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Blog 4 Kids - Entries written by T4K

MonMondayMayMay7th2012 How Tech Toys Have Slowly Crept Into Our Lives!

Posted Monday, May 07 2012 @ 3 PM byT4K Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

With all the talk of Tech Toys and how the toy industry is going through rapid change in 2012, we found this great infographic from ultimatecoupon.com that explains the past 30 years of toys! Check out how technology has been creeping into the industry from the very beginning. Kids have always loved playing with tech toys whether they're online or physical!

Do you remember anything on this list? I remember that old Nintendo GameBoy VERY well. Much different than the modern day iPod Touch and iPad! Check out the list below, there's sure to be something here for everybody!

- T4K (Graeme)

FriFridayMayMay4th2012 On The Cutting Edge – How the Toy Industry is CHANGING!

Posted Friday, May 04 2012 @ 9 AM byT4K Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Movies, TV shows, and toys. The three have been synonymous within the toy industry for as long as most toy professionals can remember. Characters found in toy shows and movies, can very likely be found on shelf at the local toy retailer. It was only a few years ago when people began realizing, “this has been done before!” If you were in your mid-twenties, the toys coming to market would be updated versions of what you played with as children. Properties such as Spiderman, Barbie, Power Rangers, Anything Disney, Batman, Superman, etc. were all the rage, and have always been the rage. They’ve all been staples of the Toy Industry with no sign of fading. But what’s been lacking within the toy industry these past years, is the online world. Considering children spend an average of 8 hours a day consuming different types of media (46% TV, 25% Music, 15% Online, 13% Video Games; According to a 2010 study ), often using multiple media at the same time, kids are increasingly influenced by the online and gaming world. Since this study took place in 2010, one would assume the percentage of time online and in front of video games has skyrocketed due to the prevalence of mobile devices, which due to apps, combine both media onto the same device. Needless to say, the online world is changing the landscape of the toy industry. Looking back on the recent New York Toy Fair in 2012, what were the most popular properties? Well, based on the Annual Property of the Year award, it was Rovio’s Angry Birds. This prize is given to the property which had the “greatest success spreading its brand throughout the industry. ” This is pretty crazy since the most hero packed action movie Marvel’s ever released opened this past year, as well as the fact that the revamped Spiderman series opens later this June. Rovio had some heavy hitters up against it, but its over half a billion downloads of the Smartphone app couldn’t be rivaled . Considering the recent release and popularity of the new Angry Birds Space game, Rovio is taking this brand to heights never before imagined for an online property. Angry Birds theme parks? Angry Birds dedicated stores? All a part of the plan, according to the Helsinki based developer .

So yes, Angry Birds is great. But who else? Two other key properties at the New York Toy Fair were Moshi Monsters (the online social networking game for kids which allows them to adopt and care for their own monster), and Skylanders (which promotes a wicked video game that finally bridges the gap between real world toy play and in screen video play as users place their physical characters on a podium to transport them into the video game). Both companies were extremely well promoted and were some of the most desired items at the show! With Moshi Monster making its way over from the UK, and Skylanders sold out pretty much everywhere, these virtual properties are setting the bar even higher for “classic” players who have been dealing with the same competition for years. Although Angry Birds, Moshi Monsters, and Skylanders have already made it; there are a slew of upcoming online brands which are gaining more and more popularity as the toy world begins to realize that these properties are to be taken seriously. Apps such as Cut The Rope, Where’s My Water, Fruit Ninja, and Doodle Jump are all crossing the once impossible chasm into the toy world. The YouTube sensation Annoying Orange has also been popping up at retail and is now being featured in its own series on the Cartoon Network. And to think, these characters were created not so long ago in someone’s basement with a simple video camera and some video editing software! The days of large companies setting the tone for what toys kids want is over. If it resonates online, it will work! These new dynamics in the toy industry will be sure to make for an interesting ride for manufacturers, retailers, and consumers alike during the remainder of this year. The Toy Industry wanted change? Well, it got it!

