The Toy Book - May 2021

®

Leapfrog Vtech_5-21.indd 1

3/28/21 1:25 PM

Leapfrog Vtech_5-21.indd 2

3/28/21 1:25 PM

Cover_May2021.indd 2

4/14/21 2:27 PM

Untitled-5 2

3/24/21 5:02 PM

Untitled-5 3

3/24/21 5:02 PM

Untitled-2 2

3/28/21 5:43 PM

Untitled-2 3

3/28/21 5:43 PM

MAY 2021

IN THIS ISSUE Volume 37, No. 2 — Published by Adventure Media and Events LLC

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

DEPARTMENTS 10 | From the Editor

44 | Talkin’ Toys: VTech

114 | Compliance & Regulations

12 | ASTRA’s Insights

106 | Marketing Memo: Leveraging Digital Play Patterns

115 | Toy Association Perspectives

13 | Toy Association Update 14 | Industry Update 17 | Toy Insider Events 43 | Industry Insight

Group Publisher Jackie Breyer jackie@toybook.com

116 | Media Mashup

107 | Raising the Bar

118 | Making Toys & Breaking Rules

108 | Giving Back: Shore Buddies

120 | Pop Quiz

110 | Marketing Memo: Going Live on Social Media

122 | Flashback

Deputy Editor James Zahn james@toybook.com Senior Editors Jackie Cucco jc@toybook.com Marissa DiBartolo marissa@toybook.com Ali Mierzejewski ali@toybook.com Associate Editor Madeleine Buckley mbuckley@toybook.com Editorial Assistant Nicole Savas nicole@toybook.com Editorial Interns Alex Aiello Ria Malatesta Rocco Marrongelli

»

FEATURES

From left to right: Ghosted from Big G Creative, Santa’s Little Pupper from Cuddle Barn, Pop It! Counting! from Buffalo Games, Nutcracker Plush from IScream

16 | Freight Fiasco Tips for Retailers to Manage Merchandise and Backorders

32 | Follow If You Like Fidgets Thanks to TikTok, fidgets are back and better than ever.

18 | Will They Stay or Will They Go? Analyzing Which Pandemic-related Business Strategies Will Last

112 | The Science of Play Why Kids Play the Way They Do: Part I

22 | Riding the E-commerce Wave Your online business exploded — now what?

26 | Fostering Emotional and Mental Health on the Toy Shelf These trending toys encourage social-emotional learning and mental wellness in kids of all ages.

28 | From Shelf to Screen The Dramatic Evolution from Toymakers to Entertainment Companies

Production Director Bill Reese bill@toybook.com Director of Sales & Marketing James Devin jd@toybook.com Sales Executive Stephanie Infantino stephanie@toybook.com Controller/Office Manager Lori Rubin lrubin@adventurepub.com

46 2021 Holiday Toy Preview

U.S. Corporate Headquarters

Need to stock your shelves with new products? These are the hottest toys and games coming out on July 1 and later.

The Loyal Subjects’ For Keeps Dolls were designed to empower kids to embrace their personalities. Learn more on page 26.

Art Director Joe Ibraham joe@toybook.com

President Laurie Schacht laurie@toybook.com

»

Adventure Media and Events LLC 307 7th Avenue, #501 New York, NY 10001 Phone: (212) 575-4510

On the cover: Spin Master’s Kinetic Sand Sandisfactory Set The Toy Book Volume 37, No. 2 THE TOY BOOK (ISSN-0885-3991) is published bi-monthly by Adventure Media and Events LLC. Editorial and advertising offices are located at 307 Seventh Ave., Room 501, New York, NY 10001, Phone (212) 575-4510. Periodicals Postage paid at New York and additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2021 Adventure Media and Events LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Printed in USA. Subscription rates: $48 one year, foreign $200. The Toy Book is a trademark of Adventure Media and Events LLC. Registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Toy Book, c/o Adventure Media and Events LLC., 307 Seventh Ave., Room 501, New York, NY 10001 or e-mail bill@toybook.com. Opinions and comments expressed in this publication by editors, contributing writers, or solicited or unsolicited documents are not necessarily those of the management of The Toy Book.

TOC_May_21.indd 4

Member, International Toy Magazine Association

4/14/21 2:20 PM

Untitled-5 1

4/9/21 12:37 PM

FROM THE EDITOR

THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

by MADDIE MICHALIK, editor-in-chief WE’VE COME SO FAR SINCE THIS TIME last year. The industry has conquered an unforgiving pandemic that threw every curve ball imaginable and knocked over every best-laid plan. We made great strides because we had to.

Looking at the big picture, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has expanded in the U.S., and the Biden administration has ordered universal eligibility by May 1.

And while optimism is a somewhat foreign feeling, we’re all eager to (safely) get back out into the world during the warmer spring and summer months. For the industry, that means potentially seeing each other in person again at trade shows. The first major event in the U.S. is ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy, which Sue Warfield, interim president of the organization, says is in planning stages and will have a soldout show floor. Taking place from Aug. 5-8 in Minneapolis, the event will follow CDC guidelines for large gatherings. Read more about the show from Warfield on page 12.

Consumers — equipped with their masks and hand sanitizer — are coming out in larger numbers to shop in person.

Turn to page 22 to read about the top tips from specialty retailers to have a meaningful online presence by Senior Editor Jackie Cucco.

The Toy Insider, sister brand of the Toy Book, also just debuted its Spring and Summer Gift Guide (available online at thetoyinsider.com), filled with the hottest toys of this season. I’m thrilled to see that manufacturers took the time during the height of the pandemic to plan and step up their offerings this year because the innovation shows. And from what I’ve gotten a sneak peek at, I think it’s going to be a strong holiday season.

Our 2021 Holiday Toy Preview, starting on page 46, showcases hundreds of toys and games across all categories that will be available starting on July 1. Make sure to flip through to check out the top products that you should stock your shelves with come the holiday season.

This issue also covers two of the top toy trends of the first half of the year.

You may have thought that you’ve seen the last of fidget toys, but they’re back and more popular than ever thanks to the video app TikTok. Instead of fidget spinners, squishies, and cubes, items like silicone poppers, tangles, fidget pea pods, and more are going viral and racking up millions of views on that platform alone. Not only are these affordable and easy to use to make content, they also have psychological benefits that kids are rediscovering. Read more from Associate Editor Madeleine Buckley on page 32.

The soothing, relaxing, and calming nature of these fidget toys tie into a larger trend: toys that encourage mental

wellness and social-emotional learning.

Editorial Assistant Nicole Savas rounded up some of our favorite toys that reflect this trend on page 26.

We have so much more inside this magazine! I sincerely hope you enjoy this issue of the Toy Book. Send over your thoughts and feedback with an email or tweet at us @ToyBook. Until next time! » Maddie Michalik is the editor-inchief of the Toy Book and senior editor of the Toy Insider and the Pop Insider. She reports on new products and toy industry trends and has been featured on broadcast TV segments in the U.S. and Canada. Reach her at maddie@toybook.com.

10 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

EditLetter_May21.indd 10

4/14/21 2:21 PM

Untitled-5 2

4/9/21 12:37 PM

ASTRA’S INSIGHTS

ASTRA IS MIGHTIER THAN EVER

Supporting Independent Toy Stores, Manufacturers, and Reps in 2021

by SUE WARFIELD, interim president, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association IT’S BEEN A CRAZY 12 MONTHS. I can still remember gathering in Las Vegas for Toy Fest West just about a year ago. After returning from that event, all in-person gatherings came to a screeching halt — fast forward to May 2021, and we have survived.

What does the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) look like in 2021? Due to the success of ASTRA’s Summer Camp virtual event in 2020 and our members’ need for new products, ASTRA successfully completed its Winter Camp from Feb. 19-23. We kicked off our camp by passing a virtual torch and lighting a campfire at the opening ceremony, which also included an amazing magic show put on by professional magician Bill Cook, provided by our member manufacturer D. Robbins (EZ Magic). The next four days were filled with great product showings in our live “huddles” and manufacturer “campsites” that offered videos, product information, and “office hours” for virtual live meetings with retailers.

We kicked off the event every morning with live Zoom gatherings, complete with a wellness session and a fresh dis-

cussion topic. Our evening social events included On the Road, during which we virtually toured many of our members’ stores and businesses; Kit and Game Night for manufacturers to show off their latest activity kits and board games; and Share the Fair, during which retailers shared their best-performing items in 2020 and what they are seeing as great new 2021 products. In our closing ceremony on Feb. 23, we shared what our community means to us. Winter Camp brought out the best in what we are all about: working together for success as well as having fun through play.

We will announce our Best Toys for Kids award winners in June along with a special print edition of our magazine that will highlight all the finalists. This program is intended to heighten consumer awareness of the value of creative, open-ended play and the role that independent, locally owned toy stores play in providing kids with quality products that promote happy, healthy, and productive childhoods. Companies have already nominated their products for the Best Toys for Kids awards, and ASTRA retailers will soon vote to determine the winners.

ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy is scheduled to take place from Aug. 5-8 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The event will follow CDC guidelines for larger gatherings. | Source: ASTRA

While virtual events will continue to keep us connected, we are full steam ahead for our in-person gathering in August. ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy is scheduled to take place from Aug. 5-8 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. With the vaccine rollout showing promise, we believe this event will be our own “shot in the arm” as we gather in-person for the first time in more than 17 months! While it will be a bit of a scaled-down version from previous Marketplace & Academy events due to the lingering effects of the pandemic, the energy, offerings, and fun will be stronger than ever after our long drought of personal interactions.

We will have all safety precautions put in place based on the guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for large gatherings. We are in the planning stages as this article goes to press, but rest assured, it will be an amazing event with a sold-out show floor. The popular Kit and Game Night retailer events will take place, as will the infamous lip sync contest. Minneapolis, along with our strong independent retailer, sales rep, and manufacturer “home state” businesses, are ready to roll out the red carpet and make this an event you won’t want to miss.

As we all continue to stretch ourselves in 2021, ASTRA’s staff, our board, and our members are working together to provide the support we all need as we begin to see a “new beginning.” We are and will continue to be mightier than ever! » Sue Warfield, interim president of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), has more than 30 years of experience working in the toy industry, including owning a retail store, being a sales representative, and working with her husband in a manufacturing business.

12 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

ASTRAInsights_May21.indd 12

4/14/21 2:26 PM

TOY ASSOCIATION UPDATE

THE FIGHT AGAINST FAKES The Toy Association’s anti-counterfeiting efforts coincide with World Intellectual Property Day.

by KRISTIN MORENCY GOLDMAN, senior communications specialist, The Toy Association AS THE GLOBAL BUSINESS COMMUNity prepares to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day on April 26, stopping toy counterfeits from entering the U.S. — and ending up in the hands of innocent children — continues to be a top priority for The Toy Association and its members.

“Our team is meeting with congressional offices and federal lawmakers this spring to highlight the important role of intellectual property (IP) rights in encouraging and protecting vital innovation and creativity within the toy industry,” says Ed Desmond, executive vice president of external affairs at The Toy Association.

“Working to pass federal legislation, enhancing consumer awareness about how to spot fakes, and collaborating with government agencies to end the sale of illicit products all continue to be key components of our advocacy work on behalf of the toy community.”

The team is currently working with congressional offices to reintroduce IP-related bills — the INFORM Consumers Act, the SHOP Safe Act, and the SANTA Act — that incorporate recommendations from The Toy Association’s 2020 white paper, “Taking Fake Toys Offline: A 2020 Focus on Proactive Measures to Reduce Counterfeits and Unsafe Toys Sold on Online Marketplaces.” These bills include best practices outlined within the report, including increased seller vetting and consumer transparency that third-party marketplaces should have in place to protect families from potentially dangerous counterfeits sold online.

The Toy Association’s white paper also uncovers key factors contributing to the rise in counterfeits and proactive, multistakeholder solutions to the problem, including better collaboration between online marketplaces, legislators, Toy Association members, and consumers.

Looking ahead, the Association will be collaborating with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other

World Intellectual Property Day key art Source: Jonathan Calugi for the World Intellectual Property Organization

agencies on anti-counterfeiting measures to help toy brand owners protect their IP and reduce the number of fake products entering the country.

While the burden of enforcement should never be on the brand owner, there are steps toy companies can take until the issue is better regulated. A strong online presence (at minimum, a website that lists certified retailers where products can be purchased) helps. We also encourage companies to monitor online marketplaces for counterfeit products and to pursue takedown procedures with the marketplace.

“We encourage toy brands to register all trademarks, copyrights, and patents with USPTO and the appropriate customs authorities, along with who they have authorized to import genuine product,” Desmond says.

Even though counterfeits remain a problem, The Toy Association has contributed to important progress on the issue over the past year — including the

introduction of legislation placing clear requirements on marketplaces and sellers; the publication of a Department of Homeland Security Report echoing many of the toy industry’s proposed solutions; and better cooperation, communication, and collaboration with major online marketplaces. Yet, so much more needs to be done. Toy Association members who want to become involved in these crucial efforts are encouraged to reach out to Leigh Moyers, senior manager of federal government affairs at The Toy Association (lmoyers@toyassociation.org) for additional information. » As The Toy Association’s senior communications specialist, Kristin Morency Goldman leads the development of content for its print and online communications.

Her articles on toy trends, toy safety, and industry news can be found in trade and consumer publications around the world. She holds a master’s degree in media, culture, and communications from NYU.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 13

TAUpdate_May21.indd 13

4/14/21 3:28 PM

INDUSTRY UPDATE

JAZWARES, EPIC GAMES EXPAND FORTNITE PARTNERSHIP

Fortnite Agent Peely Agent’s Room 2-Figure Pack Source: Jazwares

Epic Games and Jazwares have extended their licensing agreement for Fortnite toys and collectibles through 2025. IMG brokered the deal that comes with new terms starting next January, when Jazwares becomes the exclusive toy partner for all Fortnite action figures, vehicles, playsets, and accessories at 4-inch scale and below. Jazwares will also continue to produce its Fortnite R/C vehicles range — which is compatible with the 4-inch scale — and its growing Fortnite plush assortment. Next year, there will be a fresh lineup of 2-inch action figures, vehicles, playsets, and accessories for Fortnite fans who prefer a miniature scale. »

SPIELWARENMESSE SUMMER EDITION CANCELED; EVENT SET TO RETURN IN JANUARY 2022

Spielwarenmesse‘s Summer Edition, which was scheduled for July 20-24, is canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The organizers instead will focus on next year’s event, taking place from Feb. 2-6, 2022.

The organization noted that a lack of guidance from the German government made it difficult for trade show organizers to make firm plans, especially for international attendees who needed to book travel and accommodations.

Next year’s in-person event will coincide with Spielwarenmesse Digital, which will offer virtual product showcases, year-round company presentations, networking opportunities, and seminars for manufacturers, retailers, and buyers. Attendees who are unable to attend Spielwarenmesse in person will have access to the online platform. »

WHP GLOBAL ACQUIRES CONTROLLING INTEREST IN TRU KIDS INC.

New York-based brand acquisition and management firm WHP Global acquired a controlling interest in Tru Kids

Inc., the parent company of Toys “R” Us, Babies “R” Us, Geoffrey Giraffe, and more than 20 consumer brands. Effective immediately, WHP will manage the global Toys “R” Us business and direct its strategic expansion.

Despite its recent struggles to relaunch Toys “R” Us in the U.S., Tru Kids generates more than $2 billion annually in global retail sales through its licensing agreements for the Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us brands. The brands maintain a presence in more than 25 countries for both physical retail locations and e-commerce sites. »

ROBLOX GETS KARTOON CHANNEL! SERIES, L.O.L. SURPRISE! CROSSOVER

The ever-expanding world of Roblox is coming to Kartoon Channel!, thanks to a partnership deal between Genius Brands International and Tankee. Production is underway for a new, 12-episode Roblox series featuring top Roblox influencers that will begin streaming on Kartoon Channel! in June.

Also, L.O.L. Surprise! is now a part of the Roblox world. Following a few weeks of build-up, The L.O.L. Surprise!

Official Party gaming experience went live on the platform on April 2. The free, kid-safe gaming experience includes interactive doll characters that kids can

customize with mix-and-match outfits and accessories. MGA Entertainment and SuperAwesome collaborated to create the experience. »

2021 Squishmallow plush character | Source: Kellytoy

SQUISHMALLOWS SALES BOOM ON EBAY

Squishmallows, the popular plush line from Kellytoy — a subsidiary of Jazwares — has launched more than 500 characters to date and has sold 73 million total plush since its debut in 2017. Now, the limited nature of certain characters is fueling a secondary market on eBay. Representatives for eBay told the Toy Book that 57,381 listings for Squishmallows have been placed on the site so far this year (as of March 26), for an average of 690 listings a day. As for individual

14 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

IndustryUpdate May21.indd 14

4/13/21 2:57 PM

units, more than 58,000 Squishmallows have been sold on eBay this year. »

BARBIE GETS REALITY COMPETITION SERIES

Mattel Inc. and Mission Control Media (Hollywood Game Night, Face Off, The Soup) have teamed up to develop a fashion design reality competition series that will focus on creating high-fashion collections for Barbie dolls. Barbie Fashion Battle features a dozen designers who will face off in teams assigned between two separate fashion houses, each run by a celebrity fashion icon.

The winner will be awarded a cash prize and the opportunity to design a new line of Barbie doll fashions for Mattel Creations, the in-house, e-commerce platform Mattel launched last summer. »

FUNKO ACQUIRES MAJORITY STAKE IN TOKENWAVE, ENTERING NFT COLLECTIBLE SPACE

Funko is betting big on the growing world of nonfungible tokens (NFT) with the acquisition of a majority stake in TokenWave — the company behind TokenHead, a mobile app and website for showcasing and tracking NFT holdings.

Beginning in June, Funko will launch NFT offerings on the WAX platform, the leading decentralized wallet on the blockchain, which provides verifiable authenticity for purchases of NFTs. Funko CEO Brian Mariotti says the NFTs will start at an affordable price point of $9.99.

“The marriage of digital and physical using WAX’s patented NFT technology — known as vIRLs — is powerful,” Mariotti says. “Our ability to combine Funko Pop! digital NFTs with exclusive Funko Pop! Vinyl Figures has the potential to be a game-changer.” »

PLAYMONSTER ACQUIRES BRITEBRUSH BRAND

Wisconsin-based PlayMonster has acquired BriteBrush toothbrushes, entering into a new product category. The jump from the toy department to the oral care aisle follows a year of success for BriteBrush, which WowWee developed and launched at Toy Fair New York last year.

PlayMonster plans to expand the BriteBrush line of interactive toothbrushes for kids in an effort to continue merging fun with healthy habits. »

THE TOY ASSOCIATION ADDS TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ELECTS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

During this year’s virtual version of The Toy Association’s Annual General Meeting, new members were elected to serve on The Toy Association’s board of directors, and three existing members were re-elected to serve additional twoyear terms. The board members also elected a new executive committee.

New, first-term members of the board of directors include Kathrin Belliveau, chief purpose officer at Hasbro; Erica Buxton, chief operating officer at Razor USA; Ashley Mady, head of brand development at Basic Fun!; Anne Parducci, chief content officer at MGA Entertainment; and Dion Vlachos, executive vice president of hardlines and retail at ViacomCBS Consumer Products.

The existing members serving additional two-year terms are Aaron Muderick, founder and executive chairman of Crazy Aaron’s Puttyworld; Michael Rinzler, co-president at Wicked Cool Toys and executive vice president and partner at Jazwares; and Steve Totzke, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Mattel.

The new executive committee members include Skip Kodak of The LEGO Group as chairperson; Aaron Muderick of Crazy Aaron’s Putty World as vice-chairperson; Timothy Kilpin of PlayMonster as secretary-treasurer; and Steve Totzke of Mattel and Sharon Price John of Build-ABear Workshop as members at large. »

PMI, YUME TOYS TO DISTRIBUTE TOIKIDO’S AMONG US TOYS

Toikido, a UK-based entertainment and toy company, inked deals with PMI and YuMe Toys to serve as key global distributors for its new toy line inspired by InnerSloth’s video game Among Us. Under the new deal, PMI will distribute a range of products that Toikido

is developing as the master global toy partner for the Among Us franchise. The line includes action figures, playsets, collectible figures, stampers, keychains, and plush. YuMe Toys will distribute additional categories from the collection, including plush, feature plush, capsules, costumes, and seasonal items.

The first wave of officially licensed Among Us toys is slated to launch in midMay with a second wave scheduled to hit stores in June. »

Space Jam: A New Legacy LeBron James Ultimate Tune Squad Action Figure Source: Moose Toys

MOOSE TOYS INTRODUCES SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY TOY COLLECTION

Ahead of the debut of Space Jam: A New Legacy this summer, Moose Toys and Warner Bros. Consumer Products released a range of licensed toys and collectibles inspired by the movie. This toy line features Tune Squad characters, such as Lola and Bugs Bunny, as well as the movie’s NBA protagonist, LeBron James.

The offerings include action figures, collectibles, plush characters, playsets, and Goo Heroes (inspired by Moose Toys’ Heroes of Goo Jit Zu brand). »

STAY CONNECTED! @TheToyBook

The Toy Book

@TheToyBook

@ToyBook

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 15

IndustryUpdate May21.indd 15

4/13/21 2:57 PM

FREIGHT FIASCO Tips for Retailers to Manage Merchandise and Backorders

by ERIN GAGNE, logistics coordinator, Grand Prix International (GPI) Inc. 2020 TURNED EVERYONE’S PLANS upside-down. Entire countries went into quarantine, businesses closed, jobs were lost, and Zoom became a household name. There isn’t much good to say about 2020, but for the toy and game industry, it wasn’t all bad. The business of play prospered as families sought ways to entertain themselves and forget their worries. So, if the industry has done so well, why are the products you want consistently on backorder? The answer is tied to unique challenges faced by the freight industry.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? Last year, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, online ordering quickly increased. Overseas factories raced to get products complete and into the hands of U.S. consumers. By mid2020, imports were arriving for domestic distribution. Ports on both coasts quickly found themselves dealing with holiday-level volumes. In a normal year, an import surge could have been handled, but due to the pandemic, most ports were operating at reduced capacities with new social distancing rules, sanitizing standards, and travel restrictions in place.

Vessels continued to pour into the ports, and there was not enough time or manpower to match the volume. Soon, containers were piling up in freight stations and warehouses, awaiting space on trucks and trains that were also being overwhelmed by unusually massive volumes of freight. This was happening well ahead of the usual August start for the peak shipping season.

MANAGING BACKORDERS AT RETAIL We are four months into 2021 and

U.S. ports continue to be bogged down with record import volumes. Retailers are consistently seeing products on backorder instead of on store shelves, resulting in poor presentation and consumer disappointment. To manage backorders effectively, clear communication is key. Retailers should speak with their wholesalers and sales representatives to identify when the best estimate is for backordered products to ship; which similar, in-stock replacement products may be available to stock shelves; and if preordering additional units is an option to get into the fulfillment queue for products that may be out of stock again in the future.

There isn’t a precise date yet on when the port issues and backorders will end.

Some experts say that by late spring we’ll start seeing a more normalized freight chain, while others believe it will level out later this year, closer to the August peak season. Either way, there are two major factors that will directly affect the clearing of ports and the movement of freight across the U.S.: vaccine rollout and a reduced volume of containers.

Longshoremen are in short supply due to the pandemic. According to a February report from the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union, 1,208 longshoremen in California had tested positive for COVID-19 in the past year, and 13 had died. In an effort to speed up the vaccination process, the California Department of Public Health reclassified longshoremen and added them to the list of eligible recipients.

Though the vaccine supply and rollout continues to be erratic, increased vaccinations are a major step toward increasing staffing levels at U.S ports.

A window of lower import volume should surface in the weeks ahead tied to the customary shutdown of production and shipping tied to the Chinese New Year celebrations in February. The ripple effect of time on the water should provide a chance for U.S. ports to catch up as even a slight reduction in incoming vessels can help to get shipments back on track.

A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL The past year has been rough for every industry, however, the stories of resilience are abundant. People everywhere are eager to get out of the house and return to some of their past activities, which undoubtedly includes in-person shopping. One great positive about the toy and game industry is that we’re ready to welcome families back into stores with a fresh lineup of products.

Despite the pandemic, supply chain issues, and the slew of canceled trade shows, our industry continues to thrive and produce great new products. This trend will continue throughout the year and, eventually, the ports will clear and retailers will see a return to fully stocked shelves again. »

Erin Gagne keeps the trains running on time for GPI Inc., tracking completion dates for the large majority of its customers and arranging shipping and delivery of goods to one or multiple locations. She entered the toy and game industry at age 14, assembling parts for a plastic manufacturing company, which gave her early knowledge of the different types of injection and extrusion molding available to produce toys.

Contact her at freight@madebygpi.com or visit madebygpi.com.

16 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

FreightFiasco_May21.indd 16

4/13/21 1:07 PM

TOY INSIDER EVENTS

JOIN THE FESTIVE FUN The Toy Insider’s 10th annual Holiday of Play event is on!

JINGLE, JINGLE! THE HOLIDAYS WILL be here before you know it, and the Toy Insider is already gearing up for its 10th annual Holiday of Play media and influencer toy party, set to take place on Sept.

22 in New York City!

Holiday of Play will welcome more than 150 VIP digital influencers, YouTube creators with millions of subscribers, and traditional press — including producers and editors from The TODAY Show, NBC News, CBS News, BuzzFeed, Yahoo Finance, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Parents magazine, Good Housekeeping, and so many more — providing everyone with a sneak peek at the top toys of the year.

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

sider will ensure the safety of its guests Every year at Holiday of Play, the Toy and sponsors, following all Center for Insider announces the top toys, games, Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and collectibles of the holiday season guidelines for larger events. If the event from its annual Holiday Gift Guide, giving cannot take place in person for any reaguests a first look at the highly influenson, the show will go on in a virtual fortial Hot 20, 12 Under $12, and STEM 10 mat, once again utilizing the Toy Insider’s lists. Guests are able to get a first look at custom-built, 3D-rendered environment. these toys before anyone else, with prodHoliday of Play 2021 sponsorships are uct demonstrations from the manufacturselling out quickly. If you are interested in ers themselves. securing early bird rates, please contact Plus, Holiday of Play guests will leave Jackie Breyer at jackie@toyinsider.com or the event with enormous overstuffed James Devin at jd@toyinsider.com before swag bags full of products to review, May 19. » share, post about, and enjoy with family and friends.

In 2020, Holiday of Play went virtual for the first time ever due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The highly interactive online event welcomed nearly 600 guests, generating nearly 40 million Twitter impressions and 500 unique posts on Instagram with countless likes, comments, and shares.

Top: Members of the WeCool Toys team demonstrate Compound While Holiday of Play is Kings 3D Goosh at Holiday of Play 2019. Bottom: Influencers are currently scheduled to take ready to enjoy an evening in New York City as they enter Holiday of Play 2019. | Source: the Toy Insider place in person, the Toy Intoybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 17

TI Events_May21_FinalFile.indd 17

4/13/21 3:14 PM

Stay Go? Will They

Will They

or

Analyzing Which Pandemic-related Business Strategies Will Last

by MADDIE MICHALIK, editor-in-chief THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THE TOY industry is rooted in tradition, from counting on tried-and-true play patterns to doing business in-person at major events throughout the year. But when a global pandemic enters the picture, all of that goes out the window.

