Vote for PlayMonster to Win for the Third Year in a Row!

BELOIT, Wis. (November 6, 2017) — PlayMonster has been named a finalist for four Toy of The Year (TOTY) 2019 Awards, the industry’s highest achievement and one of its most revered accolades. The company garnered nominations across four different categories: Construction Toy of the Year for Marbleocity Triple Play Archimedes Screw, Game of the Year for Relative Insanity, Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year for Kid O Hudson Glow Rattle and Vehicle of the Year for Automoblox BR100 Hercules.

The four finalist nominations follow last year’s win for PlayMonster’s Wonder Crew Superhero Will for Doll of the Year, and 2017’s first-ever win for PlayMonster with Yeti in My Spaghetti® for Game of the Year. Having winners the past two years has been a major accomplishment and honor for PlayMonster, and adding a third this year would be a huge success for PlayMonster. PlayMonster was founded as Patch Products in 1985, and changed its name in 2016 to reflect the company’s continued commitment to provide play for all ages.

The TOTY Awards are often referred to as the “Oscars” of the toy industry, and finalists were announced this week from a field of more than 550 nominations. Finalists were determined by elite members of the toy industry, including retail buyers, inventors/designers, academics, journalists, trade media spokespeople and bloggers. For more information about PlayMonster’s TOTY Award finalists, and to vote, visit playmonstervote.com.

The winners of the TOTY 2019 Awards will be announced on Friday, February 15, 2019, at the TOTY Awards Ceremony in New York City. The ceremony is considered to be the official kick off of the North American International Toy Fair, which takes place at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, Saturday, February 16 through Tuesday, February 19, 2019.

 

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

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Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                              Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
PlayMonster LLC                                 GennComm for PlayMonster LLC
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                    (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                    Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com

My Fairy Garden Windmill Terrace is the first-ever set to showcase solar power, making the windmill spin!

BELOIT, Wis. (September 21, 2018) — PlayMonster LLC is excited to extend its popular My Fairy Garden® Line in 2018, adding new features to intrigue fans!

My Fairy Garden is the first of its kind: A toy that’s also a real, live garden! Children love kits that allow them to grow plants at home because it gives them a connection to nature and a sense of satisfaction at having nurtured a living thing. My Fairy Garden takes it to a new, exciting level by allowing children to interact with it as part of an entertaining play set!

Windmill Terrace, the newest of the My Fairy Garden family, goes above and beyond by bringing solar energy to the line! The garden’s main structure is an eye-catching gourd that boasts a moving windmill that is powered by the sun! It’s the first My Fairy Garden to feature powered movement and adds a bigger STEM component to the brand. Plus, pressing the pump activates a water wheel below that scoops and circulates water in the pond! This set includes the fairy Saffron and her swans Grace and Beau, along with seeds and soil for the garden.

The new grow-and-play set retails for $34.99. For ages 4 and up.

 

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

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Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                              Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                  (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                    Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com
PlayMonster LLC                                 GennComm for PlayMonster LLC

 

 

 

 

 

 

Logging Onto playmonster.com Will Now Be a Bright, Colorful and Fun Experience!

BELOIT, Wis. (September 19, 2018) — PlayMonster LLC is excited to announce the launch of its new website at playmonster.com! The new content, graphics and features make visiting the site an easier and more enjoyable experience for consumers, media and fans!

Over the last few years, PlayMonster’s growth has been explosive! Creating, manufacturing and selling more products and bigger brands definitely called for a new website to showcase just how BIG ON FUN it is!

PlayMonster partnered with local marketing team Ignition Studio and California-based eCommerce development partner DEPlabs to design an eye-catching, user-friendly website that gave PlayMonster’s online presence a new look!

The new website focuses more on PlayMonster’s brands, giving them their own pages filled with fun imagery and information, so it’s easier to engage with favorite products and brands! PlayMonster brands will also have user-generated content, where posts from Instagram using the brand hashtag will be pulled in and displayed on the website. It’s an up-to-date way for consumers to see PlayMonster toys and games in use, and garner excitement for the brand! Once customers purchase from the site, they can now return and review the product! This gives the consumer a voice, and helps stay in touch with PlayMonster fans!

The shopping experience has also improved—there’s a Wish List and Gift Guru for finding and keeping track of all the fun toys and games. Plus, Customers can also keep better track of their orders, and the contact form is more thorough for quicker responses and resolutions. Overall, anyone looking to learn more about brands, the company or its programs will have an easier time finding information, and encounter more visuals and cleaner pages as they read.

Log on now for a fun online experience!

 

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

 

About Ignition Studio, Inc.

We ignite brands with custom marketing programs that engage audiences and win business. The key to branding success…use every point of customer contact as an opportunity to build a stronger brand. In the end, you’ll have achieved Brand Influence so that retailers and distributors can use your brand to drive brand-loyal traffic to their stores.

 

About DEPlabs

DEPlabs was created in San Francisco in 2004 out of a desire to do things better. It’s this desire that is the foundation of everything we do to help you meet the challenges of an ever-evolving, tough ecommerce playing field, where only the agile and innovative survive and thrive.

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Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                              Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                  (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                    Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com
PlayMonster LLC                                 GennComm for PlayMonster LLC

 

The Hudson Glow Rattle is an Adorable Puppy Dog Toy to Entertain Infants!

 

BELOIT, Wis. (August 27, 2018) — PlayMonster LLC is excited to debut the newest toy in its newly-acquired Kid O® line. The beautifully made toy has unique features that will make the rattle a favorite among young children.

Hudson Glow Rattle™ is an adorable motion-activated rattle that responds to the way baby shakes him. Lean the puppy’s green legs down to see him glow green, and lean his red legs down to see him glow red! Hudson’s soft, textured legs are just right for teething babies, and the soft rattling sound will both entertain and stimulate the senses.

