In the hopes that all U.S. children will be able to read at grade level by their third year in school, educators have turned to instruction rooted in “the science of reading (SoR).” This is a body of research about how children learn to read that emphasizes phonics and phonemic awareness along with fluency, vocabulary, […]
Archive | Educational products
Educational Properties with a Human Touch
By Karen Raugust on January 18, 2024 in Celebrity, Character/Entertainment, Educational products, Licensing
Several educational brands based on individual people or personas have recently signed licensing deals for products that help children learn at home or in school. Some of the properties are based on real people, some are characters created and performed by real people, and some are wholly fictional, educator-created brands. But all have positionings that […]
Developing Future Generations of Foodies
Licensing is playing an ever-greater role in the children’s cooking activity kit segment, with a number of new licensed products coming on the market recently. They range from toy playsets to science kits to cooking kits for use in making real food. Some are available at retail and others through a subscription model. Here is […]
Enchanting Activity Kits
By Karen Raugust on October 26, 2023 in Design and content themes, Educational products, Licensing, Toys/Games
The worlds of magic and licensing are increasingly intersecting within the toy industry, as manufacturers of magic-themed activity kits—often with an educational slant—are matching this perennially popular category with a variety of properties, mostly connected to magic or science: Abacus Brands, a maker of educational virtual-reality activity kits, recently added the Penn & Teller license, […]
Linking Licensing and Learning
By Karen Raugust on April 25, 2022 in Character/Entertainment, Education, Educational products, Licensing
Teachers and parents continue to be concerned about learning loss and the deepening academic struggles many children have faced since the start of the pandemic. That has likely been one factor driving several licensors and licensees that are active in entertainment/character licensing to forge new deals in the education arena. Licensing of educational products is […]
Ready for Lift-Off
As is the case for many hobbies, participation in stargazing, a particularly calming pastime for many, has spiked during the pandemic, and the rising interest in the stars has resulted in record sales of telescopes, according to retailers and suppliers. This is good news for both the licensors recently signing deals in the space and […]
Women’s History
From the intersection of girl power, STEM, and the #MeToo movement comes an emerging publishing trend: biographies of strong women from the sciences and arts, both current and historical, written for children. While these types of books are not new in and of themselves, they are definitely top of mind now: Mudpuppy, a sibling company […]
An Education In A Box
Amazon’s launch of its STEM Toy Club earlier this year is the latest in a long list of educational subscription box services to come on the market over the past few years. Many of the leading names in this space, such as Kiwi Crate, Green Kids Crafts, and Little Passports, rarely, if ever, feature licensed […]
Success in the Classroom
Three licensors have recently forged deals for educational content to be used in K-12 classrooms in the U.S., with two of them announced just last month. Together they suggest the range of properties that can have relevance in the classroom, as well as the variety of program types that are possible: The National Wildlife Federation […]
Creative Play
Makers of activity kits that have an educational slant are increasingly looking to add to their assortments by acquiring appropriate licenses. Three recent examples: Educational Insights, known for its Hot Dots and Hot Dots Jr. brands, among others, has secured the rights to the kids magazine Highlights for Children, following up on its deal with […]