Welcome to a new series focusing on some wonderful local toy inventors.  The Boston area is filled with creative folks who have kept in touch with what it’s like to be a kid. We love these stories and thought you might like to hear them, too.

Anomia Created by Andrew Innes

Anomia Press is a game invention company based here in Boston.  We published our first game, Anomia, in November of 2009. Much to our delight Anomia was a huge hit, selling over 25,000 copies in 2010 and winning some very prestigious awards (Mensa Select, National Parenting Center, ASTRA Best Toy for Kids, among others). Anomia is now available in about 800+ stores in the USA and is also widely available in Canada and Australia.

When I was about 11 or 12, I used to play a card game with my friends called “Store.”  Store uses a standard deck of cards, with players choosing different kinds of stores to “manage” – Candy Store, Pet Store, etc. One after another, players flip over cards and when a match is drawn the first player to name something in the other player’s store wins the two cards. Store is a very simple and fun game, and I played it for many years, up through college.  However, I often thought that it could be BETTER and eventually I made a simple prototype of an improved version of Store. You know, just for fun.

So in 2004 I started the first play-testing of Anomia with friends.  I quickly became hooked on the process of introducing the game to people, playing it, taking feedback, refining the game, and then gathering another group to play-test again.  As the prototyping/play-testing phase continued (over a number of years!) the prospect of actually publishing my game became more and more enticing.

The game now known as “Anomia” was finally done in 2008. I produced the game myself, raising the money for a small first printing. Not in my wildest dreams did I think that Anomia would have the success that it has!  Here was this idea I had been entertaining for so many years, finally come to life!  I brought it to life, but it went on to have a life of its own.

So where do we go from here? More game creation and more play-testing fun! Our latest game, Duple, will hit stores in early summer. We’re also working on an expansion set for Anomia, as we have received many requests for more category cards.  I’ve just finished making the prototype decks for the Anomia expansion pack and am about to start play-testing these with anyone and everyone who is interested. (Drop me a line if you want to get in on the action! CONTACT)

I have a bunch of other games (in my head) that I hope to start exploring in the fall of 2012, and I am always on the look out for new game/product ideas.

-Andrew Innes, Anomia Press

Chewbeads

These “necklaces” look great on mom and feel great on baby’s gums!

SwaddleDesigns

Beautiful and cozy blankets for baby to cuddle in – and super cute designs, too!

Sophie Giraffe Teether

Everyone’s favorite squeaky giraffe, now in teething ring form!

Chan Pie Gnon

These funny little guys are made by the same people who distribute Sophie, and are just as endearing!”

Lauren, Arlington Assistant Manager

For encouraging sensory exploration, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and visual spatial awareness, Tobbles is a dynamic toy with truly endless possibilities. Stack, topple, spin, balance, wobble, tilt, and wiggle. Little hands delight in the never-ending discovery of Tobbles.

While reading an online magazine recently, I came across as a surprising statistic: American children spend less than half an hour a week in unstructured outdoor play. How times have changed! Some of my favorite childhood memories involve being outside with my sister and using the environment to determine our play, creating a giant pile of dirt or trapping bugs to look at with our magnifying lenses or pretending to be explorers in the “wild” (really just an overgrown backyard).

Do we want to encourage children to get outdoors and familiar with plants and bugs and dirt? Of course we do. This blog post from the National Wildlife Federation, Why Kids Explore Nature Better Than Us, talks from a teacher’s point of view about why children are great naturalists. Also, the world around them is an endless source of wonder, of observations and questions to be asked: what does this flower smell like and why is it so brightly colored? what causes a kite to soar or, more often, to drag on the ground behind me? why is the part of this rock exposed to the sun so warm and dry, and why is its underside damp and cool?
 Whether this exploring answers questions or creates more, what is also being created is a life-long curiosity and love of nature. And it requires so little in the way of structured play and toys! Activities don’t have to be big or complex to spark a sensory explosion. Take a look at this guide for some simple ideas to get your family outside – What Can a Child Do in Nature?

Younger kids may need nothing more than a stick and their boundless energy. For older kids and budding scientists, pack a kit: bug viewing jars or hand lenses, sketchbook and pencils, the Backyard Birdsong Book for identification by sound, a small flower press or sun paper for those who are inspired to turn nature into art. No matter whether they’re stomping in mud puddles or cataloging leaf shapes, interacting hands-on with nature is one of the best ways to inspire kids to be active, curious, and engaged both mentally and physically – while having a blast!

Melissa Brilliant, Brookline Manager

Crazy Aaron’s Putty Minis

Welcome to The Puttyworld. Discover the desk toy to beat all desk toys. Discover the stress reliever that leaves other stress relievers weeping. Discover the toy that you can’t put down. Discover freebies, inside scoops, and other coolness.

