Just because the holiday season has come and gone, doesn't mean consumers won't be out shopping for toys. In fact, as returns are being made and winter weather sets in, shoppers have their eye toward warm weather destinations. And for families on the go, that can only mean one thing: toys that stow easily and provide hours of entertainment in the car or on the plane.
| Monster Mansion Playspace. $10. Mudpuppy. 800.670.7441. www.mudpuppy.com |  |
 | Me vs. You pencil puzzles. |
Good to Go
Because today's kids always seem to be on the move - whether they are day-tripping to Grandma's or heading out of town on winter break - their playthings demand portability. Jaclyn DeBlasi, senior products manager for Allstar Products Group (makers of Bendaroos building sticks), defines a successful travel toy as one that is "portable, convenient and engaging. Traveling with children can be a challenge, so it's important for the toy to stimulate their imagination and keep them engaged during those long flights and road trips," she explains. This spring, Bendaroos will be available in Store N' Go Activity Packs, which include 100 building sticks, traceable templates, a crimper cutter and playmat, so kids have all the necessary tools to create and store their work.
"A top-selling travel toy is one with lots and lots of play value," agrees Kem Clark, president of The Wikki Stix Co. "And it needs to be clean ... no mess in the car or airplane." With this in mind, the company offers its Travel Fun Kit, which Clark describes as "easy to put in a purse or carry-on."
Yet another toy in the building realm, Jawbones, comes in a 35-piece travel version. "I wanted a construction toy with pieces that were easy to assemble and easy to take apart," explains Jawbones inventor Philip Shoptaugh of the product's travel-friendly design. Now in its second year, this set is packaged inside a storage jar and includes a 20-page idea booklet for assembling 10 different models.
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Flip ‘n Draw activity book. Mudpuppy Press, div. of Galison. 800.670.7441. www.mudpuppy.com |  |
 | Book is a part of an easy-to-read series for children ages 7-11. Features full-color images of landmarks and geography. $9.99. |
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Activity cards help keep kids occupied while waiting for a flight. For ages 6 and up. $9.99. Usborne Books. 800.475.4522. www.edcpub.com |  |
 | Look Out World gift set comes with soft doll and activity book with DVD. |
Lots of Activity
What mom hasn't broken out a pen and paper to keep her kids busy while waiting for a meal to arrive or their flight to board? Several toy companies take this idea up a notch with a variety of activity books that go from basic doodling to detailed drawings.
"A good travel toy has to be able to withstand a lot of use and tossing about," says Brenda Bell, publicity director, Galison/Mudpuppy Press. "Our Flip and Draws are great because you can tuck them in any bag and they won't fall apart if they get tussled a bit." These wire-bound activity books, which will be in stores next month, contain 15 sheets divided into thirds horizontally, so kids can mix and match characters to color.
Aside from keeping a child occupied, travel toys that make for unencumbered play are also a must. Donna Modrell, marketing and operations manager, Peaceable Kingdom Press, visualizes a product that a child can "play with for a bit ... with pieces that can be put away easily and don't have any messy glue or lots of parts that need assembling." In this vein come the Game Time! Write & Wipe Activity Book, including two pens and a clean-up in a carry-on tote, and four new reusable sticker totes: Monster Trucks, My Family/Mi Familia, Mix & Match Animals and Four Seasons.
For the older age set come two titles from the ever-quirky, always engaging Klutz: Thumb Wars: The Ultimate Guide (including a unique Sleeve of Doom for game-playing) and Me Versus You: Head-to-Head Pencil Games Challenge, which makes word games competitive for two players. To help promote the former product, Klutz will be releasing an video "because we know that taking the Sleeve of Doom to the streets ... will be a nail biter," quips Doug Analla, associate director of marketing.
 | Bendaroos new Store N' Go Activity Pack with 100 building sticks, templates, a crimper cutter and playmat. Bendaroos. 914.347.7827 www.bendaroos.com |
| Magnetic wooden letters. $18. Mudpuppy. 800.670.7441. www.mudpuppy.com
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 | Jawbones 35-piece travel set. |
| Kidzsack activity backpack can be colored and recolored with washable markers. $18. Kidzsack. 978.314.4875. www.kidzsack.com
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 | Wikki Stix travel fun set includes an eight-page activity booklet, a lightweight playboard and 24 Wikki Stix. $2.50. |
Always in Season
Despite what some retailers may think is a seasonal business, travel toy manufacturers are confident that their products can provide steady sales throughout the year - and at non-traditional venues.
eeBoo Corp., makers of travel-size memory games, has product in various zoos, museums, airport shops and resort gift shops. "We see an uptick in the summer and fourth quarter, but our strong sellers do well all year long," says owner and creative director Mia Galison.
Other manufacturers have carved out their own niche markets in resort boutiques. "Depending on the location, travel toys can either be seasonal or year-round business," explains Tina Hill, owner of Kidzsack. Her color-on activity totes garnered strong sales last summer at a Cape Cod, MA, resort, but she doesn't expect a reorder until next summer. "Resorts that are busy year-round, because they are in warmer locations, are ones that I count on for reorders," she adds. She counts the Beverly Hills Hotel, Four Seasons Maui and Atlantis Resort among her other customers.
Peaceable Kingdom Press, which does big business at airport stores and hotel gift shops, also has a presence in the resort arena. "Resort gift shops can pick and choose styles that are appropriate for their niche," says Modrell. "For instance, the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas does well with our Sea Life and Mermaid reusable sticker totes."
Also successful in airport and train station retail channels, Mudpuppy has gone so far as to custom-brand its travel products for specific clients. Most recently, the company created a travel/reading journal for US Airways to give to its fliers. Additional projects were completed for Amtrak and Marriott.
Regardless of venue, Bell agrees that travel toys can be a perennial best-seller. "They are not just for summer travel, but parents like to entertain their kids on a daily basis - whether they are going to Grandma's or the grocery store," she affirms.