Design a YooHoo & Friends Contest

For the first time ever, fans of the best selling plush toy line YooHoo & Friends have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to help manufacturer Aurora World design the next YooHoo.

The online contest, hosted on the official YooHoo & Friends Facebook page, asks contestants to download a predesigned template of line art. Then, either by hand drawing or using a computer program such as Photoshop, contestants can design their entries for consideration in an all-new YooHoo dinosaur line to hit stores in April 2013.

Aurora’s judges will review all entries and determine a grand prize winner. The winning design will be made into a special edition YooHoo to début at the industry trade show Toy Fair in 2013.

With over 22 million sold, YooHoo fans expect a lot of enthusiasm for this contest! For more information, please visit YooHoo & Friends on the official Facebook page at http://facebook.com/yoohoofanpage.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Heaven Sent Infant Wear

Four-year-old children’s wear designer finds success with babies, books and The Bible!

California-based Heaven Sent Infant Wear designs children’s clothes that offer what they call “a spiritual reflection.”

The owners – one is a grandmother to 12 and the other is mom to her daughter- share the belief that a child is a gift from God. “We began designing infant apparel that we believed could share that belief and warm the hearts of mothers everywhere.”

With that, Heaven Sent offers 100% cotton and organic cotton bibs, rompers, gowns, onezies, jumpers and more, all adorned with unique quotations from the Bible, such as Fearfully And Wonderfully Made (Psalms 139:14), favorite childhood prayers, the signature message Heaven Sent and others.

Bookstore Love. Heaven Sent began by selling their designs at local baby expos and mother-baby shows, and then a local bookstore fell in love with the brand, carrying it in the store. “Last year, we did the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) in Atlanta, Georgia, where we were picked up by eight new bookstores,” they tell me. “Earlier this year, we were picked up by Berean Christian Stores, and now, Heaven Sent is sold in 26 stores total.” And counting, for sure.

A Wink and a Prayer. I think the makers of Heaven Sent say it best:

Our product not only shares a message but is bright, fun, excellent quality and very cute.

I’m all for cute and I’m all for a little reflection, too.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

iMommy Fun

This new app is a fun game for kids.

After months of research, Kathy Shimmield created iMommy with her own kids’ imaginative play in mind. The iMommy app lets kids pretend to be parents. This game is ideal for kids ages two thru 10, and is suitable for any age.

iTunes TOP 100 in Family Category. Players get to choose from four different ethnicities and interact with baby by changing their hair, eye or outfit color. The toy is also a tool, teaching kids how to take care of their baby. They learn what makes baby happy and what upsets the baby. They have to feed, play, bathe and even change baby’s diaper!

Young children who love to care for their dolls and stuffed animals will enjoy having their own virtual baby to take care of through the iMommy app. Dragging and dropping items is a way to interact with the baby in the various playrooms or bathtub and when the baby is tired, children can take their baby to the bedroom where the crib is located and tap the icon to rock it to sleep. Another nice feature of an automated message that will appear after a certain length of time suggesting a break from game play.

-Parents.com

Kathy has a hot new game app out there now – Wolfie. Check it out.

Another Rachel Florio PR client! Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Fun Swappers Use Snazzy Swap

An eco-friendly group of parents in North Carolina have created a snazzy way for families to exchange their growing kids’ stuff.

Snazzy Swap is a pretty nifty service created for parents who are looking for easy ways to save money –and save the planet from too much waste. Moms Melissa and Meredith Weiss, along with others have tapped into the multibillion-dollar market for children’s gently-used clothing and toys with a winner.

Save Money, Save the Planet, Have Fun! The site is created for families to swap items their kids have outgrown -clothes, toys, books, DVDs and more- without ever leaving home. And since statistics show that children grow out of clothes every three to six months, there could be a whole lotta swappin’ goin’ on -right in front of your computer screen!

Described as “a cross between Netflix and eBay for kids’ stuff,” swappers can log onto Snazzy Swap, pick a box stuffed with things they think their kids will love, pay only $5 plus shipping and the box arrives at their door.

Parents love the quality, savings and ease. Kids love the presents. Everyone thinks it is fun and it is addicting :-)!

FREE! Snazzy Swap has no membership fees, plus they’ll send you boxes for your posted swap stuff for free. “Every time you post a box your kids have outgrown, you can pick another box on the site that your kids will love,” they say. “If you do not find a box that you want right away, you can save your credit for later, when you find a box that you really like.” Swappers can sign up for “box notifications,” too –and swap clothes for toys or toys for books or books for clothes- the swap factor is endless!

Give presents all year long! Did you know the average American discards 68 pounds of clothing a year? Buying gently-used items for your children is one of the greenest things you can do as a consumer. Plus Snazzy Swap donates 50 cents from each swap to help kids with special needs. Sweet!

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Golly Gee-pers Game Teaches Manners

Award-winning games teach children table manners in a fun, delicious way.

A while back, Staci Ericson discovered –through an honest parent and good friend- that her daughter’s table manners left a little to be desired. “I went home and quickly drew some silly sketches with captions and corresponding thumbs-up or thumbs-down illustrations, put them inside zip lock sandwich bags,” she says.

