Encouraging confident, creative, resilient children with Connetix.

With the rapid change in technology, we have already seen a rise in careers that didn’t exist 10 years ago. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that parents and educators around the globe are searching for ways to prepare children to live in a world we cannot yet foresee. STEAM is the buzzword on everybody’s lips, so is it the answer?

STEAM is an educational approach that integrates the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics through hands-on exploration. Valued for promoting 21st-century skills, this method is increasingly gaining popularity with parents, educators, and health experts alike as they search to foster the natural love of learning in children.

Connetix magnetic tiles are the perfect open-ended, STEAM toy. 

Seeking to champion learning through play, the team at Connetix identified key features magnetic tiles need to maximize functionality and support open-ended STEAM play.

Featuring strong magnets and exclusively designed pieces, the innovative and aesthetically appealing design of Connetix tiles spark imagination and creativity. Manufactured with high-quality, food-grade plastic and the inclusion of extra rivets and ultrasonic welding, Connetix tiles are internationally safety rated, ensuring they are strong and safe for little hands.

The signature Connetix bevel offers a stronger, clearer surface, while simultaneously creating a lighter tile that is free from internal and external bracing. It is an attribute that enables children to build bigger, experience clearer refractions, enjoy looking through tiles without obstruction, and have a smoother surface to write or create on. This innovation of design is yet to be matched in terms of aesthetics and functionality for both open-ended and STEAM play.

As a high-quality, open-ended toy, Connetix provides a gateway to a magical world of learning through PLAY where children can celebrate their own creativity and imagination. With no rules, restrictions, or instructions, Connetix intuitively meets the needs of each user, allowing children to experience STEAM learning in a way that meets their current abilities and curiosities. Immersing themselves in Connetix play, they inadvertently explore core concepts including cause and effect, teamwork, problem-solving, and perseverance to understand complex notions such as gravity, engineering, magnetism, color, shape, design, motion, plus so much more. 

To further facilitate the play value of their open-ended STEAM products, the Connetix team provides inspiration across its social platforms, and education through expert blogs, along with free educational resources and tutorials. The highly responsive and invested customer service team passionately support its audience to engage in ongoing STEAM play and learning with Connetix. 

Connetix are more than just magnetic tiles, they inspire creativity, imagination, curiosity, cognitive development, and social-emotional learning (SEL) all through play – effortlessly connecting learning and fun. 

Founded by a master’s qualified educator and mechanical designer, Connetix is a company that understands the importance of educating, supporting, and inspiring people to engage in open-ended STEAM play. As Connetix looks to grow its product catalog, the team draws upon its own expertise alongside feedback from its community which includes educators, retailers, and consumers.

By appreciating current world trends, considering childhood development, and choosing open-ended resources, such as Connetix Tiles, we can help kids develop the key skills that will equip them for future challenges. 

Retailers seeking more information on Connetix Tiles can visit www.connetixtiles.com or contact wholesale@connetixtiles.com to learn more.

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) has named the 2023 ASTRA Play Awards winners at ASTRA Marketplace & Academy, currently in full swing in Columbus, Ohio until June 14.

 The newly rebranded ASTRA Play Awards selects nominees based on criteria including toy newness, uniqueness, availability, and significance. The following 14 winners have been chosen across a wide range of categories based on industry votes:

Active Play: Anywhere Sports — Trampoline Pong, Thin Air Brands

Arts & Crafts: Inspirational Nature Plant Press, DJECO

Baby/Toddler: Spill Again, Fat Brain Toy Co

Brainteasers: Safari Park Jr., Smart Toys and Games

Building: Dino World XL, Magna-Tiles

Eco: Cheese and Charcuterie Board, PlanToys

Educational: 100 Pics, Countries, Asmodee

Family Games: Sleeping Queens 2 — The Rescue!, Gamewright 

Games for Tweens+: Big Potato — Herd Mentality, Gamewright/Big Potato

Plush: Vinnie Banana Slug Macaroon, Douglas Co.

Preschool Games: Indoor Scavenger Hunt, eeBoo

Pretend Play: SmartMax — My First Pirates, Smart Toys and Games

Role Play: Great Pretenders — Green Dragon Set, Creative Education of Canada

Science/STEM: Hydraulic Boxing Bots, Thames & Kosmos

The annual ASTRA Excellence and Lifetime Achievement Awards have also been revealed, and are designed to honor and recognize the outstanding contributions made by members of the specialty toy industry.

