Toy Report 9/18: The Toy Insider’s Holiday of Play Is Finally Here!

September 18, 2019

The Toy Insider’s Holiday of Play Is Finally Here!

Want to know which toys Santa will be seeing at the top of every child’s wish list? The Toy Insider‘s Holiday of Play event will take place tonight in New York City, giving consumers an exclusive first look at the soon-to-be bestselling holiday toys that made its annual hot lists: the Hot 20, the STEM 10, plus the brand-new toy list that will help shoppers keep their holiday budgets holly and jolly!

Hasbro Expands Play-Doh Brand with Slime, New Compounds

In celebration of World Play-Doh Day, Hasbro revealed plans to expand the Play-Doh brand beyond its classic dough with slime and compounds. Read more…

Additionally, Hasbro revealed the first title in its new Cubby Hill publishing program with Abrams Children’s Books.

Nintendo Switch, Madden NFL Sales Soar Despite Overall Gaming Decline

It’s Madden season, but beyond the annual update to the long-running NFL title, the video game industry is in a slump as we approach the end of the current console cycle. The bright spots, according to the NPD Group’s August video game sales report, are largely led by Nintendo, with Switch sales and software soaring despite the overall decline. Read more…

Additionally, Nintendo unveiled its new motion-controlled adventure game, Ring Fit Adventure . The game and its unique controller accessories will be available next month. Read more…

Spin Master Secures International Broadcast Deals, Launches Toys for Super Dinosaur

Spin Master and Skybound Entertainment will bring the adventure series Super Dinosaur to Amazon Prime Video on Oct. 6. In addition to the TV series, Spin Master and Skybound will launch a toy line featuring key characters from the world of Super Dinosaur this fall, available on Amazon in the U.S. and exclusively at Toys “R” Us in Canada. Read more…

It’s Official: Warner Animation Group Options Funko Movie

It could be filed under the “worst-kept secrets” in Hollywood this year, but now it’s official: Warner Animation Group (WAG) is putting a motion picture into production based on Funko‘s Pop! vinyl figures, with a pair of Disney Animation vets leading the charge. Read more…

TOMY Introduces Rizmo, an Evolving, Interactive Toy

Rizmo — whose name comes from “Rhythm Monster” — starts out with five play modes, including Rolling Rhythms and Record songs. Kids earn musical points by playing with and singing to Rizmo; it will also sing back the songs it learns. When kids earn enough musical points, Rizmo evolves and transforms, first from baby to kid, and then from kid to Rizmo. Once kids fully evolve Rizmo, they’ll unlock two additional play modes. Read more…

Kids India Prepares to Launch with Diverse Exhibitor Portfolio

Kids India will open its doors for the seventh time later this month, taking place from Sept. 26-28 at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Center in Mumbai. The fair will showcase approximately 160 Indian and international exhibitors, including more than 40% first-time exhibitors for the event. New exhibitors include Emotix, Playshifu, Skillmatics, and Smartivity. Read more…

eOne’s Ricky Zoom Speeds into New Territories This Fall

Ricky Zoom , which recently launched on Nickelodeon in the U.S., picked up new partners for the global rollout of season one this fall. The series begins airing on Turkish network Minika Cocuk, while free-to-air channels Karusel in Russia and Spacetoon Kids’ TV in the Middle East and North Africa will soon follow. Read more…

Sesame Workshop, Primary School to Create Early Childhood Curriculum

The collaboration is designed to help educators meet the academic, social-emotional, physical, and mental health needs of their students. With this program, Sesame Workshop and the Primary School aim to improve kindergarten readiness outcomes for all children — particularly those in underserved communities — by helping early childhood teachers support children’s comprehensive development.

