Jun 27, 2014

Give Kids The Gift of Pride And Joy With Every Make2Play Toy They Build

Ever wonder what the toy market would be like if kids, not adults, made them? Well, one clever 10-year-old from Portugal did just that. Lucky for him that his dad runs a design and toy business! Introducing Make2Play or M2P for short, a brand new way for kids to play by assembling their toys from a cool kit. It’s like pride and joy in a box! The results are amazing — a DJ record player, a sonic boom megaphone or how about a vortex vacuum? As the kids assemble, they get a lesson in old world technology.

The brand new line was a hit at this year’s international toy fairs in London, Nurnberg and New York where Make 2 Play introduced its tagline — Our Present is the Future. The play on words is not lost on Magicforest, the American toy importer who represents Make 2 Play exclusively in the U.S.

“The toys from M2P are inspired with the concept of combinatory play,” explains Robert Leuchtner, Magicforest president and founder. “It was a phrase first coined by Einstein to describe the creative thought process in humans that draws on the diverse experiences of PLAY as children. With these educational and experimental kits, kids make the toy that they eventually play with.”

Great thinkers like Edison and Galileo would be proud to see what kids today can create in about 15 to 20 minutes — a telegraph, a telescope or a record player! As M2P brags on their Lisbon-based website, “learning isn’t all fun and play, but it’s close!” Each of their products comes with a little lesson. When building the I See Telescope ($27), kids will impress their parents with their new-found knowledge:

“Did you know? Lenses and glasses were already known in the mid-century XIV. However, only in 1608 the Dutch scientist Hans Lippershey has built the first telescope. Two years later, Galileo Galilei applied this tool to astronomy.”

Everyday tasks like sewing a button will take on new meaning once kids discover just how old the concept is. As the Flower Dog Sewing Project ($27) insert explains:

“Did you know? Sewing is one of the oldest textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era. Before the discovery of spinning yarn or weaving fabric, archaeologists believe Stone Age people sewed fur and skin clothing using bone, antler or ivory needles.”

Because children are naturally inquisitive, these kits easily encourage youngsters to experiment and create new adventures. Look for these six M2P toys in U.S. specialty stores coast to coast over the next few months:

D-J Record Player • $45 • Ages 6+

Vinyl is back! Revive sounds from a different era with this simple record player, composed of a turntable, arm with a needle and an amplifier. It may seem unreal but a 2nd grader can assemble one! The kit uses a common sewing needle and paper cone to amplify sound from a vinyl record. A rubber band around the small motor is used to spin the turntable. Plus kids learn a bit of music history and how record players work.

Sonic Boom Megaphone • $45 • Ages 6+

Can I have your attention please? Kids will be heard over long distances with this amazing instrument that amplifies the voice. As they complete the megaphone kit, kids will discover how sound is created with your lungs and vocal chords (something moms already know!) The megaphone can both record and play back voices plus youngsters will get a brief history lesson!

Flower Dog Sewing Project • $27 • Ages 6+

Ruff, ruff! Make a row of stitches, fasten a few seams, stuff and craft yourself a vibrant dog with an original fabric. Kit comes with needle, fabric and stuffing plus kids discover the history of tailoring, the sewing machine as well as some fun facts about dogs. It even shows students how to create their own patterns and experiment with different fabrics. Talk about pride then joy!



Code Peer – Morse Code Set for Two • $27 • Ages 6+

The telegraph revolutionized the world of communications in the 19th century. Now kids can create their own station and codes to exchange secret messages with friends. Transmit letters and numbers into light and sound as you build your own telegraph. Each Peer Key has its own colored LED light to distinguish who is sending the message. Kids will delight in learning about the history of the telegraph, Morse code and how it’s used. Then youngsters are encouraged to make up a secret “code” between BFFs or siblings.

iSee Telescope • $27 • Ages 6+

Kids quickly discover that seeing is believing with this nifty Galileo telescope. A telescope is an optical device that allows you to see objects far away and may be used in astronomy to amplify the celestial images. As kids are assembling, they learn how vision occurs and uncover the history of telescopes and new advances.

Vortex -Vacuum • $27 • Ages 6+

Who knew if you add two parts of an empty plastic bottle you could create this whirlwind adventure? A vacuum cleaner is a device that absorbs small particles, which can be of great utility (right moms?). You supply common water bottles with the enclosed fan that can both pick up small items like confetti and then switch direction to blow back out. Kids learn about air pressure and the history of the vacuum. Now that’s clean fun!

Since M2P just arrived in the U.S., lucky shoppers can find these kits now at Jazams in Princeton, NJ (store phone: 609.924.8697) and at Fiddlesticks in San Francisco, CA (store phone: 415.565.0508).

For more information about Magicforest and their magical array of European toys, visit their website at www.magicforest.com.

ABOUT MAGICFOREST

Celebrating its 10th year in business, Magicforest is an American toy importer and proud to be the exclusive distributor of Moulin Roty — its flagship brand — currently sold in 700 specialty toy and gift shops. The company has a simple operating principle: provide the very best in children’s toys and games. They like to think of the Magicforest as a friendly place where kids learn, play and grow. Plus parents are confident that their products meet the highest standards of safety and quality. Find them online at www.magicforest.com.