage brands to tap into those same audiences that grew up on their brands—without fear of being perceived as marketing to kids.

Last year, Funko introduced its Funko’s Cereal line. Hiding

26 tfe June 2019

its fan-favorite figures inside its own themed boxes of cereal, Funko hits a sweet spot with this line that occupies both the old and the new.

Of the line, CEO Brian Mariotti highlights the importance of looking to the past to create something both familiar and new for today’s consumers. “Funko has been committed to retro properties and things that brought us back to a simpler time for a while,” he says. “People love breakfast cereal, people love these beloved pop culture icons, and people love our collectibles. Finding a way to combine those three into a very disruptive unique product like breakfast cereal with a collectible in it’s just been great.”

Since launching, the company has introduced a myriad of offerings, including original cereal brand characters from the Kellogg’s library to classic TV and movie characters, such as Rocko’s Modern Life, Beetlejuice, and DC Super Heroes. None were perhaps as sought out, though, as its Target-exclusive Golden Girls Funko’s Cereal last fall. Originally priced at just $7.99 at the retailer, the rarity of the item inflated that price tag to nearly $100 on resale websites.

But food-themed collectibles don’t just appeal to the nostal-

gic sensibilities of older generations, it also inspires a brand new generation of consumers.

A Pint-Sized Play on Groceries

The miniaturization of food is a trend that first took root in Japan, and it’s one we’ve seen continue to inspire tiny food play in the toy aisles since then, fueled on by social media. First with lines such as Moose’s Shopkins, Blip’s Yummy Nummies and more recently in lines such as MGA’s Num Noms, Basic Fun!’s Little Lucky Lunchbox, and Fashion Angels’ 100% Extra Small Mini Clay kits. Now that trend has evolved into collecting not just tiny foods but real tiny food brands. The most recent example of this can be seen in ZURU’s new 5 Surprise Mini Brands collection.

“We noticed that food play and miniature items were emerging as a trend across social media – in particular looking at the crazy trend of hamster cooking on YouTube,” says ZURU’s Senior Communications Manager Zeljana Unkovich. “We had also seen the program Little Shop work phenomenally well as a supermarket incentive program in South Africa and Australia and thought this would be perfect for toyification.”

[Editor’s note: Google “hamster cooking.” You won’t be disappointed.]

The Little Shop marketing campaign created by the global creative agency Unga made for the Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn, first launched in 2012, was so successful in just five weeks, 50 million miniatures were sold across the Netherlands whose population is under 17 million. The agency went on to create similar tailor-made campaigns for other retailers around the world, eventually teaming with Zuru.

Zuru worked with Unga to onboard brand partners and create tiny true-to-life replicas, right down to the mini (likely scannable) barcodes.

While the line is not food and beverage brand specific, there are many from this category featured across the product range.

Unkovich adds that “Partnering with a toy brand allows consumer brands to access the household shopper through the most influential channel of all—their children. It allows consum-

er brands to literally ‘play’ outside the set confines of FMCG marketing and product behavior.”

Moose Toys also introduces real-life food brands in the collectibles aisle this year via Shopkins. Shopkins have always been food-themed, but the decision to base the figures on real food brands rather than general food items is one that came out of the desire to evoke familiarity and fondness, as well as a sense of nostalgia, when looking at or playing with the toy.

“The team had a vision to bring it back to where it all began in the grocery store, but in a new way: partnering with real brands that our fans recognize and love,” says Kotomi Nanjo, the director of global marketing of girls’ toys at Moose. “We felt that, for kids, Shopkins characters that looked exactly like a Cheez-It cracker, a Strawberry Pop-Tart, or a stack of Pringles would be absolutely magical. It’s as if the entire contents of their lunch box came to life.”

Appealing to the Senses

Now more than ever, food and tactile play encourage consumers to get more hands-on with their food—real or fake.

In the world of roleplay, kitchen playsets and accessories are getting updates that reflect today’s parent’s backsplash preferences and affinity for farmhouse sinks (thanks, Joanna Gaines). These toys also highlight how parents are prioritizing locally sourced and healthier food options for their kids. American Plastics introduced its My

Very Own Market Cart, displaying shelving of fruits and vegetables. KidKraft launched its Farm to Table Play Kitchen last year and will follow up with its own food truck rolling out later this year.

Slime is also a tactile form of play that’s began to play up its association with food themes. Cra-Z-Art’s Nickelodeon Slime line now offers pre-made slimes with add-ins that offer the texture and smell of real-world treats such as watermelon or mint chip ice scream.

ORB, meanwhile, introduced a new line Slime Café, which combines its scented Soft N Slo Squishies with slime for kids to make their own gooey faux foodie creations.

“Food themes are incredibly emotive as you don’t just unlock visual senses but you can play around with touch and smell too,” says Zuru’s Unkovich. “It enables roleplay that lines up to their day to day lives but also push the boundaries into fantasy.”

Nickelodeon Slime Tutti Fruity from Cra-Z-Art

June 2019 tfe 27

Play: Sustained

Exploring how today’s toymakers are shifting their business models for a more sustainable world

C

BY

ASHLEY ROGERS

reating a sustainable business model in the toys and games sector—or any industry—is tricky enough as it is. As more toy manufacturers, retailers, and consumers evaluate ways to create and maintain a more sustainable world, the development of sustainable playthings and packaging is heating up.

Is It Sustainable?

“Not only is it becoming increasingly apparent that past practices for many manufactured toy goods are not sustainable in the long run, but consumers, especially younger ones, are weighing sustainability more heavily in purchasing decisions,” says Alan Kaufman, senior vice-president of technical affairs for The Toy Association. “Consumers have also become more discerning and are turned off by ‘greenwashing.’ Not only must a product claim an environmental or sustainability benefit, but that benefit must be real and substantiated.” or toy companies, sustainability has a broad-based definition and can impact a product’s life cycle from designing the initial product to evaluating the raw materials used, consuming natural resources efficiently, instilling renewable energy practices, managing waste, making environmentally-friendly packaging choices—the list goes on. The challenges come with finding what works for your business model, and doing so authentically.

Fitting Your CSR Model According to Debra Joester, president of the full-service brand agency The Joester Loria Group, when it comes to sustainability for any company, it all goes back to a company’s approach to corporate social responsibility (CRS) and where its focus is.

“Is it sustainability? Is it volunteerism? Is it philanthropy?” she says. “There seem to be four to five buckets that companies hit on here and many aren’t looking to pivot unless it’s in keeping with the authenticity of a brand.”

One company that’s put sustainability at the center of its CRS is The LEGO Group. Last year, the first sustainable E bricks launched, made from

28 tfe June 2019

plant-based plastic sourced from sugarcane. The LEGO Group has partnered with WWF to support and build demand for sustainably sourced plastic, and has joined the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA), an initiative of WWF, to secure fully sustainable sourcing of raw material for the bioplastics industry. The company plans to have 100-percent sustainable packaging by 2025.

“We believe a strong CSR commitment is the right thing to do,” says Tim Brooks, vice-president of environmental responsibility, LEGO. “We want to play our part in leaving the best possible planet for children to inherit and we believe we have a responsibility to minimize the environmental impact of our operations.”

As Brooks adds, the majority of LEGO’s packaging by weight is already cardboard- or paper-based, which is recyclable, sustainably sourced and certified by the orest Stewardship Council. ast year, the company also introduced How2Recycle labels to its packaging to encourage consumers to properly recycle after use. “In the past four years we have reduced the average size of a LEGO box by 14 percent, improving transport efficiency, saving over , truckloads and , tons of cardboard each year. Our aim is that no LEGO packaging parts have to end up in a landfill, he says.

Unboxing a Sustainable Business Model Unboxing plays a critical role in the overall play experience these days, and often times this can mean the generation of additional waste from the unboxing experience.

Skyrocket Toys is proving that doesn’t have to be the case with the introduction of its new toy line, Blume, featuring dolls that sprout to life.

John Ardell, executive vice-president and CMO, says, “With Blume, we were able to turn the packaging into part of the actual toy and play pattern. Instead of shipping the doll in a cardboard package, we’re shipping the doll in a pot that acts as the packaging, the structure for the amazing reveal, a playset, and a display stand for the doll. We are able to give the consumer more value and play, with less waste, helping our company to be more sustainable.”

In addition to Blume doll, SkyRocket’s Grumblies Miniacs collectible figures also ship in a case that kids can snap together to create a display stand for their characters so that every piece is used as part of the play. e’re finding that more and more, kids and parents are focused on the environment and want to support products that make a conscious effort

PlanToys’ Wonky Fruit & Vegetables playset, which is made out of PlanWood, was designed to emphasize the crisis of food waste. For every purchase, PlanToys donates €1 to Kromkommer, a Dutch social enterprise, to support its activities surrounding food waste.

to reduce waste,” says Ardell. “This effort can be achieved through a variety of ways including smaller package sizes that reduce the use of physical resources and shipping (both ocean freight and domestic freight), and through packaging that is more efficient for e-commerce and produces limited waste, such as packaging that is smaller and ships to the consumer in the product packaging that we provide.”

Other companies are also teaming up with recycling programs to help aid consumers in the proper disposal of the remains of the unboxing experience. MGA Entertainment, for example, partnered with Terracycle for an L.O.L. Surprise! recycling program that helps toy owners recycle their wrappers, bags, balls, trays, and more. The program kicked off in the U.S. inMay, and rolls out internationally later this year.

Sustainable from the Start While some toymakers are just starting to shift their focus to sustainability, PlanToys is a company that’s had a CSR mandate in place since its start, bringing sustainability into the company on every level. lanToys’ style can be defined through Sustainable Mind, Sustainable Material and Sustainable Manufacturing,” says Kosin Virapornsawan, PlanToys’ managing director. “This concept explains the way we work, care for people, and support the environment. We choose to use non-toxic materials. Our packaging is made of recycled paper, while printing is done with natural soy ink, which is biodegradable. In 1981, we also started producing toys by taking reclaimed rubberwood from expired rubber trees that were normally scheduled to be burned.”

The company even used the leftover materials created through its daily rubberwood produc-

tion to create a new material called PlanWood, which the company used to expand its product line to include water-friendly toys and sand toys. It also launched a new line this year using 100-percent natural rubber material and is investing in solar technology.

Sustaining Challenges According to the Sustainable Brands e-newsletter, 80 percent of plastic toys end up in landfills, incinerators, or in the ocean. The shift from petroleum feedstocks has been slower in toys than in some other products, primarily owing to the stringent safety and performance requirements to which toys are subject,” says the Toy Association’s Kaufman. “Plastics are an ideal material for toys as they are less likely than alternatives to create small parts, sharp edges, sharp points, or other hazards, and are well suited to withstand such rigors as the required drop test. Unfortunately, few commercially available biobased polymers have yet been developed to the point where impact resistance, tensile strength, flexural modulus, and other key performance metrics are sufficient for toy use. am hopeful that as development of these materials progresses, we will be able to recommend their use in some toy applications.”

Joester adds that toys are likely lagging in sustainability largely because of this dependence on plastic. “Especially for smaller companies, the research and development of new

manufacturing products, the impact of sourcing these materials, and the cost of replacing plastic with new more sustainable resources may not be practical if a higher price point at retail is necessary and if the playability, durability, and versatility of a product is compromised,” she says.

With more than 80 percent of the Toy Association’s membership made up of small- and medium-sized enterprises, many of these companies are interested in making their products, packaging, and manufacturing practices more sustainable, but simply don’t have the bandwidth to do so on their own, says Kaufman.

And, this is where the Toy Association is offering some assistance.

The Toy Association has developed multiple member tools to assist SMEs, including white papers on more sustainable manufacturing, a database of packaging and product materials, and their associated environmental footprints to encourage selection of less-impactful materials.

It’s also created a tool to rate packaging designs on recyclability, material usage, and other factors and benchmark them against others in the industry producing the same product category.

As many toymakers continue to wrestle with concerns of brand authenticity and what works best for their budget and business model, one thing is certain: today’s consumers are increasingly on the hunt for products that fit with their lifestyle. And that lifestyle is becoming much more focused on its impact on mother nature.

June 2019 tfe 29

The American Specialty Retailing Association (ASTRA) Marketplace & Academy returns to Pennsylvania for the second time in the past three years, only this time it’s the state’s western hub of Pittsburgh that plays host. Held June 10–12 in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the three-day event offers show goers opportunities to gain new insights and training about the toy industry, network, and explore the latest products. The following pages highlight just a sampling of the toymakers that will be on the show floor. COMPILED BY JENNIFER LYNCH

Bananagrams

Across the Board

Across the Board offers horse-racing and sports games to classic strategy titles such as Solitaire and Farkle. Each wooden game board is crafted with attention to detail, featuring game pieces of maple, marbles, pegs, and a velvet-lined box. Games are handcrafted in a workshop in Crestwood, Missouri. In the Baseball Wooden Game, roll the dice and run the pegs around the bases to score a run.

Across the Board can be found in the New Players Park booth.

32 tfe June 2019

Bananagrams Duel is a head-to-head version of Bananagrams for on-the-go play. Two players face-off in a race to build their own word grid using letter cubes. It includes banana-shaped theme cards for an added challenge during every round of play. The 24 dice feature all 144 letters from the classic game crafted into a Bananagrams experience for two. This is for ages 7 and up.

Cheeky Butts is a hot potato-style game of spot and match. Players race to pick up animal cards and place them in their matching landing trays before the randomized timer goes off. If they’re the one holding a card when the timer stops, they lose a token. When a player loses all three tokens, he’s out of the game. The last player with tokens wins. Cheeky Butts is for two to six players, ages 6 and up.

Smart 10 is the portable quiz game in which every card has a question with 10 possible answers, so all players gets a chance to show off their smarts.

Players take turns guessing answers and passing to the next player. Right answers gain a point, but players beware, incorrect answers lose everything earned that round. The first player or team to reach points wins. Designed for two to eight players, ages 10 and up, it also includes a portable game container with scoring counters.

The Furglars is a dice-rolling game that takes game night to a strange and mysterious place. Players take turns rolling an ever-changing quantity of dice hoping to capture Furgles, which are represented by the furry side of each die.

Furgles are then traded in for Bullion Points. The dice also feature a lock icon which protects Furgles, and a hand icon that can be used to pick locks and steal urgles from other players. The first player to collect 15 ullion oints wins the game. This is for two to six players, ages 7 and up.

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The Role of Play & Leisure:

The Future of Retail

Its Impact on Guest Experiences

Mark Tritton

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Melissa Millo

EVP & Chief Merchandising Officer

SVP, General Merchandise Manager

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Banana Panda

Match the Baby Puzzles pictured is a -piece set that serves as a first pu le and a sorting toy. t encourages toddlers to create and discover while manipulating round shapes. The colorful puzzles made of thick cardboard help train logical thinking, concentration, and hand-eye coordination. Children can either match 12 unique parent-and-baby pairs or mix the puzzles to learn about animals.

The Suuuper Size Puzzle Animal Match is a colorful -piece floor pu le. Made for ages and up, toddlers can assemble six puzzles with different animals or combine them to form one large picture. Kids are also free to mix up 10 round-shaped pieces to change the animal habitats. The large, keepsake box features a handle, for gifting and play on the go. There is also a Suuuper Size Puzzles My Body offering, which also features six large floor pu les. t comes with a large double-sided educational poster with facts about the human body and senses. t’s for ages 3 and up.

An Observation Puzzle Space, for ages 4 and up, is a large puzzle and learning activity. It features a detailed, 60-piece space-themed illustration with ob ects shown in the picture frame that kids can search for and find. A matching, double-sided educational poster is included.

Battle Games

In Bounce Battle (pictured), choose your color, pick your battle, and bounce in to win. There are dozens of ways to battle, including 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe, Nine Cup, Level Out, Point Ball, Alphabet Soup, H-O-R-S-E (trick shot), and others. Play one-on-one, multi-player, or in teams. The game allows players to race to the finish or take turns. Bounce Battle is made of hardwood and contains 27 high-quality ping pong balls.

Golden Spoons: Mission to Mars is a take on the classic Spoons card game. It’s a race to Mars as players quickly pass space-themed playing cards around in a race to be the first to match four cards, snatch your token, and complete your mission. Become Wormhole Willie, Princess Photon, or other space characters in the race to Mars. Be fast or wind up empty-handed. Golden Spoons: Mission to Mars includes 54 playing cards, eight mission cards with 40 mission tokens, one Golden Spoon token, and instructions.

34 tfe June 2019

Bigjig Toys

Bigjig Toys’ Dinosaur Playset includes eight dinosaurs, a nest and two eggs, a waterfall, and a freestanding, movable tree. The dinosaurs include adult and baby dinosaurs and two pterodactyls. Kids can engage in imaginative play as they hide the figures behind the waterfall, climb the volcano, or balance on the rocky ledges. Simply slot together the wooden pieces, and this prehistoric land is ready for play.

This 13-piece set is for ages 3 and up.

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BizyBeez

The BizyBeez MagStix 1-piece set features magneti ed sticks and colorful metal balls that can be combined in a variety of ways with a simple click. MagStix’s umbo si e makes them easy to grip and provide a proprioceptive input that is pleasing to both spectrum and sensory kids. MagStix says it proudly gives back percent of the net profit from each purchase to a charity that supports special-needs children or humanitarian efforts around the globe. iy ee was founded by homeschool parents of six children. The goal was to create a pro ect to train the children in a real-world business experience. As a family, they sat down together and worked on the mission, vision, and values of the company. Together they selected a product category—magnetic toys.

Blue Orange Games

In the game Beagle or Bagels, it’s up to players to determine whether the card displays sleeping dogs or bagels. lip cards fast and be the first to call out eagle or agel depending on which one is showing the most on the table. After a while players won’t know if they are looking at a furry friend in a ball, or a bread roll. This card game offers three ways to play, challenging visual perception in unpredictable ways.

BRIO (Ravensburger North America)

The Brio World Steam Train & Tunnel (pictured), for ages 3 and up, is crafted with a classic design and wooden details. The golden age of the toy train is back as this steam engine and wagon chugs around the rio orld wooden railway. The packaging around the steam engine also transforms into a see-through tunnel ust place it into any rio orld track and the adventure begins.

The Brio World Travel Train & Tunnel, for ages 3 and up, is a streamlined toy train for imaginative play. There’s room for three posable figures in the engine and passenger wagon. The packaging around the Travel Train also transforms into a seethrough tunnel.