Whose making these products? Staying true to its “cutting edge” mentality, Tech 4 Kids has been on the forefront of this change adopting a number of online licenses for its toys. Jumping in early with both Angry Birds and Moshi Monsters has allowed Tech 4 Kids to get a head start in developing product that hits right on the mark. Angry Birds product such as Mash’Ems and Splat Strike are as “on brand” as you can get and essentially allow kids to get a great feel for the game in real life. Shooting and splatting your Angry Birds characters lets you take Angry Birds off the screen and into your own home while twisting, squishing, and launching your Mash’Ems is only rivaled by the unparalleled fun of collecting each character in the series. Cute Moshi Monster night lights, flashlights, and Mash’Ems also allow kids to bring their favourite Monster and Moshlings home. Falling asleep next to the gentle flicker of the Iggy Lantern Lite, or guiding your way through a dark room using your Katsuma Charm Lite promotes fun, safety, and really help kids sleep at night. The product, which is now available in the UK, US, and Canada has been flying off the shelves and is yet another testament to how successful these new and untested online brands can be. Currently working on Angry Birds Space product, Tech 4 Kids licensing expert Kelly Pedersen says “We’re working on a number of deals that will be sure to supply endless amounts of fun for kids with the latest and greatest licenses they love.”

About Tech 4 Kids Inc.
Since 2009, Tech 4 Kids has been designing, developing, manufacturing, and marketing children’s toys in over 60 countries worldwide. With offices in Hong Kong, China, and Toronto, Tech 4 Kids is known for combining great innovation with some of the most popular children’s licenses on the market. With 6 product lines and hundreds of toys catering to kids of all ages, Tech 4 Kids is constantly expanding its presence on shelves within all major retailers. For additional information or an opportunity to view our products, please visit us online at www.Tech4Kids.com.

-T4K (Graeme)

FriFridayAprApril20th2012 Let The Outdoor Games Begin!

Posted Friday, April 20 2012 @ 9 AM byT4K Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

With the warm weather on the way; Outdoor Fun is a topic that just seems right. Many families are moving towards living healthier lifestyle, which is great. Eating healthy foods, exercising, and teaching good habits to our younger generations is a responsibility that we all have.

Summer is not only about hot temperatures and school vacations, the blessings of warm, sunny days that summer brings, the opportunity to enjoy the nature and family time, especially with all the technology available to kids today, we’ve got to find exciting and fun ways to encourage physical activity.

Despite access to a zillion electronic devices, Outdoor Games are a great way to spend time with friends and family, Games can usually be modified to suit the skill level of the group or individual players with the spring weather just around the corner, and it’s almost time for you and your kids to enjoy the beautiful outdoors.

With the proliferation of online games these days. Kids are spending less and less time in the great outdoors. We saw the opportunity to combine the popularity of these games with fun, outdoor toys for kids. One example of a great new toy is our Angry Birds Splat Strike. This game allows kids to really re-create the fun of the Angry Birds game in real life! Kids have a pig filled target with tons of different scores. Kids can load up their slingshot launch with a sticky bird and fire away for hours of play!

Another way to get kids active is to teach them an old game (maybe one you used to play when you were a kid). You might think these games are ancient, but many younger kids don’t know them.

For example one of my favorite games as a child was Hopscotch. At the beginning of last summer I taught this game to my niece and now she’s a forever fan of hopping around her driveway!

There is nothing better than the little ones being able to play out in the yard after being cooped up inside all winter long.

Check out our Outer Active Brand that features products that are stylish, trendy and most of all fun summer activities, you’re sure to find one or two that will sound appealing. And of course, if you have any ideas of your own, feel free to share them through a comment on our blog, or a quick phone call or email!

Leave us a comment and let us know what’s your favorite outdoor activity/game to play was when you were a kid! Have you passed the game on to a child in your life? I think it’s time!