During this past year, toy companies were faced with countless challenges, staying in touch with consumers, spending endless hours strategizing, shifting, and problem-solving from afar, all while trying getting used to a new normal. Ironically, these obstacles are exactly what drive innovation.

The Toy Book spoke with 14 top manufacturers to pinpoint exactly what evolving trends and business practices came out of or were accelerated during 2020 due to the pandemic, and evaluate which ones are short-term fixes and which are here to stay.

DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER RETAIL Heading into 2020, the in-person shopping experience was going through a renaissance of sorts. Many retailers — from independents to big-box names — were embracing the experiential model to give their customers a fresh, engaging shopping experience. But when nationwide lockdowns and stay-at-home orders were mandated last March, brick-andmortar locations closed and manufacturers stepped up their direct-to-consumer retail strategies. Many had either added a shopping section to their websites altogether or expanded their existing online offerings. The verdict: a tie between

being a short- and long-term trend.

For Tangible Play, creator of the Osmo brand of physical and digital learning products, having a strong online presence was always a company priority.

To make up for the loss of sales at brickand-mortar stores, the company shifted its focus on Amazon, increasing sales by 30%, according to Karen O’Dell, director of public relations at the company.

Similarly, Ceaco has always had a direct-to-consumer option for its jigsaw puzzle brand, but since puzzles were one of the top-performing and popular categories during the pandemic, the company experienced unprecedented sales in 2020. “When the pandemic first hit in March, consumer demand was off the charts,” says Jason Schneider, vice president of product development at Ceaco and Gamewright. “We did more direct-to-consumer business in one month than we had done in the entire 2019 holiday shopping season combined.”

However, sales tapered off during the spring when the company was forced to shut down its manufacturing and fulfillment centers due to COVID-19 precautions. “We’ve always prided ourselves as having the agility to react to the moment, but we felt the pain of many companies whose manufacturing and shipping channels were affected by the pandemic,” Schneider says. “On the one hand we were fortunate to have a strong inventory of games at the start of 2020. On the other hand, jigsaw puzzle demand defied all forecasts and expectations.”

Schneider also says that its website

analytics show that shoppers are still visiting its website in record numbers, and Ceaco anticipates being back up and running to pre-COVID conditions by midyear. Even though consumers are showing up in larger numbers to shop in person again, the advantages of direct-to-consumer business remain. The convenience factor is huge, and it’s likely that online shopping will continue to dominate.

“Online shopping has been growing at a sizable rate year over year, and the data continues to show that trend is only going to continue,” says Scott Goldberg, managing director and executive vice president of Carve Communications. “As a result, we saw our partners allocate their marketing budgets in a variety of ways in 2020 to test and learn what will drive the best conversions for online sales. … We are able to report exactly how much money was spent where, when, and with who, and exactly what the result was in regards to traffic and sales.

That’s a true game changer.”

FEWER KIDS AT RETAIL Parents aren’t bringing their kids out shopping as much as they did pre-pandemic, resulting in less impulse purchases. As mentioned above, online shopping continues to be the dominant method for consumers, and curbside pickup options are preferred. The verdict: short-term.

“The growth in online channels resulted in an increase in sales of higher price point items and a decrease in the under $10 impulse purchase category,” says Laura Henderson, executive vice

18 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

WillItStayorWillItGo_May21.indd 18

4/14/21 2:26 PM

Untitled-17 1

3/26/21 1:22 PM

president of marketing at Spin Master.

“For in-store, it’s more important than ever to stand out as shoppers are more mission-focused, looking to reduce the amount of time they spend in stores.”

Most manufacturers agree that a well-rounded, all-channel approach is the best strategy to implement when the pandemic eventually winds down. “Consumers want in-store experiences,” says Mattel’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Steve Totzke.

“We will leverage what we learned in 2020 from the success of digital campaigns and virtual consumer events, and will complement that with compelling in-store events to fully optimize the shopping experience and path to purchase.”

GOING VIRTUAL Between daily Zoom meetings, virtual studios, and online events, our daily and professional lives have gone digital. The verdict: short-term trend.

“The pandemic will 100% change the way business is conducted, and it will be all for the positive,” says Anna Mowbray, owner and COO at ZURU. “I’m hopeful for consolidation of toy fairs as we pivot and all work more succinctly and efficiently with virtual tools. We’re continuing to push the boundaries on how we operate virtually, but also planning on how we open up to in-person meetings and shows in the future that will allow for deeper interactions.”

For an industry that relies on handson, in-person meetings for product demonstrations, perhaps the pandemic’s biggest disruption is the lack of trade shows for the foreseeable future.

“We are able to ‘always’ be on the sales cycle with customers as jumping in a Zoom is fast versus scheduling an in-person meeting and/or waiting to see a buyer until a trade show,” says Josh Loerzel, vice president of sales and marketing at Hog Wild. “The disadvantage is massive, however. We lose the energy of a face-to-face meeting, and for a retail category like toys, it relies so much on buyers actually playing with your toy to see performance and appeal.”

Moving forward, a hybrid model will likely take over — from a smaller scale of more flexible working-from-home policies to a larger scale of tying in virtual components to traditionally in-person

Ashley Mady, head of brand development at Basic Fun!, shows off Cutetitos at the company’s in-office studio, which is used for virtual meetings and product demonstrations. Source: Entrepreneur Magazine

events. “We’ve managed to increase cohesion, productivity, and team members are thrilled to have more time in their days thanks to less commuting,” says Andrew Yanofsky, head of marketing and operations at WowWee. “The past year has proved for us that this will certainly not slow us down.”

PRODUCT INFLUENCED BY DIGITALFIRST ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS Entertainment consumption is increasing rapidly thanks to connected TV, streaming services, and other digital-first platforms, like YouTube. Manufacturers are re-evaluating the licenses they take on and seeking out new options to offer products based on these brands, channels, and influencers. These changes were fueled by the pandemic during which reliance on movie theaters decreased. The verdict: long-term.

“Digital celebrities and trends are here to stay,” says Bonkers Toys’ Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Deborah Stallings Stumm. “Kids and teens are consuming entertainment in ways very different than their parents did. YouTube, social media, and streaming platforms reign supreme with our kids and the hottest toys will need to reflect those trends and be advertised in those arenas.”

This shift in the way that kids are consuming content even before the pandemic began. Digital-first platforms give consumers access to content whenever and wherever they want it, and streaming services are making old franchises relevant again.

“For many families, their TV is no longer their first destination when they’re looking for their favorite co-viewing con-

tent,” says Laura Zebersky, president of Jazwares. “For toy companies, this offers us an exciting opportunity to work with emerging properties and create toy lines that directly complement what kids are watching on their screens.”

EMPHASIS ON “PANDEMIC PLAY” CATEGORIES Family games, puzzles, construction toys, activity sets, educational products, and outdoor and active toys were the most popular toy categories of 2020.

More companies are branching out of their traditional categories of expertise to offer these toys in 2021 to take advantage of the high demand. The verdict: short-term trend.

“The pandemic has reacquainted families with the importance of being together and spending time together — this family dynamic will have a positive impact on these areas of play and will continue to grow,” says PlayMonster’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Chief Fun Officer Scott Flynn. “As these categories continue to grow we will continue to maintain these as core offerings while exploring how we can expand.”

Instead of looking at it as “pandemic play” categories, companies have taken a step back as consumers rediscovered the meaning of play in their lives. “There has been a complete magnifying glass put on what play is in general,” says Glennn Abell, president and general manager of Moose Toys USA. “What it really comes down to is developing the best toys that appeal to kids and adults alike, and our focus will continue to be on bringing the most innovative products to market each and every year.” »

20 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

WillItStayorWillItGo_May21.indd 20

4/14/21 4:03 PM

Untitled-7 1

3/30/21 10:42 AM

RIDING THE E-COMMERCE Your online business exploded — now what?

by JACKIE CUCCO, senior editor IT’S BEEN MORE THAN A YEAR SINCE the COVID-19 pandemic started, changing lives across the world. At first, it was impossible to imagine that entire cities would go under lockdown and quarantine, but that became an inevitable part of getting through the beginning stages — and many businesses adapted to the new normal by shifting to a digital world.

Purchasing in the online channel continues to outperform last year’s results by more than 30%, according to The NPD Group. Even after businesses reopen, it may take time before consumers rush back into brick-and-mortar stores, now that they have gotten used to the convenience of online shopping. Some small businesses were lucky enough to already have omnichannel commerce plans in place, while others found themselves creating websites for the first time. Either way, all businesses should consider riding the e-commerce wave and keep the momentum going while it’s hot.

BACK TO BASICS Not all businesses have tech-savvy employees to help them go above and beyond with a fancy website, especially when the main focus is on a brick-andmortar store.

The easiest place to start is with the basics: Make sure the shop information is accurate, 22 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

SpecialtyE-CommerceMay2021.indd 22

and set aside some time to keep online inventory up to date.

Happki is a specialty toy store that got its start in 2019 as an e-commerce store, followed by a brick-and-mortar location in Deer Park, Illinois, later that year. The original plan was to focus more on the website, but management found that it was difficult to keep up with uploading new inventory when there was so much work to do in the physical store. When Happki had to temporarily shut down due to the pandemic last year, focus turned back to its website.

“We started asking vendors for better images and uploaded every single product that we had in the store on the website,” says Mauricio Romy, Happki’s founder and CEO. “The biggest change we made was to focus on growing the catalog online. Our No. 1 task was putting our entire inventory on the website

and that helped a lot.” The growth of the website made up for the lack of sales in the brick-and-mortar store as its April 2020 sales surpassed its 2019 holiday sales by 300%.

The first thing Greta Perl did when she bought the Alphabet Soup toy store in Ithaca, New York, from its previous owner in 2018 was create a website with an e-commerce component. There was almost no traffic at first, until the pandemic hit and stores shut down in New York state. “It was really handy to have the website set up already with the inventory up to date,” Perl says. “The website was our only source of business through last June and it’s still a constant option for people to this day.”

Perl’s website is not only a convenient way for people to shop, but it also serves as an advertisement to let people know she’s there. When Alphabet Soup opened its doors again, many in-person shoppers told Perl that they found out about the store through its website. She constantly updates it to keep the front page seasonal and to showcase new items.

You don’t have to hire a trained photographer either: Perl takes the photos on her iPhone and two staff members update the photos and descriptions anytime new merchandise arrives.

“For me, it really helps to have

Happki got its start in 2019 as an e-commerce store, followed by a brick-and-mortar location in Illinois. | Source: Happki

4/13/21 2:59 PM

Untitled-9 1

3/30/21 9:08 PM

some staff help with the product listings because that takes a little bit of work,” she says. Schedule a little time each day to work on your website so customers can see what’s new.

Perl says that if you don’t know where to start, at least put your store hours up.

“Having anything at all is better than nothing, so don’t worry too much about making it look amazing,” she says.

CUSTOMER SERVICE GOES DIGITAL Most specialty toy stores heavily rely on personal touches, offering customers a level of service that they can’t find with big-box competitors. One of the biggest challenges of e-commerce — and the pandemic — is losing the face-to-face interaction that so many small businesses rely on. In what ways can businesses let their customer service shine through a computer screen?

After approximately 35 years in business, Red Balloon Toy Store had a 422% sales increase in 2020 over 2019. There are six locations in Utah and, as of March, they’re up 202% over last year overall.

Red Balloon Toy Store’s Vice President David Castillo had been working on building an omnichannel presence for the store pre-pandemic, but the e-commerce websites were more of a side project than a focus. After seeing a significant boost in online traffic, Castillo is now giving the websites more serious attention.

“We continue to ask ourselves: What sets the brick-and-mortar experience apart from the e-commerce experience and how do we bridge that gap to the best of our abilities? A big part of that is our credibility and our selection, but also the ability for customers to ask questions and interact with an employee who is knowledgeable,” Castillo says. The online chat features are popular with customers and Castillo makes sure to have staff available to respond to requests and give input if customers need help shopping for particular interests or age groups on the website.

Red Balloon Toy Store is also making efforts to improve its navigation functions so that shoppers can filter and narrow down their selections based on what they are looking for, whether that be price range, age range, brand, or other categories. “Where we failed before was assuming that everyone browses a web-

site the same way that we do,” Castillo says.

“Some customers might come into the store and say ‘I know who I’m shopping for and I know they love dinosaurs. What do you have?’” Castillo wants to expand the website’s navigation and interests sections so people can shop in a similar fashion. “We’re really trying to recreate that in-store experience as much as possible.”

Perl echoes that sentiment, adding that she constantly mixes up the categories and interests on Alphabet Soup’s website to keep it fresh based on current or seasonal trends, such as fidget toys or Easter-themed toys. The Alphabet Soup website also offers something called “Surprise Boxes.” The customer can pick a theme — such as games you can play on video calls or a 4-year-old who loves crafts — and the employees will customize a box full of surprise items catered to that request. “That makes it really easy if a customer is shopping for someone they don’t know very well or if they’re short on time,” Perl says. “This was helpful from a retail point of view as well because I could choose from what I had on hand and didn’t have to worry about things being out of stock.”

MAINTAIN THE MOMENTUM As the world slowly, but surely, begins to get back to a semblance of normalcy, retailers need to hold onto their online growth before giving it a chance to slip away. One way to take advantage of higher-than-usual web traffic is by giving something back with special events, such as free shipping, flash sales, or giveaways.

“Set a budget on the side so you can do raffles and giveaways to create brand awareness, more than anything,” Romy says. Happki started doing more raffles and creative events online over the past year, asking customers to tag a friend and follow the store on social media to grow its reach. “Instead of doing paid ads, we put that money toward our customers and that helped a lot. Rely on your cus-

The Alphabet Soup website features categories based on current trends. | Source: Alphabet Soup

tomers and tell them to help your store.

If they know you have a website and ship to other states, they will share with family members and friends in other parts of the country and that brought us a lot of new customers.”

As much as e-commerce opens businesses up to a wider reach, it’s also important for small businesses to remember where they came from and take care of their local community. “I know this sounds so counterintuitive, but it’s been working great for us so far. People look at e-commerce and think their target is the world, but we’re really just trying to gear our website toward our community first, and then let others outside of our area find it on their own,” Castillo says.

“I want everyone in Salt Lake County to think of Red Balloon Toy Store first when they think toys, games, and puzzles. We want to build mindshare here and build the economy here. Then, we will bring in people out of our area.”

Just because more people are choosing to shop online doesn’t mean you should wait for the customer to come to you. Go out there, reel them in, and keep them coming back for more. » Jackie Cucco is a senior editor at Adventure Media & Events. She covers toy trends and entertainment news for the Toy Book, the Toy Insider, and the Pop Insider.

You can visit her on Instagram @saucyjac and say hello to her pet bunny Peepers @thebigpeep.

24 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

SpecialtyE-CommerceMay2021.indd 24

4/14/21 1:46 PM

Untitled-9 1

3/24/21 5:39 PM

FOSTERING

EMOTIONAL and MENTAL HEALTH ON THE TOY SHELF

compiled by NICOLE SAVAS, editorial assistant It’s been a tough year for everyone — but that didn’t stop toymakers from doing what they do best and creat-

ing products for kids that encourage social-emotional learning and mental wellness. Kids are never too young

to start practicing emotional wellness

and building good habits that can last a lifetime. These toys help kids of all ages take a step back, learn how to

PAWZ, THE CALMING PUP Out this fall, Pawz, the Calming Pup from HAND2MIND encourages kids ages 3 and up to become aware of their thoughts and feelings through three guided breathing patterns: square breath, four-by-four breath, and laddered breath.

take care of themselves, and embrace their feelings.

SENSORY BINS Each uniquely themed Sensory Bin from CREATIVITY FOR KIDS is a self-contained, hands-on, tactical play experience that helps kids ages 3 and up to explore, learn, and create while engaging their senses. Kids can relax while they play to manage stress and anxiety.

The line is available in several themes, including Outer Space, Ocean & Sand, Ice Cream Shop, and more.

BIG FEELINGS PINEAPPLE! The Big Feelings Pineapple! from LEARNING RESOURCES has a lot of feelings. Kids ages 3 and up can explore emotion identification and expressions by constructing faces and emotions with 26 changeable pieces that they can place on the double-sided pineapple.

CALM PUZZLES In partnership with the sleep and meditation app Calm, SPIN MASTER’S Calm Mindful Nature Scene 300-Piece puzzle line expanded this year with new zen landscapes for kids ages 8 and up to piece together. Each puzzle comes with a 30-day subscription to the Calm app, which pairs a puzzle scene with related meditation audio.

26 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

Mindfullness.indd 26

4/14/21 4:11 PM

CARE BEARS PLUSH Kids ages 4 and up can snuggle up to a huggable, 14inch Care Bear plush from BASIC FUN! Known for their ability to bring out the best emotions in everyone, the Care Bears collection now includes Love-A-Lot Bear and Wish Bear. Each comes with a collectible Care Coin.

FOR KEEPS DOLLS

JUST MY STYLE MOODJOY DREAM WORLD

“You are love” and “We got this” are just two of the many messages that come with For Keeps Dolls from THE LOYAL SUBJECTS, designed for kids ages 4 and up. The articulated dolls empower kids to be themselves, and come with positive affirmation stickers and a cupcake-themed stash box that kids are encouraged to share with their friends. Each doll also comes with a T-shirt that has a positive message that it can wear. The brand will expand to more retail stores this year, and new dolls are on the way this fall.

This wellness kit from HORIZON GROUP USA includes a body cream, a blue-light-blocking sleep mask, silky scrunchies, and other products designed to help kids get a good night’s sleep. It also features a guided wellness activity that helps kids build healthy habits.

The products are vegan-friendly and free from parabens, phthalates, and harsh chemicals.

BARBIE WELLNESS HIKING DOLL

MIFFY COOL TO BE KIND PLUSH

Kids ages 3 and up can practice self-care with MATTEL’s Barbie Wellness collection, which encourages kids to get active and take care of themselves. The Barbie Hiking Doll comes with a puppy hiking pal and nine outdoorsy accessories, including sunscreen, a water bottle, and a baseball cap. It features 11 points of articulation for realistic movement.

The Miffy Cool to Be Kind plush from DOUGLAS CO. reminds toddlers ages 2 and up that kindness never goes out of style. Miffy’s aqua dress features a powerful message and is velvet-soft for great hugs.

CRAFT-TASTIC ALL ABOUT ME EMPOWER FLOWER The Craft-tastic All About Me Empower Flower activity kit from ANN WILLIAMS GROUP includes everything kids ages 8 and up need to create a flower with more than 250 positive and empowering descriptive words about themselves. Kids will use the metallic confetti, colorful strips, and gold foil to complete this activity.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 27

Mindfullness.indd 27

4/13/21 4:05 PM

The Dramatic Evolution from Toymakers to Entertainment Companies

by JAMES ZAHN, deputy editor ALTHOUGH TOYS, GAMES, AND video games have inspired entertainment for nearly 40 years, the results have been consistently mixed. Whether it was the animation boom of the early 1980s that brought properties such as Care Bears, Transformers, and G.I. Joe to TV sets and movie theaters, or much less successful attempts — like the live-action Masters of the Universe movie from 1987 — the trend has continued to ebb and flow.

Now, with more networks and streaming platforms than ever before, audiences and distributors are hungry for fresh content that intellectual property (IP) holders are ready to provide.

CLASH OF THE TOY TITANS At Mattel, a large component of the company’s strategy hinges on building content divisions into powerhouses that can develop both scripted and unscripted content based on its IP through a variety of external production partners.

“This is not just about selling toys,” says Mattel Chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz. “The mandate, first and foremost, is to create great, quality movies and compelling TV content based on our franchises that people want to watch.”

Animation has been one area of early success for Mattel, particularly on Netflix, where Barbie content has grown to include an ever-expanding range of series, specials, and films. According to data from The NPD Group, the release of new Barbie content is charting a direct correlation with increased traction in the doll aisle.

Mattel Television has more than 25 projects in development, including game shows based on UNO and Whac-A-Mole,

a reboot of Monster High with Nickelodeon, and the reality competition series Barbie Fashion Battle. Mattel Films has 11 projects in development, including those based on American Girl, Hot Wheels, Magic 8 Ball, and View-Master.

“This is not just about selling toys ... [it’s about] creating great, quality movies and compelling TV content ...”

— Ynon Kreiz, Mattel Additional projects, including this year’s preschool reimagining of Thomas & Friends and a pair of Masters of the Universe series for Netflix, are part of Mattel’s new business model that leverages its IP catalog while creating little to no risk financially. This way, Mattel can lean on third-party companies to finance each project in development.

“With our strategy, for both film and TV, we have the flexibility to work with the right studio and distribution partner on the right project, on the right terms,” Kreiz says. “This allows us to develop and produce multiple projects concurrently, at scale. We believe we have in place the right economic model, which is not dependent on capital investment from Mattel, while we still retain economic upside for both our film and TV businesses.”

While Mattel continues to work with external partners, Hasbro has taken a more direct approach: The company bought a studio and hit the reset button.

With the acquisition of Entertainment One (eOne), Hasbro is plotting a bold future in which it can develop and produce content based on its own IP and then take a platform-agnostic approach to distribution.

“With eOne’s infrastructure, we have full control over creative and production,” says Olivier Dumont, president, family brands, eOne. “We can drive our own timelines and we’re able to unlock the profitability of our Hasbro brands across the entire value chain.”

On the TV front, Hasbro previously tested the waters with The Hub Network, a 50/50 joint venture with Discovery Communications that launched in 2010.

While the network launched the massively successful My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic series in addition to other Hasbro toy-inspired series, Hasbro divested itself from ownership in 2014.

Dumont says that the economics of keeping as many services in-house as possible is allowing Hasbro to focus more resources toward storytelling.

“From a creative standpoint, [the idea is that] our team of experts can very thoughtfully nurture and develop our brands across media,” Dumont says.

Hasbro and eOne are developing new projects based on G.I. Joe, including a live-action series for Amazon Prime and Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins in theaters July 23; four Transformers films; and a My Little Pony series for Netflix this fall.

Dumont says that the company has more than 30 properties in active development.

“Our creative teams are partnering with storytellers who bring fresh perspectives and can transform how our fans engage with our brands,” he says. “Beau

28 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

shelfscreen.indd 2

4/14/2021 3:07:06 PM

Untitled-7 1

3/24/21 5:26 PM

Hasbro’s Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins Classified Series Action Figures will hit retail Oct. 1. | Source: Hasbro

Willimon (House of Cards) is working with us to develop a premium scripted series based on Risk, and writer/director Jonathan Entwistle (I Am Not Okay With This) is at the helm of the reinvented Power Rangers film and TV universe.”

Even Slinky, which almost made it to theaters a decade ago, is getting a movie. Filmmaker Tamra Davis (Billy Madison) is developing a biopic based on Toy Industry Hall of Famer Betty James’ rise from at-home mom to successful CEO.

NEW PLAYERS AND CLASSIC BRANDS Last fall, Spin Master split into three distinct “creative centers”: Toys, Entertainment, and Digital Games. Following successful co-productions, the Toronto-based company launched its fully owned IP Mighty Express and appointed Jennifer Dodge to lead Spin Master Entertainment as president. This August, Spin Master’s first feature film PAW Patrol: The Movie will hit theaters.

Michael Goodman, founder of the MLGPC licensing agency, recently came on board with The Nacelle Co., producer of The Toys That Made Us series, to identify toy properties for its development and production slate.

“Every toy and game that was ever brought to market holds a place in someone’s heart and mind,” Goodman says.

“I believe that if a network or streamer is given the choice between greenlighting a show based on a product with a history of sales — with potential for a built-in audience with co-viewing potential — and a show based on a brand new IP without all that history, I would think that the logical choice would be the former. Nothing is ever a sure thing, but this is a way of hedging your bets.”

Cross-generational nostalgia factor is a big element behind a recent deal that Wham-O — the maker of Frisbee and Hula Hoop — inked with Critical Content.

Slip ‘N Slide Island is a competition series inspired by the classic water toy that is expected to arrive next year.

VIDEO GAME PROPERTIES LEVEL UP Traditionally, video games have had a rough go at making the jump from pixels to multiplexes. Super Mario Bros.

(1993) failed to connect with audiences and was even disparaged by members of the cast and crew for decades. Still, the film has become a cult classic, and next year, Mario and Luigi are set to star in a big-budget animated film from Universal’s Illumination (Despicable Me).

Warner Bros., Nintendo, and The Pokémon Co. International brought Detective Pikachu to the big screen in 2019 and found that the little, yellow Pokémon was nearly universally loved.

It became the first video game movie to hold a “Certified Fresh” rating at Rotten Tomatoes until The Angry Birds Movie 2 and the Blue Blur showed up.

Despite a very public backlash that led to a redesign of the title character, SEGA’s Sonic the Hedgehog sped into theaters last February via Paramount Pictures and became the biggest family film of the year, taking in $319 million globally, according to Box Office Mojo.

Now, with a sequel on deck, Sonic is the true definition of a transmedia property that plays well across all screens and has a flag planted firmly in the toy aisles.

“Some of the main challenges we face when working across multiple mediums is staying consistent within the existing storylines of the Sonic universe and maintaining Sonic’s signature characteristics, such as his appearance and

playful attitude,” says Ivo Gerscovich, chief brand officer, Sonic the Hedgehog, and senior vice president, SEGA of America. “Toys are most successful when they accurately capture the action of the source material. Sonic lives in movies, animation, video games, comics, and more, and in each of these media, we work hard with our partners to ensure that the play pattern translates well into the toys.”

Gerscovich says that fans can expect a robust line of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 toys from Jakks Pacific next year.

Over the next 18 months, several video game-inspired titles are on deck, including a film based on the PlayStation hit Uncharted, a theatrical reboot and a Netflix Original Series based on Resident Evil, and a Blumhouse adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy’s, in addition to a movie based on Mortal Kombat that debuted in mid-April. In addition, more than a dozen high-profile games are said to be in various stages of development.

It’s taken decades to get here, but the modern relationship between toys and entertainment has evolved around one common factor that every company seems to agree on regardless of their approach: Film and TV projects are no longer looked at as toy commercials.

With quality content and storytelling, sales will come naturally and organically. » James Zahn, best-known as The Rock Father, is the deputy editor of the Toy Book, and a senior editor of the Toy Insider and the Pop Insider. Frequently called upon for expert commentary on the toy industry, he has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, and MarketWatch, and has appeared on Yahoo! Finance, NBC, ABC, FOX, CNN, GCTN, WGN, and more. Connect with him on LinkedIn or follow him @therockfather.

30 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

shelfscreen.indd 3

4/13/2021 2:04:39 PM

Untitled-13 1

4/1/21 11:17 AM

Follow If You Like Fidgets

Thanks to TikTok, fidgets are back and better than ever.

by MADELEINE BUCKLEY, associate editor BACK IN JANUARY, WHEN KIDS started coming into the Learning Express Toys of Cahaba Heights in Birmingham, Alabama, and asking for “fidget toys,” owner Melissa McCollum felt a bit of déjà vu a la 2017. It’s hard to forget the fidget spinner and cube craze that hit about four years ago, which arrived almost overnight and seemed to disappear almost as quickly.

But, this time, McCollum says, the increasing popularity of fidget toys is a larger, more widespread trend that has, in her experience, produced much larger sales numbers than the spinner craze.