36 tfe June 2019

Chalk of the Town

The Chalk of the Town Chalkboard T-Shirt Kit features a uni ue surface on the T-shirt that allows kids to instantly write, draw, and customi e with the three included chalk markers. The kits are available in aspberry ink with a heart chalkboard and rilliant lue or ime reen with a speech bubble-shaped chalkboard. The kit comes with a 1 -percent cotton T-shirt, three chalk markers pink, green, and blue , est Day emo i stencil, and erasing cloth. The design stays on until the chalkboard is wiped clean with a damp cloth. The Raspberry Unicorn Chalkboard T-Shirt Kit allows kids to customi e the unicorn chalkboard. A unicorn stencil is included for inspiration. The chalkboard can be wiped clean with water and the unicorn decorated again. The kit comes with a 1 -percent cotton T-shirt, unicorn stencil, three chalk markers blue, green pink , and an erasing cloth. Designed for ages and up, all shirts are machine washable and reusable.

The Silver Heart Chalkboard Tote Kit allows shoppers to personalize this tote, wipe it with a damp cloth, and draw again. Silver eart Totes have the same patent-pending chalkboard surface as Chalk of the Town T-shirts.

The totes are compatible with chalk markers and stencils used with the T-shirt product. The tote is constructed of black canvas and the chalkboard heart design is outlined with a silver border. This comes with a cotton canvas tote, two chalk markers, and erasing cloth.

Chalk of the Town Stencils comes in an assortment of styles. There’s the est Day Stencil featuring a smiling emo i, glasses, bestday, s uiggles, heart, and more. eace Stencil features images of peace, love, music, flowers, emojis, hearts, and more. Sweet Stencil features jelly beans, giant swirl lollipops, gummy bears, mint swirl candies, gummy fish, and more. allet Stencil features a ballerina, musical notes, a treble clef, and the word ballet.

Corolle

Sweet Heart Tropicorolle is 12-inches tall and sized to be cradled by a young child, ages 9 months and up. Its soft body is lightweight and easy for little hands to grasp and hold. Its vinyl head and hands are delicately scented with vanilla, a Corolle signature, and its colorful sewn-on pajamas feature Corolle’s new-for-2019 Tropicorolle print. The doll’s matching cap is removable but firmly attached at the back of the neck to avoid being misplaced.

Bébé Bath Tropicorolle (pictured) is a water-play companion for ages 18 months and up. There is a tab sewn onto the doll’s back so it can be hung up to dry when bath time or water playtime is over. ts 1 -inch si e fits perfectly in a young child’s arms and is ideal for hugging and cuddling. The doll’s head and limbs are made of soft vinyl that is lightly scented with vanilla, a Corolle signature. Its soft body allows it to take on the same positions as a real baby, and its blue sleepy eyes close when the doll is put down for a nap or at bedtime. eb ath Tropicorolle is dressed in a warm-weather print outfit and matching sun hat and comes complete with its own bath toy.

38 tfe June 2019

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Cortex Toys

Cortex Toys comes to ASTRA with a new line-up of products.

The Door Fort’s Fire Station (pictured) creates additional an play space that’s easy to assemble and remove. Designed for right-hand door swings, this allows for imaginative play at home, in a daycare center, or in school.

NightBuddies help toddlers make bedtime brighter. This soft, light-up toy features cute and cuddly characters with patented illuminated eyes so kids won’t have to be afraid of the dark.

Baby Says Perfect is a baby shower-ready gift idea. Write a message on the bottom of the baby shoe with the included white liquid chalk marker. This line of sneakers and moccasins comes in variety of colors and in four sizes (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, and 9-12 months) for non-walking babies.

Diggin

Diggin’s Whippet takes classic catch and throw to a new performance level. Catch with a mitt and throw with a sling. Snap the paddle shut to catch the ball at any angle. Sling it back once the ball drops into the track. Made for play on the go, this active family game is for ages 6 and up.

The Real Flyers are long-distance gliders that fly up to feet. aunch and watch them sail through the skies with their super-si ed wingspan. eal Flyers are made of tough but lightweight foam that is crash resistant. The Real Flyers Dragon and Shark are sold separately. They are for ages 6 and up.

Yeti Dodge Tag provides the ultimate two-player dodgeball game. Each player wears a furry yeti vest and picks two snowballs. Players throw the soft, safe balls and try to stick them to their opponent’s vests. Run, dodge, and throw. If the ball sticks, it’s a hit. It’s for ages 6 and up.

Pit Pat Mini Golf is a table-top billiard game. Set up mini golf holes using 10 different obstacles. There are more than 100 course options. The object is to strike the ball with the cue and make it into the hole in as few shots as possible. The game comes with a golf course, two balls, two cues, 10 obstacles, scoring sheets, and course pamphlet. It’s for ages 5 and up.

Slimeball Arcade Gallery combines slime fun with classic arcade gameplay. Blast the can pyramid with Slimeballs. linger balls splat and stick to the cans but not the walls. The flinger balls shoot more than 30 feet. Slimeball Flingers have built-in launch mechanisms making them easy to shoot at the cans. se the linger or shoot right from your fingertips. t’s for ages 6 and up.

Diggin’s Shark Surfer is a plush shark and balance board rolled into one, helping build gross motor skills. Toddlers stand on the soft shark to balance, rock, wobble, wiggle, and spin.

It’s for ages 3 and up.

40 tfe June 2019

Douglas Company

Douglas Company introduces eight new introductions in its Ocean, Sea and Shore category.

Renny the Eagle Ray is a 16.5-inch stingray in bright orange with royal blue and turquoise spots all over its wingspan. Its underbelly is white. It has dark black eyes, but its snout is shaped in an almost smiling effect.

Orli the Sea Serpent is 16-inches long and shaped like one would imagine a sea serpent would be. Orli’s body is dark turquoise with bronze undertones creating a scale-like appearance. A bronze and silver mane crowns its head, back, and tail. Its underbelly is textured and bronze in color as are its front feet.

Phyllis the Flamingo Fuzzle is 11-inches tall with eight-inch long legs. ts coloring is signature pink flamingo with a chest full of colored sequins. Its nose is black and also sequined.

Nahlah the Blue Rainbow Narwhal is 16-inches long from the tip of its rainbow-colored unicorn horn to its tailfin. t is powder blue sprinkled all over with silver sparkling glitter spots.

Additional characters include Misty the Narwhal, Moondrop the Oyster with a Pearl, Wriggles the elly sh, and Audrina the Aqua Turtle.

E-Blox

Duncan

Duncan’s new light-up Dragon Hawk resembles real birds in flight with simple ad ustments to the tail.

Each -minute charge delivers an hour of flight time. Switch to one of the two power settings, shake the body back and forth to activate the motor, and off it goes. A USB charger is included.

Lumens are a line of mini-figures that illuminate from within for at least minutes with no batteries.

Kids can add a glimmer to play time with these characters based on the Story Blox series from E-Blox.

See Devyn the cat’s green eyes glow. Create an adventure with Seymour or Ruby, each with a glowing torso that spreads to their faces.

Collectibles include Glen the dog, Robyn the robot, and Max the robot.

In addition to Lumens, E-Blox introduces Power Blox Light and Flight where kids get to discover the workings of a motor, a fan, and a switch as part of the Power Blox line.

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LICENSING EXPO LICENSORS: LET’S TALK! WE ARE EXPERIENCED LICENSEES LOOKING FOR HOT AND / OR NICHE IP’S. WE DO NOT HAVE A BOOTH, BUT ARE WALKING THE FLOOR MONDAY & TUESDAY.

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WE’VE GOT HOT LICENSES AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL GAMES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! Specialty Edition: Contains 7 bonus cards!

VA L LIC EN SO R AP PRO IMAGE PEN DIN G

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Educational Insights

Artie 3000 is a coding/drawing robot that puts kids in control of the play. The drag-and-drop programming can be used on a Mac, PC, or tablet. As kids tell Artie what to draw, they learn left-brain skills such as basic programming, geometry, and math, while engaging the right side of their brains to create colorful designs. Artie is WiFi-enabled and comes with four washable markers, for ages 7 and up. It offers four modes of play: pre-programmed shapes, games, art for coloring, and freeform coding.

Zoomigos is kid-powered play for ages 3 and up. Pump them up and watch their see-through legs show kids how it all works. Simply pump and place your Zoomigo in any of the Zoomers and watch them go.

Collectible creatures are hiding inside Playfoam Pals Fantasy Friends Series 4. Each pod of mixed, three-tone sparkle Playfoam hides an assortment of 12 Fantasy Pals to collect. These are available as two-packs, six-packs, and 12-packs, for ages 5 and up.

Kids, ages 7 and up, can go vertical with Kanoodle Gravity. Designed for solo puzzle play or a battle for two, Kanoodle Gravity’s brain-bending puzzles comes with a puzzle board, carrying case, and 10 colorful puzzle pieces.

The Design & Drill Tech Space Circuits Kit is where imaginative play meets construction for ages 6 and up. Kids can take on the role of an astronaut to build and repair the mission control panel. With 20 different space-themed missions, create working circuits. As they light up, spin motors or push buttons, kids learn basic math and engineering skills.

Educational Insights’ GeoSafari Jr. Kidnoculars go to a whole new level with Kidnoculars Extreme, for ages 5 and up. These all-in-one binoculars are designed with focus-free vision and headset-free audio amplification, encouraging kids to use sight and sound to explore their world.

Bright Basics Slide & Splash Seals is STEM learning meets circus-style fun with seals on wheels and reconfigurable slide pieces that kids can assemble themselves. It introduces the basics of early engineering, demonstrates cause and effect, and encourages experimentation, for kids ages 2 and up. Suction the first piece to the side of the tub, attach the others however you’d like, and then send the seals sailing down the slide into the tub.

Cozy up and learn with the Bright Basics Sleepytime Snuggly. Designed to help reinforce bedtime routines for little ones, this spin on bedtime stories features six story-time pockets and six plush animals. Kids, ages 2 and up, can tuck in each animal to their respective habitat to put them to bed.

Build Humpty’s wall, then knock it down, load it up, and begin again somewhere else with this nursery-rhyme-themed play set. Bright Basics Dumpty Truck is for ages 2 and up

Edushape

Edushape’s Baby Sensory Balls are brightly colored tactile balls, which are easy for small hands to grasp, roll, and chase after. These lightweight and pliable balls have fun textures to explore and provide soothing relief to little gums at every phase of teething. Each box contains six different colors and shapes, each with a unique texture. They are designed for birth and up.

44 tfe June 2019

Endless Games

Elenco

Elenco is launching a new product line called Teach Tech that features robotic kits, including products that explore renewable energy, electronic and mechanical coding, and programming. Following the Learn by Doing philosophy found in all Elenco products, Teach Tech enhances play quality with an emphasis on do-it-yourself building to boost confidence and critical thinking skills. Kids will also investigate alternative power sources with kits featuring solar, hydraulic, wind, and air power. Kids can build a robot, then code and program with MakeCode or Phython Editor. With six legs and a fully-rotational body, Tobbie II includes a motor, infrared sensors, buzzers, and BBC Micro:bit. Designed for ages 10 and up, it is Bluetooth-controlled and user-friendly.

Mech-5! (pictured) is a mission-based STEM coding robot with a mechanical coding wheel, instead of a computer. Mech-5 is “unplugged”, which is a new concept of coding without a computer or app.

Just snap coding buttons onto the coding wheel to initiate movement such as forward, backward, turn, spin, or pause. Ages 10 and up.

Snap Circuits Green Energy is a revamp of Snap Circuit Green. It is updated with new parts and content for today’s exploration into alternative energy. Kids, ages 8 and up, will be able to explore clean energy concepts, such as electric cars, windmills, and hand-generated power. They will learn the basics of electronics and modern alternative energy.

EL10T, the Coding Robot (“Elliot”), introduces kids to programing and programing concepts. Coding Blocks program directions and EL10T’s movements such as left turn, right turn, and forward. Kids will build logic, problem solving, sequencing, and critical thinking skills with this toy.

EL10T the Coding Robot is for ages 3 and up.

AKA (Also Known As) is a new party game, for ages 12 and up, that replaces the names of famous titles with what they could also be known as. Here’s an example: The Actor/Rapper Also Known As “Half of an Arnold Palmer”. (The answer is Ice-T) or The Superhero who is Also Known As “Arachnid Guy”. (The answer is Spider-Man) ra Cop is a follow-up to The Floor Is Lava.

Designed for ages 5 and up, Traffic Cop is an interactive action game based on the classic schoolyard game where one player is the traffic cop and the other players try to cross the street safely.

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Epoch

The Elegant Town Manor Gift Set expands the Calico Critters line. This is a two-story manor featuring furniture, windows, railings, a terrace, balcony, spiral staircase, and a detachable roof that can be placed on other Town buildings. The Elegant Town Manor Gift Set can also connect to the Designer Studio to create a Grand Residence. This gift set comes with a specially-outfitted Stella character.

The Stella character has a new boyfriend, William. The duo is dressed in fashionable clothing and designed to hold hands for a date night out on the town. The couple set includes Stella Hopscotch Rabbit, William Cinnamon Rabbit (pictured), a bouquet of red roses, and a holder for Critters to carry. The Calico Critters line is for ages 6 and up.

Kids can practice their soccer moves using this soccer goal that shifts three feet from side to side during play. Action Soccer, for ages 4 and up, features two different skill levels for practice to get more intense as kids begin to perfect their skills. Just like game day, kids are rewarded with sounds of cheering when they make a goal. The Action Soccer set is for practice both indoors and outdoors.

In Gulpin’ Guppies, kids can ride the wave, sink, or swim to gobble some guppies for a chance to win. There is no reading required with this game, for ages 4 and up. Each player has the opportunity to spin the wheel and gulp each other’s guppies to make their fish grow as they swim to the finish line.

Stay clear of the waves or the fish will get wiped out and lose any guppies they gulped. This game promotes counting skills and has two versions of how to play to accommodate all ages.

46 tfe June 2019

Faber-Castell

Following its Create with Clay Dinosaurs, Faber-Castell introduces Create with Clay Mythical Creatures. This kit includes three plastic creature skeletons—a dragon, unicorn, and a phoenix. Non-drying clay colors included in kit are yellow, orange, violet, jade, and blue along with modeling tools, feathers, and wiggly eyes. This is for ages 5 and up.

Developed with the expertise of cosmetologists, World Colors includes super soft and blendable skin tones to match virtually any skin tone. Each set includes 12 or 24 color pencils along with six blendable skin tones.

The Hide & Seek Glow Rock Painting kit includes 10 natural river rocks, water-resistant fluorescent paint, dimensional glow-in-the-dark paint, and two paint brushes. Hide these rocks in the dark and watch them glow.

Designed by You Fairy Fashions provides everything needed to make skirts, tops, flower crowns, and fairy wings to fit any 11-inch doll.

Plan out the design ideas inside the fairy sketch book, embellish 20 pre-printed pages with the included stencil and markers. Create no-sew fashions using the mannequin, 16.5 yards of tulle, flowers, ribbon, rhinestones, fairy wings, butterflies, lace-up tops, and more. Add glitter glue and rhinestones for extra sparkle.

Fairy Finery

Super Capes for Super Kids! are reversible capes made in the U.S.A. from top quality washable satin. The capes are designed to encourage creative play for girls and boys.

Fireside Games

Flycatcher

With the smART Pixelator, design and build 2-D and 3-D projects using Bluetooth connectivity, easy-to-follow lights, and a variety of creativity tools. Out of the box, kids have a choice of using smART Pixel beads, pegs, or sequins to create 50 step-by-step designs. A smART Pixelator App and any mobile device also let them engineer their own projects, encouraging customization and experimentation. Additional smART Pixels and project are also available. It’s for ages 7 and up.

My First Castle Panic is a cooperative board game where monsters race out of the woods toward your castle. Designed for one to four players, ages 4 and up, work together to catch all the monsters and throw them in the dungeon before they smash the castle. Match the color and shape of the space where a monster is to catch it. But watch out—the monsters move closer to the castle every turn, and more monsters keep coming, Also available is Castle Panic, for one to six players, ages 10 and up, you must strategize together to defend the castle from the monsters. If at least one tower is standing when all the monsters are slain, the team wins.

Here, Kitty, Kitty is for three to six players, ages 10 and up. Players compete to gather the most kitties. utwit your fellow feline fiends as you lure cats onto your property, move cats into your house, and steal cats from your neighbors.

Bears! is frantic fun for two to four players, ages 7 and up. Bears have attacked your campsite. Roll the dice to make pairs and make it out alive. Shoot bears and run for a few points or risk sleeping through the attack for big points. Don’t end up a bear snack.

June 2019 tfe 47

Gamewright

Sushi Roll is the dice version of the best-selling card game, Sushi Go! Load up the conveyor belts with sushi dice, then pick one and pass the rest. Earn points for winning combos such as two tempura or a set of sashimi. Grab a menu to re-roll your dice or use chopsticks to swap with an opponent. But save room for pudding at the end. Pick up the most points and you’re on a Sushi Roll. It’s for two-to four players, ages 8 and up.

The Rat-a-Tat Cat! game returns with a fresh new spin: dice. Move around the board trying to collect low cards (cats) while avoiding high cards (rats). Choose one, two, or three dice, keeping re-roll tokens handy in case you miss your mark.

Gigamic

Gigamic’s Triolet is a game of numbers. The goal is to score as many points as possible in each round by placing one, two, or three tiles on the same line totaling no more than 15 points. Calculate and utilize the numbers on the board and place tiles on the bonus squares to score more points. Triolet tests skills of observation and mental calculation.

48 tfe June 2019

Geomagworld

Geomagworld introduces the Gravity kit, which combines the invisible forces of magnetism with those of gravity through a series of original projects. The kit’s gravity motor uses the weight of the Geomag spheres to kickstart the mechanisms of the Geomag Mechanics structures without using electric motors or batteries. The movement is achieved in a green and sustainable way. The kit uses the fundamental laws of physics, such as magnetism and gravity. The system is made up of magnetic rods, steel spheres, and elements of different shapes such as cylinders, bearings and modular parts. When assembled correctly, use the force of gravity to create chain reactions.

Developed for ages 8 and up, the line now comprises four new products: Mechanics Gravity Magnetic Track (115 pieces), Mechanics Gravity Motor (169 pieces), Mechanics Gravity Shoot & Catch (243 pieces), and Mechanics Gravity Up & Down, which has 330 pieces.