- T4K (Safa)

TueTuesdayAprApril3rd2012 Happy Easter from Hello Kitty

Posted Tuesday, April 03 2012 @ 8 AM byT4K Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Easter is less than a week away, are you all ready for the egg hunt? Although Hello Kitty is not a bunny but she has two bunny best friends Melody and Cathy, and she also has a bunny outfit that she wears only around this time of the year.

So, who is Hello Kitty? Many people have known her as this kawaii (cute in Japanese) character with a bow on her head. And many wonder who she really is and where did she come from? Being one of Hello Kitty’s licensed toy companies with many fun Hello Kitty toys, let us share some fun facts with you about this Top Cat who earns almost $2 billion annually in sales for Sanrio (the company that owns Hello Kitty).

Hello Kitty was first designed in 1974 by Yuko Shimizu, a Japanese Designer working at Sanrio. Yuko Shimizu was only 28 at the time.

In the character’s profile, Hello Kitty’s full name is Kitty White; Hello Kitty is her nickname. According to research, Shimizu got the name Kitty from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, where in the beginning of the story Alice plays with a cat she calls Kitty.

Hello Kitty was born on November 1st, 1974 in London England. She shares the same birth day as her creator Shimizu, but a different birth year. The reason for Kitty to be a British-born-Japanese (Or some say she is half Japanese and half British) was because during that time, foreign countries, including Britain and America, were consider to be trendy in Japan.

   The most interested comment that people made about Hello Kitty may be her “mouth-less” face. According to Sanrio, Hello Kitty does not have a mouth because she speaks with her heart, and therefore, there will be no language barrier for all her fans around the world.

So, how did Hello Kitty start her fame? Was she in movies? Was she in cartoon series? Or was she in comic books? The answer is - none of the above. Hello Kitty got popular all by herself as a brand icon.   After Hello Kitty was created in 1974, she was first seen on a rubber coin purse in Japan and then later onto other merchants. She then was introduced to United States in 1976 on small accessories and stationeries. Hello Kitty had a decent launch and became very popular in the 1990’s – year after year many themes and outfits were designed for her, almost just like Barbie from Mattel.

After getting more recognition; Hello Kitty started her TV animation series, first aired in 1987, then 1993, 2003 and 2005. The latest series was called The Adventure of Hello Kitty and her Friends that aired in 2006 that has 52 episodes, with all characters in three-dimensional animations.

According to Sanrio, Hello Kitty was first designed targeting younger girls, but because of her cuteness and her fashion styles, teens and grown-ups cannot resist her charm. Hello Kitty became a brand and to some, a designer brand. There are over 85 Sanrio boutique shops around the world (many can be found in United States); they carry your everyday stationary items to full operational electronic devices and/or high-end pricy jewellery pieces. Hello Kitty products are sold over 12,000 locations around the world.

In Asia, Hello Kitty appears more than just at merchants. There are theme cottages, maternity hospital, dessert places and even Air Buses that are fully “Kitty-ized”. There are also two Sanrio theme parks in Japan that featuring Hello Kitty and her friends.

So next time, when you travel around the world, don’t forget to check out these interesting places and say Hello to Hello Kitty! Be sure to check out our Hello Kitty section to check out some of the cutest product available! Contact us anytime through email, phone, or Facebook should you have any questions at all!

-T4K (Vivien)

ThuThursdayMarMarch8th2012 Launch of Angry Birds… Space!

Posted Thursday, March 08 2012 @ 1 AM byT4K Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

If you read the title of this blog and had no idea what we’d be talking about this week…then I hate to say this, but you ARE alone! We haven’t run into too many people who haven’t heard, or aren’t already addicted to this game. With almost 1 billion (yes, I said BILLION) downloads, Angry Birds has revolutionized apps and brands all together. With a game and brand that is popular with kids and adults alike, this Mega Brand is capturing attention EVERYWHERE.