The current fidget toy market offers a much wider range of products: tangles, fidget pea pods, marble mesh, silicone poppers, squishy balls — and the list goes on. The product offering is plentiful enough to fill a dedicated section in her store … and get the store’s TikTok page to more than 600,000 followers and more than 5 million likes.

TikTok, the fast-growing, video-based social media app, has been an undeniably important factor in this fidget toy resurgence. “TikTok and social media are actually driving the fidget trend,” McCollum says. “We post TikToks about other toys and Squishmallows frequently, but the fidget toys are getting the most views right now.”

In fact, one of the store’s recent fidget videos got more than 5 million views in one day. McCollum says that the staffers who make the TikTok content, Jessica and Kaitlyn, often get recognized by kids who come into the store after school.

A quick search for “fidget toys” on for when I want to film a video.” the app further proves the popularity Some of @charxfidgets’ personal of this specific trend, with hundreds of favorite fidgets include Nee-Dohs from videos showcasing fidget toy collections, Schylling, Simpl Dimpl from Fat Brain loud fidgets, quiet fidgets, homemade Toys, and popping fidgets, a popular fidfidgets, and endless additional, fidget toy with silicone bubbles that kids can get-based topics. There are even dozens press in, then flip the toy over and press of popular accounts entirely dedicated to the bubbles back the other way, almost fidget toy content. like never-ending bubble wrap.

One creator, who prefers to go by While this fidget has become incredher username @charxfidgets, originally ibly popular in the past year, FoxMind heard about fidget toys last summer and Games originally started producing and purchased her first pack of fidgets on selling this type of silicone popping Amazon in September. Since starting her toy back in 2013, as a game called Last current fidget-focused TikTok account in Mouse Lost. The game — yellow, with February, she has amassed more than 680,000 followers and 9.3 million likes. Her account is filled with videos that showcase her different fidgets, dream fidgets, fidget trades with her sister, fidget hauls from local stores, and more. Some of the content is as simple as taking a new fidget out of its packaging for an unboxing demonstration, while other videos involve responding to fan comments and setting interactive challenges for her fanbase.

“The excitement of getting new fidgets is the best feeling,” she says. She also credits the larger fidget community on TikTok with inspiring her video content and introducing her to new types of fidgets. “I base most of my videos from creators on my For You page. If I see a video that I Part of the fidget toys section of the Cahaba Heights Learning think would be fun, I save it to use Express Toys Store | Source: Melissa McCollum

32 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

FidgetToys.indd 32

4/14/21 3:40 PM

mice printed on the bubbles — performed well, but by 2019, FoxMind decided to rebrand the product. The company renamed it Last One Lost; started offering it in yellow, teal, and purple; and changed the packaging so that consumers could try popping some of the bubbles before buying it.

According to JC Dorais, who manages marketing for FoxMind, the team had no idea that their game had gone viral on TikTok until influencers started reaching out last summer and asking about Last One Lost. When Dorais logged on to TikTok, he was shocked to find people interacting with the toy in so many ways — from playing the actual game or popping the bubbles to more creative uses, such as making ice cubes or creating ASMR videos.

“Even in the rules of 2013, we were saying that if you have other creative ways to use the item, come back to us, be imaginative, and find different ways of using it,” Dorais says.

Now, more than seven years later, that’s exactly what is happening.

This marked somewhat of a pivot for the FoxMind team, who had little experience in creating collectible, impulse toys — or dealing with the many imitations and counterfeits that soon started flooding the marketplace. The original Last One Lost stands out, Dorais says, because the game rules extend the play value. Later this year, FoxMind plans to

Source: FoxMind

release special editions, including tie-dye, glow-in-the-dark, and UV-color-changing versions of Last One Lost.

As someone directly experiencing the current, TikTok-induced fidget renaissance, Dorais knows why this type of toy is gaining so much traction right now, both on and off of social media. For those looking to create TikTok content, he explains, fidgets are a very accessible genre. Not only are fidgets relatively inexpensive to purchase, but they are also easy to talk about.

“An 8-year-old could talk as well as an adult about a fidget. You don’t need to have a master’s degree to talk about fidgets,” he says. “And on TikTok what you see is that since it’s very easy to talk about, anyone can do a video of popping bubbles. You don’t need any kind of skills really to play this. You just pop and enjoy

and have fun with it.”

However, this social media success has dovetailed in a year when kids (and, as @charxfidgets will tell you, anyone of any age) are needing and seeking the psychological benefits that fidget toys can offer. As kids and teens spend more time indoors and in front of their screens, and as they experience anxiety induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dorais and McCollum both believe that fidget toys provide an outlet to relieve stress.

“I think that the fidgets, in a way, are helping people to be grounded and focused,” Dorais says. “So when I’m playing with this, I’m not looking at my screen. I’m actually looking at my item and very into it. So the physicality of it, the fact that it’s cheap, the fact that you can carry it around … I think that’s the secret behind the fidgets right now. »

2021 Fidgets BLUE ORANGE TOYS

TANGLE CREATIONS

Blue Orange Toys, a new branch of Blue Orange Games, launched the Loopy Looper collection this spring. This line includes four styles of skill fidgets, all in the form of loops.

Each fidget comes with a special, soft-shell marble with a metal core, which kids can spin through the different loops.

Tangle Creations expands its Tangle Pets line this June with the Tangle Pets Aquatic Series. Each colorful tangle in this series features a removable sea creature: a turtle, a stingray, a narwhal, an octopus, a dolphin, or a crab. toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 33

FidgetToys.indd 33

4/14/21 4:34 PM

2021 Fidgets FOXMIND FoxMind’s GoPop! popping game is getting a square makeover with Go Pop Quadro. This silicone toy can be used as a figet toy, or as a single- or two-player game. Designed for kids ages 5 and up, this version of GoPop! is available in three colors: orange, teal, and purple.

FUN IN MOTION TOYS

TOYSMITH Toysmith launched a variety of animal-themed fidget toys in January, including Chubby Barnyard Animals, a collection of animals that kids can squeeze and stretch. Styles in the collection include a cow, a pig, and a horse that kids ages 5 and up can pull and squish to help relieve stress.

BUFFALO GAMES This spring, Buffalo Games expanded its Chuckle & Roar Pop It! line with new color styles, including green, purple, and tie-dye.

This silicone popping toy is designed for kids ages 3 and up and features 28 bubbles.

This line is available exclusively at Target.

Shashibo from Fun In Motion Toys is a line of magnetic puzzle boxes that kids can transform into more than 70 different shapes. Kids can fidget, twist, and connect these toys to see what they can create. The sensory-friendly toy has three new designs coming out this year: Earth, Moon, and Undersea.

Dimpl Pops Deluxe

FAT BRAIN TOYS This year, Fat Brain Toys will expand its popular Dimpl line with a variety of new fidget toys. After releasing four new varieties of its Simpl Dimpl keychains by May, the company will release Dimpl Pops and Dimpl Pops Deluxe in July. Designed for kids ages 3 and up, these feature a variety of Dimpl bubbles in a plastic frame. The Dimpl Pops features 18 bubbles in two sizes, while the Dimpl Pops Deluxe features 26 bubbles in three sizes.

34 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

FidgetToys.indd 34

4/14/21 3:40 PM

SpinMaster_Entertainment.indd 3

2/19/21 10:53 AM

ENTERTAINMENT

PAW Patrol: The Movie is set to unleash in theaters this summer.

With an all-star voice cast ensemble that includes Kim Kardashian West, Dax Shepard, Jimmy Kimmel, Tyler Perry, Yara Shahidi, Randall Park, Iain Armitage, Marsai Martin, and Will Brisbin, along with existing members of the current PAW Patrol series, the feature film will be directed by animation veteran Cal Brunker (Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature; Escape From Planet Earth). Spin Master will also unveil a toy line inspired by the feature film.

Produced by Spin Master Entertainment in association with Nickelodeon Movies and distributed by Paramount Pictures, PAW Patrol: The Movie is slated for theaters August 20, 2021.

SpinMaster_Entertainment_OUTLINED.indd 4

2/19/21 4:12 PM

ADVERTISEMENT

SpinMaster_Entertainment_OUTLINED.indd 5

2/19/21 12:06 PM

TOY

Q&A with Chris Beardall, President and Chief Commercial Officer, Spin Master Toys

SpinMaster_Entertainment_OUTLINED.indd 6

2/19/21 2:56 PM

ADVERTISEMENT

Air Hogs Jumpshot

PAW Patrol Moto Pups Marshall's Deluxe Pull-Back Motorcycle Vehicle

GUND Slumbers Teddy Bear

toybook.com | FEBRUARY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 7

SpinMaster_Entertainment_OUTLINED.indd 7

2/19/21 12:06 PM

DIGITAL GAMES

SpinMaster_Entertainment_OUTLINED.indd 8

2/19/21 12:06 PM

ADVERTISEMENT

In 2012, Spin Master’s digital games creative center launched the company’s first digital gaming app for Tech Deck. Spin Master further expanded its offering in the digital space with the acquisition of leading global mobile and digital app brands Toca Boca and Sago Mini in 2016.

• There are more than 70 Toca Boca and Sago Mini themed titles with more than 30 million monthly active users.

• Spin Master Digital Games’ apps have 350 million downloads combined.

Toca Life Subscription Finger Sports Box

• Toca Boca landed three coveted spots on Apple’s Top Paid iPad Apps List in 2020 for Toca Hair Salon, Toca Life: Hospital and Toca Kitchen 2.

Toca Life Subscription Boxes are monthly boxes that will come right to consumers’ doorsteps this spring. Bringing quality, creative play to kids who love surprises, each monthly box is filled with cool activities, rare items, and postcards inspired by their pals at Toca Boca.

Every box celebrates the power of play with creative activities and DIYs that are full of fun and silliness. Each month delivers a brand-new theme that will help kids to explore their imaginations.

SpinMaster_Entertainment_OUTLINED.indd 9

2/19/21 12:06 PM

SpinMaster_Entertainment_OUTLINED.indd 10

2/19/21 5:30 PM

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

MOVIE BRANDS FIND NEW WAYS TO ENGAGE FANS How to Leverage Kids’ Behavioral Data to Adapt Your Products

by NICK RICHARDSON, CEO, The Insights Family THE INSIGHTS FAMILY SURVEYS MORE than 7,000 kids ages 3-18 every week in 17 countries across five continents, gathering data from more than 370,000 kids each year. Its latest Kids Insights U.S. Trend alert report, based on the results of surveying 3,714 kids between Nov. 2020-Jan. 2021, explores the attitudes, behaviors, and consumption patterns in online and offline worlds, highlighting the implications for the industry and, of course, identifying the next big thing.

Stay-at-home orders and quarantine measures have impacted all aspects of kids’ ecosystems. Compared to Q4 2019, preschoolers are spending 17% more time watching TV, overtaking time spent playing with toys and games. Since last October, 16% more kids reported having a lot of influence on parents’ grocery purchases, showing how brands must work to reach the whole family audience more effectively. Before the coronavirus pandemic (Sept.-Nov. 2019), 65% of kids under the age of 13 reported visiting a movie theater at least once a month. Following social distancing guidelines and restrictions, this rate has now dropped to 39% of kids ages 3-12.

New movie releases were a huge driver of licensed products and merchandise, and Kids Insights data shows that those who regularly visited movie theaters in 2019 were, on average, 17% more likely to buy licensed merchandise related to their favorite movie. But with less opportunity available for kids to visit theaters, brands must be creative and agile in finding new ways to engage fans into buying licensed merchandise items.

For example, Marvel recently launched its Eat the Universe collection.

The line, inspired by popular characters from the Marvel Universe, includes items such as apparel, homeware, and accessories. Among kids ages 3-12, Iron Man is ranked as the top favorite character

(5.6%). Kids at this age over-index on buying these types of licensed merchandise in relation to their favorite movie (clothes +19%, homeware +70%). Since the collection’s release in October, Iron Man has experienced a 109% growth in popularity with tweens.

The number of kids purchasing food products related to their favorite movie has also grown by 11% between Nov. 2020-Jan. 2021. Whereas kids ages 6-9 are the biggest consumers of TV-related food, kids ages 10-12 are more likely to buy movie-related food products.

“Brands could innovate to recreate the movie-going experience at home.”

Observing this growth in the popularity of food products due to stay-at-home orders, Crayola has recently released several branded food products, including a cereal collaboration with Kellogg’s cereal as well as brightly colored popcorn and cotton candy with The License Factory.

Kids ages 3-12 who favor creative toys are four times more likely to name Crayola as their favorite brand, highlighting the company’s monopoly of the arts and crafts product market. Among Crayola’s avid fans (ages 6-9), movies (15%) represent the most popular food licensing categories, suggesting a possible area of development into both platforms for the brand in order to obtain the furthest reach.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU With movie studios such as Disney and Warner Bros. announcing that its new releases in 2021 will be availble simultaneously on their streaming platforms and in theaters, pre-pandemic strategies re-

main up in the air. But as our data shows, interest in movie-related licensing products remains strong, and brands could innovate to recreate the movie-going experience at home. There is an opportunity to package and deliver items such as popcorn, toys, magazines, and more to enhance the at-home experience.

For adults who have kids or spend any time with kids, it is apparent how quickly the kids’ media ecosystem is changing. Therefore, over the last six months, The Insights Family — including our team of researchers, data scientists, and developers — have created the Media Mix Compass. This tool enables clients to, for the first time, compare 11 types of media — including cinema, social media, gaming YouTube, broadcast TV — with platforms like TikTok, Cartoon Network, Fortnite, or YouTube. It also highlights the growing importance of other new media options, such as e-sports, which ranks as the most powerful media type for boys ages 10-12 in the U.S. For more information on the Kids Insights Media Mix Compass — as well as everything The Insights Family has to offer through its real-time data portal — and to receive complimentary access to the tool and a copy of an example report, please visit theinsightsfamily.com. » Nick Richardson is the founder and CEO of The Insights Family, the global leader in kids, parents, and families market intelligence.

He has become a go-to expert and a regular speaker at industry events across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. The Insights Family is the only provider of real-time data and insights on kids’, parents’, and families’ attitudes, behavior, and consumption — surveying more than 362,000 kids and 177,000 parents across five continents every year — to companies such as Amazon, Formula 1, Mattel, and Warner Bros. You can find Richardson on Twitter @nickinsights and Kids Insights @kidsinsights.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 43

IndustryInsight_May21.indd 43

4/13/21 12:45 PM

TALKIN’ TOYS

THE TECH THEY WANT The Toy Book chats with Andy Keimach, president, VTech Electronics North America, about what it takes to create engaging, kid-friendly tech toys, and what kids can expect this year.

Toy Book: How does VTech continue to stay on top of current trends in technology and incorporate them into products for kids?

Andy Keimach: As a leader in the children’s electronics space and a pioneer in the children’s wearable technology category, VTech has always been at the forefront of innovation. We know that kids want to have the same cool technology as adults, but those devices aren’t designed for them. In order to tap into these trends, we look to adult tech for inspiration and then adapt it in smart, engaging ways with safe and secure devices that support the way kids play. Our approach and expertise in kids’ technology has led to a full line of Kidi electronics featuring some of our most popular and successful products, including the KidiZoom Smartwatch DX2, KidiBuzz G2 smart device, and KidiZoom Creator Cam. TB: Is safety a top priority for VTech?

Why can parents and caregivers feel good about letting their kids enjoy technology using VTech products?

AK: Children’s safety is absolutely a top priority for VTech. While our children’s electronics may look and feel like adult devices, they were designed and developed for kids with safety in mind, which

means parents don’t need to bog down their own devices with hefty parental controls and permissions. Our new KidiZoom Smartwatch DX3 is a kid-friendly smartwatch with no WiFi, yet kids can still share messages to and play games with another DX3, so it doesn’t compromise the innovative features and design. We know how important safety is and we want parents to feel secure when they are giving their child a VTech or LeapFrog product.

TB: How important is tech literacy for today’s kids? How do VTech toys help them learn these skills?

AK: We conducted a survey last year that revealed that parents think their kids will be more tech-savvy than they are by the time they turn 10 years old. Kids are growing up in a world where tech is omnipresent, and when they are introduced to technology at an early age, they become more comfortable and familiar with it, making it easier for them to adapt.

Our Kidi product line provides opportunities for kids to explore technology in kid-friendly, age-appropriate ways, offering on-trend features combined with safe, engaging content for active kids. For example, our upcoming KidiBuzz G3 offers more of those adult tech features kids are looking for, including a new KidiCom Chat messaging app with video sharing, 3D screen effects, and a MagLens for upclose photos. These are the features that will likely be on devices when they age out of toys, so giving them a safe way to explore them is important as they develop their tech literacy.

TB: What new innovations from VTech do kids and families have to look forward to this year?

AK: In addition to our new KidiZoom Smartwatch DX3, we are excited to introduce the KidiZoom PrintCam, which is a kid-friendly digital print camera that kids can use to instantly create blackand-white photo prints. It is packed with

Left and above: KidiZoom Smartwatch DX3 Source: VTech

fun features like special photo effects; panoramic prints; a comic strip maker; games; and a print shop to design cards, play money, and more. Since it prints on thermal roll paper and not expensive proprietary photo stock, kids can print as many as they want, and it won’t break the bank.

We are also adding the KidiGo Basketball Hoop — which will have basketball fans shooting baskets and keeping score with games and challenges for indoor fun ­— to the Kidi collection. And, we are expanding our popular robotics line with Ivy the Bloom Bright Unicorn, which has color-changing features; Glitter Me Kitten, which gives kids a temporary glitter stamp; and Hope the Healing Husky, which lets kids explore nurturing roleplay by nursing her back to health.

For LeapFrog, we are introducing LeapLand Adventures, a unique plugand-play learning game for preschoolers that’s built for the TV and doesn’t require any additional downloads or account setup, so kids can start playing and learning right out of the box as they explore different lands and levels. Plus, our award-winning LeapStart interactive learning system is being updated with a new modern design and books that gets kids excited about learning. »

44 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

TalkinToys_VTech.indd 44

4/13/21 3:15 PM

Current, Pier 59, New York City September 22, 2021 Hosted by the Toy Insider and the Pop Insider

NEARLY SOLD OUT! Don’t miss the opportunity to put your toys in front of VIP press just in time for the holidays!

On Sept. 22, we’re gearing up to be back in person in New York City!

We know you want Holiday of Play to be in-person this year.

We hear you! Following all CDC guidelines for a safe and healthy event, the Toy Insider will host its hot holiday toy preview at Current, at Pier 59 in New York City!

Showcase your hottest toys for the 2021 holiday season to the most elite members of the press just in time for the holidays!

Limited space is still available but time is running out.

Visit toyinsider.com/events for more info!

Contact us today to secure your space!

Contact Jackie Breyer, jackie@toyinsider.com James Devin, jd@toyinsider.com Stephanie Infantino, stephanie@popinsider.com

HoP@H_HouseAd_JulyAugustTB.indd 2

4/14/21 3:19 PM

BASIC FUN!

MASTERPIECES MasterPieces gets into the holiday spirit with a new line of puzzles and games inspired by The Lumistella Co.’s famous holiday helper, The Elf on the Shelf. Kids ages 3 and up can practice their memory skills with The Elf on the Shelf Matching Game.

Puzzlers ages 5 and up can assemble the Believe in Your Elf 60-Piece Puzzle, while kids ages 6 and up can enjoy the Friends Fur-ever 100-Piece Puzzle and The Elf on the Shelf 4-Pack 100-Piece Puzzle set. The entire Elf on the Shelf range will hit stores by July.

In July, Basic Fun! will expand its Cutetitos line with Care Bears Cutetitos.

Kids ages 3 and up can unroll one of six Care Bearitos, which come in wraps featuring the bears’ iconic belly badges. Each collectible plush has a “Care Spot” and personality that is caring, so caring, or super caring.

Coming this fall, the Oval Lite-Brite features a new, oval shape and color-changing lights. Kids ages 4 and up can insert pegs into the included templates or create an original design, then press the button to see the creation light up.

Also debuting this fall, the Tonka Claw Dump Truck is designed to handle tough terrain with its Claw Grip Wheels. Kids ages 3 and up can choose closed tires for cruising action or press-and-pop claws to climb. The truck also features lights and sounds.

Basic Fun! will release three new Playhut Pop-Up Play Tents designed for kids ages 3 and up this fall.

Available in Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, and Spidey & Friends styles, these tents are easy to set up, break down, and store.

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS Educational Insights will introduce the Playfoam Pluffle Sensory Station this summer. Kids ages 3 and up can scoop, roll, dig, and pour Playfoam Pluffle while developing their senses. It includes the sensory bin, two colors of mess-free Pluffle, and three tools: a roller, scissor scoops, and an easy-grip cup.

The GeoSafari Jr. Dino Discovery Dig T-Rex features six surprises hidden inside reusable dino dirt. Kids ages 4 and up can excavate pretend dinosaur bones, assemble a complete T. rex dinosaur skeleton, uncover a mystery gem, make their own fossil molds, learn fun facts about dinosaurs and more.

Kids ages 5 and up can pretend to travel the world and complete 3D circuit building challenges with the Design & Drill Adventure Circuits. They can use the kid-safe power drill to bolt in the connectors and activate lights, sounds, and movement.

Playfoam Shimmer features five colors of glittery Playfoam for kids ages 3 and up to engage in tactical play. It never dries out and stores in a star-shaped container.

46 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 46

4/14/21 3:06 PM

BONKERS TOYS Bonkers Toys will launch the Ryan’s World Lost City Adventures Mega Mystery Chest this fall. Based on the Ryan’s World YouTube channel, the chest is filled with surprises for kids ages 3 and up to unbox, including four of 16 Lost City-themed figures, a 6-inch Golden Gus figure, two micro-figures, a sky diver figure, a foam battle axe, a nylon belt with a buckle, a spinner compass, coins, and stickers.

The Ryan’s World Galaxy Explorers Galaxy One Explorer 12 Pack Playset contains 12 galaxy-themed micro-figures, 12 stickers, a map of the solar system, and a space shuttle case.

Launching in July, the playset is recommended for kids ages 3 and up.

Ryan’s World Lost City Adventures Mega Mystery Chest

CRAYOLA With the Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Pets Lagoon Playset, kids ages 3 and up can draw designs on the pets. The set features four pets — a shark, an octopus, a whale, and a clown fish — six washable markers, a scrub brush, and a Blue Lagoon tub.

When they are ready for something new, kids can use the kid-powered, lagoon shower to clean their fuzzy pets and color them again. This set and expansion packs will be available in August.

Kids ages 6 and up can create spray art with the Crayola Mini Marker Sprayer. The sprayer’s kid-powered design fits comfortably in small hands with a manual pump that doesn’t require any batteries. It works with Crayola full-size or Pip Squeaks Markers, ensuring that colors cleanly wash from skin and washable clothing. Additional accessories include eight stencil sheets with multiple patterns, 12 coloring pages, and five washable markers.

Kids will learn about the science of capillary action with the Crayola STEAM Paper Butterfly Science Kit. Kids ages 7 and up will make colorful, one-of-a-kind paper butterflies and watch as the wings absorb the colorful ink. This kit provides a handson, creative learning experience and features everything kids need to make 12 wicking paper butterflies.

The Crayola Easel Art Case includes a dual-sided tabletop easel on which two artists can work at the same time. Designed for kids ages 4 and up, the set features a portable travel art case, washable paint pots, watercolor paints, short watercolor pencils, sketch pencils, white crayons, paint brushes, mixing trays, watercolor paper, and a sheet of repositionable stickers.

With the Crayola Glitter Dots Sparkle Salon, kids ages 6 and up can squish the Glitter Dots into a charm case, seal with a matching back, and snap it onto any of their accessories. Kids can rearrange the interchangeable charms for more stylish looks and hours of creative play. This set includes charms, clips, barrettes, elastic headbands, and pastel Glitter Dots.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 47

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 47

4/14/21 3:06 PM

CHRONICLE BOOKS Ridley’s Games, a division of Chronicle Books, will debut four new games this July. Avocado Smash! Party Edition is a jumbo party edition of the Avocado Smash! snap card game.

Designed for kids ages 6 and up, this version features an extra-large avocado container wearing a party hat, more cards, and new rules. With each smash, players win a topping card to add to their avocado toast token. The player with the most toppings wins the game.

Love to Hate, designed for kids ages 8 and up, is a game that tests how well players know their friends and family. In the game, players guess — on a scale from love to hate — how other players feel about certain topics and themes by using voting cards.

Players ages 8 and up can put their moves to the test with the card game Disco Balls. When the DJ shouts “Disc-go!,” players simultaneously play the top cards from their hands. When a matching pair is revealed, players race to do the dance move shown on the cards.

Don’t Hold It is a bathroom-themed twist on the game Old Maid, designed for kids ages 6 and up. The game features action cards such as “Miss a Go” and “Skip Next Player,” complete with poop illustrations. Players aim to be the first to pair off all of their cards, ensuring that the poop isn’t the last card in their hand.

KIDKRAFT The KidKraft Ferris Wheel Fun Beach House playset features a 360-degree play experience. Kids ages 3 and up can use their dolls to play with a working Ferris wheel, a portable fabric hammock, a reversible play mat, and 15 beach-themed accessories. It stands at 3 feet tall and is designed for dolls of all sizes.

The KidKraft Foody Friends: Cooking Elephant Activity Center is a play set that kids can play with on all four sides. It comes with 18 accessories and stands at almost 2 feet tall. Kids ages 2 and up can turn on the trunk-shaped faucet to wash dishes, make popcorn with the pop-a-matic pan, color match with eggs, follow the maze on the fridge door, and more.

The KidKraft Foody Friends: Deluxe Baking Fun Puppy Activity Center features a 360-degree play experience in which kids ages 2 and up can roll pretend dough, cut out toy cookies, stack cake tiers, follow the maze on the fridge door, place the toy food in the oven, and more. Standing at almost 2 feet tall, the set includes 18 accessories.

The KidKraft Let’s Pretend Pet Doctor Pop-Up features six sides of play that kids ages 3 and up can use to replicate a visit to the veterinarian’s office. The set includes 18 pieces and accessories that fit inside the built-in storage. When playtime is over, parents can fold up the wooden set to store it away.

The KidKraft Safari 2-in-1 Ride-On Playset is a safari-themed ride-on that transforms into a wooden playset and comes with nine accessories, including animal figures, a river, and a toy car.

KidKraft Foody Friends: The ride-on is suitable for kids ages 2 and up.

Cooking Elephant Activity Center

48 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 48

4/14/21 3:06 PM

Untitled-1 1

4/5/21 3:33 PM

SCHLEICH Sea Turtle Info Puzzle from Paper House

PLAYHOUSE Playhouse’s Monarch Butterfly Info Puzzle from Paper House is a double-sided, 325-piece puzzle featuring a Monarch butterfly on one side and facts about them on the other side, such as migration patterns, weight, toxicity, threats to the species, and more.

The Sea Turtle Info Puzzle from Paper House is a two-in-one, 330-piece puzzle featuring a sea turtle on one side and facts about the endangered species on the other side, including their history, diet, lifespan, and more.

Both puzzles are recommended for kids ages 8 and up.

The Wild Life Ranger Station from Schleich is an expansion of the Croco Jungle Research Station (sold separately). Available in September, the set features a station that kids can build in multiple ways, and comes complete with a tree slide and a baby gorilla figure.

