ToyQueen’s Celebrities of Toy Fair 2010
It’s been a few months since Toy Fair and for as quickly as it came and went, on this nice spring day I was thinking about the whirlwind that it was, as we searched for all sorts of new toys and gadgets that our children will love and learn from. While most people searched the streets and restaurants of New York for well known celebrities, I scoured the exhibit halls looking for my own kind of celebrities; the everyday people working as inventors and presidents of these companies who all share the unified goal of creating toys and experiences that enrich our childrens’ lives.
In terms of passion, Larry Balaban, the creator behind Baby Genius® is the first person to come to mind. At Baby Genius®, Larry has developed a line of musical DVDs, CDs and toys that use music to encourage “children to communicate, connect, discover, and express themselves.” While speaking with Larry, he was happy to crank the music to personally sing us the tune he wrote for an upcoming product! Aside from the Baby Genius® product line, Larry is working on an initiative with San Diego State University called the Circle of Education, creating songs to support the preschool and Kindergarten curriculum to teach children the routines in the classroom such as raising their hand, pinching their pencil and washing their hands. The Baby Genius® Baby’s Favorite Songs CD (2 CD’s are included: Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies) has become a daily favorite in my car on the way to bring Gavin to daycare. It is a beautifully composed music only CD that starts our day off so calmly that I will admit I frequently play it when I’m alone in the car and need a stress relief!
In terms of one stop developmental shopping, I could have spent the whole Toy Fair at the International Playthings, LLC booth. Peter Smith, an inventor who has developed a variety of science kits, personally demonstrated the Ant-O-Sphere an interconnecting ant farm that children can utilize their motor skills to design themselves and eventually complete science projects of their own. International Playthings has also created many developmental toys and games as part of the iPlay Games® line such as Red Light Green Light. In this game, children learn about stop and go. Children need to understand these words when parents use them in the community when navigating parking lots, the mall and crossing the street. Stay tuned for more reviews on a variety of products from International Playthings, LLC where I found many developmental toys for children of all ages.
We also spoke with Jim Engle who initially created Little Kids, Inc.® with a product designed to stop children from over squeezing their juice boxes. The company is now well known for its development of the No-Spill® Bubble container. Jim was happy to share his enthusiasm for creating toys and bubble experiences that make children smile.
So who’s heard of the Wubbanub™? It’s an adorable, innovative product created by Carla Schneider, where a pacifier is attached to cute, cuddly animals that “prevents the pacifier from being lost, dropped or even forgotten.” These pacifiers are sold commercially, but are also used with premature babies in the neonatal intensive care and special care nurseries to teach young babies how to self-soothe. They have become a must have for any new baby I know entering the world and we surely don’t leave home without ours!
The passion and enthusiasm these creators, inventors and designers exude for their companies and products is infectious and inspiring. These are only a few of the stories we uncovered, flying through the exhibition halls of Toy Fair 2010, while hunting for outstanding toys that will enhance child development. What made my Toy Fair experience unforgettable was conversing with the everyday people whose passion and heartfelt dedication involves creating quality products that enhance any child’s educational experience.
Baby Genius®, International Playthings, LLC, Little Kids® and Wubbanub™ have provided samples of their products for review, but the opinions expressed in this entry are purely the bloggers own.