June Newsletter

• Editorial
  - Happiness without a credit limit,
• A Book Look!
  - Perfect for Father’s Day,
• The Power of Promotion
  - Attracting the Right Sort of Attention
• Enhancing the Home
  - Homeware & decor style and colour trends.
• Designer Dress and Desk
  - desktop items for the NOW generation
• Imagination Movers
  - Spring And Summer Toy And Game Trends To Inspire The Imaginations Of Young Artists.

Imagination Movers

Spring and summer toy and game trends to inspire the imaginations of young artists

While the park, pool or Pacific are sure to beckon kids of all ages during the warmer spring and summer months, toy and game makers have tapped into some creative ways for kids to have fun while keeping both minds and bodies engaged and active across the seasons.

“Play is a great way to empower boys and girls by fostering creative skills such as drawing, painting or building,” says Reyne Rice, toy trends specialist for the Toy Industry Association (TIA). “Toys are the tools that will help kids keep their imaginations engaged during play, especially during the breaks between school terms.”

The arts and crafts category is a boon to buyers because it takes on so many forms, spans such a wide range of ages and remains steady as a longtime staple in the toy industry. The category consistently draws 7–8% of total US domestic sales each year; in April 2011, the category scooped up roughly 12% of US domestic sales during the Easter holiday season.

From active outdoor favourites with exciting new twists to rainy day indoor products, hundreds of new creativity-inspiring toy and game options were spotted in February at the American International Toy Fair in New York – the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere. Each of the examples shown below falls within the design, discover and learn trend category that was identified at the show and is now proving to be a top trend for 2011.

Outdoor creative play

Perennial favourites during the sun-splashed days of summer, here are a few new selections of outdoor toys and games that are making a colourful mark on the playground.

The Razor Graffiti Chalk Scooter (Razor) will attract energetic boys and girls looking to make a statement in their neighbourhoods. The latest version of the classic Razor kick scooter, the Chalk Scooter allows kids to turn the pathway into their own personal canvas, thanks to a three-pronged ‘chalk bar’ attached to the back. With a press of the foot, riders can leave a trail of colour and create custom designs, all while staying fit and enjoying the great outdoors. The scooter is perfect for kids aged six and up, comes in three colours (clear/black, blue and purple) and includes a sixpack of non-toxic chalk sticks that easily wash away with the hose or in the rain.

Crayola’s Washable Coloured Bubbles are not your ordinary bubbles – they’re an original alternative to the beloved clear soap bubbles that kids have enjoyed for generations. Coloured Bubbles come in an array of vibrant hues and are best used in grassy areas outdoors to limit messiness. When the bubbles pop, colourful marks may appear on clothing, skin and surfaces, but these are easily washed away with soap and water.

The Gazillion Bubble Football (Funrise) offers another twist on classic bubble play, encouraging physical activity and friendly competition. The Bubble Football is soft and easy to grip, but the added attachment is where the extra fun comes into play. Dip the attachment into the Gazillion bubble solution and watch a stream of bubbles float through the air when the ball is tossed to a friend.

The Rock Pets Paint Kit Garden Frog (Alex Toys) is the perfect way to brighten any garden and is a wonderful backyard painting activity. This fun acrylic/all-weather paint kit allows kids to tap into their creative sides by decorating a rock ‘frog’ to display in the yard.

Thanks to Alex Toys’ Lemonade Stand, kids can showcase their entrepreneurial side with a little help from mum and dad. This kit turns into a full-sized wooden lemonade stand and cart – complete with wheels, a yellow-striped awning, a chalkboard to display menu items and all the necessary hardware and tools.

“Children love the grown-up look and feel of manning their own lemonade stand and spending time working with friends and family members whilst ‘running their business’,” says Rice. “Products like these are amazing confidenceboosters that encourage learning through play.”

Indoor arts and crafts

Packed with great play value and affordability, arts and crafts projects appeal to the creative talents of tomorrow’s Andy Warhols and Vincent van Goghs.

The Xoomy portable light box illustrating machine (Ravensburger) helps kids and tweens master their drawing skills through tracing. To draw a design, kids simply pick a pattern, place it on the ‘zoom lamp’ and adjust the zoom factor before tracing. Completed designs can be filled in with coloured pencils.

Bizu Crafts (Spin Master) is a fun kit for girls who want to create bracelets, charms and necklaces, or cute little animal figures. With a quick twist, a bracelet can transform into a cat, or any of the 60 characters on offer. The different beads come in a range of colours and are interchangeable.

Hasbro’s Ji Ga Zo Puzzle has revolutionised puzzle play. The 300 pieces in the set can be arranged to create any image of a friend, family member or pet. Digital images are uploaded using the included software which then determines the placement of each piece and builds a unique icon map. Players can watch their own special images come together as they arrange the pieces according to the map!

“Puzzles are such a great way to bring families together, and the Ji Ga Zo Puzzle brings an added element of excitement to the table for both parents and kids,” says Rice. “It offers great play value as an endless number of puzzle designs can come out of a single box.”

Colour Blanks (Rose Art) are perfect for children of any age who love to display their artistic creations and collect figures. Creative types can turn the four-pack set of blank figurines into miniature replicas of their family and friends by drawing on faces, clothes, accessories and shoes. Finishing touches can be added in the form of stickers, buttons, sequins or glitter.

Role play

Falling under the ‘simply social’ trend category that was also identified at the New York Toy Fair 2011, role play products integrate a pro-social play pattern, teaching kids about the world around them and showcasing ‘everyday heroes’ such as firefighters, teachers and mums and dads.

Everyday Heroes Puzzles (Alex) are themed puzzles that incorporate firefighters, medical providers and police officials; Fisher Price’s Rescue Heroes is a retro brand of action figures recently reintroduced to teach kids about the types of heroes found in their hometowns; and Barbie I Can Be An Architect (Mattel) is the latest doll from a Mattel line that encourages young girls to be anything they want to be if they put their minds to it.

“Costumes are another great way for kids to act out their ambitions, dreams and desires, as they are learning about who they want to become,” says Rice. AeroMax, Rubies and Elope Costumes offer high-quality, low-priced hats, accessories and dress-up clothes that are available throughout the year; Disguise: Jakks Pacific Women Heroes costumes, like the Barbie Caped Crusader, are particularly empowering for young girls; and Hasbro’s Transformers Helmets come with builtin 3D goggles for kids to wear at home or in the movie theatre.

For more information, articles and videos on the most cutting-edge toys and games, visit ToyInfo.org year-round.