We’ve got kids’ manners in a bag.

Since then, Staci has taken her card game idea to market. Golly Gee-pers mealtime games encourage good table manners, incorporating honest feedback and accountability. Staci and her team research, develop and test fun ways to teach manners to children, with the help of local pediatric groups. “I was able to survey parents, grandparents and caregivers and later put the game through a series of focus groups,” she says. “My goal was not to simply get the game on the market but to provide a useful tool that would address table manners in the moment they occur.”

Honored as Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Socially Responsible Products for 2011 and one of Dr. Toy’s 100 Best New Products for Children 2011, Golly Gee-pers Table Manners Cards not only teach kids proper etiquette, the entire process really enhances the mealtime experience –for everyone. Here’s a video:

New Products in 2012. Staci plans to introduce a few more products under the Golly Gee-pers brand sometime this year. Don’t Pick Your Nose and Other Jazzy Manners Songs helps parents teach their kids social skills in addition to introducing them to light jazz music. Toddlers at the Table is a flap book designed specifically for new diners. We’re looking forward to these releases.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today! Thank you Rachel Florio PR for introducing me to Golly Gee-pers!

Stuck on You – Primary Sponsor of the Organized Mom Awards 2012

It all started when I innocently created some labels for my son. With word spreading rapidly through the school community, orders started coming in and Stuck on You was born.

-Carrie Felton, owner of Stuck on You

Carrie’s innocent label-creating began in Australia circa 1995, and since then, Stuck On You has grown to be the most recognized name labels company in Australia, offering products in hundreds of countries worldwide, with offices in many regions, including the USA.

Our labels are tough, they have been tested by kids all over the world. Our success has come from word of mouth. Apart from great quality, our products are great fun; they are loved by mums, dads, kids and schools alike.

Looking for labels and more? All of the products from Stuck on You are created out of necessity to make life easier for moms –and their kids. The clever design team is constantly coming up with new designs that your kids will love. And the Stuck on You product line continues to expand with drink bottles, learning books, canvases, height charts, backpacks, lunch boxes, library bags, personalized clothing and more. Carrie and her company have a passion and love for all things organized -she just loves to create time to do the fun things in life, like spending time with family and friends, cooking and entertaining. That’s why Stuck on You is the primary sponsor of the Organized Mom Awards 2012.

Stuck on You USA. Name labels, school labels and personalized gifts can all be created by you on the Stuck on You USA product previewer before you buy. Stuck on You labels are designed to stick and stay stuck.

Stuck for a gift idea? The company ships anywhere in the United States. Choose from the enormous collection of name labels, kids labels, school labels, clothing labels, iron on labels, bag tags, luggage tags, lunchboxes, drink bottles, kids clothing, stationery, wall art and more, then start personalizing with color, design, nearly anything your heart desires- to create your very own personalized Stuck On You USA product. “We love a bargain and we know our customers do too,” Carrie says. “Keep an eye out on our latest offers online for bargains, specials and brand new products.”

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Lullabies a la Lady Gaga

Kids everywhere can enjoy Soothing Lullaby Arrangements of Songs Made Famous by Lady Gaga -the newest addition to the Baby Blanket Music collection.

The distinctive Baby Blanket Music collection for children features unique lullaby arrangements of favorite songs from favorite artists, like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Billy Joel, John Mayer, Simon & Garfunkel, Garth Brooks and The Beatles. And now, Lady Gaga joins this list.

As our line continues to expand, we are excited to introduce the songs of Lady Gaga. Arranging these edgy, contemporary tunes in a way that holds true to the Baby Blanket Music sound has been a welcomed challenge and pleasure.

-Josh Rutt, founder and CEO

New York-based teacher, composer and performer Josh Rutt created Baby Blanket Music in 2009. Josh developed his distinctive line of music designed to appeal to babies, parents and grandparents alike with guidance of a wide range of doctors, teachers and child development specialists.

Incredibly musical, always theatrical and undeniably relevant, Lady Gaga is be one of today’s hottest stars, and her catchy songs have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide. Baby Blanket Music’s album features instrumental arrangements of hits such as Just Dance, Poker Face, Bad Romance and The Edge of Glory.

Designed to soothe while enhancing the enjoyment and cognition of music, Baby Blanket Music features familiar baby sounds like vibraphones and music boxes paired with a full medley of rich, classical instruments including strings, woodwinds, pianos, harps and soft percussion.

Thanks, Hilary Abbott, for letting me know about Baby Blanket Music’s news! Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Huggalo – Small Business with a Big Mission

From apprehensive toddlers to courageous pre-schoolers, one mom is transforming the way children handle life’s transitions with her inspiring company.

Though she’s never worn the inventor’s cap before, Donna Broder‘s choice to become a mompreneur has not only enriched her own life, but that of her son … and those of both parents and children nationwide.

Let me explain.

When Donna’s son Noah first started pre-school, he had a little trouble adjusting to days away from home. When his first-day jitters extended to weeks, Donna was inspired to create a product that would help Noah through this transition, and help her leave the school yard without both of them in tears.