Excellence Awards winners include Plan Toys for Manufacturer, Sandra Malott for Sales Representative, Leah Pickering of Kazoodles Toys for Retailer, and Dock Mackie of MarketTime for Young Professional/Rising Star. 

Amy Saldanha, owner of Kiddywampus, has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. 

“The ASTRA Play Awards spotlight thought-provoking playthings that are both meaningful in the industry and foster child development through quality play,” says Sue Warfield, President of ASTRA. “This year’s winning list features fun, unique, and premium products children will love and that can be found at neighborhood toy stores across the country.”

For more information on ASTRA’s Play Awards, visit astratoy.org.

In the latest episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design goes live from the show floor at ASTRA Marketplace & Academy in Columbus, Ohio.

Stream the new episode to hear mini interviews featuring Adam Hocherman (Fat Brain Toy Co.), Karen Hermann (Hand Craft), Julien Amundsen (Fantasma Toys), Chrissy Fagerholt (EAP Toys and Games), Jan Marie Zawitz (Tangle Creations), Dan Hakim (It Coins), and Eric Child (Tubelox).

The “Power Kid Podcast” is presented by The Toy Book Podcasts by Adventure Media & Events. The long-running series presents in-depth interviews and conversations with some of the biggest names and rising stars in the toy, game, and family entertainment industries. The Toy Book Podcasts are available through your favorite streaming services, including Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor), Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. They’re also now available on Amazon Podcasts.

Adventure Media & Events (AM&E) is the publisher of The Toy Book, The Toy Insider, and The Pop Insider. Composed of an editorial team with more than 125 years of combined experience in the toy and entertainment industries, AM&E publications provide consumers, press, and trade audiences with the latest news and updates on all things play and pop culture.

The holiday season is fast approaching, and this year the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is looking to make Neighborhood Toy Store Month bigger and better than ever before!

Throughout the month of November, Neighborhood Toy Store Month will serve as more than just a promotional event as the toy and game industries join together with families and communities to celebrate local toy stores. As ASTRA says “these local toy stores aren’t just places where kids and families shop; they are centers of creativity, imagination, and learning.” November will also be a showcase for Play Education through MESH (Mental, Emotional, Social Health) and ASTRA’s Certified Play Expert (CPE) Program.

ASTRA is seeking support from manufacturers of all sizes that can offer any of the following to participating independent retailers in the U.S. and Canada:

The deadline to sign up is September 1. To pledge your support, please fill out this form and an ASTRA representative will be in touch.

ASTRA members are encouraged to start making plans for Neighborhood Toy Store Month today! Interested retailers should sign up using this form by September 15. Why sign up early? Here are five great reasons:

To learn more about Neighborhood Toy Store Month, visit astratoy.org and get involved today!

Independent retailers in the U.S. that are looking to offer consumers a little extra holiday cheer can sign up to receive FREE copies of The Toy Insider’s 2023 Holiday Gift Guide in print! Now through 12 pm ET on Aug. 24, 2023, retailers that sign up via this link can receive up to five boxes of Holiday Gift Guides free of charge.

The Toy Insider Holiday Gift Guide will feature more than 350 toys for kids of all ages, broken down by age group to make for an easy-to-use holiday shopping reference. The guide also includes The Toy Insider’s iconic Hot 20, 12 Under $20, and STEM 10 lists. Now in its 18th year, The Toy Insider is a trusted resource for parents and gift-givers all year long — and published by the same trusted team that brings you The Toy Book! The Toy Insider is not affiliated with any one retailer and includes a variety of specialty toys in its mix of top gift picks. Click here to reserve your copies.

Production on the next issue of The Toy Book is underway!

The toy industry is fueled by innovation, and in our 2023 Innovation & STEAM Issue (out Dec. 15), The Toy Book team unpacks the trends and outlook for multiple categories, including STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Sustainable/Eco-Friendly toys, MESH (Mental, Emotional, Social Health), and more.

There is no fee to submit for editorial consideration, but submissions that do not follow the guidelines will be rejected.

If you have products that you want retailers and the rest of the industry to see, we’d love to share them.* Due to the large number of submissions that we receive, we request that you read and adhere to the submission requirements below. Only products that are NEW FOR 2023 or 2024 will be accepted and preference will be given to 2024 releases.

Please send your product descriptions in a Word document attachment to James Zahn, james@toybook.com. Only one company should be included in each document, and all correspondence should be kept to one email thread per company. NOTE: If you are an agency, you MUST submit one email thread per company. Do not put multiple companies in an email and do not send us links to folders.

