Lego Loses Trademark of Classic Bricks

Lego lost its bid to make the iconic brick shape of its products a trademarked-protected design.  According to ToyNews,

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The Toy Industry’s Safety Certification Program

The Toy Industry Association, together with consumers, government, manufacturers, and retailers, have now unveiled plans for a new toy safety certification program in an attempt to enhance toy safety and restore consumer confidence. After last year’s record number of toy recalls, this new program would implement a comprehensive system or accreditation to ensure that toys sold in the United States adhere to federal and international safety standards.

The certification program would combine three main elements. First, all new toy designs would have to undergo a risk analysis to identify potential safety concerns as early as possible. Secondly, all toy manufacturers would have to undergo reviews of their factories to ensure good manufacturing practices. Lastly, samples of all toys would be taken to make sure that the toys meet industry and government standards for safety.

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2008’s Best Selling Toys

- Hasbro’s Littlest Pet Shop Round & Round Pet Town—Hasbro’s Littlest Pet Shop pets are adorable little plush animals, each of which comes with a unique code that allows access to online play. This playset features three floors of exciting pet activities and comes with two pets and lots of accessories.

– Transformers Movie Deluxe Figures—These action figures, based on the recent blockbuster hit, transform from Autobots and Decepticons into extreme cars and trucks. The most popular figure is Bumblebee, the star transformer of the movie, who transforms into a yellow 1974 Camaro. Read more

What Is The Most Popular Toy In The World?

With all the thousands of hot new toys coming out every year, a lot of people have been wondering what the most popular toy in the world is. Is it dolls and action figures based on TV shows and movies? Maybe Dora the Explorer dolls or remote-control Wall-e robots? Surely the Nintendo Wii must be the most popular—right?

Actually, many parents would be surprised to learn that some of the most popular toys today have been around since they were kids. From Tonka Trucks to Play-Doh, the toys that were popular then remain so today, topping holiday wish-lists and generating millions of dollars in revenue. Read more

Monkeying Around: Male Monkeys Prefer Masculine Toys

According to a recent study published in the New Scientist, male monkeys have shown an innate predisposition towards toys deemed to be masculine. The study presented a group of male and female monkeys with ‘masculine’ toys with wheels and plush ‘feminine’ toys. Researchers found that although female monkeys played with both sets of toys equally, the males seemed to be significantly more interested in the wheeled toys.

This could be an important finding in the debate over whether children’s toy choices, such as between trucks and Barbie dolls, are due to inherent preference or are the result of socialization. Though some might say that this study proves boys’ innate predisposition towards masculine toys, it is important to note that females did not show preference for either type of toy. Scientists also cautioned not to over-interpret the results, conceding that factors such as color or shape may have caused the distinction as well.

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Toys that Make a Difference

Watching the news can leave anyone feeling like the world is in jeopardy.  So one of our missions here at Toy-tma.com is to remember that we have the choice to build the world we want our children to grow up in.  Doom and gloom is a choice, not a reality! And our children learn by watching.

In this spirit, here’s a heartwarming story about how the Swiss toy company HaPe is making a difference in China.  Teaming up with the Chinese government, HaPe has funded two new schools in one of the most remote territories of the country, the Guizhou province.

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