The Mechanics Gravity Motor Up & Down magnetic construction comes to life thanks to the movement of the falling Geomag spheres. This activates a series of helical screws that rotate on ball bearings and, through the use of magnets, are able to move other Mechanics models. The spheres continue their journey and meet the “Stop & Go” mechanism. Here they are stopped by the magnetic force and can only move again once other spheres have pushed them outside the magnetic field. The magnetic cannon , inspired by an invention of the famous physicist Gauss, pushes the spheres along their track.

Goliath Games

Goliath launches a new era of trampoline tricks with BoomTrix (pictured) for ages 8 and up. Aspiring builders can design their own trampoline course, create action-packed ball tricks, and show off their trick shots. The BoomTrix set includes mini trampolines, obstacles, and launch pads for a variety of original tricks and spins. These modern, Rube Goldberg-esque obstacle courses allow kids to explore their creativity and promotes spatial thinking. BoomTrix teaches STEM skills as kids must estimate distance and experience physics firsthand.

Join the cup stacking craze with Speed Stacks for ages and up. These specifically designed cups are built for speed and are the only official cups of the orld Speed Stacking Association. uild them fast on the pro mat, and then take them down.

The built-in timer records your best score down to the thousandth of a second. The quick release stem makes traveling with your set a cinch.

Goliath is riding the nostalgia wave with Gator Golf, bringing mini-golf home. Try to putt the ball into the alligator’s mouth. Make the shot and the gator’s mouth clamps shut then get ready for his tail to flip the ball over his head and back to players. ator olf can be played both indoors or outdoors. The flamingo-shaped golf club is suited for small hands, ages and up.

Griddly Games

Griddly Games adds to the company’s Just Add line with the Just Add Egg kit. Like all of the Just Add kits from Griddly Games, the kit comes with everything needed except for the adding ingredient. This time, add eggs for multiple bio-organic experiments and art activities. Make up to five different experiments and seven different art activities including making your own dinosaur egg, making egg shell geodes, or making an egg disappear. Previous kits in the line include Just Add Milk, Just Add Sun, Just Add Glue and Just Add Sugar.

HABA

Kullerbu Play Track Parking Garage offers a solution to the endless search for Kullerbu vehicle parking. Take the Kullerbu speedster, ball-convertible, or emergency vehicle through the integrated car wash on the ground floor before or after parking.

Got a broken vehicle? Place it on the “lift” platform and have it “repaired.” A stop in the parking garage can also be used for a short refuel.

Bluey the horse is a wooden toy horse that gallops along. Dolls can ride on its back. Place the playmat on the wheeled board provided to pull it along. Additional features include a padded body, mane and tail made from chenille, and feet made from corduroy.

The Terra Kids Cork Boat Kit takes only a short time to put together before it is ready to sail. It’s made of compressed cork granules and is virtually unsinkable. oung boatbuilders can upgrade this cork vessel with elements they find in nature.

HABA has partnered with classic brand, Highlights, to put out a line of nine new products ranging from puzzles to magnetic mazes. Products include the Highlights That’s Silly Zoo Animals Puzzle, Highlights Monster Rap Tap Bench, and Highlights Monster Munch Magnetic Maze.

June 2019 tfe 49

Handstand Kitchen

With the Ultimate Under the Sea Baking Party Kit, kids have everything needed to create a variety of underwater-themed treats. The set includes seven underwater-themed cookie cutters, one silicone cupcake mold that makes six mermaid tail-shaped cupcakes, one frosting bag with three frosting tips, a recipe leaflet, and sticker sheet.

The Ultimate Out of This World Baking Party Set includes seven space-themed cookie cutters, one silicone cupcake mold that makes three rocket- and three planet-shaped cupcakes, one frosting bag with three frosting tips, a recipe leaflet, and sticker sheet. Kids can match the set with aprons for an even more realistic baking experience. Other themes include unicorn-themed baking kits and llama-themed kits (pictured).

Hape

Become a scientist with the Junior Inventor Discovery Workbench containing more than 10 different experiments. As kids, ages 4 and up, complete each experiment, they will produce a new machine to teach them about science.

Use the magnet in Lily the Bird’s beak to drop beads into the slides and other features under the dome.

Sunny Valley Adventure Dome is for ages 2 and up. Flower Power Guitar is a cross between a classical guitar and a ukulele. It’s ideal for ages 3 and up, who want to practice learning an instrument.

Babies will be enchanted by the Stay-Put Rattle Set. It features a variety of sounds, bright colors, and aquatic animals. It has a suction cup, making playtime possible anywhere for babies, birth and up.

Baby Bird can’t fly yet, but it loves to stand on its own and take small steps forward. se the cord to pull aby ird as it wobbles and flaps its wings. This is designed for babies, 1 months and up.

Hey Buddy Hey Pal

Hey Buddy Hey Pal was featured on Shark Tank with the Eggmazing Egg Decorator. The design allows kids to be a part of the egg decorating process at Easter instead of watching and waiting for dyes to work. Simply place a hard-boiled egg into the machine and turn it on. The machine holds and spins the eggs as a child (or grownup) holds a marker on the egg as it spins, creating stripes, lines, or other designs.

The Treemendous Ornament Decorator is housed in a green tree and features the same mess-free spinning action as the original product. The kit includes three ornaments and eight non-toxic markers.

The DinoMazing Egg Decorator (pictured) lets kids pop in one of the three plastic eggs and the decorating begins with the included colored markers. When decorating is done, crack open the shell. A new adventure awaits with a tiny dinosaur resting on a patch of gooey slime. This line is for ages 3 and up.

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Highlights

Highlights Handwriting Practice Pads with Digital Tutor helps kids learn to write, blending handwriting practice with activities such as That’s Silly and Hidden Pictures. Each page has easy-to-follow instructions and a mobile scannable QR code that links to animated handwriting tutorials. The pad’s horizontal format provides plenty of writing space for both left-handed and right-handed kids, and has tear-off pages. It’s for ages 3–8, launching in July. There are four pads from which to choose.

Highlights Longest Hidden Pictures Puzzle Ever is a 15-foot-long fold-out Hidden Pictures puzzle. It features 280 hidden objects. It showcases an entire city marathon as runners work their way over giant bridges, through busy parks, inside subway tunnels, and more. It launches in September.

Now available, the Highlights Summer Big Fun Workbooks include 144 pages of puzzling, humor, and illustrations to engage children and help them to build confidence. The book also includes ideas for simple ways to extend the learning through outdoor activities. Each book also features a certificate of completion at the end, in addition to simple tips to help parents guide children through the activities in these workbooks. They are for ages 3–6.

Hog Wild

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk teamed up with Hog Wild Toys to introduce Tony Hawk Box Boarders, a new toy line that allows kids of all ages to easily land pro skateboarding tricks and film, edit, and share videos of those tricks with the free Tony awk ox oarders Studio app. fficially licensed by Tony awk, the ox oarders community will share content on social media using #TonyHawkBoxBoarders.

With Tony Hawk Box Boarders Action Packs choose from 1 famous skateboarder figures including from the Birdhouse crew such as Tony Hawk, Lizzie Armanto, or Aaron Homoki. Underneath the skateboarder is a steel ball bearing, which allows the Box Boarder to skate around in any direction. Film your tricks with the included Quarter Pipe Ramps or create your own park features at home. With the app, record and edit footage to share online. Each Action Pack includes one Box Boarder, one collectible secret Tony Hawk Box Boarder, one camera holder, and four Quarter Pipe paper ramps.

Flip, ride, grind, and land tricks with Tony Hawk Box Boarders Super Pack. Slide your phone into the slot located on the side of the bowl and begin filming tricks. ilm tricks in all the Tony Hawk skate parks by collecting all four: Kidney Bowl, Backyard Pool, Pro Park, and Eight Bowl. Each Super Pack includes three featured riders, one collectible secret Tony awk ox oarder, one camera holder, one fish eye lens and one uarter Pipe paper ramp. This line is for ages 4 and up.

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Insect Lore

Horizon Group

Vendees pictured are surprise-style dispensers that include five surprises, revealed through interactive packaging. Unwrap your Vendees dispenser, then explore the different pull tabs and compartments to unveil surprises from keychains and erasers to temporary tattoos and scrunchies. Once you’ve revealed all five surprises, the experience isn’t over. Activities include custom lip balm creations to painting ceramic figures. Themes include Atomic Rainbow Lip Balms, Sweet Treat Bath Bombs, Go Wild Nail Art, and Holo Unicorn Paintables.

Personalize and decorate the Making the Moment Liquid Galaxy Journal. Touch, move, and watch the shimmery liquid move the sparkling stars and glitter around the cover for an interactive feel. Inside the journal, record personal goals, memories, and stories to revisit again. Personalize each page with designs that embellish your entries using stickers, scented gel pens, and cut-out shapes. Express yourself and discover the art of creative writing.

The STMT line expands with the STMT D.I.Y. Journaling Set, D.I.Y. Crystal Unicorn, and the D.I.Y. Crystal Terrarium. Each is designed for ages 14 and up.

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or the first time, nsect ore is teaming up with The World of Eric Carle in a partnership that brings the classic publishing franchise into the world of live lifecycle projects. The co-branded line will expand on the nature themes found in Eric Carle’s popular books, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Grouchy Ladybug, and will include both caterpillar and ladybug life cycle kits as well as nature kits including bug catchers, bug magnifying viewers, and insect habitats. Pictured is The Grouchy Ladybug Growing Kit with Live Larvae.

Kahootz

Y’Art combines the ease of coloring with the textured look of textile art. Designed for ages 8 and up, kids thread the Y’Art pen and color the numbered areas with yarn. The yarn clings to the Grip ‘N Stick Y’Artboard as kids color. Lift the yarn off the Y’Artboard and reposition it any time. Y’Art is available in five designs Narwhal, Puppy, Flamingo, Unicorn, and Llama.

The Original Waterfuls, for ages 3 and up, is available with six retro-style panels. Insert the game card in the back of the toy for a mix of challenges. There are no screens, cords, or batteries with this toy. Just add water, swirl, shoot, and score.

Colorforms Silly Faces Game, for ages 3 and up, is a remake of the classic preschool game. Players spin the spinner, land on a space, and choose their Silly ace piece. Separately, Colorforms has a series currently airing on etflix, Charlie’s Colorforms City.

Spirograph Retro Deluxe Design Set, for ages 8 and up, is a reproduction of the original 1970s Spirograph set, featuring throwback packaging and retro graphics. This classic set features all the iconic wheels and rings of the original that parents, grandparents, and collectors alike will remember.

Spirograph Craft Activity Set allows kids, ages 6 and up, to create one-ofa-kind Spirograph-inspired crafts and decorations with this punch-out paper kit.

Make more than 30 no-mess paper crafts with Spirograph printed papers, punchouts, stickers, and more in this creative kit. With more than 450 pieces to work with, create intricate designs with the classic Spirograph look.

KidSource

KidSource’s Quercetti Peg Brite (pictured) features a flat screen and rounded edges. Kids can create open-ended designs or use the included 12 sample images. The pegs are shaped like small lamps and are easy to insert into the perforations on the screen.

Made of a crystalline material, the pegs sparkle in the light even when Peg Brite is turned off. The light is generated by an electronic circuit and uses the latest generation LE lights, which are very bright and use very little power. It’s for ages 4 and up.

Viking Toys Ecoline Jumbo Tipper Truck is a non-toxic, durable, and sustainable toy truck made from sugar cane. Designed for ages 1 and up, it’s ideal for open-ended vehicle play.

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Learning Resources

Coding Critters (pictured) are interactive pets that introduce preschoolers to critical thinking, problem-solving, and other STEM skills with the help of playsets, storybook coding adventures, and two interactive modes. Designed for ages 4 and up, there’s a full-color, 20-page storybook that includes multiple coding challenges.

Make your own Reactor Pods, soak creatures in slime, and more with the Beaker Creatures Alien Experiment Lab. Designed for ages 5 and up, the set of 18 pieces includes two Reactor Pods with mystery creatures, full-color experiment booklet with science facts, and hands-on science tools.

The Beaker Creatures Series 2 Reactor Pod Two-Pack features 30 new collectible creatures, including the slimy Swampoids, mechanical ytebots, and limited-edition Color-Change rostonians. ndividual blind boxes include one figure in a eactor od, one classification card, and one mini-poster with science facts.

Beaker Creatures Whirling Wave Reactor doubles as a working lab station. Drop the eactor od into the chamber, fill it with water, and spin the lever to reveal the creatures. It includes one Reactor Pod, one limited-edition Color-Change Frostonian, and science experiment guide.

It’s for ages 5 and up.

Hoot the Fine Motor Owl helps little hands build strength, coordination, and scissor skills through five busy activities. Drop the coins, rotate oot’s eyes, poke his s ueaky nose, or flap his wings with the sliding front buttons. t’s for ages 1 months and up.

The Learning Journey

The Learning Journey expands its line with 30 new products.

Adding to its Early Learning music products for toddlers, new this year are the Little Music Maracas and Little Tunes Tambourine, now available for age 1 and up.

The Crawl About Bee and Crawl About Butterfly (pictured) wobble as they move across the floor. The bright lights and fun melodies entice little movers to crawl and catch the little Crawl Abouts. They are for ages 6 months and up.

The Smart Learning Station is a portable tool to take learning on the go. It’s for ages 3 and up.

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Madame Alexander

Mint Check Huggums (pictured) is a 12-inch baby doll that’s sizes for a child’s hands. The soft-bodied play doll has a vinyl head, soft body, cloth hands and feet, and blue eyes that open and close. Designed for ages 2 and up, the doll wears a one-piece mint green and white footed sleeper with lace and ribbon trim. The doll wipes clean with a damp cloth.

Middleton Twins are 16-inch twin babies, handcrafted down to the tiny folds and creases on their hands and feet. The girl is dressed in pink and the boy in blue, each holding a soft toy. Each doll includes an adoption certificate.

Newborn Nursery Dolls are 19-inch dolls available in eight different styles, including diverse skintone options. Each has a soft fabric body with weighted fill to look and feel real. ecommended for ages 3 and up due to realistic size and weight, each doll wears a soft jersey sleeper and hat in gender-neutral colors.

Each doll includes an adoption certificate.

Pussycat Party Dress is a 14-inch baby with blonde hair, light skin tone, and blue sleep eyes. The doll comes wearing a pink satin party dress with bubble skirt filled with silk flower petals and includes ruffled socks and pink shoes. The doll has a soft, cuddly fabric body with molded head and limbs and comes packed in the classic blue Madame Alexander box with pink tissue paper.

Celebrate a special someone’s birthday with Birthday Joy Wendy, which is available in four styles of skin tone, hair, and eye color. Wendy comes wearing a pink party dress featuring an iridescent bubble skirt and satin sash with an articulated, posable body. The doll comes packed in the classic blue Madame Alexander box with pink tissue paper.

Magformers

Kids can click and create their own adventure with Magformers Amazing Rescue set. This fire-adventure-themed set lets kids build a fire station along with a fire truck with wheels and accessories. This 5 -piece set comes with 24 magnetic pieces, two characters, emergency vehicle accessories, and more. Designed for ages 3 and up, each geometric shape contains magnets that never reject, so you’ll always hear the Magformers click. When playtime is over, use the magnetic power to stack and store the pieces.

Magformers Amazing Rescue The Dolce Safari Adventure offers many toys in one. With this set, each of the baby animals fits inside the larger animal. There are activities along the way for baby such as ribbon tabs, button and tie fastening, rattle, crinkle, teether, and more. Dolce stands for Develop, Observe, Learn, Create, Educate and is designed for birth and up. Baby will develop sensory skills with the wide variety of high-quality textured fabrics. Baby will love to observe the fun colorful fabrics and learn to understand cause and effect through the toy’s activities. Create fun, learning, and roleplay with your favorite Dolce friend. Kids will be educated through play with this line.

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Manhattan Toy

The Fruity Paws Gift Set comes complete with a silicone teething mitt, toucan travel toy, and a soft lovey. It’s packaged inside a giftable box with soft rope handle.

This year’s Wimmer-Ferguson Learning Cube is a six-sided soft cube that features ribbons, crinkle paper, bungee elephant trunk, rattle, squeaker, textured teething ring, peekaboo flaps, and a baby-safe mirror. immer- erguson, which is known for its high-contrast graphics, stimulates and fosters baby’s vision.

Beastie Boo Boomer is a yeti travel toy that includes a baby-safe mirror, plastic teether hands, chime, crinkle paper, and soft fabric textures. The plastic c-clip allows for easy attachment to strollers and carriers.

The Boom Shock-a-Lock-a includes five wood shapes with water-based non-toxic finish that stack onto a dowel base.

Under the Sea Lorelei Mermaid is one of three new soft plush mermaids in Manhattan Toy’s Under the Sea collection. It has a knit-like fabric body, soft yarn hair, a sparkly bando top, and fluffy tail fin.

Carry or stroll around your Baby Stella or Wee Baby Stella dolls in the Stella Collection Buggy. This collapsible buggy is a mix of aluminum and plastic that makes for sturdy design, complete with durable rubber wheels.

The buggy carrier is removable so kids have the option of strolling or carrying Stella. This set includes a matching pillow cushion and fits a 15-inch Baby Stella doll or 12-inch Wee Baby Stella doll. The beige skin tone Baby Stella doll now has brown pigtails. This newest doll in the Stella collection is dressed in a removable striped blue dress, complete with bloomers, cloth diaper, and magnetic pacifier.

Wee Baby Stella Twins Peach with Brown Hair is a doll duo that comes with two ee aby Stella soft dolls with peach skin tone, removable outfit, and magnetic pacifiers. ne doll has brown buns for hair, while the other has a little brown tuft. This is just one of three new doll sets that will be added to the Wee Baby Stella collection.

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Maple Landmark

The Butterflies puzzle has 12 large interlocking pieces cut from .125-inch hard plywood and measures about 12-inches in diameter. The multi-colored and multi-shaped butterflies add whimsy to this image. Each pu le, for ages 3 and up, comes shrink wrapped with a drawstring pouch for easy storage.

The NameTrain Camper Van Set (pictured) contains a camper van, camper trailer, and a moose on an eightinch straight piece of track. Individual cars measure about 2.75-inches long by two-inches high each and have a non-toxic finish. Designed for ages and up, the track is sanded smooth with laser-engraved stripes and is unfinished.

All pieces are crafted from locally sourced, sustainably harvested hard maple and are compatible with Maple Landmark’s NameTrain Wooden Railway Systems.