You may submit using the following format:
PRODUCT NAME | AGE GRADE | MSRP $USD | AVAILABILITY DATE
(Street date, month, or season, i.e. Spring 2024, Holiday 2024, etc.)
Short description of your product.

Prioritize your submissions in each category, listing your most important items at the top of each category list, and your most important category first. Please only include top-line talking points in the product description. Our space is limited, but we will try to cover as many of your products as possible.

Please include high-resolution 300 dpi images with transparent/no background as email attachments. If possible, include an image of every item for each category, and name your images so that it is clear which item it is. 

Please do not send PDFs or PowerPoint presentations, and do not embed images within documents.

*Please note that due to the large number of submissions that we receive, inclusion in The Toy Book is not guaranteed. The Toy Book editorial team, at its sole discretion, may approve or reject a submission for any reason. We reserve the right to categorize products, edit product descriptions for length, clarity, and adherence to AP and house style, and may limit the total number of products showcased for this no-cost editorial opportunity. We do not, for any reason, include legal symbols in editorial coverage.

The deadline for submissions is October 13.

For questions related to editorial coverage and submissions, please reach out to James Zahn: james@toybook.com

This issue of The Toy Book will be distributed through a multitude of touchpoints, reaching thousands of retailers throughout North America. We are offering the following options to expand visibility for your new products and get your toys onto more retail shelves this year:

For ad rates and marketing opportunities, please contact:

Want to get in on the action with future issues of The Toy Book? Check out our editorial calendar for details on what we’re cooking up for the year ahead.

Just as there is “no place like home,” there is also “no place like a specialty store during the holidays.”

Think back to your childhood. The holidays are magical, not only because of the bright lights, decorations, and food, but also because of the toy store experience: the endless aisles of toys and games and the wonderful, warm atmosphere. Walking into a toy store brings magic to those who enter.

Independent toy stores offer an amazingly unique selection of toys and gifts. Specialty retailers can find new things to stock ahead of the holiday season, while also placing last-minute orders to get popular products on the shelves in the middle of the season. And, the toy buying frenzy doesn’t stop after December, because the magic of the season continues as customers redeem their gift cards.

In addition to the wide selection of toys, specialty retailers are true resources for their customers. More and more ASTRA members are becoming ASTRA-Certified Play Experts, which requires them to complete a two-day program packed with education about the scientifically proven value of play. And play is important for all of us, because remember: holiday magic and play are not just for kids!

ASTRA kicks off the holiday season with the magic of Neighborhood Toy Store Month. During the month of November, Neighborhood Toy Store Month celebrates the essential role of local toy stores in cultivating play, education, and community connection. It highlights the crucial contribution of neighborhood stores in nurturing imagination, creativity, and cognitive development in children. What used to be just a day was expanded to a month to give specialty stores the opportunity to schedule events over a longer period of time. This year, the theme is Play Education, and through the School of Play, we will shine a light on the very important value of playtime for everyone. Watch for the full roll-out of our whimsical principals and students as we complete the graphics for our stores to use in their campaigns and for their events.

What else helps create magical memories at specialty stores during the holidays? Store windows! A child staring in awe at a store window decorated for the holidays is a true moment of wonder. Specialty stores do an amazing job of decorating their windows for the holidays, creating lasting feelings of warmth and generating excitement about what fun awaits inside. ASTRA will hold its third annual store decorating contest this year with submissions judged by children. The grand prize this year will be a full conference registration for our 2024 Marketplace & Academy in St. Louis.

As we look toward the holidays, our specialty stores are the place to go to experience real holiday cheer, as retailers help their customers get the best possible gifts for those on their lists. From infants to adults, the magic of the holidays has always revolved around toys and play. Make it count this year.

A version of this feature was originally published in the 2023 Toy Fair issue of The Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!

by SUE WARFIELD, President of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA)

It’s a new year, and with it comes new trends and issues affecting retailers and manufacturers alike, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the evolving landscape of online sales, smaller footprints for big-box stores, creating better customer experiences in physical retail stores, and inflation leveling off. So how many of these will impact us at the specialty level?

At ASTRA, we are looking ahead to what’s in store for independent toy retailers and toy makers, as well as the industry as a whole. We believe that much of the future is determined by what we can do to work with our members and how our members work within their communities. Despite the trendy new headlines predicting what’s changing the retail landscape, specialty retailers should focus on the following tips, which will continue to set them apart: 

In 2023, we saw a big increase in consumers who craved the in-store experience. Forget having to walk through a massive store to find the specific things you want or browsing through endless aisles to discover what’s new. Instead, encourage consumers to enjoy the specialty experience offered by local businesses and take part in the events they offer. 

