Posts Tagged ‘toys’

The Ten Best Toys to Give to Charity

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
When donating gifts and large quantities of children’s toys to charity, do you find that you get stuck finding wholesale child toys in bulk that would satisfy kids of all ages and both genders? It sounds daunting, but it is possible to experience the joy of giving to children’s charities without the hassle.

When you purchase in bulk from a child toy wholesale distributer, there are countless different gifts and toys to choose from. Buying from a wholesaler enables your organization to give the largest amount of toys to those in need while keeping your costs minimal. However, if your charity, church or hospital needs some guidance, we believe these are the ten best toys to give to children for charity.

Animal Toys
Young or old, everyone loves animals. Children in need can enjoy plush animal toys and small animal figurines such as reptiles, dinosaurs and farm animals.

Balls and Bounce Balls
Those less fortunate often don’t have this timeless way to have fun for hours. Balls and bounce balls enable kids to play catch, baseball and other sports.

Games and Puzzles
Children universally enjoy jigsaw puzzles, mazes and card games. When bought in bulk and donated to charity, these educational children’s toys offer hours of fun that stimulate creativity and imagination.

Music Toys
Every child needs music in their life, not just those that have the financial capabilities to do so. Wholesale flutes, harmonicas and toy instruments are a low-cost way to bring this important educational tool to charities.

Putty and Slime
It may be gooey and icky to adults, but children love to play with slime and putty. Bring some fun into their lives with different colors and styles.

Stickers
There are thousands of different ways children can use stickers. They can personalize their belongings and trade them with each other. You can even give stickers to help children decorate their other toys to make them personal and unique, enabling them to feel special.

Stationary and Journals
Children’s toys don’t always have to be interactive. How many of you remember having a diary as a child? Recording memories and observations is important at any age so journals make a wonderful children’s gift to donate.

Classic Toys
Classic toys are universally loved by everyone and will never go out of style. This makes them great to buy in bulk and give to large charitable organizations and children’s charities. These include yo-yos, building blocks and board games.

Bracelets
Bracelets can be purchased wholesale in styles that suit both young boys and girls. For example, animal rubber bands bracelets are very popular amongst all children. This donation is a sentimental treat and each child you gift this to will remember fondly your organization every time he or she wears it.

Glow and Grow Toys
Watch kids eyes light up as they play with toys that glow or toys that grow when dropped in water. These interactive treats will amuse and delight again and again.

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Posted in Nonprofit Discounts, Special Interest Groups, Special Occasions | No Comments »

Making the most of your carnival with toys and treats!

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
Putting together a carnival for children or church carnival is a fantastic and fun way to bring a community together. Not only is your church fostering physical activity and play, but also you are doing it in a way that shows carnivals can be healthy and safe. Because organizations that foster togetherness and community through special events and non profit projects are so important, check with your children’s toy wholesale distributor for nonprofit discounts and incentives.
When putting together your carnival for the community, do you find the most stressful part to organize is not necessarily the rides and games, but the carnival prizes and toys for children? Luckily, we can help. We’ve handpicked the best children’s carnival toys for your church or organization. These toys are simple and loved by everyone (young and old alike). They are also low cost at a great value when purchased in bulk from your children’s toy wholesale distributor.
Plush animal toys
Have you ever been to a carnival or children’s event where plush animal toys were not prizes? We didn’t think so. Every child wants the special treat of bringing home a plush animal toy for children from a carnival. Plush farm animals and
Theme Toys
Consider providing child toys for your carnival that are themed to match each ride and attraction. For example, you can give out pirate toys for children at every pirate attraction. If your carnival includes a dinosaur attraction or ride offer dinosaur figurines as the prize and turn a fun game into an equally educational learning tool.
Small tokens and stickers
Small tokens such as animal rubber bands, bounce balls, card games and stickers are easy to buy in bulk, low cost and can be given to children as treats for winning carnival games, or as part of a Goody Bag for participating in the festivities. These tokens are extremely low cost when purchased in bulk from your toy wholesale company and will be appreciated by every child in your community.
Glow Toys
What is a carnival without a lot of glitter, lights and glowing treats?! Glowing toys, toys that light up and children’s toys that are covered in glitter are the perfect accessories to your church carnival.  Glow sticks are always a popular choice as are glow in the dark dinosaurs that can also compliment your carnival theme.
Novelty Toys
Carnivals are all about letting kids express themselves and be silly. The children’s toys and fun carnival toys you give to the kids should let them have fun and be silly. Novelty toys let them do that! Silly putty, slime and water guns provide amusement for hours. Joke and gag gifts like disappearing ink and rattlesnake noisemakers.