Who would have thought years ago, that a small game played on your cell phone could turn into a billion dollar franchise!? Well, it did, and Angry Birds has led the way for other games and apps to gain popularity (although likely nowhere near what AB has done). Some other mobile games riding the wave are Cut the Rope, Where’s My Water, and Doodle Jump, and all have or are in the process of jumping into the branding game as we now see product pop up onto shelves around the world. This is much different than the traditional TV or Movie brands that us toy companies are used to. Kinda nice for a change if you ask us.

Nowadays you actually can’t go into stores without seeing Angry Birds merchandise. Anything from children’s toys, apparel, accessories, food, etc. it’s all available, and it’s ALL Angry Birds! We’re actually afraid that if Angry Birds and Justin Bieber were ever to join together, they would literally own the world! Thankfully we haven’t seen and signs of that …. yet.

So what is Angry Birds, and how did we get here? We’ll give you a little background information on the brand. Angry Birds was created back in 2009 by a company called Rovio. Rovio is an app developer based out of Finland, who created Angry Birds as an Apple iPhone app when App’s were still building momentum only 1 year after the release of the App Store. The app, which has constantly been tops amongst app downloads in both Apple and Android platforms involves regular old birds who are angry at their evil neighbour pigs who have stolen their eggs (for breakfast presumably…but who can blame them!?). Essentially, the pigs hide out in structures that resemble houses and buildings, and you have to use the birds to break through each structure to destroy the pigs. Birds are catapaulted into the air using Rovio’s patented Slingshot system (seriously, from now on no one can even say slingshot without Rovio’s approval).. As you move throughout the game, the structures change and become more complicated, however you’re given stronger and more versatile birds who have different strengths (such as the Black bird, which is basically a ticking time bomb).

As the app downloads racked up, Angry Birds become more and more popular OFF the mobile screen. They partnered with RIO and 20th Century Fox for the movie release and in March of 2011 came out with a brand new Angry Birds Rio game with over 50 levels. The movie itself came out on March 22nd of last year (familiar date? We’ll get to that) and was a huge success! Now that Angry Birds is available on almost all mobile phones, online, on Facebook, and even on all new Samsung smart TV’s (!!), they’re set to launch the “new frontier” in Angry Bird gaming……Space!

As officially launched today, from the International Space Station (cool or what!?), Rovio has announced their newest game, Angry Birds Space, which has been stealthily promoted over the past month. How the pigs and birds got to space, we’ll never know…or maybe they’ll explain in the game. For that we’ll have to wait and see (cool video from space below btw)… Back to the game, Angry Birds Space will be launched on March 22nd of 2012, and assuming they get even half of their current player base (we’re guessing they’ll get more), this will be the game of THE YEAR! I know for sure they’ve already got my $0.99 from the App store.

As you may have guessed, Angry Birds Space will incorporate brand new levels, interesting zero gravity gameplay, and cool “space themed” characters which we’re sure will make the game extremely fun. Don’t say you heard this from us, but we’re almost positive one of the birds is going to be a cross between Chewbakka and Spock… But alas, no one will know until the game is released, March 22nd. So mark your calendars and get those phone’s and computers charged up so when the day comes, you too can launch your bird into space.

One small step for man, one giant leap for Rovio.

Be sure to keep an eye out for our Angry Birds Space toys which will be coming down the pipeline VERY soon ;)

- T4K (Graeme)

FriFridayFebFebruary24th2012 Spinning into Action!

Posted Friday, February 24 2012 @ 3 PM byT4K Tagged BeyBlade Flashlight Tech4Kids Toys 4 Kids 0 comments Add comment

For those of you who don’t know what BeyBlade is, well then you probably don’t have kids! BeyBlade has been sweeping across North America with great television shows and merchandise for kids (mainly boys) ages 6 and up. Basically, BeyBlade features spinning tops, similar to those we all grew up with. However, these mechanized tops are designed for kids to battle it out as different characters from the show.

Tech 4 Kids has been producing great BeyBlade toys for a few years now with our top sellers being the Morph and Mega Lites. These toys combine children’s needs for flashlights at night with the great, popular license they love.

