A Peek Inside the International Toy Fair

Ubooly

The 111th annual American International Toy Fair® is running from February 16-19, 2014 (Sunday-Wednesday) at New York’s Javits Convention Center. Known for its all-star cast of exhibitors, the show promises exactly what businesses need and want: connections. Retailers, inventors, businesses of all sizes, distributors, manufacturers, and anyone with anything to do with the children’s toy market will descend on one of the biggest shows ever. Attendance includes serious brands, buyers, and entrepreneurs from over 100 countries.

After its 2013 record-smashing show, attendees can expect the best in products and the serious consideration of global companies. And this year they will get so much more: the Toy Fair will see new market research presentations and an e-commerce platform, plus a variety of targeted networking activities. The savvy will be sure to stop at the Toy Trends Tea, which highlights top trends from around the world. A peek at exhibitors reveals that Smart Games and Toys, Ubooly, Shure Products, and Super Impulse will all make an appearance. www.toyassociation.org

Smart Toys and Games Builds Games, Brains

SmartGames
“Toy Fair is the biggest and most important industry event in toys; most manufacturers are there,” explained Brian Rovner, VP Sales & Marketing at Smart Toys and Games, Inc. “We have been exhibiting since Smart entered the U.S .market in 2011.” The company focuses on the development of brain-building games that enhance a range of skills, which is especially important as many schools shift their curricula to the Common Core Standards.

Fun games abound. The Chicken Shuffle, designed for children 6 and up, consists of 46 “challenges” and is compact enough to slip into a backpack or purse. Castle Logix is a beautiful 3-D puzzle, constructed of easy-to-grip wooden pieces. Children can work through the book of increasingly-more-difficult challenges or create their own buildings. Kids will be drawn into the fun, and parents will appreciate the emphasis on pre-engineering skills.

Smart Toys and Games products and price points are designed with a broad range of customers in mind. A peek at upcoming products yields a feast for the savvy: “This year we are introducing four new games: Quadrillion, City Maze, Brain Cheeser, and IQ Steps. We will also be previewing new items from our SmartMax line, which is a fun and safe magnetic construction system.”

Catch up with Smart Games and Toys at www.smartgames.eu/en/smartgames

Ubooly Makes Learning Fun

Ubooly
Toy Fair vets know that the International Toy Fair is one of the best places to get the word out about products. “[We] attended Toy Fair last year,” said Tully Parker of Ubooly. “We wanted to obviously spread the word about our awesome product to as many as possible…” Ubooly is a plush toy that fits over a smart phone; Ubooly apps are then downloaded and customized according to the parents’ desires. The programs are interactive, allowing for a more natural learning environment.

Apps are targeted at learning standards and common-sense practices for children. For example, the Ubooly can help kids with toothbrushing –– useful at just about any age the children are still living with you. Any toy that utilizes a screen will garner a child’s attention; Ubooly apps take advantage of that undivided attention to convey a myriad of information. This may be especially important for older children, as memorization of areas like addition/subtraction, spelling, and vocabulary are a must. “Ubooly boasts more than a six times longer average length (nearly a month) of retention when compared to most other toys in the current market,” added Parker.

“Ubooly will speak through all of the general content in six available languages.” Ubooly apps deliver more than facts, though. Customers can also choose from over 100 different educational programs.

For more information, visit www.ubooly.com

Shure Products are Educational, Exciting

Shure
Booth 1551 is going to be the temporary home to one of the very finest providers of educational products, Shure Products Inc. Since its inception in 1992, Shure Products has become one of the leaders in creating children’s products that perfectly marry entertainment and academics. From puzzles and books to arts and crafts, there is something exciting and educational for every age group.

Little girls 3 and up can benefit from the hands-on Princess Dress-Up Magnetic Doll, which comes in its own wooden storage box. The Incredible Metal Art Book hits its target by helping kids create projects from the 8 sheets of metal included with the book. Boys 7 and up would love to work with the tools in this kit. From the Grow a Garden to the Construct and Erupt Your Own Volcano (that iconic science fair project), Shure Products has a good understanding of how to relay key scientific principles in an entertaining way.

As with all children’s products, safety is a key feature. Shure Products toys and games follow stringent guidelines and are tested by third-party labs to ensure quality (it is a member of the Toy Industry Association, well-known for its high standards for products).

Exciting, educational products for every age: www.shureproducts.com

Super Impulse Knows Kids

SI - Super Impulse
The Toy Fair is known for bringing together some of the greatest product designers in the world. The best kids’ product designers, of course, always keep an understanding of their youthful audience at heart. Super Impulse Ltd not only has an understanding of their target market, but a deep desire to bring those products to kids.

Super Impulse makes the toys kids would make for themselves. You can almost imagine the lights coming up in the eyes of kids when they get HEADZZ Crazy Balls or the enormous, 10-foot Super Balloon. Super Impulse will be making waves at the Toy Fair. Already known for its fun toys at just the right price points, Super Impulse’s product speak directly to children’s fantasies. The Magic Finger Flash is especially appealing to tweens, because it allows them to become a “master of illusion” in a snap!

The Dragon Tailz Retractable Yo-yos are guaranteed to keep kids occupied for hours. These two-inch yo-yos sport colorful ribbons, which add a significantly deeper dimension to play. The High Speed Racing motorcycles bring back the nostalgia of bike racing. Available in a dozen different designs, these micro-cycles just need to be pulled back and let go for the fun to begin. Other fun products on tap for eager kids include the Goo Blinx, Splat Ball, and Micro Flyers.

Kids dream it, Super Impulse builds it: www.superimpulse.com

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