The company also expands its Horse Club line with the Great Horse Show with Dressing Tent. Available in July, the set comes with figures of trainers Sarah and Tori; two horse figures; and various accessories to get them ready for the horse show, such as makeup, a trophy, decorations for the arena and the horses, and more. There are multiple areas in the set, including an arena, a paddock, and a dressing tent.

In September, kids can play on the go with Fairy Café Blossom, which is shaped like a flower. The stem doubles as a hook, and kids can close the petals for easy transport.

The set also comes with a bonus fairy.

Great Horse Show with Dressing Tent

PLAYMOBIL With the Playmobil Back to the Future Part II Hoverboard Chase Set, kids ages 5 and up can reenact the famous Hoverboard chase around the Hill Valley Courthouse from the 1989 film. The set includes 2015 versions of Marty McFly, Biff Tannen, Doc Brown, and a police officer with a motorbike in addition to movie-inspired accessories.

Playmobil Back to the The Playmobil Back to the Future Marty’s Pickup Future Part II Hoverboard Truck Set includes 1985 versions of Marty McFly, JenniChase Set fer Parker, and Biff Tannen. Marty’s black pickup truck is a freewheeling vehicle that seats two figures.

Kids ages 5 and up can stage robotic dinosaur battles with the Playmobil Dino Rise T-Rex: Battle of the Giants set, which includes two figures, a T. rex, a deinonychus, and numerous accessories, including armor, a robotic machine, functioning cannons, and more.

50 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 50

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-8 1

3/24/21 5:31 PM

PMI PMI introduces the PAW Patrol: The Movie Stampers Collection.

Beginning in August, kids can collect their favorite PAW Patrol characters in 15 different styles. The figure stampers feature a variety of poses and are available in single-pack foil bags or as a five-stamper pack.

The Harry Potter Series 2 Big Stampers feature 13 different designs inspired by the most popular characters from the Wizarding World. Each Big Stamper stands 3.5 inches tall and will be available July 1.

Laser Pegs Multi-Model Annihilator

NEVER WRONG TOYS Never Wrong Toys introduces two new Laser Pegs products for kids ages 8 and up this fall. Kids can build, create, and light up their world with MicroSparks.

Each light-up MicroSpark is designed as a snack-sized build that inspire creativity and fun.

Multi-Models sets include 300-500 pieces to build, play, and display. Kids can build and rebuild over and over again with just one set.

PAW Patrol: The Movie Stampers Collection

SMART TOYS & GAMES SmartGames Grabbit from Smart Toys & Games is a memory game for 2-4 players.

In the game, hungry rabbits are jumping around the vegetable garden and different vegetables become visible as the rabbits look under the leaves. Players ages 4 and up must remember which vegetable is planted where, and if they can’t, the animals underground will take the vegetables back. The first player to collect all four different types of vegetable wins.

SmartGames Dragon Inferno challenges two players to strategically build the biggest kingdom in the dragon valley. Fire-breathing dragons can turn kingdoms into ashes, but players can use the dragon’s inferno against their opponent. The player with the biggest kingdom at the end of the game is the winner. The game is recommended for kids ages 10 and up.

SmartMax Roboflex features magnetic building pieces that bend and stretch in various directions. Kids ages 3 and up can use the pieces to build robots. SmartMax Roboflex is available in standard and deluxe versions.

The GeoSmart Night Cruiser is a 21-piece, geomagnetic vehicle set that includes an LED light. GeoSmart sets feature a double-lock safety system that uses strong magnets and colorful pieces. The set is suitable for kids ages 3 and up.

SmartMax Roboflex Deluxe

52 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 52

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-5 1

3/15/21 3:35 PM

MY AUDIO PET My Audio Pet will launch Sesame Street Audio Stories this holiday season. Each set includes a Sesame Street book, an Elmo or Cookie Monster Plush My Audio Pet Bluetooth Speaker, and access to an app that features recordings of Sesame Street characters reading the stories. Parents and kids can also record their own versions of the stories to listen to in the app.

DC Justice League 7-inch Figures

MCFARLANE TOYS McFarlane Toys will debut two new DC Multiverse lines this summer. The DC Justice League 7-inch Figures include the characters Aquaman, Cyborg, The Flash, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

The Justice League Movie Megafigs are large-scale figures designed to match their 7-inch counterparts. They each have up to 22 moving parts, and characters include Darkseid in Armor and Steppenwolf.

HAND2MIND Pawz, The Calming Pup from hand2mind features auto-adjusting lights that help guide kids ages 3 and up through deep breathing patterns. Kids can follow the lighting prompts to inhale when the light gets brighter and exhale as the light fades. There are three different breath patterns to encourage kids to be fully present and help with social-emotional learning and self-regulation. It includes a built-in night light with multiple color choices and a timer that users can set for 5, 15, or 30 minutes.

Kids ages 3 and up can build characters, learn about numbers, and engage in 30 activities with the MathLink Cubes Numberblocks 1-10 Activity Set, based on the CBeebies and BBC series Numberblocks. The set includes 100 MathLink Cubes Numberblocks, stickers, faceplates, Numberlings, character cards, double-sided Write ‘n Wipe activity cards, a stand for Zero, and an activity guide.

MathLink Cubes Numberblocks 1-10 Activity Set

54 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 54

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-5 1

3/29/21 1:25 PM

ODYSSEY TOYS Odyssey Toys will launch Dueling Desktop Basketball, a mini-tabletop basketball game for kids ages 8 and up. Players race to see who can make the most baskets before the buzzer sounds or play solo to beat their own high score.

The Rampaging Rex R/C walks at a slow, deliberate pace. Kids ages 8 and up can push a button on the R/C transmitter to make fog come out of its mouth as it simulates a fire-breathing dinosaur. It includes three eggs that kids can put in the dinosaur to make it poop them out.

TONIES

Dueling Desktop Basketball

Tonies expands the library for its Toniebox screen-free audio player with the addition of the Monsters Inc. Tonie. Kids can place the new Tonie figure of James P. Sullivan (Sully) on top of the Toniebox to activate the story from the Disney•Pixar film, along with songs including “If I Didn’t Have You” and “I Only Have Eye for You.” The Monsters Inc. Tonie will be available this summer.

THAMES & KOSMOS The Candy Claw Machine from Thames & Kosmos comes with everything kids ages 6 and up need to build a working model of the classic claw machine. The machine does not require any batteries or electricity to run, and it comes with 10 lollipops and play candy boxes that kids can put inside the machine to grab with the claw. Kids can also fill it with other small objects. This STEM set will be available in late June.

The company also expands its EXIT: The Game escape room game series with new titles this year, including “The Gate Between Worlds,” which is designed for players ages 12 and up and will be available in May; “The Cursed Labyrinth,” which is designed for players ages 10 and up and will be available in June; and “Kidnapped in Fortune City,” which is designed for players ages 12 and up and will be available in October.

Kids ages 6 and up can mold gummies and sweet ice cubes, then grow a batch of glowing, hard crystal candy with the Groovy Glowing Candy Lab. Available in May, this set teaches kids about the chemistry of the materials and pigments that make their candy creations glow under the included black light.

ReBotz, or Rebooted Robots, is a line of motorized robot kits for kids ages 6 and up that will be available in August. The line includes Scootz The Cranky Crawling Robot, Pogo The Jammin’ Jumping Robot, Halfpipe The Shredding Skater Robot, and Knox The Wacky Walking Robot. If kids collect more than one ReBotz, they can mix up the interchangeable parts to create their own custom robotic creations.

In July, Thames & Kosmos will release The Crew: Mission Deep Sea, the follow-up to the first The Crew game. Players ages 10 and up must work together to search for the lost continent of Mu, utilizing the same cooperative trick-taking mechanic as the original game, but with new surprises.

56 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 56

4/14/21 4:22 PM

Untitled-9 1

3/17/21 10:38 AM

3DOODLER 3Doodler expands its printing pen line with the Start+ Essentials Pen Set this fall. Kids ages 6 and up can combine art and technology with the activity set. It includes a wireless 3D Pen, all-new colors, more strands of safe and environmentally friendly filament, and an activity guide with 10 new hands-on projects.

SIMPLAY3 Simplay3’s Dress-Up & Design Fashion Closet is a fashion design studio featuring hanger space for dress-up clothing, three storage shelves for accessories, storage for creative supplies, and easel clips to hang drawings. The closet is recommended for toddlers ages 18 months and up, and no assembly is required.

BUFFALO GAMES Based on the classic arcade game of the same name, Buffalo Games’ Space Invaders is a collaborative, tabletop strategy game in which players either win or lose together. Players ages 8 and up take turns moving their 3D arcade launcher to line up the best shot, and then fire blasts at the waves of descending invaders. The players have limited shots, so they must work together to coordinate their attack and hit the targets to save the planet.

Kids ages 3-10 can learn to count with Chuckle & Roar Pop It! Counting!

This travel-friendly, bubble-popping game provides sensory fun mixed with STEM learning. There are bubbles for plus, minus, and equal signs so that kids can start to work on their addition and subtraction skills.

60 Second City is a two-player, light strategy game designed for kids ages 10 and up. Players randomly draw city tiles and quickly place them on the board at the same time. They have to think fast because they cannot draw another tile until they place the one they have. By matching patterns and building city zones, players can complete their goal of building a city while keeping the pollution from growing and blocking spaces on the board.

In Tetris, kids can play a physical game of the classic arcade game simultaneously against their friends. On each turn, players reveal a Tetris card that says what Tetrimino playing piece all of them must drop into their Matrix tower — all while keeping an eye on what is coming up next to make the right drop.

Players score points for every horizontal line they fill completely and earn extra points by matching playing pieces with bonus icons on their tower. This game is designed for 2-4 players ages 10 and up.

Capture the Flag is a head-to-head race to steal an opponent’s flag. Players draw a card, attack or defend by playing matching colors, and try to capture the flag. There are no turns, so play is fast-paced and constant, resulting in about a 10-minute gameplay. Capture the Flag is designed for kids ages 6 and up.

All of the above Buffalo Games products will be available on Aug. 1.

58 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 58

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-15 1

4/1/21 2:02 PM

WHAT DO YOU MEME? In Pop Under Pressure from What Do You Meme?, players ages 14 and up spin to reveal a letter for the round, then race to fill in 12 categories using answers starting with that letter before an inflating balloon in the center of the game bursts. Once the balloon pops, players tally their points to determine the winner. The game comes with 100 balloons and five sets of 20 category cards.

VTECH VTech’s KidiZoom Smartwatch DX3 features two cameras for kids to take selfies, photos, and videos, as well as an LED light that doubles as a camera flash and a flashlight. Kids ages 4 and up can tap to hear the time and choose from more than 50 analog and digital animated watch faces, an animated monster watch face they can interact with, or create a custom watch face from their photos. The watch comes preloaded with apps, including four games, motion-tracking activities, a voice recorder, and more than 60 customizable daily activity reminders from “OK to wake” to “Time for bed.” Adults can safely share photos and videos at their discretion by uploading them to a computer using the included micro-USB cable. Kids can also play two-player games and send preset messages to a second smartwatch (not included) by scanning a code on their friend’s watch screen.

With the Sort & Recycle Ride-On Truck, toddlers ages 18 months and up can pick up blocks, sort them by shape and color, and store them inside the truck. The vehicle also features a scoop and a shape sorter on the side to practice recycling pretend items. The truck and the blocks are made from more than 90% reclaimed plastic.

Kids ages 4 and up can create instant black-and-white photo printouts of their own photos with the KidiZoom PrintCam. The kid-friendly digital camera features a flip-up lens to take selfies; three games; special photo effects; panoramic prints, and a comic strip maker that users can print out and color in. Kids can also design and print their own cards, characters, play money, and more with the print Sort & Recycle shop. Users can upload photos and videos via the included USB cable.

Ride-On Truck The KidiBuzz 3 features built-in safeguards so that kids ages 4 and up can explore kid-friendly websites; play more than 40 interactive learning games; load and play music and movies; and send texts, photos, and video clips over Wi-Fi to other KidiBuzz devices and iPhone or Android smartphones using the free KidiCom Chat app. Kids can take close-up photos and videos with the MagLens on the 5 megapixel camera, then add live face filters and frames. The device features a headphone jack and parent controls to set daily screen time limits. Users can also access more than 2,000 games and activities with a free trial subscription to LeapFrog Academy.

The Get Ready for School Learning Desk is a five-in-one, flexible learning center featuring an interactive desktop, an LED writing pad, a projection system with four projection reels, a chalkboard, and an art station. The five interactive activity pages feature more than 200 touch-and-learn spots that kids ages 2 and up can use to explore the alphabet, numbers, counting, music, shapes, colors, the human body, clothes, and weather. The included music player features more than 30 songs and melodies.

All of the above VTech products will launch in the fall.

60 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 60

4/14/21 3:07 PM

MIGHTY MOJO TOYS

THE OP The Op introduces Disney Mickey and Friends Food Fight, a new game inspired by the classic Mickey Mouse short film No Service. In the game, 3-5 players ages 6 and up have to simultaneously roll the dice to discover what types of food to toss, how many, and in which direction, all while avoiding other players’ food. The ultimate goal is to be the first player with an empty tray and three Mickey Medals to win the game.

This August, The Op brings back The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31. The game for players ages 17 and up is based on filmmaker John Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi classic The Thing. Players choose to play as one of 12 characters as they lead investigations and race to avoid being infected by an alien lifeform.

Mighty Mojo Toys introduces the Etch A Sketch Watch. Designed for kids ages 8 and up, the LCD watch looks like a miniature version of Spin Master’s classic Etch A Sketch toy with a red frame and dual knobs. The watch will be available this fall and comes in a gift box.

Families can get the party going with Etch A Sketch Party-In-A-Box. The set comes with a custom, Etch A Sketch-shaped photo booth frame and four props; eight sets of utensils, plates, and cups; a tablecloth; a mylar balloon; and more. The set comes in a reusable window box with a handle for storage.

PLAYMONSTER PlayMonster’s KOOSH Sharp Shot is an interactive target game for kids ages 6 and up. Kids can choose Target Toss, Criss Cross, or Lightning Flash game modes to play solo or in a group.

Spirograph Animator features gears like the original Spirograph, but after kids ages 8 and up make their designs, they set them on the animator and watch them move. The spinning and lights create a 3D effect.

Kids ages 4 and up can grow real plants in the My Fairy Garden — Light Unicorn ParaSpirograph Animator dise. It includes a light-up rainbow, a glittery unicorn, seeds, and soil.

Five Crowns — 25th Anniversary Edition is a five-suited, rummy-style game for 1-7 players ages 8 and up. Players try to make the right combinations in order to be the first to go out, and watch all the other players scramble. The specialedition game includes a tin, a custom score sheet, and a double deck of cards.

PlayMonster expands its Snap Ships line for kids ages 8 and up with the Claymore CR-76 Combat transport, which features working bay doors and a mini-mech for ground battle. The Maul FT-12 Assault Mech includes a new weapon, a push launcher, and hinged and rotating joints.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 61

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 61

4/14/21 3:07 PM

WICKED BIG SPORTS Wicked Big Sports introduces the Wicked Big Sports Spiral Strike, a new game that combines the gameplay of football and bowling. Players can face off one-on-one or in teams of two as they set up the pins and attempt to knock them down by tossing the football. The set includes a football, a pump, two targets, and 12 pins.

MAGFORMERS Magformers adds to its line of magnetic construction sets with the Carnival Plus Set. Out this July, the set has improved carnival accessories and new detachable-type figures. Kids ages 3 and up can build carnival constructions without a hexagon piece.

The Wow Plus Set features click wheels that help kids build a more cohesive construction. There are 30 construction models available and the puzzle cards in each set have a fresh design.

ULTRAPRO ENTERTAINMENT To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pokémon, UltraPro will release the Pokémon Trainer Guess Legacy Edition. Kids ages 6 and up think of a Pokémon and, after asking a few questions, the special Legacy Metallic Poké Ball will guess which Pokémon they are thinking of. The game features the original 148 Pokémon, speech recognition technology, and sound and light effects.

Also designed for kids ages 6 and up, Pokémon Trainer Trivia features 1,000 Pokémon facts. Players have to be the first to press their button and guess if the facts are true or false. Kids can choose from single or multiplayer game modes and three levels of difficulty. A virtual game master explains the rules, asks questions, and keeps score during the game.

In Speedy Doc, players ages 8 and up have to act fast and see if they know as much as Doc by trying to name something that fits in one of more than 500 included topics.

All three of these games from UltraPro will be available in July.

62 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 62

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-1 1

3/28/21 5:40 PM

LANDZO TOYS Quincy 1S from Landzo Toys is an interactive robot that help kids ages 3 and up draw through storytelling. Quincy features three modes — Drawing, Teaching, and Doodle — that incorporate drawing lessons, spelling games, math puzzles, and more.

Kids ages 3 and up can use tools, such as a screwdriver, to build their own toys with the Corma Engineering Blocks. Builders can assemble the pieces into different models to develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, concentration, and logical thinking.

Science Bear STEAM Kits are educational sets featuring interactive, DIY experiments and activities for kids ages 8 and up. Each of the kits focuses on a specific topic, such as chemistry, physics, or wood crafting, and includes all of the necessary supplies and tools in one box.

Quincy 1S

JAKKS PACIFIC Jakks Pacifc expands its Super Mario collection with the Deluxe Bowser’s Airship Playset. Available this fall, kids ages 3 and up can spin the propellers and push it along on its rocking motion wheels. The Airship features sounds inspired by the Super Mario Bros. video games and includes below-deck storage for Super Mario action figures.

The Disney Princess collection expands with the Magic in Motion Hair Glow Rapunzel Doll, designed for kids ages 3 and up. Rapunzel’s mouth moves as she sings “I See the Light” and says more than 15 phrases. Using the included brush, kids can style her hair, which glows just like in the film Tangled.

Kids ages 3 and up can learn what makes Disney Princess characters beautiful inside and out with the Enchanted Messages Musical Vanity. By removing or placing the accessories back into their compartments, kids can activate more than 15 Positive Princess messages featuring their favorite characters, such as “Be endlessly curious just like Ariel!” The set includes a vanity, a hair brush, a comb, a tiara, a stool, and five Disney Princess rings.

This fall, Jakks Pacific introduces the RC Rock ‘n Rollerskate Doll Assortment, which are 10.5-inch dolls with boombox-themed remote controls. Kids ages 5 and up can choose from Rainbow Riley and Lightning Luna. The dolls can move forward, backward, and can perform 360-degree spins on wheels that light up in different colors. The remote plays music as the dolls move around, and Neon Party mode makes nighttime fun with flashing lights and glow-in-the-dark elements.

The Sonic the Hedgehog collection from Jakks Pacific expands with the Giant Eggman Battle Set. Kids ages 3 and up can use the included 2.5-inch Sonic “Spin Attack” figure to destroy the Giant Eggman Robot by hitting him three times, then put him back together to play again. The set comes in Sonic 30th Anniversary packaging and will be available this fall.

Kids ages 3-6 can bounce up and down on the WeeeDo Disney Jr. Mickey and Friends 3-foot Trampoline. Designed for kids up to 55 lbs, the trampoline features a bungee system with no metal Super Mario coils and a handlebar covered in soft foam.

Deluxe Bowser’s Airship Playset

64 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 64

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-13 1

3/25/21 1:27 PM

Huddle

GUTTER GAMES The 12 Games of Christmas from Gutter Games is a bundle of easy-to-learn and simple-to-play games designed to get families into the Christmas spirit. Titles include Merry Quizmas, Santa’s Letters, Reindeer Hoopla, and more. The 12 Games of Christmas is designed for kids ages 8 and up and will be available in September.

HUNTER PRODUCTS With Huddle from Hunter Products, kids ages 2 and up can turn their lounge room upside down. They can use the soft, slow-rising foam to make a playhouse, a secret cave, a comfortable reading spot, and more.

Designed for kids ages 5 and up, ESPN Sports Balls were created to give players an enhanced grip and a durable feel. Each comes packed with a butyl bladder for long-lasting air retention.

The ESPN All Sports Net helps kids practice multiple sports, including football, soccer, basketball, tennis, baseball, and lacrosse using the target pouch system.

Call Me Chloe is an 18-inch doll that comes with her own phone and another for kids. When kids ages 3 and up call her, the doll raises her hands to answer and her lips move when she talks about nine different topics.

HASBRO This fall, Hasbro will introduce the PJ Masks Deluxe Battle HQ playset. Kids ages 3 and up can trap the baddies and use the included vehicle launcher to plot daring escapes. The set is compatible with the new 3-inch PJ Masks action figures that feature Hero ID, a new built-in technology that activates more than 25 character-specific lights, sounds, and phrases.

Kids ages 3 and up can face off against the Decepticons with the 15-inch Transformers: Jumbo Jet Wing Racer Optimus Prime. The Autobot leader transformers from Jumbo Jet Wing Racer to robot mode in a few simple steps. A 4.5-inch Bumblebee figure is included and transforms from race car to robot with a one-step conversion.

The furReal Gogo My Dancin’ Pup Interactive Toy is an electronic puppy that stands up and dances to five different songs. Kids can press a button on the attached leash to activate walking or dancing movements. Gogo features more than 50 different sounds and reactions and will be available on Aug. 1.

Each 12-inch, interactive doll in the Baby Alive Lulu Achoo Doll Assortment responds to kids’ care with more than 50 reactions, including lights, sounds, and movement. The included doctor station tells kids why the doll feels sick so that they can work to make the doll feel better using a variety of play accessories.

This June, kids ages 14 and up can add the NERF Hyper Mach-100 to their foam blaster arsenals. The motorized blaster includes 80 NERF Hyper Rounds and can hold 100 rounds in its onboard hopper.

Monopoly Builder from Hasbro Gaming puts a new spin on the classic board game, taking place on Monopoly Island. Players ages 8 and up will build properties using Builder’s Blocks while collecting rent and resources as they work toward the ultimate goal of building a penthouse.

66 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 66

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-12 1

3/25/21 1:23 PM

CAT Junior Crew Tipper

FUNRISE Kids ages 5 and up can unbox the BFF Bright Fairy Friends Mermaid Dolls from Funrise to unveil a surprise mermaid doll and multiple mermaid-themed accessories. Each doll comes in a mermaid home with motion-activated twinkle lights that double as a night light. Kids can touch the mermaid’s wings with the seahorse sponge for a color reveal effect. There are 12 mermaid dolls in series one.

The CAT Junior Crew Tipper is a 14-inch vehicle featuring motorized facial movements, motorized wheels, and more than 50 phrases and sounds.

Tipper can switch the conversation to match different play patterns due to the smart sensors that can detect kids’ actions. This vehicle is suitable for kids ages 2 and up.

The CAT Little Machines Ground Crew set includes 3-inch, push-powered vehicles and Insta-Dirt that grows 15 times its volume in a matter of seconds when mixed with water. Kids ages 3 and up can use the working crane to move and load the Insta-Dirt onto the vehicles with the articulated buckets and booms.

These products will launch this fall.

JUST PLAY Just Play will launch a number of licensed products this fall. Disney Doorables Multi Peek Series 6 is designed for kids ages 5 and up. The line includes more than 45 1.5-inch Disney character figures to collect.

The Disney Junior Mickey Mouse Funhouse Wacky Wheeler Dump Truck features Mickey in the driver’s seat and an oversized dump bed and wheels.

Kids ages 3 and up can press the button to watch Mickey do stunts, or they can fill the dump bed with the included bricks and empty it for the next haul.

With the Disney Junior Mickey Mouse Funny the Funhouse Playset, kids can recreate adventures with the included 3-inch Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck figures. Kids can take them on the Floaty Coaster or spin the wheel to hear the funhouse talk. The playset also includes a spinning sofa, the Floaty Coaster, a grill, and Teddy the Dog House.

Preschoolers have been learning and playing with Blue for nearly 25 years. With Blue’s Clues & You! Check Up Time Blue, they can press Blue’s chest and mouth with the doctor’s accessories to activate lights, sounds, and phrases. Josh will help guide kids through Blue’s check up.

Ryan’s World Chef Ryan’s Fridge Surprise includes more than 15 toys inspired by Ryan’s favorite treats. Kids can discover mini-figures, oozes and compounds, a build-it Ryan figure, and more. The fridge is 16 inches tall and features lights, sounds, and a pretend ice cube dispenser.

68 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 68

4/14/21 3:07 PM

WECOOL WeCool’s Stunt Kings LumiTek Monster Trucks are 1:10-scale R/C cars with LED lights, slick rear wheels for drifting and durability, and a power motor. Kids ages 6 and up can customize each vehicle by threading LED light piping.

The Magic Trace Light Bar is an on-the-go art activity for kids ages 6 and up. When kids attach the glow grip to the included markers, its light will make lines appear on the colored pages for kids to trace.

Kids ages 4 and up can make their own unicorn slime with the Compound Kings Unicorn Explosion Sensory Tub. The tub includes glitter, unicorn horn-shaped containers, shiny unicorn-shaped mix-ins, and scented slime.

The Face and Trace Studio teaches kids ages 6 and up how to apply makeup with a tutorial brochure and acetate sliders. Kids can insert each slide, then follow the steps to apply eyeshadow, lipstick, blush, and more.

Inspired by the hydraulic press crushing video trend, the Butter Crusher by Compound Kings comes with two character molds, three interchangeable disks, and butter slime that kids ages 4 and up can use to create critters to crush with the manually powered press.

All of the products above will be available in July.

SPIN MASTER

GUND Toothpick Bear — Stripes

Spin Master’s Peek-A-Roo is an interactive plush animal featuring a pouch with a baby inside. The way in which kids play with the mom will influence the baby’s mood. Kids can play with both the mom and the baby to discover how they sing, dance, and cuddle together with more than 150 sounds and actions. Peek-A-Roo is suitable for kids ages 5 and up.

The Kinetic Sand Sandisfactory Set features new tools and molds that kids ages 3 and up can use to craft Kinetic Sand creations. Kids can mix, cut, mold, and watch the sand flow. The set includes nine tools, two molds, and four colors of sand.

Air Hogs Jump Fury is an R/C vehicle that can jump up to 22 inches in the air. Kids ages 4 and up can use the vehicle to master stunts, such as 360-degree spins, flips, drops, and rebounds. The vehicle’s performance wheels are soft, so they won’t scratch walls or furniture during indoor use.

In the game Beat the Parents, kids and parents must write their wagers on the board and compete through rounds of questions and physical challenges designed for either kids or adults. Kids must “Beat the Parents” to win the wager.

The game is recommended for players ages 6 and up.

GUND Toothpick Bears are plush bears with thin, tag-a-long bodies suitable for babies ages 1 and up. The designs include characters Stripes, Confetti, and Ripple.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 69

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 69

4/14/21 3:45 PM

TOMY Kids ages 6 and up can create paper maché gifts using toilet paper and water with Maché Magic from TOMY. The kit includes everything kids need to mold and decorate their creations.

The John Deere Monster Treads Super Combine is the largest Monster Treads toy yet, measuring nearly 18 inches long and 10.5 inches wide. Designed for kids ages 3 and up, the vehicle features lights and sounds activated by three buttons, as well as bouncy tires and a spinning combine head.

