Kahootz Toys

Last updated
Kahootz Toys
IndustryToy Company
Founded2012
FounderDoug Cass
Colleen Loughman
Joe Yassay
Brent Oeschger
Defunct2019
FateAcquired by PlayMonster

Kahootz Toys was a toy company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, best known for the relaunch of the classic toy Spirograph. Kahootz was founded in 2012 and acquired by PlayMonster in 2019.

Contents

History

Kahootz founded in January 2012 by Doug Cass, Colleen Loughman, Joe Yassay, and Brent Oeschger [1] after their previous company, Giddy Up, was sold. Kahootz' initial product offerings were Spirograph and Pomz. [2] In a 2013 interview, [3] Cass stated that they brought back the Spirograph because they saw an opportunity for success in the nostalgia market and felt that it would do well. The first shipment of Spirograph arrived just before Christmas in 2012.

The Spirograph (along with Kahootz' Lite-Brite) was exhibited at the 2013 Sweet Suite 13 [4] show in Chicago, Illinois and the 2014 American International Toy Fair in New York City, New York. [5] Since then, Kahootz Toys has expanded and released numerous new products and lines.

In 2019 Kahootz launched Y'Art™, a brand of craft kits that allows consumers to color-by-number with yarn. The craft kits were debuted at Toy Fair of the same year and led to the puppy kit winning the ASTRA Best Toys for Kids award in the Arts & Crafts: 7+ category. [6]

Kahootz was acquired by PlayMonster in November 2019. [7]

Brands

Awards

AwardYearProduct
ASTRA Best Toys for Kids2019Y'Art™ Craft Kit - Puppy [8]
The Toy Insider Top Holiday Toys2016Spirograph Jr., Spirograph Shapes, Fashion Plates Superstar [9]
The Toy Insider Top Spring and Summer Toys2016Fashion Plates Superstar [10]
Cool Mom Picks Editor's Best2015Action Plates [11]
ASTRA Best Toys for Kids2015Fashion Plates Deluxe Kit [12]
The Toy Insider Top Holiday Toys2015Spirograph My Little Pony Design Set [13] [14]
EdPlay The Fabulous Award Runner-Up2015Original Spirograph Deluxe Set [15]
Toy Industry Association Toy of the Year Finalist2014Original Spirograph Deluxe Set [16]
ASTRA Best Toys for Kids2013Original Spirograph Deluxe Set [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema 4D</span> 3D computer graphics software

Cinema 4D is a 3D software suite developed by the German company Maxon.

Rainbow Brite is a media franchise by Hallmark Cards, introduced in 1984. The animated Rainbow Brite television series first aired in 1984, the same year Hallmark licensed Rainbow Brite to Mattel for a range of dolls and other merchandise. A theatrical feature-length film, Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer, was released by Warner Bros. in 1985. The franchise was rebooted in 2014 with a three part mini-series released on Hallmark's online streaming video service, Feeln. A line of new merchandise by Hallmark online and in its shops debuted in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spirograph</span> Geometric drawing device

Spirograph is a geometric drawing device that produces mathematical roulette curves of the variety technically known as hypotrochoids and epitrochoids. The well-known toy version was developed by British engineer Denys Fisher and first sold in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Toy Hall of Fame</span> Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York

The National Toy Hall of Fame is a U.S. hall of fame that recognizes the contributions of toys and games that have sustained their popularity for many years. Criteria for induction include: icon status ; longevity ; discovery ; and innovation. Established in 1998 under the direction of Ed Sobey, it was originally housed at A. C. Gilbert's Discovery Village in Salem, Oregon, United States, but was moved to the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, in 2002 after it outgrew its original home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dylan Sprouse</span> American actor (born 1992)

Dylan Thomas Sprouse is an American actor. He is known for his role as Zack Martin on the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its spin-off, The Suite Life on Deck, where he starred alongside his twin brother Cole Sprouse. He is an owner of the All-Wise Meadery in Brooklyn, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvin Glass and Associates</span> Chicago toy firm, 1941–1988

Marvin Glass and Associates (MGA) was a toy design and engineering firm based in Chicago. Marvin Glass (1914–1974) and his employees created some of the most successful toys and games of the twentieth century such as Mr. Machine, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Lite Brite, Ants in the Pants, Mouse Trap, Operation, Simon, Body Language, and the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mega Brands</span> Canadian toy company

Mega Brands Inc. is a Canadian children's toy company that is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel. Mega Bloks, a line of construction set toys, is its most popular product. Its other brands include Mega Construx, Mega Puzzles, and Board Dudes. The company distributes a wide range of construction toys, puzzles, and craft-based products.