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Pediatric Waiting Rooms – Creating a Trusting Rapport With Younger Patients

Monday, August 23rd, 2010
For a child, a visit to the pediatrician or dentist can be a nerve-racking experience. Parents often find themselves with restless, rambunctious or upset kids while they wait to see the doctor. Creating and fostering a trusting and welcome environment in the waiting room of a doctors office is the first step in creating a trust and rapport with young patients.

Waiting room toys, doctors office toys, and reception area toys are designed to keep little ones entertained, comfortable and cheerful. This ensures a happy environment for patients and parents constituting happy costumers that yield a flourishing business and solid reputation.

When selecting waiting room toys and toys for patients, it is important to keep safety in mind. Your wholesale toy distributer should provide adequate safety information and be able to provide the source of each toy. A good wholesale company will hand select the children’s toys and provide proper age ranges to assist in the appropriate selection for the reception area.  It is also best to buy bulk children’s toys to confidently have a good supply on hand for treats the little patients can take home.

Providing a fun and safe environment in your waiting room and giving little patients treats to take home reflects more than just a good bed-side manner. It shows children and especially parents that you care about them and their wellbeing, which in turn creates trust between patient and doctor that is necessary in pediatric health and dental care.

The question is, what toys for toddlers and toys for children should be kept in the waiting room? The following is a good place to start:

Games and Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles and games like dominos are great waiting room toys because they provide interaction and keep those little patients busy.

Coloring books and crayons
Coloring books, markers and crayons are easy toys to buy in bulk from your wholesale toy distributer and provide a fun creative outlet for your patients.

Animal toys
Farm toys and animal toys are always fun for children to play make believe with and enable them to use their imaginations while they wait for their appointments.

Small toys and treats
Small toys, such as stickers, pony figurines, magic wands, princess toys for girls, action figures, and putty are an excellent value when bought in bulk. These low cost toys can be given to younger patients upon completion of their visit. This small gesture is a great incentive for children and solidifies the trust and compassion they will feel from their pediatrician.

The goal of a pediatrician or pediatric dentist is always the health of the patient. However, a child’s health and well-being is easier to attain in a trusting and compassionate environment where both child and parent feel comfortable with their environment and trusting in their doctor. With the use of child toys and toys for toddlers as well as treats the little ones can take home, the relationship between doctors and little patients will be one of trust and care.

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Posted in Customer Service, Small Biz & Toys | No Comments »

The Top Five Toys for the Classroom

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

If you are a teacher, you know that the more interactive and social you can be with students the better they learn and use their imaginations. Simple and effective toys and tools are a fun and easy way to incorporate interactivity within your classroom.  With even the smallest budget, you can buy wholesale learning gifts, cheap educational toys and bulk childrens toys to use with your lesson plans and play time during school.  When buying childrens toys and educational toys for the classroom there are a few things every teacher should keep in mind. First, it is important to buy in large quantities to insure every student gets equal use of these stimulating learning tools. Also, when you are making lesson plans and purchasing wholesale toys for the school year, buy a wide variety of toys to cover different subjects such as music, history and science as well as gifts and incentives for good grades and behavior. The following are the top five educational child toys to turn any classroom into a winner.

Games and Puzzles
Puzzles and games for teachers are a great learning tool to use in any classroom. They are also good to give children for use during recess and breaks.  You can stock the classroom with bounce balls and other outdoor children’s toys for breaks or use puzzles and board games for kids during quieter hours. Games and puzzle toys provide the fun students need but continue to stimulate their creative minds.

Role-playing toys
Whether it is cops and robbers or the Wild West, toys that enable role-playing will continually spark the imaginations and creativity of students. Role-playing offers a safe environment for kids to act out stories and even learn about history.  Instead of just reading out of a history book, use costumes and tools, such as Western themes to enable the students to act out American history.

Stickers
Whether it is the gold star on a math test or a Smiley Face sticker for a notebook, stickers are a great tool for incentives and jobs-well-done.  For children, stickers are a great mark of achievement so it is best to buy a variety of stickers in bulk. Keep different sticker designs and sizes on hand for papers, to mark calendars and decorate nametags.

