Monthly Archives: February 2012

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Boogie Board Tablet, Maison Chic & Janod Coming Soon!

indianapolis toy storeWhat do an LCD writing tablet, plush toys for babies and sleek wooden toys have in common?

They’re among the new items that will be hitting Earth Explorer Toys’ shelves very soon.

During the recent Toy Fair we attended in New York City, we saw a lot of toys we’d like to offer at EET. We came home, did a little more research and have begun to order (yay!). Here are a few items that are coming soon!

Let’s Boogie
One of the first toys we’re going to try out is the Boogie Board Tablet by Improve Electronics. It’s an electronic, paperless LCD writing tablet. It’s reportedly the first ever LCD writing tablet and a great alternative to notepads, pens and dry-erase boards. All you do is use the stylus (or your finger) to gently press on the surface of the tablet to draw, write, etc. Erase and begin again with the push of a button. Some models allow you to save the screen as a PDF. We think it will be great not only for drawing and playing games (Tic Tac Toe anyone?), but also perfect for solving math problems and practicing penmanship.

Baby Chic
Maison Chic creates innovative, unique baby and children’s gifts. Their products have a handcrafted look and include bibs, burp cloths, hooded towels, pillows, blankets, as well as plush toys, cuddly animals and dolls. Their adorable products are made from a variety of soft, hand-printed fabrics, as well as really cute, chunky corduroy. They have more than 20 themed collections, including bunnies, monkeys, lambs, robots and sea creatures. There’s even a holiday collection!

French Connection
Janod is a French company with an amazing line of wooden toys that we love and think you will, too. Janod offers bright, colorful and beautifully-made wooden toys that include: pull toys, rocking horses, musical toys, blocks, shape sorters, letters, puzzles, cars, trucks and airplanes. They also have blackboards, an adorable puppet show theater, work benches, kitchens and more.

We’re still busy pouring over the catalogs and can’t wait for the new items to come in! We’ll keep you posted, but don’t forget to check back on our website or Facebook page, or just come on down and visit us at Earth Explorer Toys to see what other toys we have in store for you this year!

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Trends for Toys in 2012: Toy Fair 2012

indianapolis toy storeTalk about kids in a candy shop! A few of us from Earth Explorer Toys just got back from Toy Fair 2012 in New York City, where the latest and greatest toys were unveiled for 2012.

This toy fair has been held for more than 100 years and is the largest toy and youth product marketplace in the Western Hemisphere. We saw more than 1,000 exhibitors, manufacturers, distributors, importers and more. We were among more than 34,000 visitors from more than 110 countries around the world.

Organizers said about 100,000 innovative toys, games and youth entertainment products were featured at the fair. And we believe it! For us, going to the fair was like being a kid in a candy shop looking at all the cool, new toys … and trying out a few, too! J

According to experts at the fair, the trends for 2012 include toys that:

-          Interact with smart devices and apps

-          Glow in the dark and light up

-          Educate and challenge infants to preschoolers

Other trends include toys that encourage children to sing and learn to play musical instruments (American Idol and The Voice, anyone?). And, last but not least, there will be a surge of items that will be in the high-price range from toymakers that are hoping consumers are ready to splurge on big-ticket toys this year.

We saw a lot of fun stuff, including Ty Beanie Boos and Beanie Ballz, as well as a Mohawk-style helmet by Raskullz that a child can wear while biking, skateboarding or riding their scooter.

We really saw too many items to list them all here – and our heads are still spinning a bit! But we can’t wait to share the new toys with you as they come in and will keep you posted on their arrival!

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The Best Nesting Dolls

Indianapolis Toy StoreIt’s pretty interesting how some toys really do stand the test of time. The wooden nesting doll is one of them. Nesting dolls look like a single doll with a small seam around the middle. But, when you carefully pull the doll apart at the seam, several other wooden dolls of graduated size are neatly stacked inside.

The concept is thought to have originated in China around 1000 AD. Modern-day nesting dolls are most often associated with Russian nesting dolls, which were made out of wood that was turned by hand and then hand-painted. The first Russian nesting doll was born in 1890 during a period of great economic and cultural development. It is thought the doll was named “Matryoshka” because it was a popular female name during that time period. The root of Matryoshka means “mother,” and often the largest doll is considered the “mother” and the smaller dolls her babies.

Nesting dolls have long been popular with children. They’re cute and fun, and kids love to un-nest the dolls. It’s also fun to hide treasures inside the smallest one. Parent tip: Nesting dolls’ compact design makes it easy for a child to take something to play with to dinner or a friend’s house without taking up much room at all!

Earth Explorer Toys carries several nesting dolls. We carry two types of Matryoshkas that are great for children 6 years old and up. The Robot Matryoshkas ($17.99) and the Cutie Matryoshkas ($17.99) are both crafted in high-quality ABS materials. The Robot and the Cutie each include six dolls ranging from 4” tall to 1” tall. Each style is sold separately.

We also carry Nesting Birds ($34.99), the perfect toy for toddlers. Our silly birds nest inside one another, teaching the fundamentals of size and shape, while engaging reasoning skills and problem-solving techniques.

All of the nesting dolls are really unique, one-of-a-kind toys that offer endless hours of play. Come on over to Earth Explorer Toys to see them in person. We bet you’ll love to play with them, too!