Creative Ways to Interest Younger Kids in Traditional ToysWritten by Sheryl Luebke
K.A.G.O.Y. (“kids are getting older, younger”) is an acronym that popped up in toy industry literature about 6 years ago. KAGOY is allure, to younger kids, of toys meant for older kids, for example, 6 year old girls abandoning baby dolls for make-up and their male counterparts leaving their Legos for video games. A recent Google search of K.A.G.O.Y. revealed that age compression is still an ongoing phenomenon and is becoming even more pervasive.So what is an internet toy retailer, much less a brick and mortar toy retailer, to do? If you’re not selling electronic games, what can you do to attract young customers and keep them coming back to your website in future? Most kids over 6 years old may seem to have abandoned traditional toys, but they tend to become more involved in sports. Choosing action toys that encourage skillbuilding in sports they participate in, like soccer, baseball and karate, may be one strategy. A good example of this is O-Ball. This hollow toy is about 6” in diameter with a shell of webbed, hardy plastic. It’s a great toy for a newborn child because they can grab it and safely put it in their mouth. A young child can learn throwing and pitching skills with it because it is so easy to grab and hold. Take a look at O-Ball at: http://www.sillyasstoys.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=83 Offering toys that have a sports theme is also a strong selling tool. An example of this is Inside-out Ball, a soft plastic ball that looks like a sports ball (baseball/basketball/soccer design) on outside, but once it is turned inside out, ball looks like a sea anemone. The Inside-out Ball is even large enough for kids to stretch over their heads for a “spiky hair” look. It appeals to both sports side and goofy side of kids. It sells to kids as young as 3 and as old as 18! Check them out at: http://www.sillyasstoys.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=457
| | Rent Games - Keep the Kids BusyWritten by Brooklynn Anderson
I don’t know about you but with summer months facing us, I am already starting to wonder how I will be able to keep kids busy and out of trouble! I work from home and that makes keeping them busy and trying to keep up with my work schedule challenging to say least.I am sure you have seen ads everywhere for renting movies online through places such as Netflix and Blockbuster online but now you can rent games AND movies online! This is a perfect solution for you! It’s affordable and it will help keep kids entertained. While I don’t want to keep my kids in front of TV 24-7 - they do become bored and therefore make our lives more challenging, having games and movies sent to your home will help keep them busy and out of trouble! While also allowing you to squeeze in a few hours of work time – can you think of a better solution that is also affordable?!
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