The Games to Go Leaves Memory Game features 20 leaf-printed rounds (10 pairs). Each pair features the leaf in summer and in autumn providing a learning opportunity.

Designed for ages and up, the 1. 5-inch rounds are unfinished and printed with a durable non-toxic ink.

The Games to Go Checker set includes 24 playing pieces (12 black, 12 natural), a printed cloth board, and a storage bag. The board measures 17 square inches and is made from a fiber blend wood pieces measure 1. 5-inches in diameter.

The Games to Go Backgammon set includes 30 wooden playing pieces (15 black, 15 natural), a printed cloth board, four standard dice, one doubling die, and a storage bag. The board measures 1 -inches s uare and is made from a fiber blend the pieces measure 1. 5-inches in diameter.

MasterPieces

Poker Tiles is a competitive game that combines the strategy of a tile game with real poker action. Players use the game board to play traditional poker hands to score points, make combos with the tiles on the board, and use the wild jokers to increase their score.

It’s for two to four players, ages 12 and up.

MasterPieces has partnered with Kaskey Kids to manufacture and market basketball, baseball, football, soccer, and hockey roleplay figures. Arriving in newly designed Master ieces toy boxes, figurines plus accessories will be available as teams, such as Football Guys or Baseball Guys.

Continuing its partnership with Lionel, MasterPieces will offer new wooden magnetic trains that capture all of the vintage details of the original collectible trains. New items include the Lionel Original Steam Engine Set, Lionel Santa Fe Cargo Train Set, and the Lionel Steam Engine & Coal Car, each for ages 3 and up.

MindWare

PicWits! Silly & Sweet is a new edition of MindWare’s best-selling PicWits! game.

Players match the best pictures with the captions to win the game. It’s up to the judge to determine the best match. All pictures and captions are family-friendly. It includes more than 600 pictures and captions for endless hours of light-hearted laughter. It’s for ages 5 and up.

The Be Kind Advent Calendar, for ages 6 and up, encourages little acts of kindness for the holidays. The customizable and reusable advent calendar includes 35 tokens with prompts for acts of kindness. Select 25 kind acts for the month and add them to the calendar.

The extra tokens allow each month of kindness to be unique each year.

The Ice Cream Scented Sticker Tins in an Ice Cream Truck Display features scratch-and-sniff stickers in a uniquely shaped tin. Scents include vanilla, strawberry, grape, cherry, and chocolate. Each tin includes 20 stickers.

Miniland

Rocket 10 is a toy that focuses on manipulative mathematics.

It helps teach basic mathematical concepts through manipulation and gameplay. Kids, ages 3 and up, about patterns, number-quantity association, speed in counting, breaking down the number one, an introduction to addition and subtraction, as well as even and odd numbers.

Emotions Detective creates an opportunity for dialogue about everyday conflicts. Children can develop kids deduction skills as they interact with a magnifying glass, like a true detective. Kids, ages 3 and up, will pick out clues that lead them to the solution of their investigation. This game promotes recognition of emotions and how to deal with them by interpreting how people feel.

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Moosh-Moosh

Moosh-Moosh delivers in big and small ways with its 2019 collection from accessories to pillows to hooded blankets and more. Series 4 will be unveiled at this year’s ASTRA Marketplace and will feature s uared, round, inflatable, wearable, or clip-on versions of Moosh-Moosh. Each colorful character has an endearing expression. Pick them up, give them a squish or a cuddle them.

There’s Moosh-Moosh Skiwshys, Moosh-Moosh Plushy Skwishys, Moosh-Moosh Round Pillows, Moosh-Moosh Banks, and Moosh-Moosh Squared Pattern Plushies. Moosh-Moosh Mini Clipz come in 12 varieties and each is three inches in size.

New for this year are the MooshMoosh Flashlights, which are plush, huggable flashlights available in six soft fabric styles.

Inflatable Plush Seat is soft, yet sturdy and each seat is machine washable due to its removable fabric cover with a child-safe ipper. There are five styles in the line. air it with a Hooded Blanket or Moosh-Moosh Jumbo Round Pillows.

Jumbo Moosh comes in two-foot long options such as Dragon, Unicorn, Sprinkles the Cat, and Shark.

Moosh-Moosh has themed plush for everyone on the list with Halloween Series Large Moosh-Moosh Plushies and Christmas Series Large Moosh-Moosh Plushies.

Add some sparkle to the celebration with Sequin Collection Large Moosh-Moosh Plushies.

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New York Puzzle Company

New York Puzzle Company offers Leo Leoni Puzzles in several sizes and piece counts to attract small children from ages 3–10.

Ok2Win

In 3Up 3Down, made for ages 7 and up, to win each round, a player must get rid of his cards before other players can. The “3Down” cards keep everyone guessing, as cards are not revealed until the very end of the game. The game comes with 84 neon-colored (orange, green, and blue), casino-quality, bridgesized cards. The game is for two to six players.

The newest addition to Ok2Win’s family game collection is Boom Goes the Dynamite, a matching game with an explosive twist. Players are asked to ignite as many matches as possible by using special action cards, strategy, memory, and a little luck.

The game began as a Kickstarter project with nearly 800 backers.

Palm Tangles

Perfect for adults and children of all ages, the Tangle Palm Classic and Metallic are available in bright new colors and a slightly larger size than the Tangle Jr. Used by educators, therapists and parents worldwide, the Palm Tangles can also be used for helping children focus and express their creativity in new ways.

OWI

With Vroom! Stem V8 Model Combustion Engine, car enthusiasts, ages 12 and up, can learn about the heart of the automobile. With more than 270 pieces, the Vroom! Stem V8 Model Combustion Engine help kids recognize the difference between an electric motor versus the V8, and learn about different types of combustion engines. The toy also delves into the four stroke cycle through a visual representation of the four steps (Intake, Compression, Power, and Exhaust).

The SmartCore 6 kit features six separate models: three land vehicles (Tank, Gyrobot, Trike), and three sky vehicles (Turboprop, Drone, Hovercraft). With 44 snap-together parts, kids learn the STEAM principals associated with physics, aerodynamics, and electronics as they build and rebuild.

People Toy Company

The People Blocks Working Cars debuts this year within the People Blocks series with an updated look and new patented magnetic technology. The magnetic combination and large chunky blocks invites tots to make all of their favorite vehicles. Toddlers can create farmers’ trucks and taxi cabs as well as Earth movers and futuristic flatbed trucks with spoilers.

The People Blocks Zoo Animals set now is available in translucent, stained glass-style colors. Mix and match with the company’s classic colors for different combinations. Play with the blocks on a light table, at night with a flash light, or near a window to see them radiate with color as light shines through them.

The Baby Babble First Words Training Trumpet comes in the familiar shape of a sippy cup. This two-handle training trumpet encourages grasping skills while helping baby develop oral speech muscles as they make music by breathing in or blowing out on the two-way mouthpiece. At first, babies can only control sucking in air. ith curiosity and practice, they will be able to better control speech muscles and be one step closer to saying “mama” and “dada.”

To clean, the top is removable to wash and sanitize before and after play. Some key features include the two-way whistle that plays music whether blowing out or sucking in. Playful beads stimulate baby and add sound depth while playing.

Two handles offer a better grip and ability to attach to stroller (clip not included).

The Brain Builders Baby-Clicker Remote Control Baby Teether is just like the real thing. The gray area is soft for tactile play and improving grip strength. The blue area is for teething. t is firm, which is ideal for sore gums, and it’s easy to clean.

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PlayVisions

Foam Alive is a new compound that comes to life when you play with it. Foam Alive can be compressed into any shape a ball, mountain, s uare, any shape at all, and it slowly separates and starts to flow like magic. Designed for ages 5 and up, it looks as if there is something alive inside of it.

Splashlings An Ocean Full of Friends is a world of collectible characters filled with tiny mermaids and ocean friends who love to discover new underwater realms. New for this summer is a line of Splashlings Princesses for ages 5 and up. Splash your way into a whole new realm of royal mermaids and ocean friends.

PlayVisions is introducing a complete line of Crayola Dough and Slyme. Crayola Dough playsets include Ice Cream Cones, Fast Food Fun, My Dough Play Center, Dino Island (pictured), and more. Crayola Slyme oozes, drips, and sparkles for endless hours of fun. Both items are for ages 3 and up.

All-new from Mega Marbles is the Solar System Net for ages 8 and up. This will help children learn the order of the planets along with their features. There are 10 assorted colored marbles to represent a planet or the sun.

Playmobil

Playmobil’s Mission Rocket with Launch Site pictured , for ages and up, is outfitted with working lights and sounds including a countdown, thrusters, and space communication for realistic play. The rocket seats up to two laymobil astronaut figures inside the cockpit. Kids can roleplay a mission to Mars as they operate the transport container and space capsule separate from the rocket and dock them into the Mars Space Station (sold separately). This set can also be combined with the Satellite Meteoroid Laser (sold separately).

Playmobil’s Crystal Palace includes figures, a throne, interchangeable outfits, a bed, rocking chair, be eweled scepter, rug, candelabra, vanity, ice flowers, love letter, uill, magical key, and lots of other accessories. For added roleplay, there are front gates and a gemstone shield where kids can lower icicles to block the entry. There’s also a spiral, ice-inspired staircase. This palace is designed for ages 4 and up.

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PlayMonster

PlayMonster’s redesigned Mirari brand speaks to today’s parents with its wood materials and updated packaging. The most popular toys in the line including Mirari Pop! Pop! Piano, myPhone, and Comeback Koala feature a distinct wood look and new closed packaging. myStorymaker (pictured) is a new Mirari toy for ages 1 and up that has the familiar shape and size of a child’s tablet, but stimulates the imagination. Pressing a colorful button from each section as it lights up allows children to create a story. As prompted, they choose a hero, adventure, and happy ending that plays for them using sounds and voices. Pressing the Mirari button activates a giggle and the narrator. Parents can also record the child’s name so that the story playback will announce who made the story. The front panel is made of sustainable wood.

KID O Origami Color-Changing Boats provide a secret surprise at bath time. In warm water, the hulls transform into bright new hues. This colorful fleet is both a surprising science experiment and a vibrant visual cue to water temperature for ages 12 months and up.

Moluk’s Nigi, Nagi and Nogi tactile teething rings soothe baby’s gums and feature different designs for visual stimulation. They are easy for small hands to hold, offer essential tactile and visual stimulation, and are made of food-grade silicone rubber. These are dishwasher- and freezer-safe for birth and up.

Oibo are elastic, stackable, rolling sensory toys for babies and children of all ages. It merges a sphere with a three-inch cube, combining the action of a ball with the educational benefits of a building block. t’s a grasping and teething toy for babies, a bouncing and rolling toy for toddlers, and stacking and throwing toy for children. Oibo collapses if stepped on, and pops right back into shape. Designed for birth and up, it’s made of food-grade silicone rubber and is dishwasher-safe.

In Full Circle, creating a word on your turn that’s worth a lot of points will not guarantee a win in this game for ages 8 and up. Players take turns using letters to create words around the outer edge. Each letter you use is worth one point and the score is kept using the pegging ring.

Playtime Engineering

Playtime Engineering debuts the Blipblox, which is a fully functional synthesizer designed to promote creativity and audio exploration. The unique physical design is easyto-use and safe for kids as young as 3.

The Blipblox offers a completely new way for kids (and adults) to explore electronic music. Colorful buttons, knobs, and levers encourage creative play, while spacey sounds and flashing lights keep kids engaged in STEAM learning. There is no need to connect a phone and no software is required to play.

Just turn it on and start having fun.

The Blipblox also has its own built-in speaker and a .25-inch audio-out port to connect to an external device. Because it is a real synthesizer with a MIDI-in port, it can also connect to a professional studio setup. This includes connecting to MIDI keyboards, drum machines, and other controllers as well as music production software.

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Plus-Plus

Mystery Makers are a blind purchase construction toys with a twist—while you can see what color pieces you’re getting, you don’t know what they will build. Once you choose your Mystery Maker and open the box, scan the QR code for a swipeto-build online experience or use the enclosed step-by-step instructions. They are for ages 5 and up.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing with the new Apollo 11 Series 240-piece Saturn V Rocket Tube for ages 5 and up. The tube includes three new colors: Metallic Gold, Metallic Silver, and Glow-in-the-Dark.

Super Tubes each contain more than 500 pieces. Designed for ages 5 and up, they are available in Basic, Neon, and Pastel.

Have some delicious fun with the Plus-Plus Food Tubes. Use the 70 pieces and step-by-step instructions to create a Taco for ages 5 and up. It is also available in Sushi, Watermelon and Snowcone.

With 60 Plus-Plus BIG pieces and seven challenge cards, kids will learn to solve each Picture Puzzle (pictured) using the challenge side of the card and then discover the solution on the reverse side.

This is ideal for fine motor skill development and problem-solving for ages and up. t is also available in Basic and Pastel.

Ravensburger North America

Memory-Foodie Favorites is a game of picture matching for ages and up. lip over tiles to reveal favorite foods such as waffles, popcorn, pineapples, pizza, and cupcakes. Additional themes such as Memory-Great Outdoors and Memory-Wild World of Animals are also available.

Friends of a Feather is a colorful game of collecting for two to four players, ages 3 and up. Four little birds are missing their tail feathers and need help finding them. Add feathers to your bird each turn by drawing from the deck or trading away your unwanted ones to the nest. Score points at the end of the game based on your colorful collection. The player with the most points wins.

Greetings from Grandville is for two to four players, ages 6 and up. Walk, bus, bike, or take the subway in a race around town to be the first to see the sights. There’s more than one way to get where you’re going, but you’ll have to get there fast and first to win. ith beginner and advanced options, it’s a sightseeing adventure for the whole family. King Me, Impact?, Push, are other new games.

GraviTrax Starter Set, for ages 8 and up, is an interactive track system that provides endless activities and challenges for any STEM enthusiast. Kids can design and build marble race-tracks on their own, or by following the GraviTrax design guides. Experiment with gravity, magnetism, and kinetics to launch the marbles to the finish line.

Coming this fall is a new line of puzzles and games featuring characters from the upcoming Frozen 2 movie. From a 3-D Olaf puzzle, a 3-D Frozen Castle, a Frozen Labyrinth game, to 2-D puzzles full of beloved characters as well as exciting new ones. Buzz and Woody are back with a new line of Toy Story 4 puzzles, launching this summer.

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Schleich

Revelant Play

The all-new Coilz brand is a tactile collectible and game, all in one. Bounce, roll, and flick to score. There are 5 Coil , within 10 different themes, to collect in series one. The Starter Pack includes four collectible Coilz and a collector’s card. The Super Pack features eight collectible Coilz and a collector’s card. The Coilz Cup includes six collectible Coilz, a bocce ball, a distance marker, two backboards, and a collector’s card. Play more than 10 challenging Coilz games. All these items come blind packaged and are available for ages 5 and up. The line launches this fall.

Now available as part of the Farm World collection, for ages 3–8, is the Puppy Pen playset, which includes three puppies, a teddy bear, bed, blanket, bowl, dog house, and fencing.

Schleich also expands its Dinosaur collection with the newest addition: Giganotosaurus (pictured). The dinosaur features a movable jaw that reveals its teeth. It’s for ages 4–10.

Launching in July, the Horse Club Horse Stable set includes a horse stable, building, farmer, shire mare, shire stallion, duckling, rider, mouse, kitten, and a wheelbarrow. Part of the Farm World assortment of highly-detailed and hand-painted animal figurines and playsets, the Pony Agility Training set provides kids with the essentials for training their ponies and getting them ready for shows and competitions. The set includes two ponies, a horse trainer, fencing, and multiple horse agility-training stations. It’s for ages 3 and up.

Smart Toys & Games

SmartGames Brain Train is a shape-sorting games and train all in one for ages 3 and up. Kids will have to match the shapes and then place them in the correct sequence. Each level offers hints to complete the train. There are 48 challenges to solve.

Kids can build five dinosaurs or mix and match to create their own style of dinosaur with SmartMax My First Dinosaur. This is a magnetic building toy that features easy construction, strong bars, and soft colorful pieces, for ages 1 and up.

With SmartGames Smart Farmer (pictured), kids have to use the three fences to divide the field into separate meadows to contain the horses, cows, sheep, and pigs. There are challenge cards from easy to expert level for ages 5 and up.

With SmartMax My First Totem Set, kids can develop their building and planning skills using the 24 challenge cards. This is for 18 months and up.

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Super Impulse

Steiff

Starry Sea Star is a soft toy that’s also a puppet. This little starfish has a coral-colored body decorated with pink spots, some of which have embroidered edges. Its eyes and smiling mouth are stitched in black thread. Starry’s face and arms are made of short pile plush the reverse side is sewn from a longer pile fabric. Bean bags are hidden inside the ends of the starfish’s two lowermost legs for weight and stability. This is for ages 3 and up.

Jimmy Teddy Bear is part of the modern generation of Steiff creations, which are distinguished by their contemporary designs, ultra-soft fabrics, and attractive prices. Its for ages birth and up.

Tactic

Tactic Games USA introduces several new games this year, adding to its family and children’s games. The new items are led by Doodle Doo, a family action game for ages 6 and up.

Doodle Doo asks players to draw through the track of an animal insides while blindfolded.

Whenever the pen hits a wall, the journey is over until the next turn. Each game board animal has two sides of mazes, one easy and one challenging.

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Tiny Arcade features new iconic arcade games: Tetris and Pole Position. With a screen size of 1.5-inches and an overall cabinet size measuring 3.75-by-1.5-by-1.5 inches, each Tiny Arcade is a working, miniature version of the original full-size arcade.

New titles launched in March.

The new MicroArcade line shrinks arcade classics even smaller—to the compact size of a credit card. Measuring 3.25-bytwo-by-. 5 inches, MicroArcades fit in your pocket. Series one launches with Pac-Man (pictured), Tetris, and an Atari Combo Card including Missile Command and Centipede, plus a bonus surprise game all-in-one. Each game comes with a full-color screen, sound effects, and directional control buttons, with a micro-USB charger included. The line is for ages 8 and up.

Motion Arcade introduces new motion-activation games as handheld games, featuring Rubik’s Tilt. It plays as an electronic screen version controlled by movement. Play Rubik’s Tilt and tilt in the direction you want to turn the cube. Features include sound, various skill levels, and a timer for speed-cubing. Available this June, the line is for ages 8 and up.