When shopping for toys, customers are searching for the best toys for the kids in their lives — whether it’s a toy that’s age- and ability-appropriate, one that will last, one that inspires imaginative play, or one that will simply hold a child’s interest. At ASTRA, we are rolling out our Certified Play Expert (CPE) program online as well as offering more in-person classes around the country. This program dives deep into the intricacies of child development, helping toy industry professionals gain insights into the profound significance of play at every stage of growth, including adulthood.

Independent retailers can pick up on local trends as they develop and act upon them faster than big-box stores. In many cases, specialty shops are the ones who start the big trends! Listen to your customers, pay attention to what people are looking for and what’s trending, and become the go-to destination for it.

With screen fatigue and issues with “what I saw and ordered online wasn’t really what I got,” more consumers want to shop and buy in person. But we can’t ignore the fact that more people are shopping — and browsing — online than ever before. Whether you open an online store with delivery capabilities, develop Instagram or TikTok profiles, or start a weekly newsletter, it’s important to engage with your customers online. 

Average sales are up as products seen in person make the buying decision easy. Let your customers see, feel, and experience the products you offer — it’ll help them better understand the products and lead to an easy purchase. 

We are real people with real knowledge, ready to serve our communities. With AI being used in so many ways, people are beginning to wonder whether it’s bots or humans behind so many customer service experiences. While there are ways we can use AI for efficiency and to power through more mundane background tasks, what about the personal, authentic, caring, and understanding interactions we crave? These experiences can only come from people. Let’s never forget that in the toy industry: We shape the future!

This article was originally published in the February 2024 edition of The BIG Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), has named its top toy trends of the year. ASTRA is made up of local retailers, manufacturers, certified play experts, and toy industry professionals. 

“Our small retailers are on the front lines with consumers, having conversations, and seeing firsthand what’s hot every day,” says Sue Warfield, President of ASTRA. “They are the perfect resource to help us determine trends for the first part of 2024 and this year they have not disappointed. We’re excited to see these trends and watch as what’s hot continues to evolve throughout the year.”

Different toy categories that are expected to be popular this year include plush, tabletop games, building toys, impulse toys, and R/C toys and vehicles. Trending themes include social-emotional learning and helping kids get in touch with their feelings, the kidult category and toys geared toward tweens and teens, sustainable and eco-friendly toys, toys inspired by video games and other pop culture properties, and kawaii toys featuring anime characters and other Japanese icons. 

ASTRA will issue another trend report following ASTRA Marketplace & Academy, which will take place in St. Louis, Missouri from June 2-5.

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) has revealed its Play Awards finalists, chosen from more than 600 products submitted across numerous categories.

ASTRA is a nonprofit organization focused on the specialty toy industry, offering members benefits such as networking, education, discounts, and more. The organization also provides regular information on the industry as a whole, with reports such as the top toy trends indicating what its experts believe will be popular in the future. 

Now, ASTRA’s Certified Play Experts have selected a list of products that will face off in the final selection of 2024’s Play Awards winners. There are 18 total categories.

Each product was evaluated based on the criteria of newness, uniqueness, availability, and significance. Originally known as the Best Toys for Kids awards, the ASTRA Play Awards rebranded to cover play for all ages, rather than focus on defining what is a toy or which products are for kids. 

The ASTRA Play Awards winners will be revealed at this year’s Inaugural Gala in June.

The finalists across each category include: 

ASTRA‘s Marketplace & Academy will take place June 2-5 in St. Louis, Missouri. The event is just over a month and a half away and Top Secret Toys is preparing for the show with its latest releases.

Top Secret Toys will be showing off new products from some of its most popular brands, including the new GigaPet Bit Bunnies digital pet, the latest addition to the GigaPets line that first launched in the ‘90s. 

The company will also display the Dissect-It: Rattlesnake Super Lab, which joins the Frog, Salamander, Bat, and Piranha kits as safer, cleaner ways to learn about animal anatomy. The Discover-It features a similar slimy experience to Dissect-It, but the new Discover-It features a Bigfoot Dig, in which kids must uncover the bones to build a Bigfoot Skeleton.

Other toys on display at Top Secret Toys’ booth include Gooblins, skeletal creatures stuck inside slimy bodies ($4.99), the Thumbler Wand ($6.99), and the original Thumbler ($5.99).

Top Secret Toys will be at Booth No. 2927.