Licensing


offers bright fabrics with different textures, silky ribbons, crinkle sounds and a rattle. The collection also includes a great range of plush Hungry Caterpillar toys, from bean toys to large plush (as big as some of the children it’s aimed at!), which make fun, vibrant and eye-catching additions to the nursery and the playroom. As well as Very Hungry Caterpillars


to pull along, cuddle, rattle, crinkle or squeak, Rainbow Designs offers a beautiful selection of vibrant Caterpillar wooden toys, including a shape puzzle and a dominoes game, perfect for playtime as well as for helping to develop dexterity and creative thinking.


Visually appealing yet refreshingly uncomplicated, both The Very Hungry Caterpillar character and story lend themselves perfectly to developmental games, like University Games’ The Very Hungry Caterpillar – A Game of Counting, Colours and Contrasts, and its 24-Piece Giant Floor Puzzle. Not strictly speaking a toy, but


enormously entertaining and very appropriate to the brand nonetheless, is Insect Lore’s Very Hungry Caterpillar Butterfly Growing Kit. A fun and educational kit that combines play and education, it gives children and families an unforgettable opportunity to watch caterpillars change into chrysalids and then emerge as beautiful Painted Lady butterflies.


Horrible Histories and Horrible Science


Aimed at a slightly older age group, the Horrible Histories and Horrible Science brands lend themselves perfectly to games and puzzles. There’s no shortage of these, from


University Games’ Horrible Histories Awful Egyptians, Rotten Romans, Terrifying Tudors and Vicious Vikings jigsaw puzzles to Horrible Histories The Board Game, which invites players to race through the ages by answering multiple-choice questions and acting out charades. Sales of the Horrible Histories lines have been consistently strong since launch and continue to be so in 2022. Galt Toys, the number-one manufacturer


of science toys, has a range of 14 Horrible Science kits and a game – Germ Attack! – that gives players a chance to beat germs in a ruthless race through the body. New for 2022 are Sneaky Spies and Bulging Box of Experiments. Audio system tonies™ is expanding its portfolio of educational content by


launching its Horrible Histories Rotten Romans Tonie figurine in August this year. The company is confident it will be a hit with young listeners, who will love being entertained with gruesomely gory and hilariously funny facts.


Beano


Beano has pulled off the remarkable feat of approaching its 85th anniversary (in 2023) while still enjoying incredible growth, with rising weekly comic sales (up 27 per cent on last year), the UK’s number one annual, a hit CBBC show and more than five million kids visiting its digital network centred around the award-winning beano.com each month. Rocket has developed multiple strong


partnerships for the brand and its much- loved characters, including Dennis, Gnasher and Minnie the Minx, across food, apparel, books, dress-up, party tableware, nightwear and toys and games. Rachel Lowe, for instance, has captured


the mayhem and fun of the much-loved comic in a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle that celebrates Dennis, Gnasher and lots of other Beanotown residents. Also by Rachel Lowe is Beano The Board Game, in which players can play as Dennis, Gnasher, Minnie, Roger the Dodger, Billy Whizz or Pieface as they make the journey through Beanotown playing pranks and trying to avoid being found out by the Teacher. Meanwhile, RMS International offers a


range of pocket money toys aimed at six- to ten-year-olds that includes pranking must-haves such as pea shooters, slime pots, whoopee cushions and mini water pistols. This mischief is, of course, part of the appeal of Beano, which combines universally known characters with a colourful, action- filled style that translates well to products across a wide range of categories. The brand’s huge appeal is supported by TV appearances, promotions, special events, shows, art exhibitions and tie-ins a-plenty, keeping brand awareness exceptionally high – no mean feat and a great testament to the brand’s timeless and multi-generational appeal.


The Elf on the Shelf Toys are synonymous with Christmas, a connection that has driven the enormous success of The Elf on the Shelf, the brand based on the timeless story of Santa’s magical Scout Elves. An iconic and perennial Christmas tradition for millions of families, The Elf on the Shelf is now a go-to brand for licensees, who already have the run-up to Christmas 2022 firmly in their sights. The campaign, like the books, is aimed at a core market of children aged one to 11 as well as gift buyers and families. The Elf on the Shelf differs slightly from


Rocket’s other big children’s brands in that it explicitly targets the Christmas market, and the toys are an intrinsic part of the property itself. The story of the Scout Elves, who are magically sent by Santa into homes to help him create more Christmas spirit each year, first appeared in book form in 2005. The playful Scout Elves join families during the Christmas season and report back to Santa


each night on their daily adventures. Each morning, they return to hide somewhere in the home, waiting to be found by the children. The book’s appeal is further enhanced by the inclusion of a small toy elf to whom children can tell their Christmas wishes. Recently, the Scout Elves moved from the


shelf to the small screen with their pals the Elf Pets in the UK/Ireland premiere of the animated special, Elf Pets: Santa’s Reindeer Rescue, on Netflix. The Elf on the Shelf’s range of core


merchandise is distributed in the UK and Ireland by Baby Republic, the exclusive distributor of brand owner The Lumistella Company’s products in these key markets. The toy range extends to Elf Pets and Elf Mates as well as the Official Scout Elves, while babywear, cards, kitchenware, homeware and games are also available. www.rocketlicensing.com


Spring/Summer 2022 | ToyNews | 45


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