TOMY also expands its Ricky Zoom toy line with Ricky Zoom Lightning Rescue Ricky. Designed for kids ages 3 and up, this 9-inch version of the character features light-up wheels, sound effects, an articulated front wheel, and grappling hook accessories that kids can launch.

The Jurassic World Toddler Line includes products such as the Jurassic Rescue Jeep, Roll & Go Raptors, Pick & Push T-Rex, and Spin & Hatch Dino Eggs, all designed for babies ages 1 and up. These colorful toys are inspired by vehicles and dinosaur characters from the Jurassic World franchise.

Jurassic World Roll & Go Raptors

NKOK NKOK expanded its Realtree collection with a pair of new Realtree Hunting Playsets.

Each set includes an archer action figure, a dog, and a Ford F250 pickup truck. Sets will include either a Polaris Sportsman or Polaris Ranger vehicle and trailer, along with either a buck or elk figure. All vehicles are wrapped in the Realtree Edge camo pattern.

The 22-piece Wow World Strike Force Playset includes a team of two dinosaur tracker action figures, a T.Rex with lights and sounds, and a Dilophosaurus. Kids can send the Strike Force into action in an open cockpit SUV or a helicopter with a crane and a blaster. The set also features baby dinosaurs, an egg, and foliage.

NKOK refreshed its Junior Racers brand with a trio of Jr. Racing Transporters. Kids ages 3 and up can press the button on top of each transporter to activate a sequence of lights and sound effects. Each transporter — Racing, Construction, and Rescue — comes with four vehicles. The Jr. Racing Transporters are the largest friction vehicles that NKOK has ever made.

This year, the full-function SpongeBob SquarePants Skateboarder R/C gets upgraded with a new 2.4GHz transmitter that kids can use to control it SpongeBob SquarePants from up to 150 feet away. With a new turbo feature, Skateboarder R/C SpongeBob can travel faster than ever at the push of a button.

70 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 70

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-4 1

3/29/21 12:17 PM

KELLYTOY Kellytoy, a subsidiary of Jazwares, expands its Squishmallows brand with Squishmallows Backpacks. The first series of these 12-inch backpacks includes eight characters from recent Squishmallow squads.

The backpacks are as soft as original Squishmallow plush animals and feature a zipper top, a loop for hanging, and adjustable straps.

Grinch and Max Mallow Plush

DR. SEUSS ENTERPRISES Dr. Seuss Enterprises partnered with Aurora on new plush inspired by How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Santa Grinch Light Up Plush includes luminous features to give the Grinch a festive, holiday glow.

The Grinch and Max Mallow Plush are 2.5-inch collectibles that will be available this August.

MOOSE TOYS This August, Moose Toys will release Squeakee Dino, a balloon animal with a twist for kids ages 5 and up. B-Rex features more than 70 sounds and movements. Kids can put on his headphones to watch him dance, pull on his bone to play tug of war, and pull his tail to reinflate him when he pops.

Dream Seekers dolls are meant to inspire kids to achieve their aspirations and believe in themselves. Each 14-inch doll has a unique dream mark on her wrist and comes in a “wish upon a star” package.

Kids ages 4 and up can build a monster back to life with Treasure X Monster Coffin. Kids can uncover each creepy monster from the spiderweb compound and mix and match their heads, bodies, and limbs them with the other monsters in the collection.

Heroes of Goo Jit Zu is a line of stretchy heroes who have goo powers. Each faces a bad guy and has its insides morphed based on their planetary beginnings. Kids can pick their battles with individual Hero Packs or choose a match up with two action figures in the Versus Pack.

Kids ages 3 and up can feed Kindi Kids Bubble ‘n Sing Poppi Pearl or Bonnie Bubbles their tropical ice cream-scented formula, then press their tummies to watch them blow bubbles. The dolls make more than 20 giggle and coo sound effects.

Squeakee Dino

72 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 72

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-6 1

3/29/21 10:16 PM

FABER-CASTELL USA Faber-Castell USA introduces two color-by-number puzzles this August for kids ages 6 and up. Both the Color by Number Puzzle: Camping and Color by Number Puzzle: Jungle Animals were designed in collaboration with Allison Cole. Kids can color in the puzzles with the included Faber-Castell Duo-tip Markers, and search for hidden glowin-the-dark shapes.

LEAPFROG LeapFrog’s LeapLand Adventures is an educational video game in which players can hunt for keys to unlock the castle while learning about letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. Users can insert the plug-and-play HDMI game stick and USB power cable into a TV and play the game using the wireless controller with no web connection, downloads, or account set-ups required. Kids ages 3 and up can choose between two characters to explore Letterland, Numberville, Shapetown, and Color Springs by running and jumping through progressive, replayable game levels while collecting gems, cleverberries, and treasure chest rewards. Players can also explore more than 150 learning items at their own pace by playing the educational content directly in the Learning Center. The game features up to five player profiles to save each player’s individual game progress.

The LeapStart Learning Success Bundle is an interactive system featuring games, puzzles, and challenges that help kids ages 2 and up build math, reading, problem-solving, and other skills. Many of the replayable activities feature two levels with more than 50 key skills per grade level, so kids can play and learn at the right level and move up when they’re ready. The set includes the Go! Go! Cory Carson Cory Carson Superhero School book, an additional activity book, and a stylus.

The On-the-Go Story Pal is a bunny-shaped speaker featuring more than 70 stories, poems, songs, and lullabies. The narrators, character voices, sound effects, and content encourage listening comprehension for kids ages 3 and up. Parents can personalize it by recording up to 10 minutes of their voice reading their kid’s favorite story or create their own stories. Users can create a playlist of up to five stories, songs, poems, or lullabies. It includes a headphone jack, a carrying strap, and a timer that Choppin’ Fun parents can set to play a variety of stories, songs, Learning Pot and lullabies before kids fall asleep. Free additional content is available for download.

The Choppin’ Fun Learning Pot is an interactive cooking pot that lights up and changes colors. Babies ages 12 months and up can turn the temperature dial and press the veggie buttons to learn about different foods and their colors, and follow five step-by-step recipes to practice early counting skills. It includes 14 accessories, such as vegetables and kitchen tools, that fit inside the pot for storage.

Designed for kids ages 2 and up, the CountAlong Basket & Scanner is a grocery basket, a shopping cart, and a grocery scanner that actually scans and recognizes all the play pieces.

It comes with eight toy food items and features three modes, music, and silly phrases.

These products will be available this fall.

74 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 74

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-6 1

3/24/21 5:14 PM

LEARNING RESOURCES

Beaker Creatures Skull Mountain Volcano

Kids ages 4 and up can follow storybook adventures and cast screen-free coding spells with Coding Critters MagiCoders: Skye the Unicorn from Learning Resources. The playset includes a magic wand controller and an activity-filled coding spellbook. Skye’s multicolored horn lights up, and kids can use their introductory coding skills to code Skye to the end of the rainbow, launch shooting stars with the star launcher, and more.

Coding Critters MagiCoders: Blazer the Dragon also includes a magic wand controller and a coding spellbook with activities that kids age 4 and up can follow to code Blazer to storm the castle, launch the catapult, and more.

Inspired by Learning Resources’ Beaker Creatures Bubbling Volcano Reactor, the Beaker Creatures Skull Mountain Volcano is a working lab set that kids ages 5 and up can use to experiment with science and chemistry concepts. Kids can place the reactor pod in the mountain’s top and pour in water to create bubbling, fizzing reactions. The set includes an exclusive, color-changing Beaker Creature and an experiment guide filled with real-world science experiments. It is compatible with all Beaker Creatures Reactor Pods and lab sets.

With the Noodle Knockout Fine Motor Game, kids ages 4 and up can grab the chopstick-style tongs, spin the spinner, and sort stretchy noodles and colorful veggies to match the cards. There are multiple gameplay options for two players or more. The zero-waste box serves as a gameboard and a storage container.

HEXBUG HEXBUG will expand the Junkbots line this fall with the Junkbots Large Factory Habitat. The playset features more than 200 pieces and 15 stages of unboxing. Kids ages 5 and up can deconstruct the factory’s pipes to create a secret build and collect four of 22 new Junkbots characters.

Arena Max + Bounty Hunter is the newest addition to the BattleBots line for kids ages 8 and up, coming this fall. The Arena Max features aggressive walls and a real-working auger. The set includes the Tombstone BattleBot and a Build-Your-Own Tank robot.

With the creepy, crawly nano Real Bugs, kids ages 3 and up can prank their family and friends. The five realisticlooking bugs feature nano vibration technology that makes them scurry.

The Hexmods Pro Racer Pack is a bundle of hobby-grade R/C tuner cars that includes a wide assortment of modifications. The set features multiple styles, hoods, skirts, bumpers, and spoilers for kids to build and customize their cars, which can race at up to 20 miles per hour. The pack includes options for working headlights, tail lights, and LED powered underglow to light up any circuit or track.

Real Bugs

76 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 76

4/14/21 3:07 PM

MADAME ALEXANDER DOLL CO. Madame Alexander Doll Co.’s Adoption Day Baby is a 14-inch baby doll featuring a fabric body and a vinyl head. It includes a rocking cradle that converts into a changing table, an adoption certificate that kids can complete, a hospital wristband, a blanket, a pacifier, and a disposable diaper. It is available in three different skin tones, as well as girl, boy, and gender-neutral designs.

This doll is suitable for kids ages 3 and up. Madame Alexander will launch a collection of doll role-play accessories this fall, all of which will feature a blue and gray color palette with a colored design.

The Soft Gray Umbrella Stroller is a foldable, blue stroller with a removable, washable seat.

The Soft Gray Car Seat/Carrier is a blue car seat with a removable, washable seat cover. The seat/carrier also features handles that kids can adjust into multiple positions to transform it into a crib, a car seat, or a feeding chair for their dolls.

The Soft Gray Clip-on Chair attaches to tabletops up to 2 inches thick to seat baby dolls at the table for pretend meals.

The Soft Gray On the Go Essentials diaper bag features a fold-out changing pad for baby dolls. The set includes a bottle, a bib, a pacifier, a food container, a spoon, disposable diapers, toothpaste, and a toothbrush.

All of these products will launch this fall and are designed for kids ages 2 and up, except for the Essentials set, which is for kids ages 3 and up.

Adoption Day Baby

Nikko RC Rock CrushR

NIKKO TOYS Nikko Toys’ Nikko RC Rock CrushR features auto-expanding wheels that give them grip and reticulating arms that reach out to grab the terrain. Designed for kids ages 6 and up, the vehicle includes a built-in, USB quick-charge 9.6V Lithium Polymer battery that is ready to run straight out of the box. It charges in an hour for 30 minutes of play.

The Nikko RC VaporizR XT features four-wheel drive power to drive on dirt, mud, snow, and water. Designed for kids ages 6 and up, it comes fully assembled with a built-in USB recharging cable and a 6.4V Lithium Polymer quick-charge battery. It charges in an hour for 20 minutes of play.

The Nikko RC Nano Omni X features dual motor, four-wheel drive and omni-roller, wheel-in-wheel technology for kids ages 6 to control their drifts.

The Road Rippers After Burner features spinning turbines, motorized drive, lights, and sound effects. Kids ages 3 and up can push the launch button to watch the jet boosters’ spinning turbine.

The Machine Maker Farm Sets feature 15 pieces, including a figure, a screwdriver, a farm animal, farm accessories, and the machine parts to build a vehicle.

Kids ages 3 and up can use the screwdriver to build the toy, take it apart, mix and match the pieces, and activate different features.

These products will launch in the fall.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 77

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 77

4/14/21 3:07 PM

TOP SECRET TOYS Top Secret Toys will reinvent GigaPets this fall. GigaPets StarCat/CompuKitty device challenges kids ages 5 and up to raise an animal into a happy, healthy pet. Kids can play with the original 1997 CompuKitty or the new magical pet StarCat. The Dissect-It Super Lab features a carvable, eco-friendly gelatin frog that contains a 10-piece organ and skeletal structure, and flexible veins and arteries. Kids ages 6 and up can follow the highly detailed instruction manual and use the provided tools to dissect the frog and learn about biology.

Top Secret Toys will also add three new animals to the Dissect-It line. Young scientists will be able to dissect a gelatin version of a bat, a salamander, or a piranha.

Each animal comes with a full organ and skeletal structure.

Hovertech Drone Battle Deluxe is designed for kids to strike it down with foam dart blasters. The auto-hovering drone can lift off any surface and automatically hovers 15 inches below the ceiling of any room, where kids can take aim and fire at it. The set features a self-flying four rotor drone target, two blasters, 12 foam darts, and a USB charger.

To launch the Aero-Drone 360, kids just have to toss it in the air. The self-flying drone uses infrared sensor technology, inductive suspension, and collision protection. No remote is needed — the drone will move in different directions and fly to different altitudes based on kids’ gestures, hand positions, and other surfaces in the environment.

LEGO Vidiyo Party Llama Beatbox

LEGO

The LEGO Vidiyo Party Llama Beatbox is an 82-piece set that kids ages 7 and up can build, then download the free LEGO Vidiyo app to scan in the music mini-figure and reveal the llama’s stage persona. Kids can also scan the BeatBits to unlock special effects, challenges, and more while producing their own music video to share with other creators in the kid-safe social feed. Builders can style the BeatBox using the LEGO pieces, choosing from a palm tree, a roller skate, or a maracas-shaped cloud design, or they can make up their own design. The BeatBox folds up with space to store the BeatBits and mini-figure.

Kids ages 7 and up can collect the LEGO Vidiyo Bandmates to grow their band and create music videos within the LEGO Vidiyo app. In the app, users can choose from popular songs, scan the mini-figures and special effect BeatBits, and record. Kids can collect other Bandmates to unlock more effects.

LEGO’s Heartlake City Shopping Mall is a three-story building set that includes 1,032 pieces that kids ages 8 and up can use to build a shopping mall with five stores and two separate play pieces: a photo booth and a fashion turntable. The set features six characters — including a new micro-doll — and mall-themed accessories.

The LEGO Star Wars Darth Vader Helmet is an 834-piece, displayable model of Darth Vader’s helmet.

It is recommended for teenagers ages 18 and up.

78 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 78

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-11 1

1/27/21 4:54 PM

UNIVERSAL BRAND DEVELOPMENT Universal Brand Development’s Spirit Untamed gallops into toy departments this fall with two new playsets inspired by the feature film. With Mattel’s Spirit Untamed Swing & Saddle Barn Playset, kids can learn how to feed, groom, and take care of horses in the four play areas: a stable, a clubhouse, a feeding and grooming area, and a tire swing. The set comes with Spirit the horse and 10 accessories.

The Spirit Untamed Lucky & Spirit Ultimate Barn Playset pairs the Swing & Saddle Barn with a 7-inch Lucky doll and a Spirit horse with a color-changing feature that kids can activate with the included water pump. The set includes a paddock, fencing, two troughs, and additional accessories.

GOLIATH Goliath will introduce five new games this fall for kids ages 4 and up. In Beware of the Bear, 2-4 players take turns stealing goodies and poking a bear. If the bear wakes up, he’ll jump and catch the losing player.

With Chompin’ Charlie, kids try to get rid of their acorn stash by feeding the always-hungry Charlie. Sometimes he eats more than he can handle and spits the acorns back at players. The first player to fill up their acorn stash wins.

Gobble Monster wants to eat all of the toys. Kids draw a card to see which toy they can save before he gets hungry and gobbles them up. The player who saves the most toys at the end wins the game.

Kids can feed Picky Kitty vegetables but he won’t always eat them. Players should watch out — he might throw the plate away. The first player to get rid of all of their vegetables wins.

Doggie Doo Corgi is a follow up to Doggie Doo. Kids feed their corgi and clean up his mess when he makes it. The player who cleans up the “doo” gets a token, and whoever has the most tokens at the end of the game wins.

Spirit Untamed Lucky & Spirit Ultimate Barn Playset

WREBBIT 3D Wrebbit 3D expands its Harry Potter puzzle collection with three new designs.

The 420-piece Harry Potter Hogwarts Clock Tower 3D Jigsaw Puzzle is available this month. Puzzlers can combine this set with the Hogwarts Great Hall and Hog420-piece Harry Potter warts Astronomy Tower puzzles Hogwarts Clock Tower 3D Jigsaw Puzzle to recreate the complete Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with each puzzle sold separately.

Wrebbit also released the 155-piece Harry Potter Hogwarts Express 3D Jigsaw Puzzle and the 130-piece Harry Potter Flying Ford Anglia 3D Jigsaw Puzzle. These are the smallest models released so far in the company’s Harry Potter collection.

All three puzzles are designed for kids ages 12 and up.

Picky Kitty

80 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 80

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-2 1

3/22/21 4:29 PM

WILDER TOYS Families can find out if they have what it takes to win MasterChef with the MasterChef Family Cooking Game from Wilder Toys and WowWee. Designed for two or more players ages 7 and up (plus at least one adult), the game features mini cooking challenges and more than 22 kid-tested recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and desserts. Kids will collect points as they cook with real food, then learn their fate from the judges’ secret scorecards. The recipes are substitution-friendly for dietary restrictions, and the game comes with two child-safe knives.

HAPE

Grand Station Advent Calendar

Hape welcomes the holiday season with the Grand Station Advent Calendar. Available this fall, kids ages 3 and up can discover new surprises each day for 24 days to build a holiday railway scene. The set includes wooden trains, figures, a Christmas tree, and more in a box that becomes a play scene illustrated with artwork that includes Santa, elves, shoppers, and travelers.

The Rocket Ball Air Stacker introduces STEAM concepts to kids as young as 2 years old. Kids can watch as balls sink and rise due to airflow technology within the 3-foot rocket ship. The set includes two balls, a battery-operated fan base, and a mix of colorful and transparent tubes.

Kids ages 4 and up can explore STEAM concepts with the Quadrilla Super Spirals marble set. Kids can build their own courses and race marbles through spiral twists or down the musical xylophone rail. The 77-piece set includes 50 marbles and wooden blocks that are compatible with other Hape Quadrilla sets.

Babies ages 1 and up will be introduced to rhythm and sound recognition with the DJ Mix and Spin Studio. Little ones can create a DJ mix by adding sound effects or scratches to the included background music. Each knob, dial, and button is interactive, and kids can select different instrument sounds, including piano, bass, organ, and drums to add to the mix.

FAT BRAIN TOYS Fat Brain Toys will release GibGab and three tactical toys this July. Players ages 8 and up race to quickly say a word that matches their category and press their button on the gameboard. When they do, the lights begin to creep toward their opponent until they think quickly and say a word. Whoever’s light reaches their opponent’s end of the game board first wins the game.

Kids ages 3 and up can stack and arrange the weirdly shaped pieces of SpiroKu in any way they can imagine. The whole structure stretches into a tall tower when kids nest the pieces together and pull up.

Dimpl Pops feature 18 Dimpl bubbles in two different sizes that kids can push, poke, and pop. Kids can do the same with the 26 Dimpl bubbles featured in Dimpl Pops Deluxe. The squishy silicone is fascinating for little fingers.

SpiroKu

82 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 82

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-6 1

4/12/21 7:44 AM

CEPIA

NICKELODEON Nickelodeon introduces Blue’s Clues & You! Storytime with Blue this fall. This plush from Just Play features a plush Blue and the Handy Dandy Notebook packed with three stories to choose from. Narrated by Josh, each eight-page book features a variety of favorite characters including Magenta, Mailbox, Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper, Shovel and Pail, and Sidetable Drawer.

The PAW Patrol Wooden ABC Block Truck from Melissa and Doug is designed for kids ages 3 and up. The 28 blocks include letters, numbers, shapes, and scenes to piece together, plus PAW Patrol characters. The truck also comes with wooden play figures.

For the first time, the PAW Patrol Ultimate City Tower from Spin Master is compatible with vehicles. The 36-inch tall tower features a vehicle launcher, a Avatar: The Last command center, a suit-up station, and Airbender’s 7-inch Prince more. It comes with all six pups and Zuko Action Figure Chase’s cruiser.

Kids ages 12 and up can collect the Avatar: The Last Airbender’s 7-inch Prince Zuko Action Figure from McFarlane Toys. Zuko is dressed in his traditional Fire Nation Army Attire and features 22 points of articulation.

Cepia will expand its Cats vs Pickles line this fall with new playsets designed for kids ages 4 and up. The Cats vs Pickles Deluxe Cat Condo Set snaps together so that kids can create their own condo configuration for their plush cats and pickles. The set has a light feature and a slide, and comes with an exclusive 4-inch Cats vs Pickles collectible plush.

The Cats vs Pickles Single Condos also snap together to become habitats for kids’ Cats vs Pickles plush collectibles. The condos come with two exclusive, 4-inch collectible plush: one cat and one pickle.

Kids can continue to build their Cats vs Pickles worlds with Cats vs Pickles Themed Restaurants and Shops. Each set comes with an exclusive, 4-inch cat or pickle collectible plush. Themes include Pickle Shack Burgers with Dilbert the Pickle, Nacho Hut with Nacho the Cat, and Kitty Cakes Bakery with Scoops the Cat.

Cats vs Pickles Single Condo

BOOGIE BOARD Boogie Board’s Jot Kids Lil’ Pros Collection includes three reusable tablets with designs inspired by different career aspirations. The designs include Lil’ Firefighter, Lil’ Programmer, and Lil’ Fashion Designer.

Kids can write, draw, or doodle on each tablet, then push a button to clear the board. Coming in August, the tablets feature a hard-shell cover and an attached stylus.

84 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 84

4/14/21 3:07 PM

BBC Moose Toys will debut new toys this August based on the BBC series Bluey, airing on the Disney Channel in the U.S. Bluey and her family are heading on a road trip with the Bluey’s Caravan Adventures playset. This large set features one side that opens to reveal a kitchen, complete with a table and benches, cabinets, and an oven door that opens and closes. The second-story bunk room includes beds for Bluey and Bingo. Designed for kids ages 3 and up and inspired by the Bluey episode “Camping,” the playset also comes with an exclusive Jean Luc figure, a firepit, and food accessories.

When kids ages 3 and up press the Talking Bluey Plush’s belly, she speaks nine phrases — including “I’ve got an idea!” and “For real life?” — and sings the opening song from the Disney series.

The Bluey Royal Two-Pack of Figures is a royal-themed figure set that features Bluey and Bingo ready to play one of their favorite games of pretend. In addition to the figures, the pack comes with a crown and a regal brushed tricot cap that the figures can wear. Other available Bluey’s Caravan Adventures figure two-packs include professional and photography themes.

Bluey Hopscotch Race Card Game is a game in which players build a hopscotch path using cards, then spin the spinner to match the color and be the first to the finish line. The game is designed for kids ages 3 and up and includes 44 colorful picture cards, a color spinner, and the four Bluey family characters as game pieces.

PURPLE LADYBUG Each Shell Frame Craft Kit from Purple Ladybug comes with everything kids ages 7 and up need to create a decorated photo frame with seashells.

Each Crystal Growing Kit includes all materials kids ages 10 and up need to create crystals. There are multiple colors to choose from in each kit.

Kids ages 6 and up can decorate the Choose-YourPattern Monogram Water Bottle by shrinking one of the included patterned designs around the bottle.

They can also use the rose gold stickers to monogram the bottle and use the included paracord kit to make a bracelet or bottle holder.

With the Make Your Own Lip Balms kit, kids ages 10 and up can create a lip balm from olive oil, beeswax, and shea butter. They will learn to measure, mold, and extract their lip balms, which teaches them about scientific principles and experimentation.

The Shimmer Foil Tote Bag Craft Kit is designed for kids ages 6 and up. Kids use the included colors in a variety of glitter, holographic, and shimmer finishes to decorate a tote bag with any shapes, designs, or letters they can imagine.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 85

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 85

4/14/21 3:07 PM

ELENCO Kids ages 8 and up can build the Teach Tech Dizzy, 6-in-1 Gyroscope Machine, then pull the ripcord to make it move without batteries required. Builders will learn Smartivity: Pinball Machine STEM concepts and the basics of gyroscopes, balance, and more. Dizzy can transform into six different builds: stilts, a rover, a swinging robot, a tower spinner, a scooter, or a roller coaster rider.

The Smartivity: Pinball Machine kit contains all the parts needed to build a functional pinball machine using rubber bands for mess-free assembly. Kids ages 8 and up can learn about levers, momentum, and energy transfer while playing. All Smartivity products use eco-friendly, laser-cut wood that is responsibly sourced.

IMC TOYS The Cry Babies Goodnight Starry Sky dolls from IMC Toys are designed to help toddlers ages 18 months and up with completing bedtime routines. Both Goodnight Starry Sky Jenna and Phoebe make realistic baby sounds and cry light-up LED tears when kids remove their pacifiers, and stop when kids give the pacifiers back. When kids press the dolls’ tummies, they project a moon and stars. They also play five lullabies for more than 10 minutes of soothing music.

The Cry Babies Dressy Collection is getting a refresh with more lifelike appearances for Coney and Pearly, including rooted hair; realistic, glass eyes; softer faces; and removable outfits and shoes. They can cry real tears and make realistic baby sounds, and will stop crying when toddlers ages 18 months and up give them their pacifiers.

The Cry Babies Kiss Me Collection includes Stella the narwhal, Daphne the swan, and Sydney the swan. Each doll features rooted hair, glass eyes, a soft face, a lightCry Babies Magic Tears Storyland weight build, and a removable outfit and shoes. They can cry real tears and make realistic baby sounds, and will stop crying when toddlers ages 18 months and up feed them with their personalized baby bottle. Toddlers can also kiss the doll on the cheek to make it stop crying and to make its cheeks blush.

The Cry Babies Magic Tears Dress Me Up collection features 13 new characters, including one rare character, that come dressed in changeable outfits. Each character comes inside a wardrobe containing eight surprise accessories, including a magic baby bottle, a pacifier, an outfit, a mirror, a pair of shoes, a hanger, and a sticker sheet. Select capsules will also include an iridescent accessory, such as a bow or a pacifier. Kids ages 3 and up can feed their doll with the baby bottle and press its belly to watch it cry.

Cry Babies Magic Tears Storyland are collectible dolls inspired by classic fairytales. There are seven characters to collect, including one rare character, each dressed in a changeable, fabric outfit. Each character comes in a capsule that matches its personality and includes a matching pet. Kids ages 3 and up can find the rainbow key to open the capsule and discover 10 surprise accessories, including a magic baby bottle, a pacifier, a pair of shoes, a piece of clothing, a personalized book, two personalized accessories, and a sticker sheet. Select capsules will contain an iridescent accessory, such as a bow or a pacifier. When kids feed their doll from its magic bottle and squeeze its belly, it will cry tears. When the tears fall onto the storybook, they will reveal a previously hidden storyland image.

These products will be available this fall.

86 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 86

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Untitled-11 1

4/1/21 9:51 AM

BIG G CREATIVE In Ghosted from Big G Creative, players ages 10 and up are ghosts whose restless spirits won’t calm until they solve their own demises from the great beyond.

The first player to correctly identify a suspect, a motive, and a weapon wins the game. Ghosted will be available in June, exclusively at Target.

ART’S IDEAS Art’s Ideas introduces Jenga Giant Sport, a 4-foot version of Jenga that is designed for indoor and outdoor play. Kids ages 8 and up can create big build ups using 54 precision-crafted hardwood blocks. The game now includes a heavy-duty carrying bag for easy clean-up, transport, and storage.