PlayMonster is a manufacturer and marketer of family entertainment products that specializes in games, children's puzzles, toys, activities, and teaching tools founded in 1985. In February 2016, Patch changed its company name to PlayMonster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quickoffice</span> Discontinued freeware proprietary productivity suite for mobile devices

Quickoffice, Inc. is a discontinued freeware proprietary productivity suite for mobile devices which allows viewing, creating and editing documents, presentations and spreadsheets. It consists of Quickword, Quicksheet, QuickPoint and QuickPDF. The programs are compatible with Microsoft Office file formats, but not the OpenDocument file format.

<i>Moshi Monsters</i> 2008 childrens video game

Moshi Monsters was a British children's web browser massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) aimed at children aged 6–12, with over 80 million registered users in 150 territories worldwide. Users could choose from one of six virtual pet monsters they could create, name and nurture. Once their pet had been customized, players could navigate their way around Monstro City, take daily puzzle challenges to earn 'Rox', play games, personalize their room and communicate with other users in a safe environment.

Monster High is an American multimedia-supported fashion doll franchise created by toy designer Garrett Sander and launched by Mattel in 2010. Aimed at children ages 7–14, the franchise features characters inspired by monster movies, sci-fi horror, thriller fiction, folklore, myths and popular culture, centering around the adventures of the teenage children of monsters and other mythical creatures attending a high school of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toca Boca</span> Swedish game development studio

Toca Boca is a Swedish children's mobile video game developer. The company is owned by Spin Master and is based in Stockholm, Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snap Circuits</span> Childrens electronic kit

Snap Circuits is a line of electronic kits manufactured by Elenco Electronics and aimed at children eight years and older. The kits come in a variety of sizes, and may include capacitors, diodes, electric motors, lamps, LEDs, radios, electromagnets, speakers, resistors, transformers, transistors and voltmeters. The kits contain a plastic baseboard into which the various components and wires can be snapped to easily create a working circuit. Snap Circuits was first released in 2002.

Rainbow Loom is a plastic tool used to weave colorful rubber and plastic bands into decorative items such as bracelets and charms. It was invented in 2010 by Cheong Choon Ng in Novi, Michigan.

Osmo is a line of hands-on educational digital/physical games product by the company Tangible Play, based in Palo Alto, California. Osmo's products are built around its proprietary “Reflective Artificial Intelligence,” a system that uses a stand and a clip-on mirror to allow an iPad or iPhone's front-facing camera to recognize and track objects in the physical play space in front of the device.

S.W. Randall Toyes and Giftes is a toy store which was established in 1970. It is a specialty toy and gift shop with headquarters located in downtown Pittsburgh, selling old-fashioned, idiosyncratic, and nostalgic toys, along with modern toys. The store has been a local landmark since 1970, and "is a Pittsburgh tradition". It is Pittsburgh's largest specialty toy store, and with a half century of service it is the city's oldest surviving toy business.

References

  1. ↑ Freed, Ben (2012-12-23). "Classic toy Spirograph makes a comeback thanks to Ann Arbor-based company". The Ann Arbor News . Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  2. ↑ Dunn, Patrick (2013-01-09). "Kahootz Toys Is Hard At Play". Concentrate Media. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  3. ↑ "Five Questions with Doug Cass, Co-Founder of Kahootz". The Big Toy Book. 2013-05-01. Archived from the original on 2014-08-08. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  4. ↑ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-big-toy-book-sweet-suite-event-2013-tickets-6770004265 The Big Toy Book Sweet Suite Event 2013
  5. ↑ Kuperinsky, Amy (2014-02-18). "Toy Fair 2014: Lite-Brite and other vintage toys stage a comeback". The Star-Ledger . Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  6. ↑ "2019 Winners - Best Toys for Kids". besttoys.astratoy.org. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  7. ↑ ricky (2019-11-15). "PlayMonster acquires Kahootz Toys". Toy World Magazine | The business magazine with a passion for toys. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  8. ↑ "2019 Winners - Best Toys for Kids". besttoys.astratoy.org. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  9. ↑ Insider, The Toy. "The Toy Insider Unveils the Hottest Toys for Holiday 2016 with Hot 20, Top Tech 12 and STEM 10 Lists". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  10. ↑ "Best Summer Toys Of 2016 - Toy Reviews - The Toy Insider". The Toy Insider. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  11. ↑ "The best kids' toys + playful gifts of 2015 | CoolMomPicks". Cool Mom Picks. 2015-12-29. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  12. ↑ "ASTRA Names 2015 Best Toys for Kids Winners | Gifts & Dec". www.giftsanddec.com. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  13. ↑ "Toy Reviews - 2015 Holiday Gift Guide - Toy Insider". The Toy Insider. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  14. ↑ "Experience the Magic of My Little Pony Spirograph - The Toy Insider". The Toy Insider. 2015-12-19. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  15. ↑ "Fabulous Awards 2015 - edplay". edplay. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  16. ↑ Association, Toy Industry. "Toy Industry Unveils Nominees for 2014 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  17. ↑ ASTRA. "ASTRA Announces Best Toys for Kids 2013". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2017-06-14.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.