The World’s Smallest Super Soaker is based on the best-selling water blasters. The miniature versions are less than four inches in size and each one squirts a dozen shots up to a distance of 25 feet. Featured styles include the iconic Super Soaker 50 and the Super Soaker Barrage. Also new to the line is the World’s Smallest Crocodile Dentist, Uno, Elf on the Shelf, My Little Pony, Jumanji, and more.

Thames & Kosmos

Build your own gumball machines and learn physics lessons in the process with Gumball Machine Makers for ages 6 and up. A turn of a handle dispenses one gumball at a time out of the clear storage globe and down the track. The gumballs land in a collection cup and can easily and sanitarily be returned to the globe for another run.

The track segments can be moved around on the base to create an almost limitless number of different gumball machines. As the gumballs roll down the track, they perform stunts and tricks. Stunts include a pulley lift, pendulum, funnel, trampoline, variable-slope ramp, pinball launcher, and domino slide. Each segment of the track teaches a different lesson in mechanical physics, allowing users to explore topics including simple machines, force, motion, momentum, gravity, Newton’s laws, energy transfer, and more.

My Robotic Pet Tumbling Hedgehog is a 172-piece building kit in which kids can assemble a real robot that resembles a hedgehog. The robot has a built-in sound sensor and is programmed to react to different sounds. After kids build it, they play with it by making different sounds and watching it tumble, roll, spin around, bristle its spines, and scurry. Clap once, and the hedgehog will roll into a ball and tumble backwards. Clap multiple times, and the hedgehog will count the claps and tumble as many times as instructed. The hedgehog can bristle its spines and act in a playful way with different patterns of claps. The hedgehog’s eyes light up with LEDs. By building the robot, kids will gain experience in the inner mechanical workings that enable the robot to move how it does. Kids, ages 7 and up, can learn about gears, motors, sound sensors, LEDs, and the other components of this little pet.

The Air-Walker is a robot that defies gravity.

Designed for ages 8 and up, this is a four-legged bot that uses an ingenious system of suction cups and pumps to crawl along smooth, vertical surfaces like windows. A follow-up to the Geckobot STEM experiment kit, Air-Walker uses technology similar to that found in its reptilian predecessor, but with easier assembly. This hands-on construction kit brings engineering and physics to life as it demonstrates the power of air pressure at work.

Soaring spires, towering arches, complex curves, and angles are part of the Architectural Engineering kit for ages 8 and up. Build the foundation in architectural design with this STEM experiment kit that explores the engineering principles behind planning and developing buildings and structures.

ThinkFun

(Ravensburger North America)

Heads Talk Tails Walk is a game of silly sounds and movement for ages 3 and up. Can you hop like a frog while clucking like a chicken?

Players try to match hidden head tiles to the correct body tiles. If the head and body don’t match, players must walk and talk like the mismatched tiles. Playing promotes memory and matching skills, image recognition, and the ability to take turns and play together.

Thinking Putty Puzzle, for ages 8 and up, is a single-player game of logic. This sensory logic puzzle develops spatial reasoning and thinking skills using Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty.

Stretch, pull, and knead the Thinking Putty to solve 60 sticky challenges. The game takes the form of a classic flow pu le, where you have to create lines that connect various starting and ending points without overlap. ow, the flow pu le is even more fun because kids are connecting the dots with Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty.

June 2019 tfe 65

TOMY

To kick off its WWE partnership, TOMY is introducing the WWE Smash Brawlers Starter Set, which allows fans to go head to head with WWE Smash Brawlers Battle Figures. Featuring Superstars John Cena and AJ Styles, the controller allows the ultimate WWE battling experience and enables players to battle and dodge the opponent. Kids can also use other compatible figures as additional Superstars are available in single packs and two-packs. The Smash rawlers attle figure range features 15 different characters across all three SKUs. The Starter Set comes with two uni ue figures, ohn Cena and A Styles, and two controllers. WWE Blitz Brawlers let kids control one of their favorite Superstars by putting their hands inside the character-themed, life-size gloves. Try to grab your opponent’s title and guard your own to win the WWE Championship. WWE items are designed for ages 6 and up.

The Original Doodle Bear line expands with two new offerings for ages 3 and up.

Fashion Doodle Bear comes complete with a stylish skirt, heart, and three washable markers. Fashion Doodle Bear wears a bracelet kids can write their name on. The Chef Doodle Bear comes with an oven mitt, an apron, and three washable markers. The apron is removable.

Ritzy Rollerz have unique features such as real hair, fur, and shiny chrome. Each Ritzy Roller comes with 12 random ritzy charms that kids can use to bling out their wheels. The Heelz on Wheelz Playset opens to reveal a shoe shop and includes 16 random Ritzy Charms and Helena Heelz wearing an exclusive teal and purple fashion accented with silver sparkles. This shoe shop on wheels features a rotating charm closet, folding charm display, and a dressing room with a mirror. Sprinklez on Wheelz Playset opens to reveal a donut shop and includes 16 random Ritzy Charms and Donut Dani wearing an exclusive teal and blue fashion kids won’t find anywhere else. t has an opening Ritzy Charms drawer, display case, and a slide-out ramp. These assortments are for ages 4 and up.

With the John Deere 1st Farming Fun Apple Orchard, kids can pick apples from the tree, and with a simple press of a button they appear in the wagon. Haul it to the shed for safe keeping, and with a press of the button they disappear from the wagon.

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Toysmith

Warrior’s Mark Throwing Stars are a mix of foam darts and ninja stars. Ideal for both indoor and outdoor play, this set includes an 18-inch target scroll, three foam stars, suction cup, door hanger, instructions, and drawstring storage bag.

This is for ages 6 and up. Head to page 70 for more on Toysmith.

University Games

University Games continues to expand its family game portfolio. The Briarpatch division is premiering its first games for children as young as age with a new line of activity games based on the First 100 Words book series. Using simple, collaborative play, toddlers explore introductory vocabulary, colors, and concepts in the First 100 Words Activity Game, Numbers Colors Shapes Bingo Game, and First 100 Animals Matching Game. Briarpatch builds on its preschool licenses, The World of Eric Carle and Pete the Cat with the introduction of The Very Hungry Caterpillar What Can You Do? Game and Pete the Cat: The Wheels on the Bus Game. Both games get kids, ages 3 and up, moving and learning as they experiment with new actions, sounds, and words.

For kids 7 and up, Rubik’s Cage takes the Rubik’s multiplayer challenge to a whole new intensity. As two to four players take turns inserting colored cubes into the Cage, trying to build three in a row, other players can twist or turn the Cage, confounding even the most advanced Rubik’s puzzlers. The Megableu USA brand introduced Heist at Toy Fair New York. Up to four players work together to pull off the heist of the century in five minutes flat in this interactive electronic game. Each player’s character and cooperation is necessary to crack the safe without tripping the alarm. t has five levels of difficulty.

USAopoly

Talisman: Batman Super-Villains Edition is the newest Batman game created by USAopoly (The OP) in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products on behalf of DC Games Workshop to bring two licensed versions of The Magical Quest Game to market this year.

In Talisman: Batman Super-Villains Edition, players to take on the role of otham City villains, sneaking and fighting their way through Arkham Asylum’s two floors and central tower to be the first to subdue Batman and successfully release its inmates.

What Do You Meme?

What Do You Meme? introduces new games for 2019 including 4-Bidden Words. In this game, set the timer and test your guessing skills as you compete to out-guess the other team while your teammates shout clues to help you guess the Buzz Words. Just don’t say any of the four “4-Bidden” words on the card or you’ll lose points.

In For the Girls, ditch the dudes for the night and play this girls-only card game made for bachelorette parties, a girls’ night, or reunion. The game features Truth or Dare cards, I Have Never cards, Rapid Fire cards, Best of the Best cards, and more.

The company also continues to offer its original bestseller What Do You Meme? along with several expansion packs that include themes such as Game of Thrones.

June 2019 tfe 67

Wicked Cool Toys

Wicked Cool Toys heads to the games aisle this fall with Hank’s Twisted Challenge. Watch friends and family members twist their bodies into ridiculous positions as they race to move the ball from their mouthpiece to the end of the wacky, twisted wire. It’s for ages 8 and up.

Blinger is a new activity line to add gems to hair, clothes, accessories, stationary, and more. linger kits and refill packs in varying si es include high-quality gems in multiple colors. It’s for ages 7 and up.

Winning Moves

Wild Republic

Wild Republic’s new collectible line of Rubber Ducks features 28 unique and detailed ducks such as a zombie duck, mermaid duck, and a unicorn duck. The ducks float and are mold-free due to the company’s special hole-less design, according to Wild Republic.

In the game 13 Dead End Drive, figure out which one of Aunt Agatha’s friends and employees will inherit her loot. Players carefully guard their identities as they wind their way through the 3-D mansion game board. Be aware of the smashing statue, the cranium-crushing chandelier, or the perilous push into the fireplace. There’s three uni ue ways to win.

Made for ages 8 and up, it’s now available.

KOZO is a three-dimensional wooden stacking game that first gained popularity in Asia. layers take turns adding a wooden polycube and balance cube to the structure. olycubes must stay in the confines of the structure and cannot overlap the center “chimney” area. Players score for each piece placed. It’s for ages 8 and up.

Become a princess in the classic jewelry dress-up game from the ’90s, Pretty Pretty Princess. layers collect a matching color necklace, bracelet, ring, and earrings. The first player to collect all her jewelry and the crown wins. It’s for ages 5 and up.

68 tfe June 2019

Wood Expressions Games

Shut-the-Box is a traditional game of counting, addition, and probability that dates back to the 18th century when the game was en oyed by orman fishermen after a long day at sea. Today the game is played with family, used in classrooms for teaching addition and probability, and is even a betting game played in pubs all over Europe, according to Wood Expressions Games. Roll the dice and lay down any numerical combination of tiles that match your roll. Just keep on rolling until you can no longer match your roll on the remaining tiles. The lowest score wins the game. If you lay down all the tiles, then you’ve shut the box. This classic version is made of natural wood with a felt playing surface. It features 12 wooden number tiles rather than the typical nine numbers of other versions, bringing more numerical combinations into play. It can be played with any number of players and includes two dice and instructions.

WRebbit3D

Winterfell Wrebbit 3-D Puzzle is 910 pieces and is the second of two Game of Thrones 3-D puzzle models launched by Wrebbit. Designed for ages 14 and up, the puzzle is available in time for the eighth and final season of ’s acclaimed series.

June 2019 tfe 69

COMPANY PROFILE

Toysmith Keeps Eye on Target: Retailer CEO Michael Keaton discusses how the company is sticking to its roots, servicing the retailer

E

arlier this year, toy industry veteran Michael Keaton took the reigns as Toysmith’s new CEO. Not to be confused with the Defender of Gotham City, this Keaton is a defender of another sort, upholding the ideals of the company’s founders Bill and Nancy Smith.

At Toysmith, the company’s tagline is “Play.

Delivered.” And for almost four decades, the company has been known to many for its work as a leading toy distributor in the U.S. But while Toysmith’s business model has morphed, with the company now assuming the role of both a distributor and a toymaker, Keaton says both aspects of the business are grounded in the same idea: meeting the needs of toy retailers and providing solutions.

Some might consider balancing the evolution of your own IP against those your company distributes to be a bit of a Catch-22, but Keaton says Toysmith’s focus is all about building up both segments of the business.

“What retailers are looking for is access to products that will help them build a sustainable business,” he says. “When it comes to the share of our own lines versus distributed lines, any development in that share is going to come from the external environment and what those retailers are looking for. Toysmith has always been extremely responsive to the needs of those toy retailers. So, in some ways, they’ll guide that share. But we should maintain a nice balance of owned items, Toysmith items and portfolio, and very carefully selected distributed brands based

70 tfe June 2019

BY JENNIFER

LYNCH

on what those toy retailers need.”

In terms of its own IP, classic play has played a major role in the development of Toysmith’s own toy lines and will continue to do so.

There’s nothing inherently bad about screen time, and today’s kids should be digitally savvy, says Keaton. However, what Toysmith’s lines serve to do is help balance out kids’ diets of screen time with active and imaginative play.

“We have 25 categories and we bring in fresh new offerings and regularly review our portfolio,” says Keaton. “You’d probably go too far to say what our specific focus areas are going to be, but we’re going to be placing a lot of emphasis on a few that we know are powerful play patterns.”

One of these play patterns is action-packed, outdoor-fueled play. Toysmith was among the first toymakers, if not the first, to tap into the nationwide trend of ax throwing with its kid-safe Warrior’s Mark. NightZone continues to keep

kids active when the sun goes down through continuous light-up sports toys and gear. The company also pushes into active play, underscoring the importance of unplugging, with other brands such as Get Outside Go and its SSCand Rainforest Alliance-certified Beetle & Bee line of educational gardening products.

In terms of how Toysmith promotes these products, however, the company’s focus continues to be on servicing the retailer with elegant retail merchandising solutions. In-store experiences is one such area the company will be focused heavily on going forward.

“The retailer is our vehicle to getting to those kids,” Keaton says. “And we feel good saying that if we help the toy retailers build a sustainable business, we know that parents can feel good about providing those developmental play experiences for their kids.”

The company is currently in its strategic planning period, and looking ahead at the two segments of its business, the foundation will always be grounded in its core values. “This is about having those toy retailers help drive and shape what we should be,” says Keaton, adding that this also means amping up the imagination, active and fun factors of its offerings.

In leading the team forward, which includes amping up some areas and de-focusing some others, Keaton says, “If I can just get out of the way, help focus the team’s energy and maybe inspire them, then we can all push in the same direction. It’s really helping remove obstacles, helping imagine the future, and letting the team do its thing.”

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BRAND PROFILE

YuMe Toys

Y

Dreams Big with Top Brands

uMe Toys is what dreams are made of, or at least it’s the inspiration behind the company’s name—a Japanese word.

You may have heard of YuMe Toys or you may not have, but don’t be fooled into thinking YuMe is a newbie to the toy scene. While the company made its official launch in orth America, the and Asia in 201 , the brand owner, Maxx Marketing, has monetized IP and extended entertainment properties into toyetic product for years—servicing more than 120 markets worldwide with a 0 operation e uipped with in-house D, an insights-led product development hub, and supply chain infrastructure. n 2017, Maxx Marketing signed a multi-year deal with arner ros. based on standardizing and expanding the uality of its plush across various markets. This included arner ros. Consumer roducts’ most popular entertainment brands . . owling’s izarding orld Harry otter and Fantastic easts, the DC niverse, cooby Doo, ooney Tunes, Tom erry, and the studio’s most iconic horror titles. Spurred on by the success of this partnership among others, YuMe Toys was created, moving the toy programs into mass and specialty. n 201 , the company focused on using this licensed brand e uity to create a solid foundation of core products in the right space and place for uMe,” says Darryl ai, vice-president of Americas for Maxx Marketing. ne clear example of this was through the launch of its Harry otter eal Talking orting Hat—part of a larger Harry otter toy line rolling out throughout 2019—in the . The product brought the orting Hat off the screen and to life with animated mouth movement and authentic phrases to sort its fans into their respective Hogwart houses. ur aim was to bring fans closer to the magic and nostalgia of Harry otter...and we did just that,” says ai. t found favor in the market pretty uickly, garnering affinity, picking up momentum, and receiving rave re-views from media and toy aficionados alike.” ow, the company is shifting gears to building brand awareness in these markets for uMe and making the brand more consumer-facing.

“The narrative is more about presenting our products on a uniform front and creating a brand identity to help consumers find our product with ease,” says ai, adding that Toy Fair ew ork served as a launch pad for this next phase of business and an opportunity to tap into the $2 billion . . domestic toy market and its lion-sized share of the plush market.

72 tfe June 2019

Alfred Activated Batmobile and DZNR Logos Chibi Batman

ey industry events and partnerships such as trade shows, licensing expos and comic con events, will all be integrated to make a bold statement,” says ai. hile uMe as a brand is new, we are leveraging great licenses we have access to and the solid reputation of parent company Maxx Marketing...We are in the process of working with new designers and partners to create collaborations uni ue to the toy marketplace. e know this will help grow the brand significantly when we are able to cross categories, experiences and partners which consumers may not be expecting.” n celebration of the Caped Crusader’s 0th anniversary, uMe is rolling out a multi-category collection of atman toys this summer that celebrate the rich history of the brand. ts D series is an art-driven specialty line of Chibi plush featuring atman’s most iconic symbols and logos leveraged in a modern-day streetwear aesthetic. ts heels of Gotham offers stylized collectible mini vehicles and figurines packed in individual blind boxes with nine designs to collect (and a corresponding era Chibi atman included . atman iggables creates a break-out toy category giant character inflatables with a plush material available in two sizes 21- and -inches tall. astly, uMe offers its own atman-approved answer to iri and Alexa the Alfred Activated atmobile. t features voice assistant integration, wireless luetooth streaming, a hood that slides open to project the at ignal, and 0-plus uni ue voice commands. all activated by saying Hey Alfred ” ooking ahead to 2020 and beyond YuMe has big plans to keep dreaming big. While price will also play a big factor in its intitatives at retail, ai says consumers can expect the delivery of more products that expertly cover all the bases. From new unboxing experiences for Harry otter fans to toys that tap into the rising horror toy trend [see page 74 for more on this], there will be something for everyone.

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Oh, the

These toys are the stuff of nightmares, and that’s the point. While the horror genre has never ceased, the remaking of classic horror films and new interpretations of ghosts, vampires, ghouls, and zombies feeds into the rise of these new scare-approved toys.

Toys

YUME

uMe’s Chibi plush line can make even horror’s most famous figure look cute, and perhaps a little less terrifying. The line features characters from films ranging from IT to Annabelle, Bettlejuice, and Friday the 13th. ome characters also come with their signature weapons attached, such as ason’s signature machete pictured front center .

NECA TOYS

CA Toys unveiled Toony Terrors, a new set of six-inch action figures based on horror icons. tyled after aturday morning cartoons, the four-figure assortment contains Freddy rueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street, ason oorhees from Friday the 13th, and both versions of ennywise from IT 2017 film and the 1990 miniseries Stephen King’s IT pictured .

Boss Fight Studio

oss Fight tudio’s next collection of itruvian H.A.C. . . is getting the undead treatment in eries . The figures will feature tooling similiar to those seen in the ombie abs line, but given the itruvian H.A.C. . . treatment. Figures can be pulled apart at specific joints and reassembled into countless different combinations.

