Business Funding
Meet Dash and Dot, Robot Toys That Teach Kids How to Code
A crowdfunding success story, Wonder Workshop makes robots that teach coding lessons through music, mazes, paths and puzzles.
By Nina Zipkin
Toys; Games | Page 3
Building a Business
Mensch on a Bench: How This Toy Went from Kickstarter to ‘Shark Tank’ in Two Years
Inspired by his son's 'elf envy,' the Mensch on a Bench creator Neal Hoffman is taking the toy landscape by storm – and is hoping to do the same with the 'sharks.'
By Nina Zipkin
Building a Business
The ‘Paper’ Airplane to Rule Them All
Say hello to the slickest little high-tech eye in the sky.
Business News
Hasbro Said to Be In Talks to Buy DreamWorks Animation
The toymaker is apparently willing to pay a mix of cash and stock, though an exact price has not been determined yet.
By Reuters
Building a Business
The Formula for a Thriving Product Business
There are four factors successful entrepreneurs have in common. The man behind a recent Kickstarter campaign for a new set of games provides a great example.
By Stephen Key
Business News
Toys ‘R’ Us Slammed for Selling ‘Breaking Bad’ Dolls With Faux Bags of Meth
Parents are outraged over the toy chain's bizarre decision to sell drug-dealing action figures.
By Laura Entis
Marketing
King of Kitsch: Meet the Company Behind Big Mouth Billy Bass and a Dozen Other Novelty Items From Your Childhood
Gemmy Industries' chief executive explains how the company continues to crank out the cheesy magic year after year.
By Laura Entis
Thought Leaders
4 Startup Founders Under 30 to Keep an Eye On
They're young and already changing the status quo. Discover and follow these four young entrepreneurs as they rise up.
Marketing
Hello Kitty Bombshell: Kitty Is Not a Cat
Talk about a pivot. Sanrio received a boatload of publicity yesterday with the revelation that Hello Kitty is not, in fact, a cat.
By Kate Taylor
Business News
The Hidden Opportunity: Toys That Bridge the Gender Gap
As large corporations miss the clamoring for products that appeal to both girls and boys, forward-thinking entrepreneurs have the chance to fill the void.
By Peter Gasca
Building a Business
Vote Now to Help Us Pick Our ‘Emerging Entrepreneur of 2014’
Our finalists have created everything from the world's first Twitter-based advertising agency to a toy startup that purports to be the 'Netflix for Legos.'
By Geoff Weiss
Tech
Hasbro to Let Fans Design 3-D Printed My Little Pony Art
Hasbro and the online marketplace Shapeways said their team-up marks the first time that a major global company has opened up its intellectual property for fan-made products.
By Geoff Weiss
Building a Business
A Netflix for Legos – Building a Startup Brick by Brick
Toy rental is the latest entrant to the sharing economy. Pley shares its strategy for navigating this emerging – and fickle – industry.
By Neil Parmar
Building a Business
A Peek at the Startups in Disney’s First-Ever Accelerator Program
Running the gamut from products for children to houses of high-tech, each winner will receive $120,000 in investment capital and mentoring from top Disney execs.
By Geoff Weiss
Building a Business
Lego to Release a ‘Female Scientist’ Mini-Figure Set
That's right: female Lego figurines will soon do more than shop and go to the beach.
By Laura Entis
Business News
‘Frozen’ Gives Licensed Toy Sales a Boost
Licensed toys from Disney and Pixar are a bright spot in the overall toy category, which saw a 1-percent sales decline in 2013.
Thought Leaders
Remembering Hobie Alter, the Surfing Visionary Who Invented a Sport and a Culture
Alter, who passed away on Saturday at age 80, was a self-taught engineer who invented the polyurethane foam surfboard.
By Geoff Weiss
Building a Business
With New Acquisition, Toy Maker Mattel to Take on Lego
Mattel's purchase of MEGA Brands illustrates the importance of low-tech toys in a high-tech world.
By Linda Lacina
Human Resources
Maker of Video Game ‘BioShock’ to Shed All But 15 Employees
Creator Ken Levine's decision to cut the studio down to a 'smaller, more entrepreneurial endeavor' comes as something of a shock.
By Laura Entis
Thought Leaders
POLL: Would You Buy Entrepreneur Barbie, or Is She Hardly a Good Example?
Barbie is now an entrepreneur. But what business is she running? Would you invest?
By Kate Taylor
Thought Leaders
Introducing Entrepreneur Barbie
At Toy Fair this week, Mattel announced its iconic doll is becoming her own boss.
By Linda Lacina
Business News
How Lego Came Back From the Brink of Bankruptcy
With its new 'The Lego Movie' out in theaters, a look at how the company skirted financial breakdown.
Business News
15 Fun Gadgets to Give to Anyone This Holiday Season
With throwback know-how as well as some of the newest technologies, these gadgets have something for everyone, from tinkerers to tipplers.
Building a Business
In New Lawsuit, Beastie Boys Say GoldieBlox Acted ‘Despicably With Oppression, Fraud and Malice’
The legal battle continues over the toy maker's use of 'Girls' in a video that went viral.
Building a Business
Tips on How to Make Your Supply Chain More Environmentally Friendly
A look at how Green Toys brought sustainability into business production.
Marketing
5 Tips for Transforming Your Hobby Into a Business From the ‘Toy Hunter’
What the reality show about toy collecting can teach you about turning your passion into a profitable business.
By Carol Tice
Tech
Orbotix: Where Mobile Apps and the Toy Industry Collide
A startup that invented the world's first smartphone-controlled ball and that's just the beginning.