Our feature story highlighting the Zawitz family came to fruition in an unusual way. I had met Nick and knew a bit about the Tangle story of course, but it was Isabelle Hodges, their new team member who also consults on our POP website, who suggested we feature the Zawitz family. Richard shared his thoughts on Tangle’s life-affirming three generation story, and I know you will enjoy reading them as much as I did.
Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW), announced it is entering the new Web3 realm with the release of its first non-fungible tokens (NFTs) which are unique, ownable and transferrable digital items. Build-A-Bear’s offering will feature both digital and real-life collectible components. In partnership with NFT platform Sweet, the company will launch the first of three phases of this unique NFT collection as part of its ongoing 25th anniversary celebration on Tuesday, October 4.
Just short of the 5-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s landfall in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Fiona has brought devastating floods and power outages once again to the island. Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez and his Brooklyn based independent creative services studio, SOMOS ARTE, created La Borinqueña (pronounced “la Borinˈkenya”) superhero as a symbol of hope from the wake of destruction left by Hurricane Maria. Now, La Borinqueña is, once again, stepping into rescue-mode and is sending out a call to action for those individuals and organizations looking to get involved in the recovery and reconstruction efforts in Puerto Rico.
PlanToys, the global leader in sustainable toy manufacturing, announced that the celebrated second-hand children’s marketplace, TOYCYCLE, will be the preferred partner of the manufacturer to buy and sell second-hand toys effective immediately. “The problem is offloading all that stuff in a short period of time when you’re busy working and trying to raise kids,” says Rhonda Collins, Founder and CEO of TOYCYCLE. “We had no more use for the cradles after about five months, but we did need cribs at that point. The bouncers and swings were replaced by jumperoos around 7 months,” says Collins. “And of course, the clothing and the toys – it all has to be swapped out every few months in the early years.”
Born from a mother’s desire to give her daughter a doll that looks like her, Orijin Bees’ collection of Baby Bee dolls are available in an array of skin tones and curl patterns representing features of Black and Brown children. Orijin Bees dolls are now available in Target locations across 40 US states, and Target.com.
How do pirates plunder but save the earth? The answer is next hit game from McMiller, Fire in the Hole! It’s a plundering pirate game of both skill and scavenge, centered around a large pop-up pirate ship. Fire in the Hole is also saving the seven seas – it’s plastic-free, biodegradable and carbon neutral, making it one of the most sustainable tabletop board games on the market.
Radio Flyer, maker of The Original Little Red Wagon and leader in kids ride-ons and adult micro-mobility products, has become a Certified B Corporation. The legacy brand with more than 105 years of history has become the first global toy and electric bikes (eBike) manufacturer recognized by B Labs for its commitment and progress toward positive environmental and social impact.
The iconic 90s Hasbro toy that was (and still is) on everyone’s wish list, Bop It!, is celebrating its 25th anniversary! Over the past 25 years and through several different iterations of Bop It!, the game has garnered a huge fan base and become a household name. Even among the pop culture sphere…. or what we like to call, Bop Culture… with everyone from The Simpsons and the LA Dodgers to Robot Chicken and Saturday Night Live! helping solidify its place in history.
Arcade1Up announced that Hues and Cues is now available on the Infinity Game Table, Arcade1Up’s hybrid tabletop gaming device, marking the first time the popular game is available in a digital format. A game of colorful communication, Hues and Cues challenges players to make connections to colors with words. Using only one and two-word cues, players guess a specific hue from the 480 colors on the game board. Fans of the award-winning game will now be able to combine the best of the in-person game playing experience with innovative digital features the Infinity Game Table offers, taking game night to a whole new level.