MELISSA & DOUG Melissa & Doug’s PAW Patrol Rescue Mission Wooden Dashboard features a play steering wheel mounted on a wooden dashboard with lights, sound effects, and moving parts, including a scrolling GPS. Kids ages 3 and up can slide one of the three double-sided mission cards into the windshield of the wooden dashboard and set the dial to show which PAW Patrol character needs help, press buttons to choose the pups for the mission and hear multiple phrases for each, then press the paw print “mission start” button to hear Ryder give mission instructions based on the pups chosen for the job in English, French, or Spanish. When kids turn the removable key, they’ll hear the engine rev. They can shift the gear to “D” to start the scrolling GPS and turn the steering wheel to keep the vehicle on the GPS track. Other features of the interactive dashboard include a horn that beeps, a siren button, blinkers that click, and a microphone for voice recording and playback.

With the Blue’s Clues & You! Wooden Birthday Party Play Set, kids ages 3 and up can decorate two wooden cupcakes and a four-piece wooden cake with colorful “icing” cords and wooden toppings that cling to self-stick tabs. The 38-piece playset includes a wooden cupcake pan, cupcake sleeves, a serving plate, wooden birthday candles, a sprinkles shaker bottle, an invitation, an activity booklet, a storage tote, and more.

The Blue’s Clues & You! Wooden Rainbow Stacking Puzzle — 9 Pieces features six rainbow pieces and three play figures (Blue, Magenta, and Blue’s House) that babies ages 18 months and up can place in the wooden puzzle board, which has artwork on the underside of the pieces for easy matching. Babies can stack the pieces in countless combinations or stand the pieces upright for pretend play.

The Poke-A-Dot Tag-Alongs — Farm Set includes two double-sided, farm-themed cards with three buttons on each side. Babies can press and “pop” the buttons and poke the dots to hear different sounds and identify the illustrated farm animals. The cards include nylon straps with self-stick tabs that adults can attach to a stroller, a high chair, or a crib.

PAW Patrol Rescue Mission Wooden Dashboard

88 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 88

4/14/21 3:07 PM

MATTEL UNO Triple Play from Mattel is a new, electronic UNO extension featuring three discard piles. Kids ages 7 and up must play to the pile or piles that light up on their turn without causing the stack of cards to overload. Each pile keeps track of the number of cards that players add to it, and if the pile overloads on a player, that player must draw 2-6 cards. The UNO Triple Play unit features a center LED display that shows how many cards players must draw and the approximate count for each pile.

The Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Volcano Arena features areas for backflips, stunting, crashing, and crushing cars. As the Hot Wheels cars go through the loops, the volcano lights up and makes noises until the T. rex breaks through. If the Hot Wheels cars don’t make it through the loop, they’ll fall into the volcano until they explode. This set is recommended for kids ages 6 and up.

Barbie Ultimate Color Reveal features 25 surprises and foam reveal technology. Kids ages 3 and up can pour the included scented bubble solution in the tube with the Color Reveal doll, shake until the foam forms, Hot Wheels Monster and then reveal the mystery doll. Each pack includes fashions, a hair piece, Trucks Volcano Arena multiple pool- or beach-themed accessories, a bracelet, and play sand that kids can dig through to discover a mystery charm for the bracelet. There are three different themed sets — pineapple, strawberry, or watermelon — and the packaging includes a matching, fruit-shaped blister that kids can use as a foam pool for the doll.

Fisher-Price B.B. Hoopster is an electronic basketball toy featuring four interactive play modes, lights, sounds, narration, and a motorized base that moves the hoop forward and backward. This toy is suitable for kids ages 3 and up.

Jurassic World Wild Chompin’ Carnotaurus Toro is a dinosaur figure inspired by Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. The dinosaur features a range of motions, including closing its eyes when kids stroke the button on its head and a biting action that kids can activate by pressing the button under its tail. Kids ages 3 and up can also hold and twist its tail for more storytelling action.

These products will be available this fall.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 89

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 89

4/14/21 3:07 PM

CRA-Z-ART Kids ages 4 and up can mold and play with the Nickelodeon Cra-Z Sand Tri-Color Rainbow Swirl Bucket from Cra-Z-Art. This compound has the look and feel of sand but is moldable, so kids can cut out or create shapes. The bucket features three colors of sand and press molds.

The Nickelodeon Slime Metallic Studio comes with slime glue, slime activator, glitter, beads, and more so that kids ages 6 and up can create their own metallic slime in a mixer unit with less mess. Kids can crank the handle, watch the slime form, and remove the cap so the slime oozes into the cup below.

Both products will be available this fall.

SKYROCKET

Crystalina

Crystalina from Skyrocket is a line of 4-inch, light-up fairy dolls, each embodying a crystal element with its own magical properties. Each doll includes a wearable, crystal-shaped amulet that passes colorful “crystal powers” back and forth between the doll and the amulet in the form of LED light patterns. Kids ages 4 and up can use their Crystalina doll to change their amulet different colors and patterns that reflect various crystal powers, such as strength, love, wisdom, balance, creativity, growth, confidence, and healing. There are eight different characters available, featuring brushable hair and a variety of skin tones.

Moji the Lovable Labradoodle is a soft dog that responds to voice and touch with more than 150 different reactions, including tail-wagging, head-tilting, and doing tricks. Moji’s smart collar features a color screen that displays animated emojis that communicate his thoughts, such as feeling excited or needing to go potty. Kids ages 4 and up can command Moji with phrases like “high five” and “speak!” to get a reaction. Moji includes a two-sided bowl, a chew rope, and a grooming brush that it recognizes and interacts with.

My Fuzzy Friends are wearable, interactive pets that make more than 50 different sounds, including laughing, burping, drinking, and more. They feature long arms and legs that grab onto kids’ arms to give hugs and nuzzle like a real baby animal, four touch points that create different responses, and multicolor LED lights in each cheek that communicate their feelings. Each Fuzzy Friend includes an interactive bottle and a brush. There are two styles in the first wave: a koala and a kitten.

90 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 90

4/15/21 8:29 AM

EPOCH EVERLASTING PLAY Epoch Everlasting Play expands its Calico Critters line with the Baby Amusement Park playset. Kids ages 3 and up can imagine a day at the amusement park with the included Pookie Panda Baby Clara, Sweetpea Rabbit Baby Henry, and Persian Cat Baby Leah figures.

The set includes four main play areas: Cosmo World with Rocket Ship Launcher Ride; Fantasy Land with Turreted Castle; Adventure World with Rocking Pirate Ship and Baby Go Karts; and Sweets World with Ferris Wheel. Kids can expand their amusement park with the Baby Star Carousel with Pookie Panda Baby Tony and the Royal Carriage Set with Hopscotch Rabbit Baby Grace sets, each sold separately.

Kids ages 4 and up can create colorful farm animals with the Day on the Farm Aquabeads set. Using plain water, kids can fuse their Aquabeads together atop the creation base to design animals using the included templates. With more than 3,500 solid, jewel, and star beads, this is the biggest Aquabeads set to date.

Baby Amusement Park playset

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 91

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 91

4/14/21 3:07 PM

CARRERA This fall, Carrera will introduce Carrera Go!!! Build’n Race, which combines slot car racing with brick building.

Kids start with the chassis, and then build up their cars with the included pieces in the set or with their own brick collection at home. They can use the Carrera Crossbars and Carrera Clips to connect buildings, bridges, tunnels, and more to Carrera Go!!! The Build’n Race sets are designed for kids ages 6 and up.

JAY@PLAY MushaBelly Janimals from Jay@Play are wearable plush animals that make funny MushaBelly sounds when you press them. They have a hole in the center that kids of all ages can slip their feet through and wiggle into to wear them on their body. They are available in different animal styles.

The first series of Little Bow Pets features four plush dogs and four plush cats, each with a bow in their hair.

Kids ages 3 and up can braid their hair and play with the bows. Each bow includes two surprises inside.

With Stuffaloons, kids ages 6 and up can inflate and fill translucent balloons with sparkles, confetti, or glitter to customize any celebration. The kit also includes a plush animal that kids can stuff inside.

Lullabrites are plush toys that play lullaby music.

They feature color-changing lights that twinkle and are suitable for kids of all ages.

FAR OUT TOYS Far Out Toys’ Glo-Up Girls are based on the #GlowUp trend featured on TikTok. As each doll is unwrapped, it goes through a variety of transformations, including color-changing makeup, nails, and more. Six dolls will launch, each with her own backstory, social media content, style personality, and accessories.

The Love, Diana Magical Music Castle comes with music, disco lights, three levels of play, an exclusive doll, an exclusive pet, and more than 30 surprises. Love, Diana dolls can travel through a stocked kitchen, a bedroom, a fashion runway, a jeweled staircase, an elevator, and a dance club with this playset.

MushaBelly Janimals Glo-Up Girls

92 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 92

4/14/21 3:07 PM

Charaction CUBE — Batman

BANDAI AMERICA Bandai America innovates Digimon this fall with Digimon X. The new device holds the nostalgia of its predecessor, but is packed with new features and evolutions that come in a variety of colors. Kids ages 8 and up can hatch, raise, feed, and train their digital monster. It has a variety of new features like the Random Attack Generator, New Quest mode, facial expressions, and more.

The Charaction CUBE — Batman captures the caped crusader’s iconic representation with chibi detail. Kids ages 8 and up can build the Rubik’s puzzle and then add the figure to their collection.

The 4-inch Ultimate Luminous Gundam figure has a light-up feature, while the 4.5inch Gundam Infinity is fully buildable and interchangeable with other infinity figures.

POCKET.WATCH In partnership with its licensing partners, pocket.watch has new products on the way for both its Love, Diana and Ryan’s World brands.

Kids ages 5 and up can style Diana’s hair with the Love, Diana 13-inch Hair Power Doll from Headstart. Available in July, this doll features long hair that changes color in cold water. The doll comes with a styling chair, a Hair Power-themed outfit, and hair-styling accessories.

Headstart will also launch a new range of Ryan’s World blasters this June, including the Ryan’s World Combo v. Ryan 2-Pack. The set includes 12 darts, two targets, and blasters with designs inspired by Ryan and Combo Panda.

The blasters line also includes the Ryan’s World Ranger Surprise Case, which includes a ranger blaster that kids can build in 16 different ways, protective eyewear, 12 darts, and more. Both blaster products also come with a code that kids can redeem in the mobile game Ryan’s Dart Tag! Ryan’s World This fall, kids can unlock the Ryan’s World Ranger Surprise Case Stacking Surprise Lockers from Just Play. Each pack includes four surprise-filled lockers, a bonus surprise, and a pretend combination lock that kids can use to open each locker. The surprises include a poseable figure, mixable ooze, a finger skateboard, a mini-blackboard, and more.

In June, Bonkers Toys will release the Ryan’s World Lost City Adventure Backpack. Kids can unbox the backpack to discover figures; an off-road vehicle; and adventure gear, including a flashlight, binoculars, and a water bottle. Kids can also wear the backpack, which stores all of the expedition gear.

All four Ryan’s World products are designed for kids ages 3 and up.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 93

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 93

4/14/21 3:07 PM

WWE Sitting Kuricha Plush — Chibi Inspired Plushie — Bray Wyatt the Fiend

GEOMAGWORLD Geomagworld adds three new magnetic construction sets to the Mechanics Motions range. All of the mechanics sets are fully interchangeable and interconnectable, thanks to the Easy Combo System. Designed for kids ages 7 and up, the sets are made with up to 100% recycled plastic. Each features 35, 96, or 160 pieces.

UNCANNY BRANDS Uncanny Brands will add to its Bleacher Creatures collection with the Bleacher Creatures Vice President Kamala Harris 10-inch Plush Figure based on the current vice president of the U.S. Kids and collectors can use Bleacher Creatures for play or display.

The WWE Sitting Kuricha Plush — Chibi Inspired Plushies are plush characters that will sit anywhere they are placed because of their bean-bag bottoms. Inspired by Japanese chibi artwork, the initial WWE assortment includes Bray Wyatt the Fiend, Roman Reigns, Hulk Hogan, Rey Mysterio, and Becky Lynch.

DIAMOND SELECT TOYS This fall, Diamond Select Toys brings Hasbro’s Transformers into the Minimates range with the Transformers G1 Minimates Series 1 Box Set. The set includes poseable, 2-inch mini-figures of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Starscream, and Shockwave painted in metallic color schemes to mimic the original toys from the 1980s.

The Marvel Select Scarlet Witch TV Action Figure is based on Wanda Maximoff’s final look in the finale of WandaVision on Disney+. The 7-inch action figure features 16 points of articulation and comes in display-ready packaging for kids ages 8 and up.

Diamond Select kicks off a new collection of G.I. Joe products with its G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Gallery Destro PVC Diorama. This 10-inch sculpture features Cobra’s Destro in an action pose as he makes his getaway in an underground river.

Designed for collectors ages 14 and up, the diorama will be available this fall.

Kids ages 8 and up can create new adventures with the Iron Giant Select Battle Mode Action Figure. The 8.5-inch action figure features 16 points of articulation and includes light-up eyes.

Diamond Select introduces new characters from Middle Earth with the Lord of the Rings Deluxe Action Figures Series 3 Assortment. The 7-inch scale action figures of Aragorn and a Moria Orc come with exclusive weapons and accessories, along with the final build-a-figure pieces that are needed to complete the 13-inch Sauron figure.

94 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 94

Marvel Select Scarlet Witch TV Action Figure

4/15/21 8:30 AM

CUDDLE BARN Smuzzies from Cuddle Barn are collectible plush that are soft and squishy featuring large muzzles, chubby bodies, and friendly smiles. The newest addition to the line is Chomp the Purple People Eater, a 13-inch, one-eyed, one-horned, huggable, purple monster. When kids squeeze his foot, he gets into the Halloween spirit and plays “Monster Mash.”

My Favorite Pet Duke is dressed to impress in his best costume tuxedo. When kids pet his head, Duke will walk around and talk, full of energetic personality.

Cuddle Barn will also introduce new plush for the Christmas season.

The Holiday Magic Wands are topped with Santa, elf, and polar bear heads and play festive melodies such as “Here Comes Santa Claus,” “Deck the Halls,” and “Jingle Bells.”

The Wintry Waddlesaurus is a blue dinosaur plush that waddles and sings “Jingle Bells” when kids press his foot. He also has a derpy smile and a Santa hat to spread holiday cheer.

Santa’s Little Pupper is dressed in an elf costume and sings a barking version of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” This cuddly plush is perfect for festive dog lovers.

Smuzzies Chomp the Purple People Eater

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 95

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 95

4/14/21 3:07 PM

PLAYROOM ENTERTAINMENT Players ages 10 and up will outbid their opponents to prove who knows the most about all things video games in Geek Out! Video Games, a trivia game from Playroom Entertainment.

The game will be available in July.

ADVENTERRA GAMES Kids can learn the differences between bad habits and eco-friendly ones with Adventerra Games’ My Eco House 12-piece puzzle. Kids build a house with four levels — a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a garden — and look for indentations where harmful actions are depicted. Using 12 geometric inserts, kids can replace the bad behaviors with good ones.

WOW! STUFF The CoComelon Musical Clever Blocks set from Wow! Stuff features four blocks that babies ages 1 and up can use to complete six different pictures from CoComelon’s favorite nursery rhymes. When kids complete a picture correctly, the base will play a corresponding song, such as “Wheels on the Bus” or “Baa Baa Black Sheep.” This toy will be available in August.

Wow! Stuff will expand its Wow! Pods SFX line with Jurassic World styles. Kids ages 6 and up can collect and display Blue the raptor, Mosasaurus, T-Rex, and Triceratops dinosaurs in hexagon-shaped pods.

Kids can swipe to activate UV LED lights in the pod and reveal hidden icons, and clap to hear dinosaur roars that are authentic to each character.

The collectibles also come with augmented reality cards that kids can scan using an app.

The company will also add to its Chibies line with Chibies Mega Boom Boxes.

Chibies are fluffy, light-up animals designed for kids ages 5 and up. Nudge the Chibies noses to activate listening mode or play music and the Chibies will light up in time with the beat. These Chibies’ boxes convert into a boombox that kids can use to house their CoComelon Musical Clever Blocks smartphone and amplify its sound.

The full rollout of the Popular Science STEAM Range is scheduled to arrive at retail with 14 new kits for kids ages 5 and up. Each kit comes with a booklet with fun facts that will teach kids about a topic such as climate change, rainbows, candle making, or microbiology.

Kids ages 5 and up can drop the Drop ‘n Pop Bumpy Jurassic World/Camp Cretaceous eggs to see them pop open and reveal plush versions of Bumpy, the baby dinosaur who was born in Jurassic World and appears in the animated series Camp Cretaceous. When popped, Bumpy sits in the base of his egg for display. Kids can push Bumpy back into his egg for a repeated popping experience.

96 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 96

4/14/21 3:07 PM

SMARTLAB TOYS The Ultimate Squishy Human Body Lab with SmartScan Technology from SmartLab Toys is a 16-inch-tall anatomy model featuring realistic, removable, squishy organs and articulated joints. The electronic sound module senses when a body part is placed on it and will provide information, produce sounds based on the organ, ask questions, and allow users to quiz themselves. Designed for kids ages 8 and up, the set also includes a 64-page anatomy book with colored illustrations.

Tiny Circuits! is a smaller version of the Smart Circuits kit, featuring a mini-microprocessor, three LED lights, a speaker, a battery box, and two push buttons that kids ages 8 and up can use to build glowing circuits, play electronic games, and create funny sound effects.

STEM 101 is a kit full of 36 activities, experiments, and challenges that teach and reinforce basic STEM principles.

Kids ages 8 and up can build animated gear-driven machines, construct zoetropes and catapults, experiment with lenses and optics, and conduct chemistry experiments while learning about how the STEM concepts translate to the real world.

With the Organic Science Lab, kids ages 8 and up can perform 30 organic chemistry experiments using eco-friendly science tools. The experiments include making paper, cooking up bioplastics, extracting DNA, tie-dying fabrics with spices, brewing natural watercolor paints, popping a balloon using an orange peel, and more.

Kids ages 6 and up can build marble runs through trial-and-error experimentation with the Contraption Lab. While completing the projects, builders will learn about basic physics principles as they experiment with gravity, momentum, inclines, inertia, levers, pulleys, tracks, and custom components.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 97

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 97

4/14/21 3:07 PM

ANN WILLIAMS GROUP

Baby Shark’s Big Show!

Shark House Playset

WOWWEE My Squishy Little Dumplings from WowWee are interactive characters that kids can dress up, tickle, shake, and toss to activate more than 50 reactions. Kids can squeeze the Dumplings’ cheeks to pop out their personalities. They also light up and make sounds as kids play with them.

Hype Hair from Style Squad includes more than 250 flowers and jewels that kids can stamp into their hair instantly, layer, and restyle using the applicator. When kids are done styling, they can place the flowers in the included storage case to use again.

The Baby Shark’s Big Show! Shark House Playset is based on the new Nickelodeon series and includes more than 25 pieces, such as Baby Shark’s karaoke machine that plays the Baby Shark’s Big Show! theme song, a light-up disco ball, musical instruments, Baby Shark’s boat bed, a removable chimney that turns into a whistle, glow-inthe-dark stickers, and more. Kids can discover Baby Shark’s kitchen, bedroom, and living room in the playset.

Sing & Swing Baby Shark & William are a duo of plush characters with two interctive ways to play. Baby Shark’s tail wiggles and swings to the Baby Shark’s Big Show! theme song and the shark makes sounds and reactions when William gives Baby Shark a “high-fin.”

The HydraQuad is a three-in-one, hybrid stunt drone that works in water, on land, and in the air due to its lightweight and aerodynamic design. Teenagers ages 14 and up can control the stunts with a single button. The drone can soar up to 150 feet in the air, where it can perform aerial tricks and barrel rolls with its multiaxis gyroscope. It can land and take off from the water. It includes a rechargeable battery, a USB charging cable, and a 2.4 Ghz controller.

Ann Williams Group will introduce new craft kits to its line this summer.

Kids can stuff and stitch a magical creature in a few simple steps with the Create Your Own Magical Unicorn set. Designed for kids ages 4 and up, the set includes clothes and accessories that have “special powers,” such as making wishes, sending rainbows to the sky, and more.

With Magical Fairy Treats, kids ages 4 and up can make treats filled with fairy magic and add fun decorations. Then, they can share their creations with their family and friends.

Kids ages 10 and up can create two colorful string art canvases — a butterfly and a daisy — with the Butterfly String Art kit.

The set includes shiny, holographic wings to add a stylish design to the finished product.

If kids have a question about their future, the DIY Fortune Bracelets can help.

Kids ages 8 and up can make their fortune teller, find their symbol, and scratch off their fortune bracelet to reveal phrases. The kit makes up to 40 bracelets.

Learn to Sew II is a new take on the company’s original kit that teaches kids to sew. Designed for kids ages 7 and up, this kit comes with a full-color instruction booklet and tools that kids can reuse to make more than seven projects.

98 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 98

4/14/21 3:07 PM

5-inch Let It Snow Yeti

AURORA WORLD Aurora World will add to its Snowglobe Bellies line with the 5-inch Let It Snow Yeti. Kids can give the plush yeti a shake to watch the snow globe features in its tummy. The collection also includes the Peace Sloth and the Snow Much Fun Penguin.

The 8.5-inch Arvid Penguin will join the Nordic Group collection’s Ragna Owl and Oskar Deer. Each plush animal comes in a neutral color and features embroidered patterns on its white tummy.

The Holiday Mallows are stackable, collectible plush characters available in 48 different styles, including Santa, a yeti, a gnome, a reindeer, a moose, a wolf, and more.

The 5.5-inch Floofy Santa will join the Floofs collection of winter-themed plush friends. The line includes Floofy Penguin, Floofy Reindeer, and Floofy Snowman.

The 8.5-inch Reindeer Lab will join the Christmas Headbands assortment, a collection of three pets wearing holiday-themed headbands. The designs include Reindeer Lab, Snowflake Husky, and Candy Cane Tabby, each with a different headband attached to its head.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 99

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 99

4/14/21 3:07 PM

JAZWARES

PLAYTIME FUN Playtime Fun’s 24-inch Love & Hug Rag Doll with 12-inch Sister Doll are plush rag dolls designed for kids ages 2 and up. Available in two styles, each set comes with a larger and a smaller doll that both feature yarn hair, complimentary outfits, and embroidered features.

The CoComelon Deluxe Interactive JJ Doll from Jazwares is a 12-inch version of the main character from the hit YouTube series. Kids can dress JJ in his fabric clothes and shoes and feed him with the included pretend peas.

Feeding JJ or squeezing his tummy activates songs and phrases from the CoComelon videos.

This fall, families can deck the halls with the CoComelon Holiday Calendar. The 24-piece calendar comes with 15 holiday-themed surprises and nine CoComelon figures. Kids can open a new door each day to discover a surprise throughout December.

Kids can roll into action with the Blippi Fire Truck. The freewheeling truck is inspired by one of Blippi’s most popular YouTube episodes and features a working swivel ladder.

The set also comes with an exclusive Blippi firefighter and dog figures.

Jazwares introduces the first toy line inspired by the new Disney Junior series Dino Ranch with the Dino Ranch Clubhouse playset. Kids can use the included Dino Rancher figure to explore nine interactive features, including working barn doors and a removable bridge.

The set also features a variety of lights and sounds.

CoComelon Deluxe Interactive JJ Doll

THE LEARNING JOURNEY The Learning Journey’s Pull Along Stacking Turtle is a tortoise featuring five textured activity stacking rings that babies ages 6 months and up can build onto the stacking post to practice sorting and sequencing and develop large motor skills.

Babies can also pull the turtle’s string to take it for a walk.

The Techno Gear Marble Mania Extreme GLO is a large marble run that comes with more than 200 construction pieces and measures more than 2 feet high once built. The marPull Along ble run features channels; translucent, 3D connectors and structures; rotating gears; a powStacking Turtle erlifter; LED light modules; chrome stickers; and more. Kids ages 6 and up can make the marbles rise through the power corkscrew lifter, then watch them exit onto multiple illuminated channels in different directions. Techno Gears Marble Mania sets are interchangeable.

My First Match It — Monsters include 15 two-piece puzzle cards with a monster theme. Toddlers ages 2 and up can match the colors and features of the monsters. No two puzzle cuts are the same, so the puzzles are self-correcting.

The Long & Tall Puzzles — Animal Friends Growth Chart is a 4-foot-tall puzzle featuring more than 50 pieces printed with animals and rulers on the edges so kids can track their growth. The puzzle is recommended for kids ages 3 and up.

Kids ages 3 and up can piece together a map of the world with the Lift & Learn Continents & Oceans. The 22 puzzle pieces feature pictures printed underneath as a guide.

100 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 100

4/14/21 3:07 PM

YWOW BRANDS

KESS

YWOW Brands’ Supersized Puzzles Heinz, Supersized Puzzles Mentos, and Supersized Puzzles Kool Aid are 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles in jumbo boxes. The Heinz and Kool Aid puzzles are recommended for kids ages 6 and up, while the Mentos puzzle is suitable for kids ages 12 and up. The Mentos puzzles come packaged in a giant Mentos tube and are available in two styles: Rainbow and Mint.

The Mini Puzzles Heinz Sauces and Mini Puzzles Kool Aid are 50-piece puzzles in designs and packaging featuring either Heinz Sauces or Kool-Aid. Each collection features six different styles, recommended for kids ages 6 and up.

Mad News is a board game in which players must become reporters to find the most ridiculous headlines. The game is recommended for teenagers ages 15 and up.

KESS will debut the Auto-Inflate Chair for kids ages 13 and up. It uses USB auto-inflate technology to set up in less than two minutes.

Teens can take it anywhere and inflate it using their phone.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 101

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 101

4/14/21 3:07 PM

ISCREAM

CARDS FOR ALL PEOPLE Black Card Revoked Starter Pack from Cards For All People is a card game that features funny trivia questions about American pop culture and topics such as Mama, music, Martin, and more.

Inspired by memes such as #growinguplatino and #chancletapower, Chancietazo is an all-Spanish game that combines strategy, luck, and the ability to avoid getting hit with the included chancletas.

Both games are designed for players ages 13 and up.

This September, Iscream will debut many holiday-themed items for kids ages 4 and up. Holiday-Themed Plush Onesies are designed for kids to cuddle up in holiday cheer. Styles include polar bear, Santa, and a festive reindeer.

Holiday-Themed Plush include a snowman, a sparkly pink tree, a sweet Santa, and an enchanting nutcracker.

Snowman, gingerbread, and snowflakes make up the Holiday-Themed Scrunchies collection. Each set includes two scrunchies that match.

Two new DIY items for kids ages 12 and up will be available in July. With Make Your Own Lights, kids can make their own zebra or leopard headlight. Make Your Own Pinball Bowling/Game comes with everything kids need to craft their own cardboard Pinball Machine or Bowling Alley.

RAVENSBURGER Ravensburger has four new games debuting this August. In Alien: Fate of the Nostromo, players ages 10 and up work together to craft items, fulfill objectives, and complete one of five final missions on board the Nostromo. Players must choose their moves carefully, as the Alien could be around the corner.

Disney Gargoyles: Awakening is inspired by the Disney cartoon from the ‘90s. In this cooperative strategy game, players ages 10 and up take on the role of one of the Gargoyles or detective Elisa Maza from the show and work together to defete Xanatos or Demona in one of four scenarios. The game features a 3D board depicting the Manhattan cityscape as it was shown in the cartoon.