As soon as we received our new Groovy Girls and the matching dress up outfits to go with them I fell in love with them. I think the idea of dressing up just like the doll that you love and play with all the time is something that all little girls would love. Playing with dolls and dressing up are two activities that are fun as separate activities, but when you get to combine the two and dress up just like your choice of doll, that’s something that can make play time more creative and special. It isn’t just one doll and one dress, it is a selection of dolls and dresses to match, and that is something that girls will really
enjoy.

Kelly, Cambridge Sales Associate

Last fall we held a Ninja Night in our Brookline store, which included an opportunity to play the Lego Ninjago board game. So much was involved for the kids in what seemed like a simple game. First they had to construct the gameboard itself. Then each player needed to figure out where the gold coins were hidden on the board and navigate the game pieces accordingly. We had lots of players, so they were divided into four teams: because this was a cooperative game, everyone had to decide as a group what move to make next. In the final battle against the evil lord, our determined ninjas fought well but ultimately lost when the dice didn’t roll in their favor.  Sacrificing a win for a lesson in sportsmanship and maintaining self esteem in disappointment left our players eager to try again.

Studies point to the value of games in giving children practice in following rules, and in understanding the concepts behind the rules. Additionally, games give children the opportunity to socialize, to practice memory, pattern detection, and logical reasoning.

Nowadays there is such a variety of games available that it’s easy to find one that’s the proper mix of fun and challenge for your family. For little builders or those who have trouble sitting still for a game, Trucky 3 and Perplexus offer movement and tactile stimulation. For kids who love math calculations or could use some practice, Mancala and Sleeping Queens are ideal options. Word-lovers and struggling readers alike can build words and make creative comparisons while playing Bananagrams or Apples to Apples. Tired of competition and feel like working together? Games like Stone Soup and Forbidden Island allow everyone to play individually but work as a single team.

And perhaps most importantly as adults we have the chance, with each game, to serve as role models and just to have fun with our kids. We can talk about the move we are making and why, letting them in our own thinking and strategy. We can flex our brains and be serious or silly; we can show how to win and lose with equal respect for other players; and with the simple question, “Hey, do you feel like playing a game?” we can create fun family moments that become cherished memories.

Melissa Brilliant, Brookline Manager

One of our new favorite games! It’s very simple, but fast and
fun. Each player gets a set of 10 dice (die?) and on “GO!” they all roll
at once. Then, choosing whichever number to focus on, the roller tries
to get all ten of their dice to match that number. The first person to
do so yells out “TENZI!” and they are the winner!

Puzzle Stix

Tired of the same ol’ jigsaw puzzle? Ready for something
a little bit more challenging? Puzzle Stix is just what is sounds like – instead of jigsaw pieces the two-sided puzzle is printed on 42 thin rectangular sticks. Using the frame to hold the sticks in place, the player must fit them all together to create a picture, but be careful you use right side! Once you’re done you can use the frame to display your feat

Fuzzy Animals By Gund

We’ve been carrying the Fuzzy Teddy Bears for a little
while now, but we recently got in Fuzzy the Dog, Fuzzy the Bunny, AND
Fuzzy the Monkey! These plush animals live up to their names – they are
the softest stuffed animals you will ever snuggle. With floppy arms and
legs and cute sideways smiles they are sure the become your child’s next best friend!

Lauren, Assistant Manager in Cambridge

A lot!

This was my 37th Toy Fair. The changes that we’ve seen in the “specialty” end of the toy market, are enormous, certainly, but each year, we have the same task: to hunt down those distinct, child-centered toys that have solid value.  Every buyer has a personal set of criteria to evaluate this value.  I start by imagining a child playing with this toy; is there active engagement, are there different ways of using it, is this social or solitary, how long will kids be interested?  Then we move on to the business part of the equation:  is it priced appropriately, is it better than something else that addresses the same type of play, is it something our customers need? First, I pretend to be a kid, and then, I pretend to be a customer.  Great fun!

Sometimes, manufacturers will present “toys in the works” to get some feedback from buyers.  I love this part; putting on the “customer” hat we try to tease out the questions that will be asked by real customers once it goes on the shelf.  We played a game intended for ages 10+ in which each player selects a card from his or her hand which describes “the worst birthday present” for the person who was “it.” Players then vote on all the choices, including one from the “birthday” player.  The creators wanted to make a younger version, for 6 – 10 by simplifying the cards. The cards weren’t the problem: the concept of highlighting negative feelings for kids who are just learning how to be good friends was really jarring. Apparently we were the first to raise this issue, and let’s hope the game quietly goes away.

We did come home with piles of orders, and even more notes on items that aren’t available until later in the year.   Be on the look-out for our new arrivals – we’re eager to share the show with you!

Sally Lesser, Owner