Manufacturers Making News

The National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) is a respected source for parents and professionals who seek the best children’s products that stand out among hundreds of others. These awards are highly regarded because “NAPPA’s team of independent expert judges and family tester (parents and kids) select the most entertaining, appealing, safe, educational, age-appropriate and enduring products as NAPPA Gold and Honors winner.”

Let us introduce the NAPPA Honors Winners. Drum roll please … the winners are:

Lost socks beware because with the Chimp and Zee Silly Socks Game from Pressman Toy, every sock will have a pair! A matching game like never before, kids will love reaching into the dryer and pulling out silly socks in hopes of finding a match. Washing clothes may be a chore, but folding socks just got a lot more interesting! For 2 to 4 players, ages 3 and up.

A new twist on an old favorite, the S’Match Matching Game from ThinkFun challenges players to match cards by color, number or category. But wait, how you match is determined by the game spinner, adding a twist to what players need to remember! For one or more players, ages 4 and up.

Join the King and Queen for a day of beginner patterns, junior problem-solving and mind-boggling matching. The Clever Castle Game from ThinkFun challenges players to use the clue cards to help seat the King and Queen’s 9 guests – even dragons are invited to this dinner party! Put yourself to the test and out smart this Clever Castle! For 1 player, ages 5 and up.

A completely silly and super funny game, the FlapDoodle Game from Imagination Games is full of nonsensical fun that kids and adults can’t resist. Players must perform silly stunts and answer crazy questions to make their way through the FlapDoodle factory, but watch or Mr. Sourface will slow you down! In the end, kids will be having too much fun to care who wins! For 3 to 6 players, ages 6 and up.

Manic monkeys are going totally bananas at bedtime with the Too Many Monkeys Game from Gamewright! Help poor Primo chase his banana-loving friends out of his house, but watch out because elephants, giraffes and raccoons have joined in the fun too. Players must swap monkey cards in numerical order or collect a wild monkey card to clear the monkeys from Primo’s room. With a game this wild, keep your eyes peeled for the winning move! For 2 to 6 players, ages 6 and up.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see which of our toys will win next year!

Source Citation:
Parenthood.com. October 29, 2009. http://www.parenthood.com/nappa/toys09_games.php

The National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) is a respected source for parents and professionals who seek the best children’s products that stand out among hundreds of others. These awards are highly regarded because “NAPPA’s team of independent expert judges and family tester (parents and kids) select the most entertaining, appealing, safe, educational, age-appropriate and enduring products as NAPPA Gold and Honors winner.”

That being said, the criteria were strict and the competition fierce, but Growing Tree Toys is proud to announce that 9 of our favorite toys were among the honorees this year (woo hoo)!

Drum roll please … the winners are:

Gold Winners

Sock puppets are cool, but animal puppets are wild! Kids can transform 3 super-soft, color socks into exotic creature’s thanks for the Make Your Own Animal Puppets Kit from Creativity for Kids – the mess-free craft that will captivate kids with hours of imaginative and creative play. When the fuzz stops flying and the eyes keep wiggling, kids won’t look at socks the same ever again – I know I didn’t! For ages 3 and up.

Can you earn 4 in-a-row? A game where strategy is the road to victory, the Exago Game from Goliath Games challenges kids and adults to place their tiles and anticipate their opponents’ moves – sounds easy, right? Take game play to a whole new level because with Exago, easy is a challenge! For 2 to 6 players, ages 7 and up.

Crafty cards, crazy characters, and rampaging randomness – the Quelf Game from Imagination Games combines simple rules with mindboggling antics and trivia for a truly unpredictable ride! Best of all, kids can choose from 8 kooky characters including Ninja Monkey, Queen Spatula and The Dude – pick a character to match your personality and make your way through the world of Quelf! For 3 to 8 players, ages 12 and up.

Top Picks Winner

Have you ever seen a perch of chickens go boom? The Chickyboom Game from Blue Orange Games will give kids chickens both big and small, rocking and rolling on their precious perch in this game of skill and luck! The goal of the Chickyboom Game is to remove the multi-sized chickens, wagon wheels, and hay bales from the perch before it crashes to the ground – sounds simple, right? Wrong! For 2 to 4 players, ages 4 and up.

With so many award-winning toys to share, one post just isn’t enough! Check back soon for 2009 NAPPA Toy Award Part 2!

Source Citation:
Metrick, Ellen. “75 Award-Winning Toys and Games.” Parenthood.com. October 29, 2009. http://www.parenthood.com/nappa/toys09_games.php

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it! Calico Critters have re-launched their website, www.calicocritters.com, to bring Calico lovers together in a Cloverleaf Corners like you’ve never seen it before.

An interactive experience built to showcase your child’s favorite Calico Critter families, play sets, and homes, the Calico Critters website invites you to take a stroll through the countryside and stop to visit your friends along the way.

When you land on the homepage of the Calico Critters website, kids (and adults) will love that by moving the mouse onto the dirt path, the scene moves forward, taking your through the sights of Cloverleaf Corners. And as you encounter your favorite friends or Calico Critters home, make sure to click on them because you never know what will happen!

If you want to know more about a particular Critter that you encounter, click on that Calico Critter and a short description will pop-up. But, when you click on a home, you’re transported to its front yard where everyone is playing and having fun.

Best of all, when you click on Critters that “sparkle,” you’re given a front row seat to watch them play the day away like only Calico Critters could!

But wait! Don’t forget about all the other great opportunities that this new website provides including:

• Featured Products: A brief look at the latest and greatest products that Calico Critters have to offer, from homes to ready-to-play sets
• The Calico Club: Sign up for the Calico Club to receive special offers and promotions, birthday reminders, new product reviews, and more
• Fun Activities: Learn all about your favorite Critters with detailed bios and download coloring pages, decorations, recipes, and more
• Calico Critters on YouTube: When you can’t get enough of all things Calico, the Calico Critters YouTube channel provides videos of all your favorite friends in action

What are you waiting for? Check out the new Calico Critters website for yourself!

