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The Toy Insider’s 2022 Spring & Summer Gift Guide is Here!
Get ready for spring and summer fun! The Toy Insider, sister publication of the Toy Book, released its 2022 Spring & Summer Gift Guide yesterday. The epic guide is designed to help parents find the perfect toys and gear for a season of carefree family fun. This year's guide features more than 260 toys from 130 toymakers across eight different categories, including toys that empower kids to explore and learn; games and activities that bring families together; outdoor and active products to cure cabin fever; and water toys to get your splash on. Read the guide…
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Location-Based Experiences Take the Stage at Licensing Expo
Manufacturers are set to showcase a host of toyetic, location-based experiences (LBE) at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas next month, in addition to a “Toy Café” populated by top brands in the play space. Hasbro and Feld Entertainment are planning large LBE activations while Jazwares, Mattel, MGA Entertainment, Spin Master, and others will show new product in the Toy Café. Read more…
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Batter Up! Kenner’s Starting Lineup Is on Deck for a Relaunch
One of the most legendary lines of sports action figures is emerging from the dugout for a reboot. Hasbro, in partnership with Fanatics, is relaunching Starting Lineup, a Kenner legacy brand that initially ran from 1988 to 2001. The original brand featured action figures of players from Major League Baseball (MLB) and athletes from other popular sports. Read more…
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MGA Entertainment’s L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls Celebrate Earth Day with New Sustainable Packaging
The spherical packaging central to the L.O.L. Surprise! brand is swapping plastic for natural materials like bamboo, wood, and sugar cane. As part of the L.O.L. Surprise! Earth Love activation, the new spheres are entirely compostable while maintaining the same unboxing experience that kids expect and love. Read more…
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New Barbie Space Discovery Line Inspires Kids to Reach for the Stars
Last month, Barbie dolls were launched into space on a mission to the International Space Station. Now, a full range of space-inspired Barbie dolls, playsets, and accessories are encouraging kids to explore STEM concepts and careers in space. Read more…
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The Pokémon Co. Acquires Millennium Print Group
The company responsible for the Pokémon brand outside of Asia entered into an acquisition agreement with Millennium Print Group, a North Carolina-based maker of trading cards and packaging. Millennium has been a printing partner for the Pokémon Trading Card Game since 2015. Read more..
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Melissa & Doug Commits to Planting 10 Million Trees
Ahead of Earth Day, Melissa & Doug is taking another step toward its sustainability goals as part of Project Restore. The company says that it will plant 10 million trees by 2030 in an effort to make the world a greener, healthier place for kids. Read more…
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Basic Fun! Lights up the Upside Down with Stranger Things Lite-Brite
The iconic ‘80s toy gets mashed up with Netflix’s Stranger Things in anticipation of the show’s upcoming season. Fans of the show can create art with light with this high-definition Stranger Things Special Edition Lite-Brite set. The toy even comes in totally tubular ‘80s packaging for fans to collect and display. Read more…
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Jakks Pacific Goes Jurassic with R/C T. Rex
The AirTitans Jurassic World Massive Attack T. rex R/C is inspired by one of the fan favorite dinosaurs from the Jurassic World franchise. The 6-foot long prehistoric beast can fully inflate in 20 seconds and features full-function remote control, sounds, and more. Read more…
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Spin Master Expands Toy Invention Program to Europe
The program teaches students the creative and business process of toy invention, including inventive thinking, concept creation, user-centered design, sustainability, prototyping, and marketing of toys, games, and interactive experiences. Read more…
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The LEGO Foundation Pledges $20M into Support for Neurodivergent Kids
In celebration of Autism Acceptance Month, the LEGO Foundation is launching a new accelerator grant, an equity-free funding and fixed-term mentorship program for social enterprises, ventures, and organizations that wish to support autistic kids and kids with ADHD through play-based learning. Read more…
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People of Play Unveils Lineup for Virtual PR and Marketing Conference
People of Play will present its first in a series of quarterly conversations aimed at the PR and marketing community TODAY from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET. The all-star lineup of speakers includes representatives from across the toy industry. Read more…
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Bestway USA Ramps up Direct to Consumer Efforts
Following a renewed focus on the specialty market in addition to its mass retail presence, Bestway USA has introduced a refreshed website where consumers can shop from home. The company behind the H2OGO brand invested in a state-of-the-art web platform for its new direct-to-consumer storefront. Read more…
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TCG Toys Relaunches Bend-Ems Brand
During the early ’90s, JusToys’ Bend-Ems brand was known for its assortment of more than 400 licensed characters and for keeping the Star Wars license alive. TCG will relaunch the brand this year with new licenses, including Miraculous, Sonic the Hedgehog, and more. Read more…
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Roku Is Launching a Dedicated Kartoon Channel! on the Roku Channel
Genius Brands’ Kartoon Channel! will be expanding its presence on Roku with a dedicated slot on the Roku Channel. The Roku Channel is Roku’s in-house streaming platform that comes included with every Roku media player. Read more…
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OOLY Introduces Stackable Toy Collection
The blocks replicate different municipalities that would be found in a real town, including a firehouse, a train station, a hospital, an elementary school, and a police station. Kids ages 3 and up can stack and unstack these pieces to build the town of their dreams. Read more…
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Hasbro Kicks off Toy Industry Earnings Season with Q1 2022 Growth
The global play and entertainment company says that net revenues for the first quarter increased 4% to $1.16 billion with modest growth across all three of its reporting segments: Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming (9%), Consumer Products (3%), and Entertainment (4%). The positive results reflect continued resilience amid a host of global challenges. Read more…
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Celebrate Earth Day Every Day with 18 New Sustainable Toys and Games
The Toy Insider takes a look at some of 2022’s latest toys and games that are taking sustainability to a whole new level and teaching kids about “green” habits. Read more…
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Retail Sales Grew in March Despite Higher Inflation
The National Retail Federation (NRF) and the U.S. Census Bureau issued updates on March U.S. retail sales, and while the organizations differ in methodology and overall results, both reflected a slight year-over-year gain despite rampant inflation. According to the Census Bureau, March retail sales spiked 6.9% over last year while NRF reported a 4% gain. Read more…
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Hasbro Appoints Two Execs to Leadership Roles
Hasbro is making moves to strengthen its supply chain and partnership opportunities. During the company’s first quarter earnings presentation this week, Hasbro revealed the hiring of Shane Azzi as chief global supply chain officer and the promotion of Matt Austin to chief commercial officer. Read more…
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