MEGO

M G brings to life some of the most iconic horror characters of film in wave five of its horror line, including Freddy rueger, osferatu pictured , Frankenstein, and more as retro-stylized eight-inch action figures. ach horror figure features 1 points of articulation and real cloth clothing. They are packaged on blister cards with classic artwork from the films.

74 tfe June 2019

FACTORY ENTERTAINMENT

People love to dress up their pets, and that’s exactly the idea behind Factory Entertainment’s toy line, PAWZPLAY (plush pets that cosplay). The line will expand with new characters inspired by Universal Monster’s Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein later this year.

USAopoly

In Monopoly IT, players can immerse themselves in the horror that fills the town of Derry in this inspired rendition of Monopoly. It features custom Losers Club currency and tokens sculpted after significant items from IT. As one of six tokens, travel around locations found in the town of Derry to defeat your opponents.

ravensburger

avensburger’s upcoming board game Horrified pits players up against Universal Monsters. The one- to five-player game, launching this August, comes with high-quality sculpted miniatures of Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. With the Universal Monsters terrorizing a village, it’s up to players to work together to take them down and save the day.

Super 7

Super 7’s The Masters of the Universe Snake Mountain 3.75-inch eAction figures come packaged as blind boxes. ew cartoon-accurate versions of the characters include Skeletor, Merman, Trap aw, and eastman and chase figures such as keletor—Midnight black , eastman—Ghost translucent orange , Trap aw—Metallic glow in the dark , and Merman— nvisible.

June 2019 tfe 75

BRAND PROFILE

W

hen the owners are away, the pets will play. This was the premise that spawned Illumination’s original 2016 animated comedy, The Secret Life of Pets. This summer, The Secret Life of Pets 2, picks up where the last film left off, centering on the film’s leading canines, terrier Max voiced by atton swalt and mutt Duke voiced by ric tonestreet . hile the first film mainly focused on these two characters, the se uel features a couple intertwining story arches that draw in additional fan-favorite characters introduced in the original. This includes the posh omeranian Gidget voiced by enny late , who tries to rescue Max’s favorite toy from a cat-packed apartment, and the crazy-but-cute bunny nowball voiced by evin Hart , who starts belieiving he’s a real-life superhero when his owner started dressing him up in superhero pajamas. These new storylines also introduce new characters to the mix. Max seeks guidance from veteran farm dog ooster voiced by Harrison Ford, making his animated film debut on a family trip, as the new changes in his life the marriage of his owner and new baby in the family overwhelm him with anxiety. Daisy Tiffany Haddish , a fearless hih Tzu, is also introduced as she seeks nowball’s aid in a dangerous mission, challenging him to be a true superhero.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 is produced by llumination founder and C Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator anet Healy, the team behind Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch and the Despicable Me and Minions franchise and is written by returning ets screenwriter rian ynch. The film is directed by returning filmmaker Chris enaud, who also directed llumination’s Despicable Me series and Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.

The film, which hits theaters une , will be heavily supported by niversal rand Development’s global, multi-category licensing and merchandising program. Consumer product began rolling out last month at retailers nationwide, covering categories such as toys, publishing, apparel and accessories, party goods and stationery, home goods, consumables, and more. ust lay is on board as the master toy partner with an assortment of plush toys, figures, playsets and blind bags featuring the new characters alongside the returning favorites Max, Duke, nowball, Gidget, and more. ther toy partners include Funko with a line of op figures Ty with a collection of eanie abies plush and uild-A- ear orkshop with a line of film characters, among others. ets bring such happiness into our lives, and llumination’s The Secret Life of Pets 2 taps into the emotional connection between pets and their owners with humor and heart,” said indsay Hollingsworth, vice-president global franchise, niversal rand Development. e designed the consumer products program for The Secret Life of Pets 2 to capture the playful personalities of the film’s characters, enabling fans to bring the movie home with them through a wide array of toys and collaborations.”

76 tfe Licensing June 2019

Just Play ust lay serves as the master toy partner for the new film. The toy maker rolls out small plush and figures featuring characters such as superhero nowball Hu the tiger an interactive Meow Meow Gidget Chat Hang lush als and interactive Movin’ and Chat Max, which comes with Max’s favorite bumble bee toy pictured .

Build-A-BEar uild-A- ear orkshop will offer buildable options of fan-favorite Secret Life of Pets 2 characters. This includes nowball, depicted in his new superhero getup and an oh-so-fluffy Gidget, ready to groom and dote on pictured .

PillOw PEts FunkO Funko offers up lead characters Max and nowball in new looks from the film. Max is depicted wearing the doggie cone of shame,” while nowball has taken on his superhero persona. ach stylized vinyl stands at around .7 -inches tall.

lush pals by day, cuddle-ready pillows by night— now kids can snuggle up with their favorite pups from the world of the ecret ife of ets, Max and Duke. ach is made of high- uality super soft plush fabric and is Aand hthalates-free. Duke even features his familair shaggy appearance, just as seen on screen.

AccEssOry InnOVAtIOns Accessory nnovations offers an assortment of backpacks and accessory gear for kids, themed to the animated film. ictured is a ohl’s exclusive 12-inch backpack featuring Gidget.

A Target-exlcusive Gidget back is also available and is sold separately.

June 2019 tfe Licensing 77

tfe LICENSING

preview

Licensing Expo 2019

This year’s International Licensing Show will showcase more than 5,000 brands from more than 65 countries around the world. With top properties represented across every medium, more than 16,000 retailers, licensees, and manufacturers are expected to take to the show floor to seal new deals. The companies listed as follows offer just a sampling of what will be on display this year in Las Vegas.

Activision Blizzard Consumer Products Group

Activision Blizzard Consumer Products Group (ABCPG) continues to evolve from video game publisher to an entertainment company with a portfolio that offer its global fan community new ways to engage with its stories, characters, and leagues across Activision and Blizzard franchises. Through world-class partnerships from companies ranging from Hasbro to LEGO to UNIQLO to McFarlane, ABCPG continues to extend the core gamer experience across multiple fan touchpoints providing fans relevant experiences through consumer products, especially within the esports world.

Coming off a successful inaugural season for the first-ever professionalized esports league, Overwatch League, Activision Blizzard has signed deals with industry leading brands including a multi-year, exclusive multi-channel agreement with Fanatics, a leader in the sports merchandise space. In partnership with Fanatics, Activision Blizzard is building an international e-commerce and mobile shopping experience for Overwatch League. The new e-commerce platform, shop.overwatchleague.com, connects fans around the world with their favorite teams and players. The 2019 season officially launched in ebruary and runs through rand inals in September. Activision Blizzard also plans to move forward creating a professionalized league for blockbuster franchise Call of Duty.

78 tfe Licensing June 2019

American Mensa

This year, American Mensa welcomes its first robot member, Artie 3000 (pictured), a drawing robot from Educational Insights that helps kids learn to code. Artie is the third fictional character to receive an honorary Mensa membership card, joining Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons and Mr. Peabody from Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

Creating and cultivating the right partnerships has led to Mensa’s expansion into numerous categories, with other partners such as Hasbro, Match.com, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Skyhorse Publishing.

Mensa works with partners in a variety of ways, including brand licensing, providing content, or co-developing a project. It’s currently working with a major television production company to develop multiple programs for network and cable outlets.

At Licensing Expo, Mensa seeks to partner for products and/or services in categories including entertainment, office and school supplies, organi ational systems tools, syndicated content, travel, digital gaming, mobile and online apps, puzzles, and developmental toys.

Peppa Pig © Astley Baker Davies Ltd/Entertainment One UK Ltd 2003.

Ricky Zoom © Frog Box & Entertainment One UK Limited 2019.

PJ Masks ©Frog Box/Ent. One UK Ltd/Disney 2014.

VISIT US AT LICENSING EXPO 2019 Stand O208 For licensing inquiries contact: eOneLicensing@entonegroup.com and visit: www.entertainmentone.com

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tfe LICENSING

preview Born Licensing

Brand Central

Brand Central specializes in brands driving cultural conversations. Featured brands include iconic food and beverage brands (Tapatio Hot Sauce, Cap’n Crunch, Sonic Drive-In Restaurants, and Mondelez brands including Oreo, Sour Patch Kids, and Swedish Fish), popular entertainment and digital brands (Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Cyanide & Happiness), and ofthe-moment lifestyle brands (STEM brand Rube Goldberg, faith-based property Bible bb’s). The agency is also working with a roster of the top gaming streamers on the Twitch platform, including legends of games such as Fortnite and Apex Legends.

Brand Central is building full-scale programs around each uni ue influencer.

The agency will also feature Brand Central Insights, which works with leading retailers, brand owners, and manufacturers to keep them up to date on the latest trends.

The subscription service delivers to its clients fully customized trend intelligence and actionable recommendations based on deep knowledge of how trends take shape, evolve, and gain resonance. The service recently added new features including recaps of top trade shows, in-depth retail coverage and analysis, as well as “whispers” heard in the industry of the “next big thing.”

Several new clients are also expected to be introduced at this year’s Expo.

80 tfe Licensing June 2019

JoyPixels is a brand new emoji property, with more than 2,800 unique copyrighted icons and 900 emoji stickers, which dive into the lives of some of the most popular emojis through fun images and slogans such as Avocado Adventures, Unicorn Life, and Woman Power.

JoyPixels recently launched animated emojis, which includes 40—with 60 more on the way— unique animations all derived from our signature emoji designs. New product releases are planned for launch this fall. Key partners for the brand include Bioworld, Danilo, and Fashion UK. Major companies to license JoyPixels include Kellogg’s, TikTok, PlayStation, T-Mobile, Intel, Virgin, and Bloomberg.

Brandgenuity

YouTube channel, ChuChu TV, and Dream Theatre, its global master licensing agency, named Brandgenuity as ChuChu TV’s North American licensing agent earlier this year. Launched in 2013, ChuChu TV now has a global audience averaging 500 million views per month across its family of channels. ChuChu TV’s videos feature diverse characters, positive endings, educational content, music, and choreography. Its viewers span ages 2–8. The U.S. is one of the top three territories for ChuChu TV with 3.5 billion views and 4 million subscribers. Dream Theatre and Brandgenuity plan to expand the ChuChu TV brand and its assets to publishing, toys, back to school, and more.

Brandgenuity also announced partnerships with Goliath Games, Basic Fun!, and Spirit alloween to further the licensing program for oughton Mifflin arcourt’s Carmen Sandiego brand, which launched as a etflix animated series in anuary. The series stars ina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) as the voice of Carmen Sandiego and Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), as her tech-whiz sidekick, Player. A live-action movie is also in development.

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tfe LICENSING

preview Cartoon Network Enterprises

Ben 10 is the long-running Cartoon etwork series that centers on the adventures of 1 -year-old en Tennyson, who finds the mnitrix, a mysterious watch that transforms him into 1 different heroic aliens. Master toy partner laymates Toys launched a new spring 1 product line, which includes an all-new assortment of action figures, two new versions of the mnitrix, and Micro laysets. ew items will also roll out for fall.

M Studios also teamed up to launch original graphic novels based on the series. Ben 10 for Science! launches in uly and Ben 10: Mecha Madness debuts in stores this ovember. Ben 10: Mecha Madness is written by C ee Not Your Sidekick) with art by Lidan Chen (Ben 10: The Truth is Out There .

For Adventure Time, which wrapped its tenth and final season last fall, C E has collaborated with Miniso. Miniso created a -item collection of Adventure Time products for its stores across territories around the world. tems plush toys, stationery, gifts and accessories include fan-favorite characters inn, ake, M , and umpy Space rincess. Adventure Time also continues its own partnership with oom for its Adventure Time comic series. Adventure Time Marcy & Simon #4 of six , released April 1 .

We Bare Bears, the animated comedy series that follows the adventures of three brother bears, teamed with und for a collection of plush product. The collection includes nine-, 11-, and 1 -inch plush .5-inch clip-on plush and deluxe eight-inch ipper pouch plush. e are ears fans can also collect all three e are ears unko op figures pictured together in one set. t comes complete with the ri , anda, and ce ear figures, each in its own window box packing For Rick and Morty, C E will also have a pet product collaboration with Silver aw coming out in .

Creative Licensing Corporation

Creative Licensing Corporation (CLC) is an established 360-degree merchandise licensing firm speciali ing in classic film properties.

New for this year’s Licensing Expo is the next Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure film titled, Bill and Ted Face the Music. n the movie, two middle age dads ill and Ted find themselves in the midst of trying to crank out a hit song to save the universe and fulfill their destiny. The film is expected to begin shooting at the end of 1 . C C currently has more than two do en partners, including longstanding partnerships with American Classics for apparel, oom Comics for graphic novels, and niversal Studios rlando for live events.

A strong new category for C C this year is the escape room concept. artners include oyd Escapes for ill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Terminator 2: Judgment Day along with ourglass for Evil Dead 2.

Additional film properties represented by C C include The Terminator, Terminator udgment Day, Rambo, Ace Ventura, Halloween, and Evil Dead .

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Cloudco Entertainment

ollowing the success of the Care Bears’ new oomerang cartoon, D ublishing and Cloudco Entertainment announced an all-new Care ears comic book and graphic novel program. Expanding upon the Care Bears: Unlock the Magic streaming series with new story content, D will debut its first issue in uly.

Care Bears #1 introduces readers to a mystical realm full of mirth and magic. ith uni ue characters and a sense of humor, the new comic book is illustrated by Agnes arbowska.

Discovery

At this year’s show, Discovery will focus on licensing programs from the legacy Discovery etworks’ portfolio with special attention on Discovery’s Mindblown, Shark eek, Animal lanet, Food Network, and HGTV Home. #Mindblown pictured is a new global brand opening the curious minds of kids around the world. aunched in 1 with global toy partner Merchsource, Mindblown draws inspiration from Discovery’s thousands of hours of STEM programming from Discovery Channel and Science Channel, and supported by Discovery Education’s powerful in-school digital curriculum, Discovery Mindblown inspires fans with hands-on experiences from toys and games, to publishing apps, apparel, and live events. After its debut at retail in 1 with a line of educational toys from global toy partner Merchsource, Mindblown has continued to evolve with retail and brand partnerships. n ovember 1 , Discovery debuted an immersive STEM shop under the Mindblown brand extension at the new A Schwar lagship Store in ew ork City featuring an exciting and innovative line of gender-neutral, STEM-based toys.

Available to million homes in more than 5 countries and territories, Animal Planet combines content that explores the bonds forged between animals and humans, optimi ed across all screens globally. n the .S., Animal lanet audiences can en oy their favorite programming anytime, anywhere through the Animal lanet o app, which features live and on-demand access. Animal lanet collaborated with art eden, a sustainable cotton kids’ clothing brand, to create a capsule collection made of uality eco-friendly materials with a portion of the proceeds from the sale going to ro ect CAT, Discovery’s ongoing initiative with the . ater in 1 , Discovery is bringing Animal lanet to a new retail partner, which is expected to be announced soon.

Shark Week is a comprehensive licensing program based on Discovery Channel’s Shark eek. Each year Shark eek is a week-long, pop culture phenomenon. Shark eek is found in all countries and territories around the globe and continues to post strong ratings. ast year, Shark eek celebrated its th anniversary, marking a big year for broadcast and for Shark eek’s merchandising program, collaborating with ma or brands including uild-a- ear, ineyard ines, and Swedish ish. t also established a highly successful retail partnership with almart. eading into Shark eek 1 , Discovery plans to grow the program even further with both new and returning partners.

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preview Entertainment One

Peppa Pig now boasts more than 1, licensees around the world and has a standout retail presence in the K, the .S., A , China, taly, ra il, and rance. This year is set to be eppa ig’s biggest year yet with brand activations united under the theme of amily Celebrations, which kickstarted in ebruary with the Chinese theatrical debut of a new film, Peppa Celebrates Chinese New Year. The theme continues in the K and Australia, where the brand celebrates its 15th anniversary with the nationwide cinema release Peppa Pig Festival of Fun. lobal partnerships include a collaboration with unter footwear and an ongoing relationship with charity partner Save The Children a relationship that resulted in the creation of the annual event, eppa ig’s Muddy uddle alk.

PJ Masks’ new categories and product ranges have attracted international brands with licensees rising to more than 5 partners worldwide. roadcast exposure builds with CCT in China oining a list of broadcasters that spans more than 15 territories. The brand’s first stage show Masks ive Time to be a ero is on its third run in the .S., leading a live show album which has gained more than 1. million streams on Apple Music and Spotify. The show also toured atin America and Australia last year, playing to its growing fanbase. e ne’s newest preschool property, Ricky Zoom, launches in selected territories from fall 1 . The C -action comedy adventure series follows the adventures of icky, a little red motorbike with a est for speed and centers around friendship, family and learning to stand on your own two wheels’. Currently in production, a number of leading broadcasters have already committed to the show including ulli rance , A taly , Discovery Kids atAm , C A Spain , Super T ermany , and ouku China . The licensing program is already taking shape, spearheaded by T M as global master toy partner.

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Gemr

Gemr is a community and online marketplace think acebook meets e ay for people who love collecting and the brands who want to connect with them. orking with both licensees and licensors, the site will build and engage an audience through an official club experience. emr’s user base is now more than 55 , active collectors with a diverse range of interests. This is due, in large part, to an aggressive marketing campaign combined with bi-monthly site and app updates based on user feedback.

Additional revenue streams are planned as the platform scales and will include advertising, premium features, and more. emr’s ability to allow brands to aggregate an audience with which they can consistently communicate is limitless. emr also launched an official ouTube channel featuring original emr-produced content for collectors, including the docu-series Collection Complete, which takes a look at trend-setting artists and filmmakers and the collections fueling their work.

Genius Brands

n ovember 1 , enius rands’ all-new C -animated adventure preschool series, Rainbow Rangers debuted on ick r. and already has the green light for season two of the series. The series follows the adventures of seven magical girls who are Earth’s first responders protecting people, animals, resources, and natural beauty of our world. A comprehensive .S. consumer products program rolls out for back to school 1 and continues throughout the year and beyond. nternational agents will be signed this year to prepare for an international rollout in . Twenty licensees across categories include Mattel master toy , MacMillan ublishing master publishing , and entex master apparel as well as Dynacraft bicycles, scooters , Disguise alloween costumes , and ay ranco bath and bedding , amongst others.

Additional categories in the works include games, party goods, personal care, activity toys, boxed roleplay, room d cor, C s, and more. The retail launch is planned across mass, mid-tier, specialty, and direct-to-consumer.