She gave Noah a photo to take with him to school … but soon, the photo got torn. So she put on her thinking cap and came up with an award-winning idea.

No parent wants to watch their children suffer when they should be having the time of their lives.

From its huggable feel to its adorable hip look, Huggalo is what the company calls “a best buddy with a surprise on his tummy.” The keepsake soft doll has a clear plastic frame to hold favorite photos, so kids can take their memories with them on their greatest adventures –and know they’re loved, even far from home. Once Donna introduced Noah to Huggsley – the first Huggalo – he went to pre-school with a smile.

Huggalo is a great transitional toy for any situation. From a military parent’s deployment to the grandparents living cross country, to the first day of school or the passing on of a beloved pet or friend, Huggalo succeeds by pairing something tangible with pictures of those who can’t be around every minute of the day. By sticking a photo of their dad, mom, sibling or a grandparent in the frame, kids can see the people they miss. But Huggalo lets kids do more than that.

“By letting our son or daughter adapt to new situations we are helping our kids become more resilient and confident, too,” Donna says. She believes that kids are empowered when they are given tools to comfort themselves.

Winner of the Parents’ Choice Recommended Award. In fact, Noah’s Huggsley has made such a huge impact on children’s lives, that he was recognized and commended by the Parents’ Choice Foundation for his heroic ability to teach life lessons with care.

Huggalo is brought to you by Donna’s Redorb Concepts, her California-based company that supports several philanthropic organizations, including The Soldiers Project and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Thank you, ChicExecs PR, for introducing me to Huggalo!

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Alphabetown USA Launches New Line of Children’s Books

These books engage young readers to read with fun characters, lively illustrations and worthy life lessons.

North Carolina-based Alphabetown USA creates educational books that help children ages two through eight make sense of the letters in the alphabet and the magical words they create. The books are developed by husband and wife team Ryan and Nicole Mayer and illustrated by artist and family friend Russ Simmons.

With its bright and beautiful illustrations, Alphabetown books are a perfect way to introduce language skills to young children. We are excited about using these books as part of our curriculum.

-Nancy Whisonart, Trinity Episcopal Preschool, Moorestown, NJ

Titles included in the series from Beaner Books are Where is Ziggy?, Hannah’s Homework and Catena Goes Camping, followed this summer by the introduction of Madison’s Magical Adventure.

The story ideas come from the Mayers’ own children – Ryan and Nicole then write the books. Nicole’s background in psychology and education along with Ryan’s experience as a former law enforcement officer contribute to the couple’s added educational twists.

Reading, and the ability to read, is such a critical part of a child’s development that we wanted to create books that were not only fun for young children, but served as an educational tool for parents and teachers as well.

Prior to its official publication, Where is Ziggy?, the story that kicks off the Alphabetown USA series was made available for use in local elementary schools and eventually was awarded an Honorable Mention at the 2008 NYC Book Festival for Best New Children’s Book.

The illustrations are eye catching and will attract young learners with their bold colors and interesting adventures.

-Frederick Johnson, Ed.D., principal, Mary E. Roberts Elementary School, Moorestown, NJ

The authors’ children have also influenced Alphabetown USA beyond just story ideas. Socially conscious daughter Hannah inspired her parents to donate a portion of proceeds from each title to charity. Proceeds from the sale of Where is Ziggy? help Alex’s Lemonade Stand fight childhood cancer victims, from Hannah’s Homework benefit McDonald House of Southern New Jersey, and Catena Goes Camping aids Miracle Flights for Kids.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

One-of-a-Kind Softies from Child’s Own Studio

Their uniqueness is undeniable. And their cuteness is irresistible.

Over 13,000 people like Child’s Own Studio’s Facebook page. And it’s easy to see why.

Softie dolls have been around for quite some time (apparently it’s a wildly popular Japanese craze), but they’ve never been imagined quite like this. Wendy Tsao began using her needle and thread to create softie dolls based on children’s drawings about five years ago, and she’s been bringing their artistic creations to life ever since.

Child’s Own Studio makes custom, handmade, keepsake, soft toys that will be cherished for a lifetime. Featured in the June 2012 issue of Reader’s Digest, Wendy’s wonderful creations are a collaboration between her and the dreams of a child -one-of-a-kind drawings as unique as the child who draws it.

The child’s drawing, a wonderful expression of childhood, is the starting point of the collaborative project. Details and color choices are reproduced as closely as possible so that the stuffed toy that arrives in the mail is immediately recognizable to the child who designed it.

Wendy’s Vancouver BC, home-based craft business is keeping her very busy, and happy. “It’s a fun, rewarding process, and kids love seeing their drawings come alive,” she says. So busy in fact, that she’s got a wait list for her hand-crafted style –it takes up to two days to complete a Child’s Own creation. In the meantime, she offers the Softiemaker Showcase on her website, a list of independent craft artists from around the world who are also available, if you’re in a really big hurry.

Read Wendy’s blog on her homepage for the story behind many Child’s Own Studio softie creations.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!