The company will also release Marvel Eye Found It!, a new, licensed addition to the Eye Found It! game line. During each turn, players ages 3 and up explore their hands of illustrated cards inspired by the Marvel universe, searching for specific hidden objects. The first player to find an item discards that card, and the player who empties their hand first wins the game.

Mickey and Friends Magical Treats is a game for kids ages 8 and up. Players help Mickey and his friends sort out their mixed-up lunch order by matching colors, foods, characters, or the number of stars on each card. The game comes with four card holders shaped like Mickey’s gloves, to make it easier for kids to hold their cards.

102 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 102

4/14/21 3:07 PM

DISCOVERY Discovery expands its Animal Planet range with four new playsets available in August. Preschoolers can take care of baby animals in the Animal Planet Wild Rescue Rescue Center Playset. The jungle treehouse features lights and sounds, and includes an exam room, stable, and more. The set includes five baby animals, a stethoscope, and a magnifying glass.

The Animal Planet Wild Rescue Elephant Rescue Playset includes a rescue truck with lights, sounds, a pretend shower, a mobile tent shelter, and a baby elephant.

Kids ages 3 and up can imagine epic battles between man and beast with the Animal Planet Electronic Battling Dinos Playset. The set includes a T. rex and Spinosaurus with lights and sounds, three smaller dinosaurs, two action figures, a helicopter, a tower, and accessories.

The Animal Planet Deep Sea Shark Rescue Submarine Playset includes everything kids ages 3 and up need for an undersea adventure. The set includes a submarine with lights, a diver, a Great White shark and an Orca with chomping action, a reef, and accessories.

Animal Planet Deep Sea Shark Rescue Submarine Playset

ZURU Poppy the Booty Shakin’ Pug is the latest character in ZURU’s Pets Alive line. This pup shakes its booty, turns its head, flaps its tongue, and performs 360-degree body spins as it dances. Poppy has realistic pug features, sports a dog collar, and dances to three catchy songs. Poppy is made for kids ages 3 and up.

With Pets Alive Pet Shop Surprise, kids ages 4 and up can open the pet carrier-shaped container to reveal one of six pets, including a unicorn, a dog, a sloth, a llama, a flamingo, and a kitty. They will unbox 10 surprises, such as an adoption certificate, a name tag, pencil topper, DIY birthday cupcake, and more. Each pet makes a different sound and has a speak-to-repeat function. Both Pets Alive items will be available in July.

Made for kids ages 3 and up, kids can hatch one of seven fairies with Rainbocorns Fairycorn Surprise. They will also discover ten surprises, such as a fairy glitter heart, color-changing Rainbocorn poop, a Boo-Boocorn egg, new fairy wings — which kids can detach and wear — stickers, and more. This item will be available in July.

Itty Bitty Pretty Angel High features seven trendy pint-size dolls with stylish and swappable fashion accessories. Packaged in a clear capsule with a peek-a-boo window that transforms into a display, each Angel High doll includes 10 surprises: wings, jewelry, eyewear, hair accessories, Angel Cloud stretch compound, and more. Kids ages 3 and up can collect all seven dolls starting this fall and and customize them with the interchangeable fashions to fit any personality.

With the Series 4 ZURU Smashers Lava Light Up Dino Mega Surprise, kids ages 4 and up will discover different dinosaurs to build, which then light up and make dinosaur sounds. There are more than 20 different surprises in each egg, including a Light-Up Smash-O-Saur, four Smasher eggs, multiple compounds, and more. This item will be available this fall.

Poppy the Booty Shakin’ Pug

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 103

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 103

4/14/21 3:07 PM

HEY BUDDY HEY PAL Hey Buddy Hey Pal introduces the Ornament Gift Box Decorator for kids to decorate their own ornaments. Kids place one of the six ornaments on the machine, which spins it while kids use the included markers to create stripes, lines, and other designs. Each kit comes with one decorator, six different ornaments, caps, hooks, and eight colorful, nontoxic markers.

ROYLCO Roylco follows up Theo the Therapy Dog with Chloe the Comfort Cat. Kids ages 3 and up can enjoy the comfort of Chloe, a soft, weighted companion designed specifically for kids with sensory processing disorder, high stress, and high anxiety. The life-size, plush cat includes a hot/cold pouch in its tummy to provide soothing temperatures. Chloe is lavender scented to foster tranquility, and its fur, ears, eyes, nose, and pads feature unique textures.

Chloe the Comfort Cat is available in July.

DYNACRAFT The 12-inch Hot Wheels Bike from Dynacraft is designed for kids ages 3 and up and will be available in August. It features coaster brakes, removable training wheels, Hot Wheels graphics, a Hot Wheels handlebar shield, and a rev grip with racing sounds.

Kids ages 6 and up can take a ride on the 18-inch Realtree Bike, which will be available in July. It features Realtree’s signature camouflage and neon-orange logo, a handlebar shield statement piece, coaster and front hand breaks, and removable training wheels.

Dynacraft’s 20-inch Genesis Krome Bike will also be available in July. Designed for kids ages 6 and up, the bike features a BMX-style frame, front and rear foot pegs, and front and rear hand breaks.

20-inch Genesis Krome Bike

104 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 104

4/14/21 3:07 PM

INSIGHT EDITIONS Insight Editions continues to provide stories for young readers this fall with five products designed for all ages. Jurassic World: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book visits the iconic park through three decades of major motion pictures.

The 360-degree format features interactive pull tabs and hidden surprises.

Home Alone: The Official Advent Pop-Up Calendar features a pop-up tree, 25 paper ornaments recalling the film’s most memorable moments, and a bonus booklet of Kevin’s misadventures.

Families can discover artifacts from a thousand generations of Jedi history in the Star Wars Jedi Treasury Ephemera Kit. This collection of treasures brings fans through the heroic days of the High Republic, to the eras of Ahsoka Tano, Luke Skywalker, and Rey. The Exploring Hogwarts Puzzle and Book Set is designed like a classic hardcover book and features a 500-piece puzzle with a picture of the vibrant moving staircases in Hogwarts. This set also includes a 32-page excerpt of Harry Potter: Exploring Hogwarts, which is an illustrated tour of the Hogwarts grounds.

Fans can explore the unique wands of the Wizarding World with Harry Potter: Wand Magic Artifacts From The Wizarding World. It features more than a dozen collectible stickers, cards, patches, prints, and more.

ROO GAMES Roo Games introduces Kaboom Blocks. In the game, 1-4 players ages 7 and up attempt to roll the right colors to match their game cards to fill the board before it goes kaboom! The set includes a game board, timer, and wooden blocks.

In Bouncin’ Baby Roos, 2-4 players ages 5 and up race to fill Mama Roo’s pouch with the most baby roos (printed ping pong balls) in 30 seconds while dodging dingos. The player with the most roos wins the game.

In Koala Walla Bing Bang, 2-6 players ages 4 and up work together to get Wally the Koala up to his favorite eucalyptus leaves. Kids roll the die to move Wally up the tree, but if they roll a “bang,” Wally gets scared and begins to slide and must draw a card and perform a stunt. If players get Wally to the top without three bangs, everyone wins.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 105

HolidayShowcase_May2021_3.indd 105

4/14/21 3:07 PM

MARKETING MEMO

LEVERAGING DIGITAL PLAYTIME PATTERNS How Brands Can Utilize Kids’ Love/Hate Relationship with Devices to Keep Them Engaged

by TIFFANY TASKER, director of business development for North America, SuperAwesome DEVICES ARE NECESSARY TO STAY connected and entertained during the COVID-19 pandemic, but kids have developed mixed feelings about digital play.

One of the most interesting callouts from our recent research at SuperAwesome, created for the 2021 Toy Fair season, was that almost one-third of all kids now choose to end digital play sessions themselves, rather than waiting for the device to be taken away by an adult.

But it's not just kids who have a complicated relationship with digital playtime: Our research shows that, across the board, parents prefer “in real life” (IRL) toys over digital games because they think that physical toys help their kids learn better and develop a stronger sense of imagination. And when kids play with physical toys instead of devices, parents feel like they are better parents — they believe that IRL toys and games increase family connection more than digital counterparts.

Despite these perceptions, parents’ COVID-related guilt is so strong that they have resigned themselves to increased screen time. While YouTube, over-thetop platforms, and TikTok are usually the platforms that get the most attention when it comes to talking about kids’ time online, our research shows that this is changing, too. Gaming has been the driving force behind the consistent uptick of kids’ screen time this year. Today, 57% of 7-9-year-olds prefer gaming to watching any kind of TV — be it linear, connected TV, or YouTube.

For brands to apply this research and effectively market physical toys in a changing landscape, they need to understand what digital play solves for kids in different age groups.

Preschool kids (ages 2-4) play edutainment and character-based games

that often feature well-known franchises.

The games they play are straightforward, including activities like coloring, drawing, or simplistic puzzles. These are typically played under parental supervision or by co-gaming with parents.

For 4-6-year-olds, it’s about gaining confidence and exploring without as much supervision from their parents.

They continue to play edutainment and character games, as well as more intricate puzzle games. However, these are generally chosen and played on their own. At this age, they also begin to experiment with mission adventures, driving simulators, and multiplayer games that can be played with friends.

For the 7-9 age group, the Kids Getting Older Younger phenomenon is gaining pace, with almost twice as many of these kids choosing digital play over physical play compared to last year.

Through their gaming choices, we can clearly see that kids in this age group have a much higher need for social interaction beyond the family unit. Educational and puzzle games drop in popularity in favor of multiplayer games with friends or strangers, and mission-based, enemy fighter, and shooter games are preferred.

Brands can leverage these findings and all this time spent online to engage kids in a way that resonates best with them. Luckily, SuperAwesome knows the platforms kids and families are using, in addition to knowing how kids and parents feel about the ads they see on those platforms.

Our research shows that, for kids of all ages, ads across digital media drive as much trust, intent, and FOMO (or, fear of missing out) as ads placed on TV. It’s interesting to see that YouTube and mobile gaming are the online platforms that score highest in all three areas, with

TikTok also ranking favorably in being a FOMO-driver with kids.

An omnichannel approach with repeated, consistent messaging should form the basis of your kids and family strategy. But also consider that intent and kid ask more power when combined with co-viewing and gaming. Ads in a gaming context co-viewed by the family increase likelihood to purchase by 30% compared to individual viewing — so it’s a no-brainer to include a co-viewing targeting strategy. We also recommend thinking about conquesting well-known IP and characters and emphasizing connected TV devices, which SuperAwesome can do through brand-safe campaigns on YouTube.

In addition to aligning your brand to the gaming universe, creating content and messaging that is specifically for kids is key to being relevant. Partners like SuperAwesome can help align your TrueView ads to kid-safe gaming content and help you co-create content with appropriate and popular gaming creators.

Remember: Kids are taking necessary breaks from screens, but a safe, thoughtful, digital strategy is still more important than ever. Tap into kids’ changing interests and play patterns to reach them in a way that makes a greater impact. » As director of business development for North America, Tiffany Tasker leads strategic planning for SuperAwesome’s customers, the company that powers kids’ internet. Its kidtech platform is used by hundreds of companies to ensure that their digital engagement with kids is safe, private, and compliant with laws such as COPPA, GDPR-K, CCPA, and more. The company is at the forefront of the kid tech space, defining standards for the kids’ digital media ecosystem.

106 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

MarketingMemo_May21_TiffanyTasker.indd 106

4/13/21 3:29 PM

RAISING THE BAR

WHO KNEW? “OBVIOUSNESS”

ISN’T SO OBVIOUS

How to Make Sure Your Patent Will Hold Up in Court

by HOWARD N. ARONSON, senior partner, Nolte Lackenbach Siegel PEOPLE OFTEN SAY, “THE BEST DEfense is a good offense,” but for toy companies with ideas that they hope are patentable, we say, “The best patent applications start with good searches.”

Perhaps that is what may be learned from a lawsuit against Mattel claiming infringement of Spin Master’s Bakugan patents for action figures (Spin Master Ltd. v. Mattel Inc.). It was not long before Choirock Contents Factory Co. Ltd., whose technology was used under license in the Mecard toys sold by Mattel, asked the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to review Spin Master’s patents, among them a patent for “a toy that transforms by means of a magnetic force” — a toy with a locking element released by a magnet (see below image).

When the dust finally settled, the court had found that Spin Master’s patents were invalid for obviousness, meaning that the patent claimed covered technologies that were already known.

HOW THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED Thanks to the patent process, this expensive and devastating reversal of fortune is common. Spin Master had applied for and had been issued a U.S. patent, a government grant of powerful rights of exclusivity — a monopoly — for 20 years, presumed valid by the U.S. courts. But the application process failed to reveal that with regard to this invention, the

Spin Master’s Bakugan patents included a patent for “a toy that transforms by means of a magnetic force.” | Source: Spin Master

cat was already out of the bag. In other words, the claimed invention was known, or obvious, to others a year before the application was filed. As a result, the challenged claims of Spin Master’s patents were found to be unpatentable by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and therefore the patents could not be asserted against Choirock (or other parties).

Note that when inventors come up with new ideas for toys, they have to step back and explore a few key questions: • Is the invention “a unique product or process” that genuinely functions, or is it a mere idea — just a theory?

• Is the invention novel or is it based on an earlier disclosure (“prior art”)?

• Is the invention non-obvious, meaning that the development is not obvious to a person skilled in the “art” (the field of the invention) when considering either a combination of several prior art disclosures, or a single piece of prior art?

TIME, MONEY, AND A DILIGENT SEARCH Patent applications involve hefty governmental filing and examination fees, as well as professional fees. But even before embarking upon the process of patent application, inventors should obtain a prior art search. Although a major expense in itself, a prior art search can save money and resources in the long run, because the search should reveal whether or not the invention is indeed unique and therefore patentable. Spin Master may have skipped this step, or not undertaken a sufficiently in-depth search of the prior art.

A good search will allow the inventor to correctly identify the scope of the invention, so that prosecution of the application is properly conducted, and thus helps to shorten the process and reduce costs. But, most importantly, a thorough search and professional review and opinion can help to safeguard that the invention, if patented, will survive legal

invalidation challenges — such as the one brought against Spin Master.

WHAT IS “PRIOR ART”?

Prior art is any evidence that is publicly available and useful to demonstrate that an invention is already known — or would be obvious to a person skilled in that field. “Prior art” can include granted patents and published patent applications, published articles and research papers, books, videos, and even material found online. IP counsel can explain the elements of the search for your particular invention and should seek to have a search cover all the relevant elements of the invention.

Skilled counsel will formulate a search strategy based on keywords, classification, names, citations, or all of the above, and will likely investigate both patent and non-patent databases and sift through materials related to inventions similar to yours. IP counsel will then analyze the results to determine which references are the most relevant and might be combined to defeat a successful patent application.

Even the most expert and thorough search cannot guarantee that no prior art exists that would prevent a patent being issued or would be sufficient to invalidate an issued patent. But the better the search, the more secure your patent will be from legal challenges such as the one that — so far (Spin Master has appealed the PTAB decision) — has resulted in the painful invalidation of Spin Master’s patents. » For the past 30 years, Howard N. Aronson has provided legal counsel to toy industry companies. He is a senior partner at Nolte Lackenbach Siegel, an intellectual property law firm recognized for its nine decades of handling toy company issues. Grateful acknowledgement is extended to Eileen DeVries. Contact Aronson at haronson@nls.law or (866) 201-2030.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 107

RaisingtheBar_May21.indd 107

4/13/21 3:01 PM

GIVING BACK

SHORE BUDDIES TURNS THE TIDE ON THE MEANING OF CHARITY How Plush Sea Creatures Help Save the Oceans

by NICOLE SAVAS, editorial assistant CHARITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN integral part of the toy industry. 2020 reminded us of that as “unprecedented” became an everyday phrase and companies that once only produced toys began to create N95 masks and hand sanitizer.

For Shore Buddies, giving back is a core value of the company, which continues to do so in a way that changes the meaning of the word “charitable.”

“I really, truly believe that businesses should exist to improve the world,” says Malte Niebelschuetz, founder of Shore Buddies. The company is the first that is dedicated to creating plush toys out of recycled plastic bottles — six per each toy — and that’s just at the surface.

“For us, when establishing the brand Shore Buddies, [it was important to] really have an educational purpose to it in order to teach kids at a young age that plastic really is bad for the environment,” Niebelschuetz explains.

The truth is that plastic is a silent killer. It destroys ecosystems in a way that animals and the environment cannot avoid. In recent years, many people —

and many companies — have discovered how plastic wreaks damage to the Earth.

Toy companies are now working toward creating products that utilize recycled materials or remove the need for plastic entirely. Shore Buddies takes it a step further with characters that teach kids about the importance of conservation.

The company has a mission to give back to those who are saving animals impacted by plastic pollution.

GIVING BACK FOR A POSITIVE IMPACT Shore Buddies donates $1 from each plush sale to organizations — including the San Diego Coast Keeper, Ocean

Left: Shore Buddies Founder Malte Niebelschuetz Below: Shore Buddies beach cleanup with kids. $1 of every plush sale is donated to organizations that help save the oceans.

Source: Shore Buddies

108 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

Giving-Back-Shore-Buddies.indd 108

4/13/21 3:39 PM

The Shore Buddies plush characters Finn the Dolphin, Shelly the Sea Turtle, Stephen Seagull, Sammy the Seal, and Emma the Whale alongside the Shore Buddies and the Plastic Ocean book.

Source: Shore Buddies

Connectors, the San Diego Humane Society, and the Sea Turtle Care Center — that work toward conservation and rehabilitating animals that are harmed in the oceans.

The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop sea creatures from facing danger, but it did decrease the revenue for the organizations saving them. Shore Buddies chose to donate 100% of its online proceeds at the beginning of the pandemic to such groups. As it donates money, Shore Buddies also educates kids so that they have the tools they need to understand everyday environmental issues and how to solve them.

Niebelschuetz explains that this donation is expected by consumers. He says the majority of those who buy their products do so for two reasons: Shore Buddies teaches kids how to create real change in the future, and parents know that their dollars are going somewhere that can create a positive impact on the world at this moment.

CREATING A RECYCLED PLUSH In 2010, Niebelschuetz moved from Germany to San Diego, where he was shocked to realize that for an ocean-minded community, most people had a casual attitude toward recycling plastic. He recalled thinking that California was the center of the “green revolution,” yet even restaurants that were directly on the water would offer customers single-use plastic without a second thought. This was one of the reasons that he was inspired to help educate kids on the harmful effects of plastic, but the idea for the Shore Buddies plush came one day while he was searching the internet.

He came across an article about how Patagonia makes jackets almost entirely

out of recycled plastic. While thinking about this, he shut his laptop and the first thing he saw was a stuffed animal.

“A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, and the next step was literally to Google search how to make a custom stuffed animal,” Niebelschuetz says. From there, he developed a prototype and found a factory willing to innovate the way plush is made. The big vision met with the right people, and the characters of Shore Buddies came to life

"The idea is to create sustainability as a second language from day one."

— Malte Niebelschuetz

Each of the original plush characters is made from six recycled bottles. The bottles are broken down into pellets, which are made into yarn that, in turn, becomes the soft outside of the plush and the stuffing inside.

Currently, Shore Buddies sells its items mostly on its own website, which gives it the ability to stay in touch with its customers and further innovate the way kids learn about plastic pollution.

TEACHING THROUGH PLAY Finn the Dolphin, Shelly the Sea Turtle, Sammy the Seal, Stephen Seagull, and Emma the Whale make up the original Shore Buddies plush crew. Each character has a different lesson to teach about the environment. For example, Finn the Dolphin advocates against single-use straws and Sammy the Seal reminds fam-

ilies to bring along a reusable bag while grocery shopping. When kids bring the toys home, their hangtag explains what animal they are, what they believe in, and three ways kids can make an impact.

At the moment, the company is working on more ways to include the characters’ messages, such as animated, PSA-style videos and an app. A book incorporating the missions and more helpful tips is already available for purchase online.

“The idea is to create sustainability as a second language from day one,” Niebelschuetz says. In addition to the plush characters, Shore Buddies also offers reusable straws online. The team had wanted to add even more sustainable products last year, but had to change some plans due to the pandemic.

In the future, Niebelschuetz says the company plans to keep the core Shore Buddies the same, but also add some friends for them to meet along the way.

One such animal will be a penguin that teaches its new pals about the impact of pollution in Antarctica. Niebelschuetz hopes the buddies can become a global sensation and reach kids around the world. He notes that the world is a beautiful place that can be even better if companies dedicate themselves to important missions and values.

“If you can do it, why wouldn't you?

[We are] a company that has so much more to do and so much more to give.”»

Nicole is an editorial assistant at the Toy Book. She started as an editorial intern and has spent more than a year learning about the toy industry and loving every minute of it. She especially loves discovering which toys to give her niece to earn the title of favorite aunt.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 109

Giving-Back-Shore-Buddies.indd 109

4/13/21 3:39 PM

MARKETING MEMO

THE POWER OF GOING LIVE Tips from a Top Industry Content Creator

by AMY OPHEIM, freelance marketing consultant VIDEO HAS PROVEN TO BE A POWERful sales tool across all industries — and the toy industry is no exception. With the biggest benefit being the ability to demonstrate a product’s functionality and features, video also provides an opportunity to share a variety of messaging, hitting on key selling points that appeal to a variety of consumers.

Video also enables manufacturers to dive deeper into the “hows” and “whys” of a product, share backstories to make an emotional connection with the consumer, list awards and endorsements, and make any claims possible about the results of the product. Done right, video is so powerful that a recent Forbes article highlighting advertising trends for 2021 claimed that viewers report retaining 95% of a message watched through video.

Lee Parkhurst, senior marketing manager at Educational Insights, says that live video has become one of his team’s favorite marketing tools.

Photos courtesy of Lee Parkhurst

The marketing team members at Educational Insights (EI) are among the expert content creators in the toy industry tapping into the power of video. “Video has become our favorite way to share our latest play innovations with shoppers,” says Senior Marketing Manager Lee Parkhurst. “From stop-motion animation product videos to live, on-air TV, we continue to test and invest in all aspects of video, as [this type of content] continues to be a major driver for growth at EI.” EI has expanded on its prerecorded video success with live product demos.

The company began appearing on QVC in 2007 and has participated in 16 on-air segments with the network to date. “Going on-air is the best way to play showand-tell, especially with toys,” Parkhurst says. “The casual, improv-style conversations that come from on-air demonstrations can be a wonderful introduction to both your products and your company.”

In addition to sales on QVC, brands can see a surge in search data, website visits, and sales across multiple retailers after a QVC segment.

While not every brand can appear on QVC, anyone can go live on social media, thanks to several new livestreaming tools on key social media platforms. Livestreamed videos on

Facebook Live, IGTV, and TikTok are effective, low-cost ways to build product awareness and excitement, launch new products, announce specials and sales, and drive consumers to specific retailers and programs. In essence, if you have a social media audience, then you already have a studio audience for livestreaming.

According to socialmediaweek.org, videos are driving more views, engagement, and positive response than other types of posts, with 72% of survey respondents saying they prefer to learn about a product or service through a video. Best of all, since most social media platforms prioritize content, brands participating in their livestreaming services create a bump that multiplies organic reach significantly.

“Both Facebook Live and Instagram’s IGTV will allow your audience to see and hear from your brand directly,” Parkhurst says. “Because social streaming networks like these prioritize their new innovations, accounts that use the live features and interact with their audiences can expect an organic boost to their content.”

Socialmediaweek.org’s research indicates that users spend 88% more time browsing on websites that have videos, and emails have a 7% higher open rate when the subject line includes the word “video.” With endless ways to use video content, including new video platforms like Amazon Live — which consumers can use to view videos while shopping — brands that invest in quality video content or on-air segments are bound to see a bump in sales.

What are you waiting for? Grab your camera and go live today! »

Amy Opheim is a toy industry veteran, specializing in creating clear, concise copy that compels consumers to action. Contact Amy at C3 Copywriting for help defining or differentiating your product or brand.

110 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

MarketingMemo_May21_AmyOpheim.indd 110

4/13/21 3:57 PM

Untitled-10 1

3/25/21 9:55 AM

The

SCIENCEofPLAY Why Kids Play the Way They Do: Part I

by NANCY ZWIERS, founder, Funosophy Inc. AFTER DECADES IN THE TOY INDUSTRY, we veterans have observed patterns in the way kids play, and noted that these core play patterns transcend time, geography, and culture. Successful innovation is a matter of tapping into these stable core play patterns in new ways — not trying to invent new play patterns.

Seeking to understand why these core play patterns exist, I began a journey of exploration and discovery about the nature of play. In this multipart series, I will summarize the big picture insights gained from my foray into the disciplines

Pawz, The Calming Pup from hand2mind offers kids intentional social-emotional learning and self-regulations to help guide them through deep breathing patterns.

Source: hand2mind

of anthropology, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and child development.

MARKETPLACE OBSERVATION REVEALS CORE PLAY PATTERNS 1) Play patterns are segmented by age: For those of us who have been in the industry for a long time, we see a clear age segmentation naturally emerge that is indisputable. While I will define the age segments using discrete ages, note that every age break is a continuum, with some kids moving through the play stages more quickly and others more slowly.

2) There are clear differences in masculine and feminine play patterns: Infants and toddlers enjoy fairly gender-neutral play. At about age 2, gender preferences start becoming apparent; and in the 3-7 age range, these gender-based preferences dominate play.

While gender differences will continue to exist, the distinctions are greatest among kids ages 3-7 years. (Note that some kids do not demonstrate stereotypical gender traits, and this natural-given “gender” is a continuum from masculine to feminine.

Individuals of all genders can be anywhere on this continuum.)

PLAY IS UNIVERSAL AND AN INNER BIOLOGICAL DRIVE Play and playthings (aka toys) are included in a list of approximately 400 “human universals” first published by noted anthropologist Donald E. Brown in 1991. Detailed in a book published by the same name, human universals are concepts, objects, traits, and behaviors that have been documented in every single human culture ever studied. There are no known exceptions across the span of time and geography.

If play is universal, that means there is a biological basis for play versus merely cultural influences. In addition, numerous studies document play behaviors in primates and other mammals, which further reinforces the biological basis of play.

In evolutionary theory (the ultimate big picture understanding of all living things), when a trait is as broad scale as play is, scientists conclude that the trait is adaptive.

In other words, in some way, play must help us survive and reproduce. But how?

112 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

ScienceofPlay_May21.indd 112

4/13/21 5:17 PM

Sifting through mountains of data looking for clues, I found that no scientist had yet cracked this code. However, with access to empirical data from the market (i.e. what sells), I have developed an intriguing theory that both explains and predicts the behavior of the market and is consistent with scientific theory and data.

FUNOSOPHY PLAY THEORY Play is nature’s way of ensuring we learn how to survive, and our inner play drive allows us to wire our brains in a predictable systematic fashion.

Just as animals evolved over eons from simple reptiles to significantly more complex humans on a macro level, on a micro level, our individual brains develop according to the same sequence.

Our brains develop from the bottom up throughout childhood, and well into adolescence in a way that mirrors evolution, as illustrated below through the Paul MacLean Triune Brain Model: • Reptilian: Somatosensory/sensorimotor system — monitoring inner states, sensation (the five senses)

anywhere in the body, and initiation of movement impulses.

