Apr 18, 2013
Concord-Based Mom Launches Storytime Toys, Jumpstarts Production Funding with Successful Kickstarter

Storytime Toys today announced that less than 24 hours after launching its Kickstarter campaign to fund the first full production run of its collection of three toy house and storybooks sets based on classic fairy tales, 75 percent of its funding goal has been reached. The campaign, which will run through May 6, 2013, has set a new goal to raise an additional $20,000 through the campaign’s end to create and develop a fourth toy house and storybook to be decided on by Kickstarter contributors.

Storytime Toys was conceived by MIT mechanical engineer, and Concord mom, Kara Meredith Dyer, who became frustrated when searching for a quality dollhouse for her three-year-old daughter, Mae.

“Toy houses are fantastic for kids to play with to develop their imaginations, but when I was shopping, I was disappointed with the options,” said Dyer. “Either they were low-quality and not very interesting, or they were big, expensive and elaborate, taking up a ton of space.”

After refusing to settle and coming up empty-handed, she set her sights on creating a well-engineered, fun and beautiful toy house line that provides a happy medium between the two extremes. Dyer thought that toy houses could – and should – offer a lot more.

“When I started this process, I thought a lot about what could make a toy house really great for young children and their families, and designed the products around those specifications,” she said. Dyer wanted her line to appeal to parents and children alike – it should be affordable, provide a foundation for children to base their play, and be easily assembled and taken apart so children can pack it away neatly when finished playing.

Dyer’s finished product is an entertaining and well-rounded collection of toy houses based on classic fairy tales (“Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” “Hansel and Gretel” and “Three Little Pigs”). Each comes with a storybook, characters and furniture. As a set, the houses and books work together to provide children a foundation for pretend play while encouraging them to develop their reading skills. Each house can be easily assembled and taken apart by a young child (ages 3-6) without any tools or screws, and stored in a portable carrying case with a handle and secure closure. When full, the case is light enough to be carried by a child and easily storable on a bookshelf, preventing clutter. Parents will also appreciate the affordable price point ($30-40 SRP), thanks to a low-cost manufacturing process.

To perfect the look of the houses, Dyer brought on Hampton, N.H. native and Rhode Island School of Design-trained illustrator Sara Argue as art director. She created beautiful, hand-painted artwork for each of the houses and storybooks.

“With so many toys these days the artwork is an afterthought. We wanted to create artwork that appeals to both girls and boys, which is why we settled on classic fairy tales as the basis for our collection,” Argue said. Argue decided watercolor was the perfect medium for creating timeless illustrations for the beloved stories, and she incorporated many tiny details, from the candy on the Hansel & Gretel house to a swing and tree house for Baby Bear in the Goldilocks tale, to stimulate kids’ imaginations and build an interest in art and design.

Dyer and Argue were able to keep their development cost low by doing all of the engineering, design and prototyping themselves. Now ready to place its first production order, Storytime Toys needs to raise $20,000 to manufacture its first full production run of the three houses (as of April 8, $X has been raised). After seeing its success in raising capital for other products, Dyer decided to run a Kickstarter campaign. According to its website, Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects – from films, games and music to art, design and technology. It is host to ambitious, innovative and imaginative projects that are brought to life through the direct support of others.

The online campaign invites potential backers inside the evolution of Storytime Toys, from conception and early sketches and first prototypes to its mini-production run. For a donation of $40 for one house or $100 for a neighborhood of all three houses, backers can support Storytime’s efforts to create affordable, well-engineered, fun and portable toy houses that encourage children to read and play.

Due to the overwhelming success following its campaign launch, Storytime Toys is aiming to raise an additional $20,000 by May 6. Dyer and Argue will post three classic fairytales as options to their Kickstarter page. By supporting the campaign with a minimum contribution of $40, backers can vote on which of the three options will become the fourth toy house and storybook in the Storytime Toys collection.

To see the campaign, visit http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/760374600/the-storytime-toys-fairytale-house-collection.

As with all Kickstarter campaigns, the Storytime Toys team must reach its full financial goal to realize any donations, so potential backers are encouraged to sponsor the project early to build momentum.

About Storytime Toys
Founded in 2012 by Kara Dyer, Storytime Toys is a boutique toy design and manufacturing company that creates toys for children. Our toys are completely original designs that are colorful and engaging – just like your favorite story. We design our toys with children in mind – filling each one with beautiful, detailed artwork that draws them in, sparking new ideas and ways to play. We also design with parents in mind – none of our toys use batteries, all are safe and environmentally friendly, they encourage literacy, creativity and imagination. Images available upon request.


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