The Biz: Feature Articles

The Giggle Guide® is back on the trade show trail, showcasing great new children’s products at industry events throughout the country. This month we’ll be covering events across the country including: AmericasMart, LA Mart, California Gift Show, Kids on 6 at CMC, ENK Children’s Club, 7 W NY Baby & Gift Fair, NYIGF and The Dallas Total Gift & Home Market, January 13th - 17th. Here’s a little teaser of some products you’ll find at the Dallas show from Sue Berk Designs, Mag Tagz, Blessing Banks and K. Co. Kids.

Kids know that the perfect pajamas can make or break bedtime. The “right” PJs make nighttime more comfy, relaxing and fun. They also tend to stay on well into the next day! So, whether kids and their parents are searching for PJs that boast exceptionally soft, breathable fabrics, hypoallergenic qualities or strikingly cool designs, The Giggle Guide™ has found the jammies that everyone will adore. Here we showcase some leading brands in the children’s sleepwear market: New Jammies, Dots and Dreams, Sara’s Prints and 37°.

Once upon a time, children’s parties required only the basics… a few party games, some sweet treats, and kids ready for a good time. While fun and games still remain the focus, modern parties have evolved to include everything from pony rides and magicians to swag-heavy party bags! At The Giggle Guide®, we’d like to highlight some creative activity products that can help make a party memorable and meaningful, without touching the college fund. Check out these great options from Fresko’s Nuvo-Group, Makeit Products, MyDesign, and Minui. They’re perfect for a sleepover, birthday, holiday, or “rainy-day” celebration.

Slumber parties filled with friends, fun, food, and games are an important rite of passage, and are currently more popular than ever before. Whether it’s a first night sleeping at a friend’s house, camping out in the backyard, or going to sleep-away camp; a friendly, cozy sleeping bag and pillow add enjoyment and comfort to the event. The Giggle Guide® has found some great brands that offer multi-use sleep sacks for children: My NapPak, Bazoongi, Bergans of Norway, Kelty and Cellcorp.

At The Giggle Guide®, we know that slumber parties are never about sleeping. To truly set the party vibe, it’s important to start things off with some bang-up invitations! So, we invite you to review our survey of invitation supplies designed to knock little socks off before the bunny slippers even come out. Sit back, relax, and let these fun-filled companies help do the talking: Doodlebug Design Inc., and Dahlias and Pears, Frazzled & Bedazzled.

Happy New Year! For retailers, January signals the start of the gift-buying season and a national round of trade events focused on what’s new in the gift market. Since children’s gifts are one of the most resilient product categories, buyers are encouraged to support the gift shows and discover ways to start or expand their gift selections. Here’s a preview of the first gift show of the season, The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, January 6-13 at AmericasMart. Also see January’s Trade Show Calendar on The Giggle Guide® to plan your gift-buying schedule.

The fabric of the children’s industry is changing. Production quantities are being influenced by cautious pre-season orders and demands for more immediate buys. Consumers are also becoming more educated about the sensitivity of newborns’ skin and the benefits of organic clothing. Combine this with advancements to incorporate a wider range of colors and fashionable styling into organics, and you have a recipe for success.

Colors can affect mood and reflect our personalities, both in what we wear and the palette chosen in our homes. Using paint, we can enhance our living environments with an endless spectrum of hues, and the classic white walls of the past are becoming awash in a myriad of color. Color is therapeutic. Studies show, for example, that spending just 15 minutes in a pink room can noticeably reduce depression, while green can significantly reduce levels of anxiety.

Hammocks bring to mind images of lazy summer afternoons spent swinging in the breeze, sipping a cool drink with a good book. Curiously, the origins of the hammock go way back in history. Some credit the ancient Greeks with its invention, while others point to the early inhabitants of the Amazon Basin. The Mayans knew that the hammock is an ideal sleep system for an infant because it surrounds the baby, simulating the mother’s womb, as it naturally responds to the child’s movement. The Giggle Guide® surveys this alternative sleep system for babies, with selections from Hushamok, Kanoe and Mama Little Helper.

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