• Mammalian: Limbic system (“emotional brain”) — socio-emotional system (feelings, motivation, and relationships).

• Primate: Higher-order cognitive system — thinking, conscious memory, symbols, and planning (neo-cortex); inhibition of impulses, or judgment, develops last (prefrontal cortex).

By combining our understanding of core play patterns with insights from neuroscience on brain development, a theoretical model emerges in which each of the three age segments in the play landscape corresponds to the three phases of brain development (see below).

This model suggests that play appears to be the primary engine for forging the brain connections we will ultimately need to survive and reproduce. The axiom “Play to Learn” is even more valid than we perhaps realized.

With this insight, we can impact the troubling trend of less time being devoted to unstructured play in kids’ lives. As an industry, we have the opportunity to help

well-meaning parents understand just how crucial play is to their kids’ well-being, now and for the rest of their lives.

Further, as we get smarter about aligning our toys with the inner play drives of kids at every age, we will improve the play value of the toys we bring to market. As play value improves, perceived value goes up. Higher perceived value of toys is good for everyone! It’s a virtuous circle all the way around.

To that end, Part II of this series in the next issue of the Toy Book will explore the core play patterns by age and gender, as shown in the Funosophy Play Theory, in greater detail. » Nancy Zwiers has cultivated an in-depth understanding of kids and play for more than 30 years as a brand-building executive at Mattel, Spin Master, and Funosophy Inc. (a consulting firm she founded and led). She now is an executive coach at CMO Coaches and can be reached at nzwiers@funosophy.com or LinkedIn for coaching and speaking inquiries.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 113

ScienceofPlay_May21.indd 113

4/13/21 5:17 PM

COMPLIANCE & REGULATIONS

HELPING BUSINESSES STAY STRONG

IETP provides resources to support businesses through the pandemic.

by SARAH NG, corporate communications manager, ICTI Ethical Toy Program RESILIENCE HAS BEEN A POPULAR theme for toymakers since the beginning of 2020 — quickly becoming a common goal for every business — given the challenges we are all still facing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A resilient business can thrive through disruptive market challenges if it has the right information available at the ready, which enables confident and prompt decision-making. The ICTI Ethical Toy Program (IETP) is a resource to help businesses navigate through the complexity of the global supply chain, supporting them with real-time reporting and helping them achieve their ESG (environment, social, and governance) objectives throughout the sourcing and product development process.

More than two-thirds of the world’s toys are produced in IETP-certified factories, and more than 80% of these factories are located in China. Soon after we learned about the COVID-19 outbreak in China, IETP adapted quickly to ensure our services supported buyers and factory members to prepare for the risk of supply chain disruption and its potential impact on the well-being of factory workers.

We published a “Purchasing Practices Guidance for COVID-19” report to share recommendations for responsible purchasing practices, which, in turn, helps buyers manage risks, protect business continuity, and safeguard workers through the COVID-19 crisis and recovery.

SUPPORT AND TRANSFORMATION As the virus became a global crisis, the once novel concept of a “lockdown” required us to embrace technology like never before. Since assessment and capability building are important elements of responsible sourcing, we adopted new ways of working to respond to the new business environment. For example, we managed travel restrictions to prevent the

spread of the virus. In the third quarter of 2020, we launched our new Social Impact Assessment (SIA) program, as well as an e-learning platform.

We developed the SIA program to enable suppliers, licensees, vendors, and agents to assess their management systems capability in regard to identifying, managing, and mitigating labor standards risks in their supply chains. The assessment process helps to identify areas of improvement, and businesses can share it with customers to provide cost assurance efficiently and effectively. The assessment reviews categories, such as “Identification & Assessment of Risks,” are scored against five maturity levels. IETP verifies the score independently and, where appropriate, provides improvement plans to lower risk and build capability. Since its launch, users have conducted the assessments in several new countries for the IETP program, including the U.S., the UK, Italy, and Poland.

Our e-learning platform provides training without geographic limitations to give valuable resources to factory management and workers, which improves their awareness of important topics, such as workplace safety, responsible recruitment, and modern slavery. Our members can access the e-learning platform for free. The platform’s content is varied and engaging, featuring informative videos and mini-tests. Results are shown via an instant test score that gives factories measurable outcomes and allows management to identify areas they can improve upon.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a new situation for everyone, so it was important that IETP shared timely and useful pandemic-related information, such as updates on local laws and regulations, recommendations on infection controls, and responsible recruitment briefings to empower factories and buyers with the in-

formation they needed to act responsibly.

EYES ON THE FUTURE In addition to immediate actions, we continue to focus on the future. Our strategic priority is to provide our members with the support they need and to make sure it delivers long-term, positive impacts.

In September, IETP launched a new remediation program to enhance the support provided to factories to close gaps between their knowledge, current performance, and required future performance in order to meet required social compliance standards. The new program provides bespoke solutions for factories based on their needs, challenges, and capabilities. Our specialists not only have an in-depth understanding of factories’ operational challenges, but also are familiar with the potential risks at the factories.

By identifying and analyzing the root causes of non-compliances and learning from practical examples, the program can help guide factories to optimize their management systems and operational management. When a factory makes a sustainable improvement by reducing non-compliance recurrences, it makes for a more resilient supply chain and better conditions for workers.

Toy industries are not facing COVID-19 alone: IETP is here to provide them with ongoing support. We will continue our work to build better lives for workers and a stronger industry through ethical production. Learn more at ethicaltoyprogram.org or email join@ethicaltoyprorgam.org. » Sarah Ng is the corporate communications manager of the ICTI Ethical Toy Program and has been with the organization since 2012. She serves as an integral member of the global communications team, overseeing communications strategies, stakeholder engagement, partnerships, and issue management.

114 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

Compliance&Regulations_ICTI_May21.indd 114

4/14/21 4:07 PM

SUSTAINABILITY IN THE TOY AISLE

TOY ASSOCIATION PERSPECTIVES

A Trend That Is Here to Stay

by KRISTIN MORENCY GOLDMAN, senior communications specialist, The Toy Association ONE OF THE TOY ASSOCIATION’S top trends of the year is “Socially Conscious Play” — which includes everything from eco-friendly toys and products made of sustainable materials to toys that educate kids on how to protect the Earth and celebrate diversity — and it is more than just a passing fad.

“Parents are making more environmentally mindful purchases, and they want to instill eco-friendly practices in their children beginning at a very young age,” says Adrienne Appell, senior vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association. “Toys with real and substantiated environmental benefits are buzzing right now, but it’s a trend that will only continue to grow as today’s kids get older and begin making their own purchasing decisions.”

TOOLS FOR TOYMAKERS Toymakers continue to find innovative ways to upcycle and design zero-waste products and packaging, recycle previously used toys, leverage cardboard for the basis of low-tech play, and create STEAM toys that educate kids on topics ranging from food sustainability to how to reduce plastics in our oceans.

Smaller companies that are interested in being more sustainable, but may not have the bandwidth to accomplish it on their own, are encouraged to tap into resources offered by The Toy Association, including the SmartPackaging Initiative (SPI), a tool that helps companies rate their packaging designs on sustainability and benchmark them against others in the industry that are producing in the same category.

Companies that would like to design highly effective STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) toys, including playthings that teach kids about environmental issues, can refer to The Toy

Association’s recently completed STEAM Toy Assessment Framework, which helps toymakers develop and market products that meet a consistent definition of STEAM. These resources can be accessed at toyassociation.org/spiI and toyassociation.org/steam.

ECO-FRIENDLY PICKS FOR FAMILIES Whether they’re celebrating Earth Day or generally looking to have a more eco-friendly play room, families can pick from a wide range of toys and games that inspire greener lifestyles and/or are made from recycled or sustainable materials.

Examples include Eating in Season by Adventerra Games, an original concentration game that teaches kids how to eat healthily and help the environment by choosing seasonal products. The pieces feature illustrated backgrounds that show players which season is best for eating each food.

Discarded fishing nets have been identified as the most harmful form of plastic pollution in the ocean, each year trapping tens of thousands of ocean animals including whales, dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, seals, octopuses, and sea birds. Each set of Jenga Ocean, a game from Art’s Ideas, features blocks made from more than 25 square feet of recycled fishing nets, sourced through Bureo’s Net Positiva recycling program.

All of the packaging is also 100% recycled and recyclable.

Snap Circuits Green Energy from Elenco teaches kids the basics of electronics and modern alternative energy by exploring clean energy concepts, such as electric cars, windmills, and hand-generated power.

The set includes a full-color manual and a separate “Think Green” educational manual that explains different types of environmentally friendly energy, from geothermal, wind, and solar to tidal and hydro.

Source: Adventerra Games

Aurora World has a new line of soft, sustainable plush called Eco Nation. The plush animals and their packaging are made from 100% recycled materials. They are available in 9-inch styles, including a panda, a river otter, a flamingo, a sloth, and more.

SPLATZ from One Fun Co. are eco-friendly bubbles made of pure hand soap that literally splat when kids squeeze them. Developed using a patent-pending formula and all-natural ingredients, these are designed to change the way kids think about washing their hands. Natural and biodegradable, the product also comes in eco-friendly packaging.

Kids can get the experience of frog dissection without using a real frog with Dissect-It Frog Lab from Top Secret Toys.

The set features a proprietary, new gelatin material that gives the frog its form. Although the frog is solid, kids can cut into it. It is also kid-safe and biodegradable.

Pop 2 Play from WowWee is a line of storable, pop-up play sets that parents can assemble in less than five minutes and fold flat for easy storage. Each set is made with a durable, eco-friendly StrongFold cardboard material that can hold up to 50 pounds.

To learn more about the “Socially Conscious Play” trend and to see more examples of toys that make a positive impact, watch the 2021 toy trends briefing video, which is available on The Toy Association’s YouTube channel. » toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 115

TAPerspectives_May21.indd 115

4/14/21 3:30 PM

compiled by JAMES ZAHN, deputy editor The relationship between entertainment and toys is evolving, and their paths are paved with fascinating stories. These tales illustrate behind-the-scenes personal and professional challenges and successes from toymakers and inventors that are just as important as the toys themselves. This edition of Media Mashup showcases a selection of new media titles that bridge toys and entertainment, including a pair of toy industry memoirs; a retrospective look at an iconic brand; an examination of unproduced toys; an upcoming Netflix series about a toy and his lost boy; and more.

BOOKS

LIFELINES: AN INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEY FROM PROFOUND DARKNESS TO RADIANT LIGHT

BOOKS

TOY STORIES: THE SECRET LIFE OF A TOY DESIGNER (TWICE AS FUN EDITION) Over the course of her nearly 40-year career in the toy industry, Stefanie Eskander has worked as both an in-house designer and a freelancer for companies including Mattel, Hasbro, Spin Master, Tonka, Fisher-Price, Madame Alexander, MGA Entertainment, Playmates, and many more.

In this “Twice as Fun Edition” of her 2019 book, Toy Stories: The Secret Life of a Toy Designer, Eskander delves into her archives for a detailed look at her work as a designer, inventor, and contributor to iconic brands such as Jem and the Holograms, Popples, Rainbow Bright, Cabbage Patch Kids, Winnie the Pooh, Sky Dancers, and WWF Wrestling Buddies. Available now (stefanieeskanderdesign.com)

DVDS

MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS — THE COMPLETE SERIES (THIRD EDITION) The series that launched the Power Rangers brand gets a reissue in a 19-disc collection that includes the 1993 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, the 10-episode Alien Rangers miniseries, and a host of rare archival materials. The box set also includes several featurettes exploring the legacy of the series. Available now (Shout! Factory)

As half of the namesake Melissa & Doug, Melissa Bernstein spent more than 30 years growing an independent toy company that became a household name for generations of kids and parents. On the surface, the toy industry is all smiles, but Bernstein, like many adults, was privately battling depression and anxiety that she has carried since childhood.

In LifeLines, Bernstein tells her story in addition to a trio of “lifelines” that kept her going: rhyming verses in her head; a deep connection to nature; and channeling pain into positivity by creating toys.

LifeLines launched alongside a companion digital community.

Available now (LifeLines LLC) VIDEO GAMES

NEW POKÉMON SNAP The gameplay from the 1999 Pokémon Snap game for the Nintendo 64 gets an upgrade for the Nintendo Switch as a new generation of players explores unknown islands to photograph Pokémon in their native environments. Players traverse beaches and jungles to capture photos of Pokémon exhibiting never-before-seen behavior in the wild. Available now (Nintendo)

116 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

MediaMashup_May.indd 2

4/13/2021 3:53:17 PM

BOOKS

TOYS THAT TIME FORGOT: A VISUAL HISTORY OF UNPRODUCED ACTION FIGURES VOLUME 3

BOOKS

THE TOYS OF HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE When Masters of the Universe (MOTU) hit the scene in the 1980s, the brand became a transmedia hit with an epic toy line, a popular cartoon, comic books, and even an appearance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Now, as MOTU claws its way back into the spotlight with new toys, a pair of Netflix series, and a planned feature film, a new book takes a comprehensive look at nearly 40 years of toy history.

He-Man historian Val Staples and YouTube star “Pixel Dan” Eardley present a 700-page, full-color, hardcover book that features in-depth overviews of every item in several complete toy lines, including Masters of the Universe (1982), Princess of Power (1985), He-Man (1989), Masters of the Universe (2002), and the Masters of the Universe Classics collection (2008).

The book includes interviews with the toy designers who shaped the lines and a look at the development cycle over the years. Additionally, Eardley and Staples track down and detail some of the most sought-after variants and oddities for which Masters of the Universe collectors are still searching. Available April 27 (Dark Horse Books)

Following the success of the first two volumes in the Toys That Time Forgot series, author and toy historian Blake Wright serves up a new look at unproduced toys in three sections: The Golden Age (1980s), Darker Times (1990s), and The Gilded Age (2000s). Some of the unproduced toy lines covered in the new book include LJN’s 1985 line based on the TV miniseries V; an extension to Playmates’ Skeleton Warriors; and proposed toys tied to the unproduced Superman movies of the ‘90s. Available this fall (Independent)

BOOKS

HOT WHEELS GARAGE OF LEGENDS This photographic guide showcases more than 75 life-size Hot Wheels Garage of Legends vehicles — a fleet of 1:1 scale vehicles, most of which are inspired by 1:64-scale die-cast toys, such as the Twin Mill, Deora II, and Bone Shaker.

Available June 29 (Weldon Owen)

STREAMING

LOST OLLIE A new kind of toy story is being developed as a Netflix Original Series. Lost Ollie is a live-action adaptation of Ollie’s Odyssey, the 2015 book from Rise of the Guardians creator William Joyce, which follows a lost toy — Ollie, voiced by Jonathan Groff (Hamilton, Frozen) — in search of the boy who lost him.

According to Netflix’s Director of Young Adult and Family Series Teddy Biaselli, the project has been in the works for more than four years.

“We’ve all had a toy like that — a confidant, a protector, a sidekick, a best friend. And when we’ve lost a toy ... it’s like we’ve lost a part of ourselves.”

Netflix assembled an all-star team of behind-the-scenes talent to bring Ollie to the screen under the direction of Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse). The series is being adapted by Shannon Tindle (Kubo and the Two Strings).

Producers include Shawn Levy, Josh Barry, and Emily Morris of 21 Laps Entertainment (Stranger Things).

Industrial Light and Magic is developing the CGI toys that will star alongside the live-action cast.

Coming soon (Netflix) For more Media Mashup content, visit thetoyinsider.com.

toybook.com | MAY 2021 | THE TOY BOOK 117

MediaMashup_May.indd 3

4/13/2021 3:53:18 PM

MAKING TOYS & BREAKING RULES

EMBRACING THE TOY LIFE Finding Your Place in Our World of Play

by AZHELLE WADE, founder, Toy Creators Academy “I DIDN’T CHOOSE THE TOY LIFE. THE toy life chose me.”

That tends to be a common thread among most career “toy people.” A majority of the people working in the toy industry initially chose other careers or followed different dreams that somehow led them to the toy life.

Back in college, I remember telling my best friend that I wanted to create, and that was my vision for life: I wanted to create beautiful things. Little by little, the desire to create began to merge with my desire to educate.

CHOSEN BY THE TOY LIFE As if a lightbulb suddenly went off, somehow all of the choices I made throughout my life as a young adult led me straight into the toy industry. Soon, many late nights were spent creating packaging mockups for Toy Fair New York amid the stress of deadlines, product reviews, and an evolving business in which companies shut down and misunderstandings with overseas factories are commonplace. In between all of it, that came with indescribable moments of pure joy in what was being created.

The toy life is for those with a desire to learn more, do more, and grow more.

It’s a life for those who can’t fit happily inside one little box no matter how hard they try. It’s for those who find joy in multitasking and consistently challenge and change the status quo with measured risks and a relentless work ethic.

MAKING A NEW BOX Many working in the toy industry will find that their interests will evolve over time, and as that happens, my advice to you is simple: Don’t waste time ignoring new interests. Instead, indulge in them and give yourself the time to imagine where they might lead if you properly embrace them.

Early on in my career as a toy designer, I realized that my interests reached far beyond design. At the time, my only

options were to go back to school for a graduate degree that I couldn’t afford or to find a new position that would foster career growth and exploration. I chose the latter and made my own box.

By pushing myself into new and uncomfortable waters, I was able to become a design-savvy product manager.

“The toy life is for those with a desire to learn more, do more, and grow more. It’s a life for those who can’t fit happily inside one little box no matter how hard they try. “ THE GOLDEN AGE OF LEARNING As the toy industry has evolved, so has its entry point as the old ways are retired in favor of digital education for an increasingly mobile world. Many companies are working to evolve their digital marketing and lead generation strategies in ways that are breaking ground for high-level opportunities that very few are “traditionally” qualified for. The doors are wide open for motivated individuals with an entrepreneurial mindset to evolve their skills by learning online at their own pace.

While you may not have the ultimate goal of owning a business, the entrepreneurial mindset is simply just a way of thinking. It means that you are a skilled and decisive problem-solver who never stops learning because learning is like breathing. It’s a constant drive to do better work each and every day.

WELCOME TO THE STARTING LINE Whether you’re new to the toy industry or you’ve reached the point of evolving interests, there are many opportunities out there to learn online, a

good portion of which will only cost you some time. Many current and former toy and game executives are using trusted platforms such as LinkedIn to share best practices and digital courses that can strengthen current skills or help drive a career shift.

Podcasts have become an incredible way to passively learn about any topic you’re interested in — and the toy industry is no exception. Stay away from the lifestyle or mindset podcasts and become hyper-focused on skill-building by seeking out specific topic areas.

Those interested in digital marketing should explore “Online Marketing Made Easy” with Amy Porterfield; while those interested in learning about Facebook ads should check out “The Art of Online Business”; and those interested in sales should give “The Advanced Selling Podcast’’ a listen. And, if you’re interested in being a creative in the toy business, my podcast — “Making It in the Toy Industry’’ — is just the place to start your journey. Regardless of the focus industry, if you find a podcast that you love, you will become excited with each new technique while discovering new communities of individuals on a similar career journey.

You may be a toy person for life, but there are dozens of different toy careers out there that might be waiting for you.

Now is the perfect time to take your toy experience, build upon it, and combine it with new skills to make your own box. »

Azhelle Wade has been having way too much fun in the toy industry over the past 10 years, working for companies including Toys “R” Us, Party City, and Madame Alexander Doll Co., just to name a few. She’s climbed up and across the ladder in the toy world, starting out as a designer, later gaining three toy patents, and eventually becoming a vice president at a toy company. Wade created Toy Creators Academy, an online course to teach aspiring toy people how to develop and sell their ideas.

118 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

MTBR_May21.indd 118

4/13/21 5:09 PM

Untitled-15 1

3/26/21 9:36 AM

HO! HO! HO! It’s never too early to start dreaming about hot toys and tinsel. Admit it: We all wish to produce (or snag!) that one must-have toy of the year. In sync with the Toy Book’s Holiday Toy Preview, this Pop! Quiz will challenge your memory of past playthings that drove parents and kids wild. Ready to reminisce?

(Photos courtesy of the Strong Museum of Play)

1. THOUGH OFFICIALLY ONLY LAUNCHED IN OCTOBER 2016, THESE ROBOTIC CREATURES BECAME SO POPULAR THAT THE NEW YORK TIMES CALLED THEM THE “ELUSIVE TOY OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON.” CAN YOU NAME THAT TOY?

2. WHICH DOLL IS ON RECORD AS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL NEW DOLL LAUNCH IN TOY INDUSTRY HISTORY?

4. IN 1969, REYN GUYER CREATED THE NERF BALL, BUT TWO YEARS EARLIER, HE AND HIS COMPANY DEVELOPED AND LICENSED ANOTHER ICONIC WINNER. WHAT WAS IT? (HINT: JOHNNY CARSON PLAYED IT AGAINST EVA GABOR ON THE TONIGHT SHOW.)

7. IT’S HARD TO CHOOSE A FAVORITE COLLECTIBLE FROM THE LAST FEW YEARS. BUT IN 1995, COLLECTIBLE CARDBOARD DISKS OUTSHONE THEM ALL. WHAT WERE THEY CALLED?

5. THE STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY IS A COMPREHENSIVE MUSEUM DEVOTED TO THE HISTORY AND EXPLORATION OF PLAY. THREE OF THESE OH-SO-POPULAR TOYS HAVE NOT (YET) MADE THE CUT FOR THE TOY HALL OF FAME. WHICH IS THE ONLY ONE CURRENTLY IN THE MUSEUM? A. YO-YO B. RISK C. CARDBOARD BOX D. BEANIE BABIES

3. FURBY WAS INTRODUCED IN 1998 AT FAO SCHWARZ. BY 1999, MORE THAN 14 MILLION UNITS OF THIS LOVEABLE PET WERE SOLD, AND IT WAS LATER NAMED ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S ALL-TIME 100 GREATEST TOYS OF THE DECADE. WHAT COMPANY ORIGINALLY CREATED FURBY?

6. L.O.L. SURPRISE! WON THE TOY OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS AFTER ITS DEBUT IN 2017, BUT ANOTHER COLLECTIBLE ALSO TOOK THE INDUSTRY BY STORM, JOINTLY WINNING THE 2018 TOTY AWARD ALONGSIDE L.O.L. SURPRISE! WHAT WAS THAT TOY?

8. IN 1996, TICKLE ME ELMO BECAME THAT YEAR’S HOTTEST TOY, SELLING OUT AROUND THE COUNTRY ON BLACK FRIDAY WITHIN TWO HOURS. ITS SUCCESS WAS HELPED ALONG BY A TALK SHOW HOST WHO CLEVERLY FEATURED ELMO IN A GROUCHO MARX-STYLE STUNT. WHO WAS THAT TALK SHOW HOST? A. ELLEN DEGENERES B. ROSIE O’DONNELL C. OPRAH WINFREY D. SALLY JESSE RAPHAEL

Answer key: 1. Spin Master’s Hatchimals 2. Cabbage Patch Kids 3. Tiger Electronics created the original Furby. (Tiger was acquired by Hasbro in 1997.) 4. Twister, which became a Milton Bradley game in 1967 5. C. Cardboard box 6. WowWee’s Fingerlings 7. POGS 8. B. Rosie O’Donnell

120 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

PopQuiz_May21.indd 120

4/13/21 4:34 PM

The Toy Insider runs in the November issue of Parents magazine. Parents readers purchased nearly 33 MILLION toys and games in 2020 — that’s nearly $1.2 BILLION worth of products.

Our digital media program includes an Instagram giveaway, a Twitter party, a professionally made product demo video, digital advertising, and SO much more.

Ask us about our new Influencers @ Play TikTok packages!

@thetoyinsider The Toy Insider Team appeared in more than 400 national and major market TV segments in 2020, showcasing the BEST toys to millions of consumers all year long.

13.2 BILLION

Impressions in 2020!

Laurie Schacht laurie@toyinsider.com

To participate, contact:

Jackie Breyer jackie@toyinsider.com

toyinsider.com

TI House Ad_5-21.indd 1

James Devin jd@toyinsider.com

Stephanie Infantino stephanie@toyinsider.com

#weknowplay

4/14/21 3:20 PM

FLASHBAC Retailers and manufacturers should mount their broomsticks and prepare to ride along as marketing information provider The NPD Group Inc. introduces the “NPD Harry Potter Prophet.”

This series of seven reports will provide insight on Harry Potter-related trends. The “NPD Harry Potter Prophet” will report information on attitudes and behavior among kids and adults, revealing what potential lies ahead for these products before, during, and after the film release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. According to the series’ first report, 95% of kids and 90% of adults have heard of Harry Potter.

ELECTRONIC ENTERTAIMENT EXPO

Video game consoles are taking the world by storm, not only because of their stunning advancements, but also because of consumers’ demand to have the newest techological advances in their living room. Here’s the rundown of what is coming out this year:

»

NPD INTRODUCES POTTER REPORT

STUART LITTLE MAKES VIDEO GAME DEBUT WITH NINTENDO

E.B. White’s mouse, Stuart Little, will leap from the big screen to a series of new adventures on Nintendo video game systems through an exclusive agreement between Activision Inc. and Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc. Under the terms of the deal, Activision has aquired the worldwide rights to devlop and publish interactive games for Nintendo’s Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance, based on the Columbia Pictures motion picture Stuart Little, as well as an exclusive option to develop and publish a Nintendo GameCube title based on the film. Additionally, Activision has aquired rights to develop Nintendo games based on the sequel, Stuart Little 2, which is slated for a summer 2002 release.

The Nintendo GameCube features state-of-the-art technology with its iMac-style coloring and compact size.The system features a technology called IT-RAM, which ensures minimal delays for users.

The techology has been introduced throughout the system’s memory to create functionality that can be reliably used with the actual games, the company says.

The Xbox is what Microsoft calls a “future-generation” game console.

With its custom 733MHz Pentium Based central processing unit, the system’s capabilities are equivalent (if not better) than any of today’s hightech computer systems.

»

SEARS PARTNERS WITH BOB THE BUILDER

»

Hit Entertainment/Lyrick Studios and Sears, Roebuck, and Co. partnered for a significant marketing program for the exclusive U.S. retail sales promotion and apparel merchandising program for Bob the Builder.

According to the agreement, Sears becomes the exclusive retailer of Bob the Builder apparel and accessories, as well as other categories of merchandise for the promotional period that is launching between July-December. Sears will also be the exclusive U.S. retail destination for Bob the Builder merchandise during this period. In addition, Sears Portrait Studios will also offer Bob the Builder backgrounds.

MAY 2001

Nintendo is debuting its newest innovation in the portable console category, the Game Boy Advance. When it hits the shelves this summer, the Advance will be the first 32-bit handheld system with a central processing unit that is eight times more powerful than the Game Boy Color. With just two AA batteries, up to four players can compete on the full-color screen, which boasts a 240 by 160 pixel resolution.

The PlayStation 2 will go down in history as one of the most anticipated video game console releases ever to hit the market. This system is the first to bring consumers games, music, and movies in one package.

»

122 THE TOY BOOK | MAY 2021 | toybook.com

Flashback_May2001.indd 122

4/14/21 9:22 AM

Untitled-16 1

3/26/21 10:08 AM

Untitled-6 1

3/15/21 4:46 PM