Crayola, Kraft Partner for Limited-Edition Mac and Cheese Boxes

For back to school season, Crayola is partnering with Kraft to produce more than 2.5 million limited-edition boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese. These boxes feature the traditional Kraft design, but with blank space for kids to draw and color. Read more…

Swedish Toy & Baby Association Presents Blob Fair

Following two successful years in Stockholm, Blobmässan (Blob Fair) will move to Gothenburg. Taking place Oct. 8-9, at the Åby Arena, Blob Fair is Sweden's only trade fair that caters to the baby, toy, and kids' industries in the Nordic region. Blob Fest is presented by the Swedish Toy & Baby Association and the regional trade magazine Lek & Babyrevyn. Exhibitor information and ticket details can be found on the official site .

Cyber Group Studios Expands UK Distribution for Sadie Sparks , Gigantosaurus

Sadie Sparks and Gigantosaurus will hit broadcast channels in the UK for the first time thanks to a new deal between Cyber Group Studios and Sony Pictures Television. Both series will air on the free-to-air POP channel and its preschool companion, Tiny POP. Both shows will debut in the UK next spring. Read more…

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live! Hits the Road with All-New Tour

Earlier this year, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live: King for a Day mounted a tour that visited more than 50 neighborhoods across the country. Now Daniel and all of his friends from the hit PBS KIDS series are hopping back aboard the Trolley for a new production from Mills Entertainment — Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live! Neighbor Day . Read more…

Acamar Films, CBeebies Partner for New Season of Bing

London-based Acamar Films signed a content deal with the BBC for another season of its preschool property, Bing . Read more…

Backstory: Jay Foreman, from the Boardwalk to Basic Fun!

As a college student in New Jersey, Jay Foreman spent the summer months in the resort town of Wildwood, working on the Boardwalk in the video arcades and boardwalk game booths. It was the early 1980s, an era in which major toy franchises, such as Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe, Care Bears, My Little Pony, and Xavier Roberts’ Cabbage Patch Kids, were born. Little did Foreman know that he would soon be part of the toy industry. Read more...

NRF Reports Increased August Retail Sales, Warns of Tariff Risks

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), retail sales — including auto dealers, gas stations, and restaurants — increased by 4.6% in August when compared to the same month last year. Sales also increased by 0.4% from July (seasonally adjusted). Despite the sales growth, the NRF noted the potential upcoming impact of the new and increasing tariffs on goods from China. Read more…

Tru Kids Brands Appoints President for U.S. Retail Joint Venture

Tru Kids Brands, the parent company of the Toys “R” Us brand, and b8ta have named toy industry veteran Jamie Uitdenhowen as president of Toy Retail Showrooms, the new joint venture that operates and manages Toys “R” Us stores in the U.S. In his new role, Uitdenhowen will oversee the day-to-day business operations, new experiential store development, and vendor partnerships leading up to the brand’s U.S. relaunch this fall and beyond. Read more…

Sandrine de Raspide Rejoins MGA Entertainment to Strengthen International Operations

MGA Entertainment Inc. (MGAE) welcomes Sandrine de Raspide back into its ranks as the general manager of international sales and licensing. The move is the latest hire as MGAE seeks to strengthen its international presence and deepen its executive roster. De Raspide previously served as MGAE’s vice president of sales and licensing from 2002-2007 working on the Bratz line. Read more…

Herschend Expands Leadership Team to Relaunch Chuggington

Natalie Setton joins Herschend (HES) as vice president of commercial, content distribution, and licensing. In this role, Setton leads all sales, licensing, marketing, retail support, live events, and location-based entertainment for HES’ properties. She will work alongside Julie Phillips, who serves as vice president of development and production and as an executive producer on the new season of Chuggington . Peter Schube, former president of The Jim Henson Co. and chief executive officer of Illumination Entertainment, is leading this executive team on an interim basis. Read more…

Kids2 Appoints Frank Tyneski to Lead Experience Design

The “multiyear reinvention” of Kids2 continues as Frank Tyneski joins the team, who will assume the newly created position of vice president, experience design. Tyneski, who led global consumer design and experience at Dell Inc., was given the Design of the Decade Award for the Motorola TalkAbout line of two-way radios. He will lead innovation platforms and product development at Kids2 for both its home and play divisions. Read more…