Items tagged “Tweens (7-12 years)”

When it’s time for that first school report of the year, it might seem strange to guide kids to a real live book. After all, with the proliferation of iPads and Internet search engines, something simple like an almanac might seem like a light rail to Luddite town. The World Almanac for Kids 2014 has changed a bit from the tomes of your youth. Gone are the text-heavy tellings of the year that was and the year to come, the new World Almanac is colorful, engaging and interesting. As holidays approach, encourage gifts without cords by stocking this and other educational volumes to expand our future generation’s minds.

There are hundreds of “educational” products on the market targeted towards a child’s brain development, but how can one be sure that they actually engage children while enhancing learning? Plus, many learning products target soft skills like teamwork or inter-personal abilities, not the challenging STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) material. Funnybone Toys, known for its emphasis on brain-building fun, has now been lauded for two of its educational products. Disruptus™ specifically addresses innovation — based on ideas, objects, and the unpredictable roll of the dice. Arrazzles™ involves the manipulation of geometric configurations

Board games rarely get as much exposure as they did in the days before electronic entertainment became the default, but there are still some great board games being created and marketed, and kids can still find pleasure in playing these fun, mentally-stimulating games. One of the selling points of board games is that they’re usually fairly easy to play and are appropriate across a wide range of ages, so they bring the generations together and encourage healthy competition. Zazzy Pals is the creator of a new multi-use pet-themed game set called Canine Cardz.

The tween niche can be a challenge to effectively target. Businesses need to be catering to adult, parental notions of style and utility, while developing an understanding of the evolving nature of the child. Designers have to be sensitive to the growing child’s changing moods as well as parents’ desire to preserve the essence of pure childhood –– no easy task. Companies like Dragonwing Girlgear, Purple Pixies, Max & Bean, and Matooka Kids Couture are forming a vanguard of tween fashions that acknowledges the edgy, while still promoting all that is good about children.