Reptiles, Dinosaurs and Sea life
Animal toys are consistently best sellers and can compliment your lesson plans extremely well.  When teaching about dinosaurs, you can use a variety of dinosaur figurines to have students create dioramas. Instead of showing pictures of ant farms and tide pools, use these simple tools, such as sticky frogs and plastic ants in bulk quantities and let students build a classroom version of the environments.

Music Toys
Musical toys are a fantastic way to incorporate music into your learning program without spending a lot of instruments.  You can buy wholesale toys in bulk, such as plastic flutes and quality harmonicas that your entire classroom can use for play or music composition education.

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How to predict what toys will become popular

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

It happens all the time.

From Tickle Me Elmo to Animal Rubber Bands, one toy blows up in popularity and eclipses the entire market place. These trends are often unexpected but with a lot of research and using the following tips to spot toy trends that help your research instincts, you can better spot which children’s will become popular to assist the ever changing toy retail business.

Research before you buy

You know what they say, don’t expect to ace the test if you don’t do your homework. Pay attention to the economy, as during economic downturns budget friendly toys and cheap toys online will trend higher than their more expensive counterparts. Read articles from experts in the industry. Ask your wholesale toy company. Find out what competitors are purchasing from their wholesalers and what your wholesaler is stocking up on.

Note trends in other industries

What is popular in every industry will be popular in the child’s toy industry. For example, everywhere you look, from commercials to magazines, companies are advertising natural and organic clothing, food and household items. It is no shock to see that natural is a very big trend because it has crossed into almost every industry. As expected, natural toys have become a very popular wholesale toy item.

Check what is popular in other countries

Pokemon was a big hit in other countries well before it became the new “It” item in America. To better understand toy trends, keep an eye out for what is becoming trendy in countries such as China, where a large amount of toys originate. In fact, the right wholesaler will visit these countries often enough to gain knowledge and perspective in the marketplace.

Follow the seasons

Water guns, toys for the outdoors and inflatable pool toys will always be popular during the summer and similarly, back-to-school learning toys will gain momentum in the fall. Party toys will have a large demand around holiday season and glow toys and toys that light up will trend during Halloween. Your online wholesale distributer will stock items based on seasons as well so check often to see what new season child toys are in stock.

Know the entertainment industry

Pay very close attention to new movies that are coming into theatres with the promise of being a “blockbuster”. For example, if the big movie of the summer is going to be a movie about Pirates, it is safe to assume the pirate theme and pirate toys will increase in popularity. If dinosaurs were the hot ticket of the year, the trend will naturally trickle down to dinosaur toys in the marketplace for bulk toys.
Trying to predict what toys will become popular can seem like a giant puzzle with no solution. However, if you take the time to research the industry and continuously follow up with your wholesale toy distributer you will better know new toy trends and popular toys to carry in your online retail business, classroom and office.

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Going back to the basics – Why simple toys are a better investment.

Monday, August 23rd, 2010
From iPads to smart phones, talking robots to the latest gadgets. It would seem like the best toys to carry in your online toy store, classroom, church or offices are those that offer the latest in technological and scientific advancements. Toys can now walk, talk, light up and surf the Web like never before. However as with many things in life and business, going back to the basics may be better for you and better for children.  Studies have shown that simple toys, and retro child toys are better for children. These include rubber balls, simple building blocks, cheap plush toys and animal toys.

In an article by Science Daily, Temple University psychologist, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, noted this conclusion was based on the principle that children are creative problem solvers and like to discover new ways of doing things. Simple novelty toys, such as yo-yos and harmonicas provide this chance at discovery, while more technological toys and complex toys for children provide no opportunity for this priceless phase of childhood learning.  In short, the more advanced toys do everything for the child and therefore provide no chance to learn or imagine new ideas for amusement and creativity.

Though psychology of childhood learning plays an important role in determining a good toy versus a bad toy, it should also be noted that the phenomenon and universal love of classic toys, retro toys and simplistic novelty toys are due to the very definition that these toys transcend trends and withstand the test of time, giving testament to their purpose and power. The ancient Greeks had yo-yos, the Babylonians played board games, and kites were flown over 3,000 years ago. These low cost toys have had no need to evolve past their basic structure and function because of the need they fulfill at a basic level. This need is fulfilled regardless of age and background making these small toys a better investment for everyone.