For as long as I can remember, Mattel Inc. has been a leading toy manufacturer of high quality products and a classic company from which to buy toys. So, it was exciting to learn that they are joining with the Make-A-Wish Foundation International and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America as a Global Signature partner. This partnership aims to enhance the experiences of 30,000 children with life-threatening medical conditions worldwide within the next year! Sound impossible? It’s not!

“In fiscal year 2008, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America Granted 13,425 wishes, the most ever in its history.” This year promises to boast even more success thanks to this up-and-coming powerhouse partnership!

In an effort to launch this joint venture, as only Mattel could, they have created custom-designed Make-A-Wish products based on childhood classics including Barbie Dolls and Hot Wheels cars. Not only are these toys that every child will recognize and appreciate, but they will also help kids who are about to embark on one the most exciting journeys of their young lives. These custom classic toys will be given as gifts to each child participating in the wish program as a way to start their wish experience off with a bang!

“We`re pleased to join with a company such as Mattel whose goal is also to bring happiness to children,” said David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer. “These popular dolls and cars will help our wish-granting volunteers break the ice with courageous children as we begin to create their incredible wish experiences.”

I remember the power that even the simplest toy had with its ability to bring kids together when I was young and very shy. It was amazing that plastic cars or plush dolls created a common ground that helped me to make new friends at school or at the park. Mattel Inc. has recognized the comfort that children feel with their toys, and through the distribution of classic Barbie Dolls and Hot Wheels, they are able to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation make every wish child feel safe and secure in their program.

For more information on this enterprising partnership visit: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS112680+10-Sep-2009+BW20090910

Source Citation:
“Make-A-Wish Foundation®and Mattel Work Together To Impact the Lives of 30,000 Children Globally.” Press Release. Reuters. September 10, 2009.

While toy manufacturers dream that their products will win one of the prestigious toy awards; most industry professionals strive to hold one of the coveted Toy of the Year Awards! What’s so special about this award, you ask? The recipients of these awards are chosen strictly by industry professionals, or the people most intimately involved with toys on a daily basis (other than parents and children) and who doesn’t want to be recognized by their peers?

The 2009 Toy of the Year Awards were held in New York City at the American International Toy Fair this past February, where 12 products were awarded the Toy of the Year honor in 12 different categories. Growing Tree Toys is proud to acknowledge that 3 of our favorite products were among the honorees this year.

Drum roll please – the winners are:

Girl Toy of the Year: Playmobil Horse Farm This functional farm set is overflowing with equestrian accessories that will have young girls grooming, riding, and working the day away with their favorite animals – horses! I wish I had such a cool play set when I was little, but I’m still not too old to pass up a toy with as much personality as the Playmobil Horse Farm!

Game of the Year: Bananagrams Go bananas for the Bananagrams word game – peel back the layers to reveal a side-splitting game for all ages. A scrabble word game designed especially for kids, but which adults love too, Banangrams requires no writing utens ils, no paper and no game board because players can play on any flat surface. Bananagrams is the only on-the-go game that can inspire such fruity fun!

Specialty Toy of the Year: Create Your Own Pop-up Books Kit Combine two important aspects of children’s favorite books – exciting pictures and imaginative stories – to create a whole new 3D reading experience. The best part of the Create Your Own Pop-up Books Kit is that kids are designing their very own stories and flexing those imaginative muscles! After making their very own pop-up books, regular reading just won’t be the same.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see which of our toys will win next year!

Source Citation:

Mirpuri, Dipika. “Toy of the year awards 2009.” About.com. September 16, 2009. http://toys.about.com/od/toyfair2008/tp/TotyAwardWinningToys.htm#

A few days ago, I asked my sister, a proud third grader, how she enjoyed her first week of school. She replied, “Math is fun, and lunch is too!” Ok, so she enjoys approximately 2 hours of her school day – then again she’s 9, so it takes the latest and greatest toys or the Disney Channel to get her excitement flowing. With each passing year, my sister’s attention span shortens, which makes the topics she focuses on that much more important (I know her frustrated teacher agrees!). The problem is that though the pizazz and panache of creative learning in elementary school curriculum today is cutting edge, it’s just not sinking in. What can we do? To help bring those scatterbrained kids we know and love around to focusing once again on schoolwork, Playmobil plans to use toys – yes, toys! – to enhance creativity and excitement in the classroom.

Playmobil has recently launched a contest for teachers of grades K through 3, currently working at an accredited elementary school in the U.S., to develop an imaginative lesson plan around a specific Playmobil product theme – and there are approximately 30 different themes from which to choose! Two of the more popular themes include the Egyptian and the Knights Collections:

The lesson plan must show, in detail, how toys from the chosen Playmobil theme can be actively incorporated into the classroom to nurture children’s imaginations in the classroom in such as way that will continue to impact children’s creativity at home as well.

I’m glad that a company with such reputable toys and a dedication to learning is sponsoring a contest that will be beneficial to so many children and will spark a new interest in creating an imaginative learning environment. I can’t wait to pass this news along to my sister’s school – after all, you can’t win if you don’t enter!

The contest deadline is November 15, 2009 by 11:59 p.m. Winners will be announced at www.playmobilusa.com in January 2010. Twenty-two prizes will be awarded as cash grants and Playmobil products for the winning teachers.

For more information and detailed contest guidelines, please visit: http://download.playmobil.com/public/eCS/Store/us/infos/PLAYMOBIL_Grant_Program_2009.pdf