The etflix riginal preschool series, Llama Llama starring ennifer arner , premiered last year in languages with 15 x -minute episodes. t is currently in production on season two, which will debut later this year. Two -minute Llama Llama specials are also in the works for etflix. The series is based on the bestselling book series by author and illustrator Anna Dewdney, with more than million units in print. A multi-channel retail program launched in fall 1 , which expands throughout 1 with a focus on key categories such as toys, party goods, uvenile products, and gifts, along with D Ds. Current licensees include endon ublishing coloring activity books , Cuddle arn interactive plush , Kids referred plush and puppets , and hat Mo o toy , as well as new partners Scholastic school book fair products , Decopac bakery goods , un.com costumes , and Circle Entertainment home entertainment . etail channels include book and craft retailers, specialty and mass-market, as well as value channels.

Jewel Branding & Licensing

Artworks icensing merged with ewel randing icensing , helping to solidify ’s position as a leading agency for art and design-based licensing. Artworks icensing was founded by Carol hite in 5 and has grown to a portfolio of artists who are already licensed in a wide range of product categories. As part of the merger, Carol hite, president of Artworks icensing, has oined ewel randing icensing as vice-president of art licensing and brings 1 new artists to ’s client roster. hite has en oyed an extensive 5-plus year career in art licensing as both an agent and licensee, with particular expertise in gift, stationery, and home d cor. has also established a creative services division, which provides manufacturers and retailers with a suite of services and assets to streamline the design, development, and go-to-market processes. aunched in 1 , JBL Creative Services offers trend forecasting, creative direction, design and product development, packaging design and retail execution with services that are tailored to each individual client.

The division is spearheaded by licensing and design industry veteran, Meredith Counts.

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BRAND PROFILE

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

M

How the 50-year-old Eric Carle classic evolved into a lifestyle program with a dedicated global following

uch like the metamorphosis of one very hungry caterpillar into a butterfly, the best-selling children’s book by ric Carle has steadily evolved into an evergreen brand that continues to captivate audiences to this day.

The book is sold every 15 seconds around the world, with worldwide book sales seeing a 28 percent increase since 2013.

This year, The Very Hungry Caterpillar ( V HC) celebrates its 50th anniversary.

While many brands today rely heavily on social media to raise brand awareness, the E ric Carle classic has become a staple in homes and classrooms because it has so many timeless touchpoints to it—na ture, healthy eating, exploration, as well as introducing basic colors, shapes, numbers, etc. It may not be a book intended to teach, but that’s exactly what Carle achieved through his use of simple and minimal words paired with vibrant art.

These are the characteristics that The World of E ric Carle’s brand management agency The Joester Loria Group ( JLG) has thoughtfully applied to create a 360- degree approach for the brand, from promotions and live events to consumer products and beyond. “ In the book, the caterpillar goes on a j ourney, learning the importance of choices including the foods he elects to eat along the way,” says Debra Joester, president and CE O. “ The simplicity and rhythm of the writing is enchanting, and the art is truly unique and beautiful.

E ric’s work has a timeless, childlike quality that children have be drawn to for 50 years, as generation after generation picks up the book asking to have it read over and over again.”

THE TEACHINGS OF A YOUNG CATERPILLAR Among the brand’s educational initiatives, its four-year partner Touch P ress created an assortment of V HC apps, with one that even brings the caterpillar into the real world through AR. Thus far, these apps have garnered more than 6.5 million downloads and been heavily supported by Apple, including call-outs in Tim Cook’s keynote presentations. Likewise, Y oung M inds Inspired ( Y M I) executed a 50th birthday preschool curriculum program in the U.S . with multi-curriculum options and activities based on The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which has been distributed to roughly 75,000 teachers and reached more than 4 million children and families.

The brand’s subtle messages on healthy eating is another area of focus. P rior to Amaz on’s purchase of Whole Foods, a three-year program there featured branded cereals and j uices. S ince then, its j uice business transitioned to S mucker’s with additional j uice programs run in the UK with Cawston P ress. In Germany, the brand’s First 1,000 Days initiative with M ilupa ( a division of Dannon) is in its fourth year, focused on educating new moms to take care of themselves and what they eat, and do the same for their newborns.

THE WORLD OF THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR V HC is a story that transcends borders and continues to afford the brand new opportunities to engage with audiences worldwide. Japan, for example, has long been a top market for the brand, which holds the No. 1 children’s book spot by an international author. There, J.S . P ancake’s 14 locations featured a V HC-inspired children’s menu of healthy options that were also modeled visually after Carle’s art.

Freshness Burger also kicked off a pop-up café with the brand last January that evolved into a featured kids’ menu across about 20 percent of its locations running through November. China is now moving along a similar traj ectory for the brand, bolstered by large-scale V HC installations in malls first in hanghai and no in ong ong beginning in ugust .

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A NATURAL FIT

Finding naturally fitting partners is never an easy process, and G is very careful of the partnerships it chooses. f course, some areas are still easier than others. And tying the brand back to nature and exploration is one such global focus. n the , the oyal Horticultural ociety kicks off a program next month, which will feature HC installations in four of its gardens as well as in its flower shows through eptember. n Germany, a partnership with A ’s insect conservation launched this spring that will run through 2020. And in the . ., there are ongoing partnerships with butterfly conservancies as well as zoos and a uariums. G has also found many opportunities to tie these themes into the toy aisles as well. ur toys partners have done a really good job recognizing that this property is uni ue and has certain underlying messages and opportunities that are appropriate for what ric’s works are about,” says oester. Turn to page for more of the latest brand initiatives and details on anniversary promotions at retail.

Jay Franco launched a new bedding and room d cor collection exclusively at Target in May.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT ong-time retail partner JOJO Maman Bébé launches its first HC apparel DT collection this year.

Kids Preferred offers multiple early development products. Highlighted here is The ery Hungry Caterpillar gardening line, which has spawned additional gardening product distribution worldwide since its launch.

BY THE NUMBERS

150

Number of cities, across 4 continents, where The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show has performed live.

1

Million

educators using Eric Carle books in the classroom

4

back-to-back years on The New York Times Best Sellers List

100 Million social media impressions in 2018

June 2019 tfe Licensing 87

tfe LICENSING

preview Konami Cross Media NY

The Joester Loria Group

The licensing agency founded by Debra Joester and Joanne Loria celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2019.

The World of Eric Carle consumer products program continues to show exceptional growth worldwide. Sold in more than 45,000 doors in 15plus countries, the brand extends into all major product categories. Head to page 86 for an in-depth on The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Miffy, the children’s character created by Dutch artist Dick Bruna, celebrates 65 years in 2020. Bruna’s illustrations featured in 124 original titles sold more than 85 million copies. Miffy engages consumers worldwide in pop-up shops, cafés, exhibitions, a live show, a TV series, and merchandise for children and adults. DTRs with Uniqlo, C&A, H&M, Cotton On, Graphis, and other retailers have secured Miffy’s status as a fashion favorite, while home décor, including the Miffy light from Mister Maria (pictured), is sold at department stores and museum shops such as MOMA, Anthropologie, and specialty retailers in the U.S. and worldwide. The Miffy brand drives more than $300 million in retail sales annually. In 2019, a new title from Simon & Schuster, bedding at Target from Jay Franco, apparel from Kira Kids, a collaboration with Ghostly, and high-end sleepwear from Petidoux bring new Miffy products to the U.S. market. The 65th anniversary of Miffy next year, will kick off a year-long campaign of events and promotions in North America, along with refreshed consumer products.

JLG also represents brands including Pepsi-Cola North America beverage brands, Frito-Lay’s Cheetos and Doritos brands, Constellation Brands beer portfolio, Kellogg’s portfolio of cereal and snack brands, Jack Link’s meat snacks, Entenmann’s sweet baked goods, Cabot Creamery and the 1-800-FLOWERS portfolio of brands.

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Konami Cross Media NY Inc is a member of Konami Group and specializes in multiplatform brand management and production. Konami Cross Media NY takes a 360-degree approach in managing the rights to globally IPs such as Yu-Gi-Oh!, Bomberman, Contra, and Frogger.

The Yu-Gi-Oh! anime brand continues engaging young audiences globally through its TV series (more than episodes , three feature films, consumer products, the mobile game Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links, as well as the popular trading card game. As Yu-Gi-Oh! expands into the collectible market, new deals have been signed with First 4 Figures, Zag Toys, Tsume, Taka, and Kitsune.

Bomberman was originally launched in 1987 for NES as an action game. In 2017, Konami released the latest edition in the franchise, Super Bomberman R on the Nintendo Switch. The latest version has updated visuals, characters, and multiplayer but keeps to the classic gameplay and familiar elements available for Xbox and PlayStation systems.

Introduced in 1981, Frogger has become one of the most well-known classic games in pop culture. With its simple gameplay, it has consistently appealed to generations of fans and maintains a place in video game canon.

Contra gained its notoriety through its run-and-gun style side-scrolling action and trailblazing multiplayer cooperative gameplay. Initially debuted in 1987, the Contra library has many titles across multiple platforms and a legion of passionate fans.

Konami Cross Media NY Inc. has signed its first apparel and accessories agreements for Contra, Bomberman, and Frogger. This includes signed agreements with Difuzed, Duncan Branding, and Innex.

Legendary Entertainment

egendary Entertainment will highlight tentpole feature films Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong, part of Legendary’s Monsterverse; and DUNE. Legendary’s Premiere Television titles include Lost In Space (seasons one and two), Carnival Row (season one), and the aci c im anime series (seasons one and two).

Legendary’s Monsterverse began in 2014 with the biggest Godzilla movie of all time, followed by Kong Skull Island in 2017, the biggest Kong movie of all time. In May, Godzilla: King of The Monsters premiered. The next feature film, Godzilla vs. Kong, is slated for spring 2020. Bolstering the Monsterverse is a line of graphic novels and comics being released through Legendary Comics. A mobile game is in development with licensee Disruptor Beam while an extensive line of movie-based consumer products is set to expand with best in-class partners.

Legendary is also adapting Frank Herbert’s best-selling novel, DUNE, into a global media brand experience. The events of the original 1 novel will be told in a multi-part film series. The films will be brought to life by screenwriter and author John Spaihts and director Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049). The big screen adaptation will feature an international cast including Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible–Rogue Nation), Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi), Josh Brolin ( eadpool engers n nity ar), Stellan Skarsgård the Mamma Mia films, Avengers: Age of Ultron , Dave autista the uardians of the alaxy films, Avengers: Endgame), Zendaya (Spider-Man: Homecoming), and more.

MasterPieces

Masterpieces expands its sports-related product line into housewares with the acquisition of FANPANS, the line of silicone, sports team-themed culinary pans and molds.

MasterPieces, already a long-time partner of the NCAA and professional sports leagues, will immediately go into production for all-new NFL, NHL and 40 top NCAA sports team FANPANs. The line include cake pans, muffin and cupcake pans, ice cube trays, and candy molds available in official team logo shapes and colors.

Mego Corporation

Mego captures Rocky in one of its latest figures. ocky is ready for his 1 fight in a yellow-trimmed robe. The talian Stallion also has the detailed official Shamrock Meats Inc. logo printed on the back of his robe. The deal for the figure was brokered by Brandgenuity, in association with MGM. Expanding its Horror line comes the Mummy, wrapped up with his red eyes peering out. The eight-inch fully articulated figure is available this uly. See more ego orror gures on page . oth figures will be available at ThinkGeek, ToyWiz.com, Entertainment Earth, and other specialty retailers.

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tfe LICENSING

preview Minted Labs

Minted Labs Inc., an innovative, licensed collectibles design and manufacturing house, announced its partnership to produce a full line of collectibles for Borderlands 3, the much-anticipated next installment of the popular video game series from Gearbox Software and 2K. Under the agreement, Minted Labs will design and create Soft Statues, PVC statues, plush, and ltra eal figures based on the game, which hits retail on September 13, 2019.

Minted Labs introduced its unique, patent-pending Soft Statue category at Toy Fair New York with a 15-inch depiction of Nemesis from Capcom’s Resident Evil. As avid fans and gamers themselves, Minted Labs brings innovation and authenticity to all of its product lines and is excited to bring the Borderlands story to life. Universal randing Media is Minted abs’ official licensing agent.

NASCAR

My Singing Monsters

My Singing Monsters is the chart-topping musical gaming app created by Big Blue Bubble. The game celebrates its sixth year this fall, boasting more than 85 million downloads and more than 400 million YouTube views.

Since successfully launching several new toy lines this year with global master toy partner PlayMonster as well as Commonwealth Toy (pictured) and FanWraps, the brand will hit retail this holiday with singing musical collectible monsters, baby figures, plush singing characters, decals, and danglers. In addition to other licensing and promotional expansions Wind Sun Sky Entertainment is driving the MSM brand building efforts through both linear and digital interactive animated programming initiatives. Alita’s Brand Bar, licensing agent for the brand, seeks partners for apparel and accessories, stationery, room décor, electronics, and more.

NASCAR and Far Out Toys teamed up with Walmart to create Adventure Force NASCAR Crash Racers, the toy that lets kids race, wreck, and rebuild officially branded ASCA cars on an officially branded track.

In Walmart stores nationwide on August 1, just in time for NASCAR’s layoffs, the high-speed electric cars flash charge in 1 seconds allowing players to hit the 16-plus feet of double-wide track quickly for continuous race action (six-plus feet when assembled). When the cars collide on the igure- Circuit Track Crash one, the hoods, doors, and roof fly off for crash effects. Cars snap back together for repeat play. Sets feature pieces, official ASCA branding, and sponsor billboards. ASCA -branded events, hands-on product demos, and celebrity appearances will be hosted to celebrate the collaboration. Read more on this partnership on page 30. unko’s op inyl will feature figures of current ASCA drivers and legends. ASCA figures are now in stores. Eight op ASCA figures from the first launch include Dale Earnhardt Sr., Dale Earnhardt r., ichard etty, ill Elliott, eff ordon, Chase Elliott, Kevin arvick, and Kyle usch. ASCA op figures will be available for purchase at retailers everywhere including almart, Target, anatics, Entertainment Earth, ot Topic, and FYE. Lionel Racing introduces new 1:87 scale NASCAR Authentics die-cast for Walmart and Target stores nationwide starting in the fall, as well as a Bluetooth-enabled 1:24-scale die-cast, which launched in the collector market this spring. Lionel Racing also introduced new 1:64-scale NASCAR ander utdoors Truck Series trucks to both the collector and mass retail market earlier this year. Consumers can find ionel acing’s die-casts at mass retailers like Walmart, Target, and Meijer in addition to Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores, its nationwide network of dealers, and trackside partners at NASCAR events.

90 tfe Licensing June 2019

Nelvana

Super BOOMi (pictured) is a popular preschool series in China by Up Studios. Nelvana has picked up global distribution and merchandise licensing rights excluding China. Making its debut at Licensing Expo, Nelvana is looking to sign on key categories including publishing, apparel, sleepwear, and party goods.

Max & Ruby celebrates its 40th publishing anniversary this year by kickstarting this summer with consumer and retail events. Season seven debuted on Nick Jr. in the U.S. this year with key tentpole events planned for later in the year. The current licensing program includes toys, apparel, publishing, headwear, hosiery, footwear, and expanded seasonal offerings.

pocket.watch

pocket.watch announces the launch of a comprehensive licensing program based off of Ryan’s Mystery Playdate, the new Nickelodeon show just picked up for its second season. This will be the second franchise within the year pocket.watch and Ryan ToysReview have launched since Ryan’s World launch in August 2018. Products will hit shelves for holiday 2019.

The Ryan’s Mystery Playdate inaugural line will feature products from toys to apparel, bridging the gap between screen time to playtime with the line focused on unique elements in Ryan’s Mystery Playdate. Fans and viewers will experience the joy of Challenges, Mystery Boxes, Mystery Splashers, Playdates with Ryan and more just like digital star, Ryan.

The initial roster of licensee partners includes Just Play (master toy), Simon & Schuster (master publishing), Franco Manufacturing (bedding and home), Taste Beauty (bath and HBA), and Komar (sleepwear) with more partners to be announced soon.

Sesame Workshop

Families can now walk down Sesame Street with the recent opening of Sesame Street at SeaWorld Orlando. Guests can experience all of the fun and learning of the show at the interactive and immersive Orlando park.

In 2020, Sesame Street’s best-selling book of all time will become an animated special.

Coming to the T screen for the first time, The Monster at the End of This Story makes Grover the star of his very own story. Watch for YouTube, social media, and more surprises in the Monster franchise.

Warner Bros. also announced a new live-action Sesame Street movie, to be produced by Shawn evy. The film is scheduled to premiere anuary 15, 1.

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preview Spotlight Licensing and Brand Management

NBCUniversal’s Downton Abbey feature film is scheduled to arrive in theaters in September. The property dramati ing the lives of an aristocratic ritish household first debuted as a television series inspiring a touring exhibition and a wide range of consumer products.

BOO The World’s Cutest Dog is a global social media sensation with nearly 17 million Facebook “likes” and 600,000-plus Instagram followers. oo is a licensing success with top-selling plush by und, -D figurines, books, apps, and a wide range of products for fans globally.

NBCUniversal International Studios’ The Last Kingdom is a historical adventure television series based on Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories books. t combines historical people and events with fictional characters in the adventures of htred of ebbanburg. e was born a Saxon nobleman but captured and raised by invading Danes. It spotlights his role in the birth of England as a new nation.

Spotlight also works with the Imperial War Museums, Love Productions’ The Great British Baking Show, Little House on the Prairie, The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, and Precious Moments.

Synchronicity

Sunrights

Sunrights has secured new toys and licensing deals for Beyblade Burst, which it manages globally outside of Japan.

In June 2019, Burger King released a Beyblade Evolution-themed four-set collection of character figurines and spinning tops, available worldwide.

Also globally, Goliath Games signed on to develop an interactive Bey Master board game. Bey Master features a magnetic board that moves at the will of player and includes two spinning tops. Players can create their own obstacle course with score towers and magnetic bumpers, launch their tops on the board, and move the board in any direction to guide their spinning top toward the score towers. Whoever gets the highest score wins. The company will also launch a themed Pop N Race game this summer as well.

In France, Panini offers the Beyblade Burst Evolution youth magazine featuring themed games and activities with comic strips based of the animation. Each magazine focuses on story arcs from three to four episodes from the show. It also features a fan art section. Grund has also launched Beyblade Burst Evolution book series here.

