09/06/2022
From Thea Brown at World of Mirth in Richmond, Virginia
“We’ve loved the Unicorn Galaxy Cloak (1) from Great Pretenders for years, and the updated unicorn color scheme is delightful. Still wondering when it will come out in adult sizes … asking for a friend.”
“Clixo (2) is a 2D/3D magnetic-origami building toy. It offers so many creative and open-ended possibilities. Kids can use it to make shapes, cars, a crown, superhero gloves – the list goes on. They pieces have a good hand feel, are lightweight, and really fun to create with.
“The board book Mirabelle Has a Birthday (3) from Workman Publishing came out last year, and it’s been a big hit for us. Michael Muller, the author/photographer/illustrator is also the character ‘Mr. Muller’ in the book. He’s a former teacher and kids of all ages love his books and his sweet pup, Mirabelle.
“The Strawberry Sunset Game (4) from Stellar Factory is a fun strategy game where each player tries to create a better strawberry patch than their neighbors – all before sundown. Sounds easy, right? Play time is 10-20 minutes, so it’s fast paced and great to play over and over again for kids ages 7 and up.
“Cowpie Catapults* (5) from The Good Game Company is hands down one of my favorite silly games of the year. You try to knock over your opponent’s cows with – you guessed it – catapulted cow pies. It’s super funny and almost anyone can play. Even though it’s for ages 6 and up, we sell it to college students all the time.”
From Emily Scheid at Hollipops in Mount Pleasant,
South Carolina
“The Bug Vacuum (6) from Thin Air Brands is doing insanely well here. I’m writing another purchase order for them right now – they just blow out the door. It’s hilarious to watch customers just lose their minds over it. A child will bring one home and then the mom will come in to get one for herself.
“The realistic-looking swords from Great Pretenders are selling like crazy. I’m watching a little warrior right now walking around the store with a Long Dagger (7) in one hand and a Sword (8) in the other.
“I think Speks’ Crags (9) will be popular for the holidays among older kids and adults. It’s a bunch of hematite magnets that come in a tin, like putty, and you play with them in your hands. Crags are a fidget – they feel and sound amazing as you crush and clump them.”
*Cowpie Catapults is one of 12 products on ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids List for 2022. Here are the others.
Preschool Games: Pancake Monster
(Blue Orange Games)
Games 8-10: Forklift Frenzy
(Fat Brain Toy Co.)
Active Play: Dueling Stomp Rockets
(Stomp Rocket)
Arts & Crafts: Build & Grow Tree House
(Faber-Castell/Creativity for Kids)
Building: Builder Set
(Magna-Tiles)
Educational: Dig it Up! Glow in the Dark Dinosaur Eggs
(MW Wholesale)
Preschool: Roboflex
(Smart Toys & Games)
Pretend Play: Super Cityscape Transport Bucket Set
(Hape)
Puzzles: 800-Piece Earth Puzzle by Number
(Plus-Plus)
Science: Ultra Bionic Blaster
(Thames and Kosmos)