Retailers! Get The Toy Insider’s Holiday Gift Guide for YOUR Specialty Store



The Toy Insider Holiday Gift Guide will feature more than 350 toys for kids of all ages, broken down by age group to make for an easy-to-use holiday shopping reference. The guide also includes The Toy Insider’s iconic Hot 20, 12 Under $20, and STEM 10 lists. The first 100 U.S. retailer orders are free for up to five boxes! Get the details and order now…

Exclusive: GUND Unveils Spookley the Square Pumpkin Plush Line Ahead of Toy Fair Debut



Holiday Hill Farm and GUND — the plush division of Spin Master — have officially unveiled a first look at the new Spookley the Square Pumpkin plush line. At launch, the line includes 3- and 6-inch Spookley plush toys that will be available this fall. Read more…

Mattel Adventure Park Set to Open Next Year



Mattel Adventure Park is getting ready to open its doors in 2024, with branded rides and experiences for a variety of fans. The new park is being developed in partnership with Epic Resort Destinations, a company known for its work bringing brands to the world of amusement parks. Read more…

Hasbro Puts New Twists on Monopoly and Clue in New Games

Hasbro’s latest board games are turning classics on their head. Monopoly Chance and Clue Escape: The Midnight Hotel are both based on fan-favorite Hasbro games, but have new added elements for fresh gameplay. Read more…

Zapf Creation Set to Release Baby Born Animated Series



Baby Born, from Zapf Creation AG, has seen plenty of success, boasting 26 million dolls sold worldwide. Now, it’s moving on to another milestone, planning the debut of an animated series in collaboration with MGA Entertainment. Read more…

Moose Games Is Searching for 'Kangaroo Cleanup Crewmember' for Doo Doo Kangaroo Launch

In line with the release of its latest game, Doo Doo Kangaroo, Moose Games is launching a sweepstakes to send one family to California to clean up after kangaroos. The winner will take $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip with their family to San Diego in October to help take care of the kangaroos at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Read more…

USAopoly Uses Alloy.ai to Boost Productivity and Data Analysis



USAopoly, also known as The Op Games, is now using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze data and plan for retail releases. Alloy.ai is cutting down on time when the company is collecting data so that it can better prepare analyses. Read more…

WowWee Launches Fingerlings “Go Bananas for Friendship” Campaign



WowWee is teaming up with YouTube stars Jordan and Salish Matter along with more than 100 other creators to launch the “Go Bananas for Friendship” campaign for Fingerlings. Read more…

Spielwarenmesse World of Toys Returns to Hong Kong, Readies for New York Premiere



Following a successful run at the Tokyo Toy Show, the World of Toys Pavilion looks to upcoming shows in New York and Hong Kong. Spielwarenmesse eG is readying itself for a World of Toys stand at the upcoming Toy Fair in New York and the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair next year. Read more…

‘Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge’ Winner Inspires Die-Cast Toy Car



Season 1 of Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge has finished and a winner has been crowned. Arushi Garg, a 38-year-old social media creator and mom from Houston, was named the champion last night. Read more…

IMC Toys Adds New Cry Babies to Fall Lineup



IMC Toys has added four new collections to its flagship Cry Babies doll brand. The new dolls feature special surprises and aim to provide unique play experiences for growing kids. Read more…

Play Doctor with Melissa & Doug’s Little Doctor Gift Bundle



Playing doctor with kids is easier than ever with Melissa & Doug’s Little Doctor Gift Bundle. The Little Doctor Gift Bundle consists of three items from the Melissa & Doug product line: the Doctor’s Kit Play Set, the Doctor Costume Role Play Set, and Water Wow! Occupations. Read more at The Toy Insider…

Crayola to Launch Content Production Studio



Crayola is launching Crayola Studios, a new division dedicated to creating content for kids and families. The portfolio features a broad range of shows already in development. Each project explores the limitless possibilities of children’s creativity and leverages color as an intrinsic element of the story. Read more…

McFarlane Toys to Reintroduce SportsPicks Action Figures



Known for producing realistic action figures that span superhero franchises, video game series, and pop culture, McFarlane Toys revealed that it will reintroduce sports players into its collections, relaunching the Sports Picks brand. Read more…

Hasbro Partners with I’m The Chef Too! for New Baking Kits



I’m The Chef Too! is a company developing kits that incorporate STEAM concepts into baking, with either monthly subscription offerings or individual kits for sale. Now, Hasbro and I’m The Chef Too! have struck a deal to offer branded baking experiences to consumers. Read more…

Ravensburger Dives into the Underworld for a New Horrified Game



Ravensburger is back with a third installment of its Horrified franchise, a line of tabletop board games in which players face off against iconic monsters. The company’s latest installment, Horrified: Greek Monsters, features monsters from Greek mythology. Read more at The Pop Insider…

Dark Horse and Super7 Announce ‘The Art Of Super7’ Book



Dark Horse Books and Super7, a pop-culture design house and producer of collectibles, are partnering to publish an artbook called The Art of Super7. This book will feature a behind-the-scenes look at the art, design, and packaging of product collections that Super7 has released since the company’s founding in 2001. Read more…

Radio Flyer to Launch First Retail Store in Chicago Area



This November, Radio Flyer will open its first retail storefront, 106 years after the company invented the original Little Red Wagon. Located at the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois, the store will carry the full line of Radio Flyer products along with more than 60 new items that will be available exclusively in-store. Read more…

Ollie’s Sees Successful In-Store Fundraising Campaign for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals



Ollie’s Bargain Outlet recently partnered with nonprofit Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals for an in-store fundraising campaign, with 480 participating stores in 29 states collecting donations from customers that will go to 88 member hospitals in the communities Ollie’s has a presence in. Read more…

Purpose Toys’ Line of Naturalistas to Expand Internationally



In celebration of Black Business Month, Purpose Toys has announced the international expansion of Naturalistas and the first retail partnership under its distribution plan with Walmart Canada. Read more…

Funko Reveals Plans to Reduce Product Lines, ‘Run Business Like a Lean Startup’ Amid Q2 Earnings Miss



Creativity is not a problem at Funko, but profitability is. That was one key takeaway from the Washington-based pop-culture toy, game, and lifestyle company’s second quarter earnings call last week. Read more…

Hasbro to Refocus on Core Toy and Game Business Amid Mixed Q2 Earnings, eOne Sale to Lionsgate



Hasbro Inc. beat revenue estimates amid a challenging second quarter for the entire toy industry. The company says that revenue slipped 10% to $1.2 billion compared to the same period last year while revenue from Consumer Products — including toys and games — dipped 11% to $655 million. Read more…

Spin Master Looks to Bitzee, PAW Patrol for Back Half Sales Spike Following Q2 Revenue Dip



Second quarter earnings season continues with further reflection of the challenging year faced by the toy industry thus far. Spin Master Corp. is the latest to check in with revenue falling 16.9% to $420.7 million in Q2 versus $506.3 million during the same period last year. Read more…