Children’s toys, first and foremost, should be platforms for a child to play, not the primary centerpiece. They should be props and supporting actors used as a catalyst for a child’s imagination and creativity. Advanced toys are fun to look at and watch, but they hinder this imagination because a child will have no need for it.  A good toy will spark imagination, enable brain growth, have countless ways for use, and encourage social interaction.

When making the decision about what children’s toys to buy from your wholesale toy distributer, consider what type of provider of children’s toys you would like to be or become.  Do you want to carry the latest in technology or use your toy store, church and classroom as a place to foster learning and growth? While it is always important to keep up-to-date on the latest and greatest trends, your business will thrive on the backs of these classic toys that will never go out of style.

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Retail toy sellers prime for a better Christmas in 2009

Friday, November 20th, 2009

Major toy outlets push “hot” toys; independents, gift shops will do well with $10 gifts, stocking stuffers and classic toys, says Esco Imports, a premier toy and novelty wholesaler

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – November 20, 2009 – With the all-important Christmas selling season upon us, toy retailers will be pulling out all of the stops to ensure the Yuletide is as successful as possible. The toy experts at Esco Import Toys, a premier wholesaler of toys and novelties, have good news about this year’s retail toy prospects and some tips to make it even better.

Jack Steinfeld, president of Esco Imports, exhibits at all of the major toy and novelty trade shows and is in constant contact with toy sellers nationwide, and he says the 2009 Christmas season is looking up toy-wise.

“Most of the industry, myself included, is expecting a better Christmas than last year,” says the veteran toy man.trains

There are caveats to his enthusiasm, however, and there are some specific things toy retailers can do to improve their prospects, even at this late date.

Esco Import Toys specializes in serving the needs of independent toy stores, not the major chains or department stores, and it also caters to a wide range of gift shops, specialty boutiques, airport sundry stores, museum shops, truck stops and more. These are the kind of operations that by nature carry a wide array of unique toys, nostalgic toys, themed items, and often inexpensive toys and novelties – exactly the kind of things sure to be in higher demand this season and a distinct advantage for the independent toy seller.

“With the economy in its present shape, items that sell for $10 or less are very popular this season,” notes Steinfeld. “And the major retail chain stores selling toys – Toy R Us, Target, K-Mart, etc. – are really promoting the heavily advertised ‘hot’ toys this year, which gives the independent operator a great advantage in fulfilling the broader toy demand.”

The big “hot” toy items this holiday season include the Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters, fake but real-looking rodents with sound and “personality,” as well as Barbie Fashion Fever Fashionista Dolls, which come in Glamonstersm, Cutie, Girly, Wild, Sassy and Artsy. The major retailers are pushing them with everything they have, but according to numerous news stories on the Internet severe shortages of both items have already been reported five weeks before the Big Day. Think Wii two years ago or Tickle Me Elmo a few years back.

Steinfeld notes, however, that while the major advertising campaigns for the “hot” toys garner a lot of interest and press coverage, the old toy stand-bys remain top sellers and playtime favorites with those who matter: kids.

Dinosaur toys, reptile toys, yo-yos, cap guns horse figurines, toy trains – these have been popular for decades with children and they still are,” says Steinfeld. “We’ve been in the wholesale toy business for more than 60 years, and I can tell you from experience that it’s the classics that sell year after year after year.”

Steinfeld offers these tips to independent toy stores, gift shops and specialty boutiques to ramp up Christmas toy sales in the few weeks remaining in the selling season:

  • With the economy, items that retail for $10 or less are popular – stock up!
  • Retailers should demonstrate items with action to increase sales: Have an employee demonstrate toys, showcase a revolving video, leave an electronic toy running within a confined area.
  • The retail chains really promote the advertised toys (Barbie, Batman, etc), so independent retailers should look for items not easily found in these chains.
  • Stocking stuffers – small unique toys – will be very popular this year. Keep them well stocked.

Esco Import Toys has been in the wholesale toy and novelty business since 1946, and carries hundreds of toys and novelties, including many value-priced toys, for immediate delivery. In addition to its independent toy store and specialty gift shop/boutique target audience, the firm also caters to the toy and novelty needs of school and church fundraisers, and in supplying doctor and dentist offices which specialize in treating children with their reward give-away toys.

For more information and to view the entire catalog of wholesale toy and novelty offerings from Esco Import Toys visit www.escoimports.com, call toll-free 800-445-3836, or email Darlene@escoimports.com.

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