92 tfe Licensing June 2019

Synchronicity is unboxing the Boxy Girls licensing program at Licensing Expo. Boxy Girls, Jay@ Play’s collectible fashion dolls who love to shop online and who took the market by storm, already have a roster of top licensees. Boxy Girls licensed products will began hitting shelves this summer/ fall.

Jay@Play’s plush brand FlipaZoo is also making tracks in licensing. FlipaZoo dog toys by Ethical Products are ust like the human toys they flip upside down and inside out for two toys in one.

Shalom will produce FlipaZoo infant and toddler products including booties, hats, and hooded towels that flip from one fun animal to another. It will also produce FlipaZoo jewelry and slap bracelets. Inkology will produce FlipaZoo back-to-school products and stationery items. ater this year, licensee Archie’s Toys will open the flagship Mr. Puppy Store on amazon.com. In addition to merchandise, Mr. Puppy will take the stage in Mr. Puppy The Musical, the musical tale of a toy dog who dreams of adventure, makes a daring escape to see the world, and discovers the power of compassion.

For Tootsie Roll Candy Brands, Southpole unwrapped its Tootsie Roll Candy Brands fashion collaboration. The line includes young mens, juniors, and youth T-shirts, hoodies and jean jackets. There’s also vests, shorts, and pants. Treatments include chenille patches, appliqués and denim fabric combinations of the classic and iconic candy brands.

TETRIS

Tetris celebrates its 35th anniversary at Licensing Expo with newly launching Tetris-brand games and collaborations.

Most recently, Lisle Licensing secured new agreements for the brand with Ravensburger (games) and Blues Clothing (apparel) in Europe.

Tetris and Sanrio will launch their collaboration with a new co-branded HTML5 game.

Fans can play a special version of the iconic Tetris game featuring the beloved Sanrio characters for free on Tetris.com starting June 3. The companies will also introduce a new co-branded style guide, available for interested licensees worldwide in categories such as apparel, cosmetics, stationery and accessories. ipsy connects its community of more than 3 million members with one another to discover new products, looks and brands that highlight their personal beauty preferences. The experience is centered around the Glam Bag and Glam Bag Plus, a personali ed package filled with five of the latest makeup and beauty products for them to try. This month, ipsy introduces its new, limited edition Tetris x ipsy Glam Bag and cosmetic collection to members in celebration of Tetris’ 35th anniversary.

AtGames Digital Media will unveil its new, full-size Legends Ultimate Home Arcade machine, which comes with hundreds of built-in games, including Tetris. It will be available this fall at major retailers.

Super Impulse introduces Tiny Arcade Tetris and Micro Arcade Tetris. Micro Arcade Tetris offers gameplay that easily fits in your pocket. Tiny Arcade Tetris is a miniature version of the original full-size game. It also comes with a keychain, complete gameplay, full color, a hi-res screen and authentic sounds in a backlit arcade style cabinet. These items are available now at major U.S. retailers.

Universal Brand Development

After eight films that have amassed almost 5 billion worldwide, the Fast & Furious franchise is back with Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, in theaters August 1 . The franchise now features its first stand-alone vehicle as Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham reprise their roles as Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw, respectively. In late 2019, the Fast & Furious franchise speeds onto etflix with the global launch a brand-new kids and family series from DreamWorks Animation Television. In the series, teenager Tony Toretto follows in the footsteps of his cousin Dom when he and his friends are recruited by a government agency to infiltrate an elite racing league serving as a front for a nefarious crime organization bent on world domination.

For Jurassic World, the animated mini-series LEGO Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar debuts later this summer. Following the adventures of Claire, Owen and fan-favorite dinosaurs seen in the 2018 animated specials, LEGO Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit, the 13-episode mini-series and inspired four all-new LEGO building sets hitting retail shelves in August.

DreamWorks Animation’s sequel Trolls World Tour, the follow-up to the 1 film starring Anna Kendrick and ustin Timberlake, debuts in theaters in April 2020. Global master toy partner, Hasbro, continues to expand its toy collection, which supports the film franchise, including the hit etflix original series, DreamWorks Trolls: The Beat Goes On! LEGO was also named a new partner.

Premiering on Universal Kids this fall, DreamWorks Where’s Waldo? invites audiences to join Waldo and Wenda on their adventures as they travel the world to earn their stripes and become wizard-level Wanderers.

DreamWorks Animation Television also welcomes two new preschool series launching on etflix in , Rhyme Time Town and Gabby’s Dollhouse, adding to its robust lineup of kids’ series including Spirit Riding Free and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, among others.

From Illumination, the global theatrical debut of Minions 2 will be in July 2020 followed by Sing 2 in December 2020.

June 2019 tfe Licensing 93

BRAND PROFILE

F

ollowing its 50th anniversary celebration for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and all the promotions that took place last year, the company has seen renewed interest in all things Mister Rogers.

The redesign of its Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood legacy website earned it a ebby eople’s oice Award this year, while the property’s first-ever poetry book for kids, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (illustrated by Luke Flowers) from Quirk Books, launched this spring. This fall will see the introduction of a new collection of books as the company also gears up for the new ony ictures film, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers.

Newly signed partners include Penguin Random House, Running Press, Insight Editions, and Papersalt for publishing and stationery; Good Luck Sock, JY Design and Creations, and Socksmith for socks; Buffalo Games for games and puzzles; Brown Trout for calendars; Little Shop of Pins for enamel pins; and Pyramid America and Trends International for posters and wall décor.

Anniversary activities around the brand also resulted in more momentum around Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, the animated spin-off, as the company looks to expand the series’ footprint among new generations of parents and parenting influencers. The Daniel Tiger for arents app hit one million downloads in April, offering the series’ strategy songs as well as supporting videos, tips and tools to help preschoolers develop important social-emotional skills and learn age-appropriate life lessons. Three new episodes also premiered nationwide on PBS Kids May 20-May 22 addressing new preschool experiences with trademark musical strategies.

“Fred Rogers’ work is always an inspiration for us,” said Ellen Doherty, executive in charge of production for Fred Rogers Productions. “He prioritized careful attention to how you speak to children. Putting the experience of the child first. And thinking about where children in your target audience are developmentally. These values are part of the shows we make now, including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Odd Squad.”

94 tfe Licensing June 2019

Simon & Schuester In Helpers in your Neighborhood, Daniel Tiger leaves the Neighborhood of Make-Believe and visits the real world to help introduce readers to the helpers in their own neighborhoods. Illustrated using a combination of photographs of real-world helpers and illustrations of Daniel Tiger, the storybook focuses on Mister Rogers’ teachings and strategies from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. It’s available in August. Other upcoming titles include Daniel Goes to the Dentist, Mama Travels For Work, and Daniel’s Potty Time.

Kahootz Toys With Colorforms Dress Up Playset, Daniel Tiger fans can dress him up using a range of re-stickable shapes and accessories, providing multiple combinations that enhance learning through open-ended play and imaginative storytelling. It’s available this fall.

Buffalo Games The Mister Rogers Neighborhood Game is a card-matching game for families with players ages 10 and up. It features illustrated images of the characters from the series such as Mister Rogers and Daniel Striped Tiger. The game launches exclusively at Target this month.

Jakks Pacific

The Daniel Tiger Vehicle Set is a two-pack vehicle set with pull-back action that has been recently updated. Both vehicles feature Daniel Tiger in the driver’s seat: one in a cardboard box car and the other in a yellow convertible. The chunky cars are designed for preschoolers’ small hands to grip.

It’s available now.

Church & Dwight Orajel Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Training Toothpaste is a Daniel Tiger-themed toothbrush/toothpaste set that helps teach children to brush their teeth. The non-abrasive toothpaste is fluoride-, gluten-, dairy-, and sodium lauryl sulfate-free.

June 2019 tfe Licensing 95

MGA Entertainment RATNA KIRPAL,VP OF GLOBAL LICENSING MGA Entertainment appointed Ratna Kirpal as its new vice-president of global licensing.

As vice-president , Kirpal will create an aggressive growth strategy by collaborating with partners cross-divisionally and externally to enhance efforts that further expand the reach of the MGAE brands, including new category growth and collaborations with the MGAE retail, promotions and experiences divisions. She will report directly to MGAE CEO Isaac Larian.

With more than two decades of experience, Kirpal is an accomplished global licensing executive. For the past 14 years at Disney, Kirpal drove the success of many key licensing initiatives. She was effective in matrix-influencing global commercialization strategy and direction, and worked collaboratively with product development, creative, retail, finance and legal teams globally to achieve aggressive growth goals.

American Girl JAMIE CYGIELMAN, SVP AND GENERAL MANAGER Mattel named Jamie Cygielman as senior vice-president and general manager of American Girl.

Cygielman will lead the American Girl brand across its global consumer base through toys, content and experiences and she will be responsible for brand and product strategy. Cygielman will report to Richard Dickson, Mattel’s president and chief operating officer.

Cygielman brings 30 years of experience leading innovation, marketing and business development for iconic brands including Revlon, Thomas & Friends, and Barbie. In her most recent role as CMO for Iconix Brand Group’s portfolio of fashion and lifestyle brands, Jamie drove industry-leading marketing campaigns, while leading the digital transformation for the organization.

Prior to her role at Iconix Brand Group, Cygielman was the general manager of Madame Alexander, where she successfully led the turnaround effort to reclaim the doll brand’s premium position, cultural relevance and profitability. he’s also held senior level marketing and business development positions at The Jones Group as well as Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and HIT Entertainment.

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Schleich Bolsters U.S. Executive Team with New Hires, Promotions chleich has promoted David Albert to chief operating officer and appointed Annie aurie omermaand as chief commercial officer. Both executives are also managing directors of Schleich USA. In his new position, Albert oversees the company’s operational areas, including logistics, demand and supply planning, customer service, finance, global analytics, and T. Albert joins chleich A from the company’s headquarters in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, where he was most recently director of strategic business development for Schleich GmbH. He is credited with the successful launch of the Schleich web shop and the relaunch of the new website. He will remain responsible for the continuous development of Schleich’s global e-commerce activities and is now spearheading the toymaker’s D2C program. rior, Albert, who joined chleich in 201 , was head of product management.

Zomermaand is leading Schleich’s sales, marketing and human resources teams. She will also help shape the company’s overall business strategy. She has extensive toy industry experience and a proven track record of success with key retail partners and major brands. Most recently, she was director of consumer sales at Learning Resources. Before that, she was vice-president of sales at LeapFrog. Zomermaand began her toy industry career at The Lego Group, where she rose to director of customer development for several mass retailer accounts.

Wizards of the Coast JAMES OHLEN, HEAD OF YET-NAMED AUSTIN STUDIO izards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, announced ames Ohlen will open a new studio based in Austin, Texas.

Ohlen, a 23-year games industry veteran whose credits include Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate 2 and Neverwinter Nights, all based on the Dungeons & Dragons universe, will lead the studio’s creative development of new IP. Previously, Ohlen worked as a developer at BioWorld. izards of the Coast’s newest subsidiary will focus on the creation of original IP outside of the Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons’ brand.

Epic Story Media Expands Executive Team with eOne, Nickelodeon Vets

ChizComm/Beacon Media Group Hires Campisano, Shoukas

Epic Story Media (ESM) grows its senior team with two new hires. Former e ne Ac uisitions ice- resident essica abi joins as head of distribution and brand strategy. The former Nickelodeon Vice-President of Toys David ztoser comes abroad as head of licensing and merchandise. essica abi joins M with more than 1 years’ experience in kids and family content distribution. She began her career at kaBOOM! Entertainment, and then Phase 4 Films. There, Labi was responsible for marketing and distributing leading brands including Franklin the Turtle, The Bernstein Bears, Cat in the Hat, Chuggington, DQ’s Jungle Book and PAW Patrol. After the acquisition of Phase 4 by Entertainment One (eOne), Labi became part of eOne USA Films/Momentum Pictures as vice-president of acquisitions. In this role, she was tasked with growing the kids and family category along with eOne’s global digital distribution platform. Most recently, Labi was at Viva Pictures serving as senior vice-president. She also set up Hubble Entertainment, a production, consulting and sales company focused on global distribution.

David ztoser has more than 17 years of experience in entertainment licensing and merchandising. ztoser started his career with ew ine Cinema as an assistant, then product coordinator on brands such as The Lord of the Rings, Austin Powers, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Following New Line, ztoser went on to work with ids ntertainment. There, he was the manager of licensing sales and marketing for brands such as Teenage Mutant inja Turtles, Chaotic, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Most recently with Viacom for eight years as the vice-president of toys under the ickelodeon division, ztoser managed the kids ages 6–11 team. He oversaw the hard goods categories of toys, video games, sporting goods, consumer electronics, and high-end collectibles for Teenage Mutant inja Turtles, ponge ob uare ants, and A atrol. abi and ztoser will work across M’s growing slate of creator-led brands, which recently expanded to represent global licensing rights to Slugterra, as well as licensing and television rights to Chaotic.

ChizComm and eacon Media Group named athleen Campisano to global chief marketing officer of ChizComm and general manager of Beacon Media Group, along with Dean Shoukas as vice-president of digital marketing.

Campisano is a team-focused business leader with more than 25 years of experience driving multi-million dollar growth. She joins the company from arnes and oble, where she served as vice-president of toys, games and specialty products. During her 10 years in retail, Campisano and her team launched the Educational Toys & Games Department and Pop Culture Trend Shop to stores nationwide. Throughout her career she has held executive positions. She’s served as executive vice-president and CMO for Mega Brands, and senior vice-president of design, product development and strategic marketing for LeapFrog Enterprises.

She’s also held senior brand and product development positions at Fisher-Price and Century Baby Products.

In her role, Kathleen will be based in New Jersey and oversee operations of the eacon Media Group and serve as ChizComm’s global CMO. Her expertise across all areas of marketing, brand building, product line strategy and retail merchandising will further advance the future capabilities within both organizations.

ChizComm also welcomes Dean houkas as vice-president of digital marketing. Shoukas will oversee all digital media initiatives from ChizComm’s Toronto office, and will support the digital media buying strategies of the Beacon Media Group.

A former director of digital sales, he spent the past 11 years at Corus Entertainment, where he managed sales relationships with key partners and oversaw a digital sales team that saw year after year growth.

MOOSE TOYS JAMES KNIGHT, GENERAL MANAGER, DESIGN (BOYS, YOUTH ELECTRONICS, LICENSED, PRESCHOOL) Moose Toys announced the appointment of James Knight to the role of general manager, design (boys, youth electronics, licensed and preschool).

A 20-year toy veteran, Knight has held senior positions throughout the toy industry, including LEGO, Spin Master, Mattel, and Hasbro. His development experience extends to top brands including Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Tech Deck, and Bakugan. Most recently, he led development at Hasbro on Dream orks Trolls 2 product, in addition to Disney rincess, Frozen 2, and Disney Descendants.

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2019/2020

tfe /JUNE

/JULY

/AUGUST

12–13

MIPJunior

Javits Center New York City • thebookcon.com

14–17

MIPCOM

Mandalay Bay Convention Center Las Vegas • licensingexpo.com

23-25

ABC Kids Expo

1–2

BookCon

4–6

Licensing International Expo

9–12

ASTRA Marketplace & Academy

11–13

E3

11–13

18–21

24–25

/SEPTEMBER

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

David L. Lawrence Convention Center Pittsburgh • astramarketplace.com Los Angeles Convention Center Los Angeles • e3expo.com

/NOVEMBER

CES Asia

Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre Shanghai • cesasia.cn

Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas • theabcshow.com

Asian Animation Summit

21–22

CHITAG Inventor Conference (formerly T&GCon)

23-24

Chicago Toy & Game Fair (CHITAG)

/DECEMBER

Millennium Seoul Hilton Seoul • asiananimationsummit.com Navy Pier Chicago • chitag.com

Navy Pier Chicago • chitag.com

4–6

International Halloween Show

7–10

International CES

Chicago Baby Show

Navy Pier Chicago • chicagobabyshow.com

Palais des Festivals Cannes, France • mipcom.com

20–22

Comic-Con International

San Diego Convention Center San Diego • comic-con.org

JW Marriott Cannes Cannes, France • mipjunior.com

The Halloween Tower New York City • hiaonline.org

/JANUARY Las Vegas Convention Center, additional locations Las Vegas • ces.tech

3–6

Licensing Expo Japan 2019

6–8

Hong Kong Int’l Licensing Show

12

TTPM Holiday Showcase

6–9

Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair

/OCTOBER

1–3

Tokyo Big Sight Tokyo • licensingexpojapan.com

Metropolitan Pavilion New York City • anbmedia.com/showcases

Brand Licensing Europe ExCel London London • brandlicensing.eu

2–4

Toy Fair Dallas

3–6

New York Comic Con

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Dallas Market Center Dallas • toyassociation.org

Javits Center New York City • newyorkcomiccon.com

6–9 21–23 29–2/2

/FEBRUARY

22–25

Hong Kong Convention Center Hong Kong • hktdc.com Hong Kong Convention Center Hong Kong • hktdc.com

Hong Kong Baby Products Fair Hong Kong Convention Center Hong Kong • hktdc.com

The Toy Fair

Olympia London London • toyfair.co.uk

Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair

Nuremberg Exhibition Center Nuremberg • toyfair.de

American International Toy Fair Javits Center New York City • toyfairny.com

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2019 EVENTS & AWARDS 2019

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Our one-day TTPM showcases give exhibitors the opportunity to showcase products in front of key media, encompassing print, broadcast, and online news outlets as well as top social media influencers and YouTube stars. The TTPM editorial team also unveils its coveted Most Wanted Lists for spring and holiday, along with their predictions of the hottest trends and properties for each season.

HOLIDAY SHOWCASE

For consideration on our Most Wanted List, please submit product for review by August 23, 2019.

September 12 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Metropolitan Pavilion 125 W 18th St, New York, NY

The TTPM Pet Product Awards are also announced during the Holiday Showcase.

The third annual Best of Baby Awards will be announced on Wednesday, June 12, 2019.

TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE AT THE NEXT TTPM SHOWCASE, CONTACT Bob Glaser 646.763.8720 bob@ttpm.com

Donna Moore 646.763.8718 donna@ttpm.com

2019

2019

Discover the world of Nanables

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for Hours of Imaginative PLay!

PEEK INSIDE Download the app at nanables.com

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CONNECT WITH US @Jazwares #Jazwares Copyright © 2019 Jazwares, LLC. All rights reserved. © 2019 Nanables is a trademark of Tesseract Ventures, LLC.

5/13/2019 2:08:04 PM