Items tagged “Toys & Recreation”

The ABC Kids Expo returns to Las Vegas October 15-18 and that has made a lot of people smile. I know that I always have a good time at ABC, and am looking forward to some laughs together with my explorations for new juvenile products. Before the show begins, I wanted to find out what makes some of the exhibitors laugh, and how they plan to generate big smiles from buyers. I was particularly pleased to hear that most of the manufacturers I asked said that their children, spouses or family members are what makes them laugh the most. I agree!

Due to changing family dynamics and busy schedules, many children grow up eating their meals on the run or in front of the TV or computer, so less emphasis is placed on the face-to-face interaction that used to be part and parcel of family mealtimes. Does this mean that we’re destined to devolve back to our cave dweller eating habits? Not necessarily. Staci Erickson is one of the parents leading the back-to-manners revolution. Her product, Golly Gee-Pers Table Manners Cards, helps communicate the basics of table manners in a way that kids will understand and enjoy.

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.