Morph Lite

The BeyBlade Morph Lite features a real life BeyBlade that spins, sparks, and lights up. It also comes with a flashlight out the front that can be used to light up any dark room. The Morph Lite can travel anywhere and can be clipped onto backpacks, jeans, belts, etc. so no child will be left in the dark.

The BeyBlade Morph Lite comes in 2 series with 6 different characters. Series 1 features Lightning L Drago, Storm Pegasus, and Rock Leone. Series 2 comes with, Dark Bull, Dark Wolf, and Flame Sagittario. Series 3 will be out shortly!

Mega Lite

The BeyBlade Mega Lite features much of the same spinning, sparking, and light up action as the Morph Lite, however this toy includes a hideaway rip cord to increase the fun. Rip the cord out of the BeyBlade and watch as it spins and lights up! Only need the flashlight? Press the button and watch the light shine out the front and fill the room.

The BeyBlade Mega Lite comes in 2 series with 4 different characters. Series 1 features Lightning Drago and Pegasus, while Series 2 comes with Dark Wolf and Flame Sagittario. Series 3 coming soon!

Both products are available at Toys R Us locations across the United States and Canada.

Want to check out more information on BeyBlade? Check out the website, or this YouTube commercial to watch an actual episode.

- T4K (Graeme)

FriFridayFebFebruary10th2012 Bakugan Brawlers!

Posted Friday, February 10 2012 @ 9 AM byT4K Tagged MovieMotion Tech4Kids Toys 4 Kids 0 comments Add comment

It’s not every day you get to sit back, relax, and watch a movie at work! Well today, that’s exactly what I did. Closing the lights and shutting the blinds in the office I rocked out while watching Drago take on all sorts of Bakugan villains.

How did I do this you ask? Well, Tech 4 Kids popular Movie Motion of course! The most portable projection toy on the market! This product is included in both our LiteForce (boys) and SpotLite (girls) brands. Kids can watch movies complete with sound effects up to 48” in size! Who says you need to buy the kids that $3500 flat screen TV when you have this!

Kids can be the director as they have full control of the movie cranking the projector forwards or backwards in slow, normal, or fast motion!

Each unit comes complete with its own Movie projector and film cartridge. In this case, with the Bakugan Movie Motion, you’ll get the “Bakugan, the Battle Begins” cartridge with over 250 real video frames!

Check out another version of our Movie Motion here or watch the commercial below for more info.

- T4K (Graeme)

FriFridayJanJanuary27th2012 Sketching Spidy!

Posted Friday, January 27 2012 @ 4 AM byT4K Tagged ProjectaSketch Tech4Kids 0 comments Add comment

To kick off this blog, why not start with one of Tech 4 Kids longest lasting products, the Project a Sketch, a great activity toy for kids that allows them to trace beams of light emanating from a fun flashlight. This product is a part of our LiteForce brand for boys, and SpotLite brand for girls. The product itself comes in a variety of licenses such as BeyBlade, Power Rangers, Hello Kitty etc. but for today’s demonstration, we’ll be discussing SpiderSense Spiderman.

Each Project a Sketch comes with the main “stand on its own” flashlight as well as 6 lenses each with its own Spiderman image.

The flashlight comes bundled with its own case and stand, so to begin, all you have to do is open the case to mount the flashlight on any table or flat surface. Once opened, turn the flashlight on and place a piece of paper beneath the light. Select your lens and begin tracing!

Once finished, you can even colour in the tracing with any style marker or crayon!

As a kid growing up I always wondered how I’d best be able to draw my favourite characters all on my own. If only I had the Project a Sketch, oh, let’s say 10 years ago ;)

Check out our SpiderSense Spiderman Project a Sketch here.

- T4K (Graeme)

Blog 4 Kidsby Tech 4 Kids is known for bringing together great licenses and innovative product concepts and maintain a strong, continually growing portfolio of childrens toys across 6 brands.