Clean up in Aisle 800 takes on a whole new meaning at this year’s Astra Marketplace. Retailers searching for something truly special to fill their 4th quarter shelves will be dazzled (again) as they fill up their order books with Fun In Motion Toys. Look for them on both sides of the aisle at Booths 804 and 809 and get your hands on the brand new Nockles, the acclaimed TECTI, the beautiful, newly packaged HyperTiles and Wandini Glow.0 and the latest styles of Shashibo. It’s true! No one can sit still when playing with Fun In Motion Toy’s range of playthings so be ready to move and groove at Marketplace. In fact, they’ve coined a whole new toy category within Construction Toys called Confluxion. Confluxion is an evolution of construction toys in that there’s a building element to them, but they also move or flex.
“If you’re like us, you don’t like to sit still,” explains Kevin Daniels, Fun In Motion Toys President and Co-Founder. “We’re constantly looking for something fun to engage with, or a new activity to learn, which is why we created products for all ages – from 8-years-old to adults. Our unique movement toys have consistently hit a sweet spot with consumers, so we hope our newest 2024 products help our independently owned specialty partners succeed in today’s challenging economic environment.”
Teaming up with Fun In Motion Toys has its benefits! Marketing support for retailers includes tutorials, instructions, demo offerings, display units with builtin video monitors plus a free Fun In Motion Toys app with Tips & Tricks. At Marketplace, the Fun In Motion Toys team on both sides of Aisle 800 will be teaching visitors new skills as well as bringing their usual fun with jugglers and stilt walkers.
Meet The Inventors
Fun In Motion Toys is proud to work with world-class inventors and at Astra Marketplace visitors will be welcomed by three of the inventors behind their Top Five brands spotlighted in St. Louis. Many toy makers buy inventions but it’s rare they put them on a pedestal for retailers to meet! That’s just another reason to be a fan of Fun In Motion Toys.
Say hello to Erik Äberg, an artist from Stockholm, Sweden who is the brain behind TECTI. He’s also a professional juggler! He designs movable sculptures and has performed across Europe, Japan, Canada and the USA. Films of his work have gone viral with millions of views.
Invite a teacher into your playroom! Robert Becker used his 36 years as a high school science teacher to invent HyperTiles, a fun science project where everyone scores an A. It’s the only toy on the market that allows children to investigate hyperbolic surfaces, thus promoting exploratory fun. Genius!
Have you heard of Nockles? Beloved and longtime U.S. toy inventor David Silvergate already had two dozen patents in children’s toys and optoelectronics before dreaming up this “snap out of it” series of fidgety toys. His design philosophy is creating beautiful, functional, durable and patentable products.
Play With Innovative New Offerings
It’s always fun and games at the Fun In Motion Toys booth. Beyond the stilt walkers and inventors are the open-boxed toys to touch, play and learn. One of their newest brands, TECTI Kinetic Building System ($44.99 MSRP), was just named as a finalist in the Building category for the 2024 Astra Play Awards. Be sure to check out the box that comes with the toy. It’s novel, handsome and an impressive design with two layers inside!
The science teacher behind HyperTiles ($24.99 MSRP) was also a former Missouri Teacher of the Year! His radically fun construction toy is based on a mathematical shape known as a hyperbolic paraboloid! Each box is filled with 48 tiles, 80 connectors, a storage bag and a detailed instruction sheet. The new packaging for 2024 makes this product truly pop off the shelf!
Folks big and little enjoy tactile experiences which explains why everyone is drawn to Nockles ($4.99 to $24.99 MSRP), launching this summer. “Nockles represents the natural evolution of tactile toys, elevating the satisfying sensation and sound of ‘cracking your fingers’ to an entirely new realm of interactive entertainment,” notes Daniels.
The company is perhaps best-known for the original and best-selling magnetic puzzle cube, Shashibo (stands for shape-shifting box), which topped the Amazon sales charts in the Toys & Games category consistently in the fourth quarter of 2023. That feat capped off a four-year run as a best-selling toy on Amazon (in the Top 10) consistently over that same period and remarkably, the company has sold over 5 million Shashibos! The newest styles for the second half of 2024 include the Shashibo Dice Series ($25 MSRP), the Limited Edition Spooky Series for the fall and a new Artist Series in partnership with Meow Wolf that will debut at the show. Retailers have over 40 Shashibo styles from which to choose.
This company has become famous for doing things a little differently and thinking outside the shape-shifting box, so if stores are looking for a way to drive traffic and build a local community of Shashibo fans, it’s fitting that they will be able to sign up for the brand new Shashibo® Squad in-store play program at Astra. This new in-store program is designed to make it easy for retailers to host Shashibo events in-store for fans all ages and skill levels. Shashibo Squad is a fun & relaxed program with a variety of activities that store personnel can walk participants through at any pace, and in any order. There are rewards for all participants, and special prizes for certain activities. The Shashibo Squad in-store play kits will be free to retailers.
Boy, did we know what you did last summer! Kids loved playing with Wandini Glow.0 ($24.99 MSRP) as it was tagged the season’s top toy winner. Kids are able to create a magical illusion at night with this awe-inspiring, levitating LED wand! They certainly amazed their siblings and the next-door-neighbors! Wandini will arrive at Astra this year with fresh new packaging with key selling points more prominently displayed and beautiful new accent colors.
Retailers can set their sales in motion with FREE displays with a minimum first order. Choose from Shashibo Video Display, TECTI Video Display, Nockles Combo display, Wandini Counter Display or a Fun In Motion Toys Combo display. Fun In Motion Toys Sales Reps cover all 50 states. For orders/customer service: call them at 1-888-588- 9908 or email orders@FunInMotionToys.com.
For those attending Astra’s Gala Dinner — after walking the aisles at Marketplace — take notice of one of the night’s sponsors! Pack your best outfit for a stroll down the Red Carpet, followed by a stop in the Photo Booth then a delicious dinner. Fun In Motion Toys is delighted to contribute to this memorable night and are hopeful their TECTI Kinetic Building System will take home the award for the Astra Play Award in the Building Toy Category.