For ages 6 months and up, the Hudson Glow Rattle retails for $25.00. It’s a beautiful, high-quality gift for new parents and babies.

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

# # #

Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                             Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
PlayMonster LLC                                GennComm for PlayMonster LLC
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                   (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                   Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com

Don’t Hold it in – the Laughter, that is – When Playing the Hilarious and Quick-Thinking Game Brain Fart

BELOIT, Wis. (July 31, 2018) — PlayMonster LLC is excited to extend its party game line with unique contents and fun game play that will have players shouting out answers or experiencing Brain Farts…either way, the game’s a gas!

No, there’s no foul smells accompanying this game, but you will hear some “noises” coming from the cool brain timer when the round time is up! Game play starts with everyone rolling the large cubes (like giant dice!) to get the categories. The nine cubes make up your always-different “game board.” On each cube is a category, like Hotties, Villains, Beverages and more. Then someone taps the top of the brain-shaped timer to get a letter and start the countdown. Now one-by-one, players have to name something from one of the cube categories that starts with the letter displayed. So, if the letter is “M” you could name “milk” or “mojito” as a beverage, then grab that cube. If it’s your turn when the brain farts, you lose a token.

The beauty is in the anticipation…and when someone steals “your” category that you were all prepared for, and you’re left having to think quickly, it gets challenging for you and fun for others to watch! Just hurry up and say something, though, because Silence is deadly™. With 54 categories and 21 letters, game play is always different!

Brain Fart retails for $24.99 and is designed for 3 or more players, ages 14 to adult.

 

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

# # #

Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                             Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
PlayMonster LLC                                GennComm for PlayMonster LLC
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                   (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                   Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com

What’s Better than a Fun Game for Kids? A Fun Game with a Cuddly Puppy!

BELOIT, Wis. (July 27, 2018) — PlayMonster LLC is happy to welcome a fluffy puppy to the family…in the form of a new game for young children, Pass the Pup™! Not only is the pup adorable, he’s also musical!

Children begin the game by sitting in a circle, squeezing the pup’s paw, and then passing him around as the music plays. When the music stops, the dog will howl, and the person holding him then has to draw one of the cards. The card will tell the player to act like a dog in some way, like bark, scratch or roll over. This way, it’s fun to be the one holding the pup when the music stops, instead of being “out.” They also learn a little bit about dog behavior from the cards!

It’s a fun game for playtime, parties, daycares and more! Plus, after the game, the pup can be a soft, huggable friend for playing or napping! Parents will love that he’s easier to care for than a live pet!

Pass the Pup retails for $17.99 and is designed for 2 or more players, ages 3 and up.

 

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

# # #

Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                             Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
PlayMonster LLC                                GennComm for PlayMonster LLC
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                   (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                   Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com

The Wildly Popular and Successful Chrono Bomb Game Can Now Be Played in the Dark with New UV Light Goggles that Make the String Glow!

BELOIT, Wis. (July 22, 2018) — PlayMonster is excited to launch Chrono Bomb Night Vision, which adds a cool spin on the active play game that originated in France and has become a favorite in the U.S. as well!

Like the original, Chrono Bomb Night Vision is a super secret spy mission where kids use the included clamps and now-longer 37-ft. string to create a “laser” field to crawl through. At the end of the maze is the bomb, counting down…tick, tick, tick! If you bump the wire as you step and crawl through the course, the time bomb will tick down faster. So, you have to hurry, carefully, and make it to the end to defuse the bomb!

This game has been a top-seller because of its fun fantasy element in which kids get to act like secret spies and heroes who save the day. It’s also active play that allows kids to get up and move around! And now there’s the new element of playing in the dark! Simply turn out the lights after creating your “laser” field and it now glows when you look at it wearing your UV light goggles! It adds excitement and a new challenge to the game!

Chrono Bomb Night Vision can still be played during the day with the lights on, just like the original…it’s just that now there are two ways to play! As always, the game can be played over and over again, building new courses each time or trying to beat your time and master your favorite setup! Available later this summer for an MSRP of $24.99. For ages 7 and up.

 

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

# # #

Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                             Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
PlayMonster LLC                                GennComm for PlayMonster LLC
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                   (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                   Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com

New Hands-On Model Kits Introduce Children to Engineering Principles and Physics Concepts

BELOIT, Wis. (July 15, 2018) — PlayMonster LLC is introducing its first expansion of the Marbleocity® line, which will feature smaller marble machines at a new entry-level price!

Marbleocity is a line of laser-cut wooden STEM kits, and the intricate and beautiful designs of each module fit together to form a weaving and winding marble machine. Marbleocity was designed to be a satisfying building experience, and the included graphic novel teaches each kit’s STEM lesson through a cast of characters called the Tinkineers, who help children and parents understand the concepts and feel connected to the lessons.

New for 2018 will be the Triple Play™ series featuring smaller models that will attract new builders (Tinkineers) with a lower price point and satisfy existing fans with new models to build and collect! Along with a slightly smaller size, Triple Play’s also feature added plastic components that give the wood model a pop of color! The first two models in the series, Chaos and Archimedes Screw, feature fun elements like a helix and funnel.  Like all other Marbleocity kits, Triple Play models also include a full color comic story, to teach important STEM lessons and relate physics and engineering principles to real life.

Chaos Mountain and Archimedes Screw can be easily connected so marbles run through both models, and motors can also be attached for power (motors sold separately). The new Triple Play sets will be available in summer of 2018 and retail for $24.99 each. For ages 9 and up.

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

# # #

Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                             Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
PlayMonster LLC                                GennComm for PlayMonster LLC
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                   (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                   Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com