08/19/2026
When Kahootz Toys was acquired by Playmonster in 2019, team members found themselves scattered across the specialty toy industry. Since then, nine of those colleagues, headed up by industry vets Doug Cass and Brent Oeschger, reunited for a new venture: Tree Town Toys.
The company, headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI, officially launched at Astra Marketplace & Academy in 2024 with one product concept. It has since expanded to offer 22 SKUs in three product categories as well as to share expertise across the market.
“We knew the people we wanted to work with, and the products followed suit,” stated Michelle Delacourt, marketing creative director at Tree Town Toys.
Categories Branch Out
Tree Town Toys’ product lines feature intentionally-designed items that engage users in quiet, creative, skill-building activities that retailers and consumers of all ages appreciate.
Art Café was the starting point of Tree Town Toys. These latte art-inspired kits come with four canvases and the required supplies, all in a package resembling a coffee cup. People can add layers of color to the canvas and drag a wooden pick through the paint to create a swirling pattern.
“It’s a creative coffee break,” Delacourt said, adding that she has seen parents host art café nights with their families. “They don’t take forever to do. You can sit down and have a quiet moment and make something beautiful. It’s a soothing process. There’s no wrong way to do it.”
The most popular product category is Yes & Know Books, “the original low-tech backseat play,” according to Delacourt. Tree Town Toys relaunched this 50-year old brand when a retailer informed them that the original books had gone out of production. After a bit of research, the team learned that the U.S. producer had ceased making the books; however, an Australian company, Hinkler, had picked up the license and assets and was looking for a partner in the States.
“The timing was fortuitous,” Delacourt said. “We made a presentation to Hinkler to explore revamping and updating the books for today’s audiences while still maintaining much of the original gameplay…Because it was such a trusted and very recognizable brand, everywhere we take it, people remember it and are delighted with the upgrades.”
The titles contain 36 pages filled with word games, picture matching, strategy activities and general trivia. While some Yes & Know books utilize some of the original art and content in the core title offering, Tree Town Toys has also co-licensed with Hasbro Games, Peanuts and Highlights to feature more games, riddles, jokes and stories.
No matter the material, Yes & Know books embody Tree Town Toys’ mission of exploring classic, tried-and-true creative play patterns with a fresh spin. This approach has caught the attention of parents who grew up with the activity books and kids who appreciate the engaging, magic-reveal content.
“The toy space is noisy; there’s a lot going on. If you can appeal to a parent’s sense of nostalgia, that’s huge,” Delacourt said. “We’re all about quality play that everyone can be a part of.”
Set to release this fall, SpinAnimator Studio is the third and newest product category at Tree Town Toys. Kids can learn the basics of hand-drawn animation, outfitted with film strips, markers and a drawing pen, all of which fit in the base of a viewing reel. Six of the strips are blank while the rest have pre-printed designs that kids can color or try a learn-to-draw option. The strips can then be loaded into the cartridge and spun around — no batteries or screens required.
“There’s a magic moment when you, when you see someone, they really engage with a product and they’re just delighted with it,” Delacourt said. “We see it a lot with SpinAnimator Studio, Art Café and Yes & Know, and it keeps us going.”
A Sturdy Foundation in Specialty
Tree Town Toys also fosters relationships with various sectors of the specialty toy industry. Its Inventor Affiliation invites people with ideas to work with Tree Town Toys to develop products that fulfill a need. Meanwhile, the company’s Business Boosting program utilizes its team’s 30-plus years of industry experience to assist other businesses in making, selling or shipping products. “We’re open to those conversations to help give a leg up, give advice, share the knowledge that our team has and to be of service,” Delacourt said.
Specialty toy retailers are greatly valued at Tree Town Toys, from product development to distribution. The company seeks retailers’ input on what they’re looking for in toys, gives first priority to independent stores and makes sure they are familiar with their products. In addition to the toy industry, Tree Town Toys has a presence in book, educational and travel markets. The company distributes across the U.S. and Canada with a hope to widen its reach.
“When we develop things, we have specialty in mind,” Delacourt said. “Specialty retailers have the skills, people and relationships to make our product stand above others. The personal attention they give to their customers is unique, and that’s where Tree Town Toys’ items really stand out.”
Tree Town Toys regularly exhibits at shows including Astra Marketplace & Academy, Learning Express Convention & Toy Expo, Northeast Toy & Gift Show (NETS), LA Toy Preview and New York Toy Fair. Business is going strong, thanks to connections and plentiful orders made at shows, said Delacourt. “Going to shows gives you validation that you’re on the right track, and you get to see people interact with the products on a wider scale,” she added.
Through it all, Delacourt credits her fellow team members, their knowledge and dedication. Departments work closely with each other, communicating and investing themselves to create the best possible product.
“We’re invested in each other’s success,” Delacourt stated. “We’re just a big family. We love what we do, and we can’t imagine a better industry to be a part of with people we respect. At the end of the day, we want to bring joy, fun and creativity to the world.”
