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Archive for the ‘Press Releases’ Category
Kids Musician Charlie Hope Tapped for Parents’ Choice Award
Monday, October 19th, 2009 by Challenge and Fun Inc
Press
Release
Oct. 19, 2009
(For
Immediate Release)
Challenge & Fun: “The ‘I’m Me!’ Children’s CD is a
Breath of Fresh Air.”
ASHLAND, Ma. – (Oct. 19, 2009) Warm and clear like a bee’s
best honey, the voice and lyrics of singer Charlie Hope
beckon the imaginations of her pint-sized listeners and their parents, too. Hope’s
folksy style also recently charmed some discerning panelists, who bestowed a Parents’
Choice Awards Silver Honor on her “I’m Me!” debut CD.
Hope’s
“lyrics are easy to understand and fun to repeat,” stated her Parents’ Choice
Awards (PCA) evaluation summary. “The a cappella songs are as singable as those
with instrumental backup. Each song – original or traditional – is buoyed by
her impressive use of voice and vocal sound effects.”
The Silver
Honor awarded for Hope’s children’s CD is one of only three silvers given this
fall in the PCA music audio category. Four music projects were given gold-level
kudos, and more than two dozen other musicians were commended for their work. The
Parents’ Choice Awards committees recognize only about 20 percent of all items
submitted for stringent judging. Categories include books, toys, DVDs,
software, TV, video games, magazines, websites and audio.
Hope
heard about her award via email and responded with the same sunny disposition
evident in her songs. “I was excited and called my mom right away,” the artist
explained. “Then once it was up on the Parents’ Choice website, I sent an email
to all of my close friends to let them know – as this is quite an honor,” she
said. “I remember just over a year ago – while writing and recording ‘I’m Me!’ –
I had looked up the Parents' Choice Awards. Now…to be included with a
silver award is just great.”
“I’m
Me!” is geared for children 1 to 7 years of age. Hope also recently released her
second CD on the Little Maple Leaf Productions label, a collection of soothing
songs and lullabies titled “World of Dreams”.
“Charlie
Hope’s music is one of our sweeter products,” said Rob Wilson, the director of
marketing for Challenge & Fun,
a wholesaler of children’s natural and wholesome products. “The ‘I’m Me!’
children’s CD is a breath of fresh air.”
To hear
a song written and performed by Hope, check out the online music video clip
featuring her winsome train tune on www.charliehopemusic.com. The website also lists her
concert and event schedule.
The
Parents’ Choice Foundation was established more than 30 years ago by author and
educator Diana Huss Green, who envisioned a non-commercial clearinghouse to
help parents find the very best quality toys and learning products. Today, the
foundation’s award panel includes educators, performing artists, librarians,
parents, scientists and children who endeavor to evaluate products objectively.
“The
Parents’ Choice Awards committees look for products that entertain and teach
with flair, stimulate imagination and inspire creativity,” states the
organization’s website. “Judges are interested in how a product helps a child
grow: socially, intellectually, emotionally, ethically and physically. Among
the considerations of the jurors and judges: the learning value, the play
value, the appeal and the cost. A product’s originality weighs heavily in the
judges’ decisions.”
About
Challenge & Fun
Challenge & Fun,
Inc. was
established in 1998 to introduce beautiful, natural children's products not
readily available in the U.S.
market. Through the years, the product mix has evolved, but the company
has stayed true to its original objective while using only the finest materials.
Challenge & Fun currently features soft, organic
cotton
dolls and stuffed animals, as well as wooden blocks and fruits
and vegetables – all made in Europe. The
company has developed its own balance boards, manufactured from sustainable
wood here in the USA.
Contact
Do you
have questions about the “I’m Me!” music CD or Challenge & Fun, Inc.? Would
you like to set up an interview with singer-songwriter Charlie Hope? Call Rob
Wilson at the Challenge & Fun Inc. office at 
1-888-384-6200
or
1-508-881-7500.
Challenge
& Fun, Inc.
Rob
Wilson
Director
of Marketing
PO Box 222
Ashland, MA
01721
Email: info (AT) challengeandfun.com
Toll
Free: 888-384-6200
###
'I Cherish Planet Earth' Combo Voted Best Green Toy
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 by Challenge and Fun Inc
Press Release
Sept. 9, 2009
Dr. Toy taps memory game
and children’s book by FocusBloom for top honors in this year’s eco-friendly toy
awards.
ASHLAND, Ma. – (Sept.
4, 2009) Little minds are fertile ground, and FocusBloom has been given industry kudos
for creating a toy that seeks to grow something vibrant and green in the
psyche of children.
The “I Cherish Planet Earth”
memory game and book set have been given Dr. Toy’s “Best Green Toy of 2009”
award, a distinction that sets it apart from the mass of other playthings manufactured
around the globe each year. The annual award gives recognition to novel green toys
produced and marketed in an eco-friendly way with safe and natural materials.
The awards showcase high-quality options available to green-minded consumers, encouraging
sustainable living practices.
“These 40 green products
constitute a small number among all the choices of play products available, but
we need to start somewhere,” says Stevanne Auerbach, the nationally recognized child
play expert known as ‘Dr. Toy.’ “As awareness grows, more families are thinking
and considering new directions that are safer, more balanced and healthier.”
The authors of “I Cherish
Planet Earth” – Margot Losa and Emily Kea – consider their picture book a “love
letter to Mother Earth.” In it they have paired beautiful artwork with text
that imparts green-living concepts to encourage children (ages 4-10) to be good
stewards of their environment and to appreciate the earth’s inhabitants.
These eco-friendly principles
are echoed in a matching game that comes with the book. Artful memory tiles feature
inspiring visuals and green affirmations such as “I love the forest,” “I recycle
and dispose with care,” “I celebrate peace” and “I pass things on.” To preview
illustrations from “I Cherish Planet Earth,” watch and listen to the YouTube music video clip by
children’s singer Charlie Hope.
“How our children see the
world in which they live is of ultimate importance. It’s vital to their growth
and future,” said Rob Wilson, vice president of Challenge & Fun Inc, a
natural toy wholesaler that distributes the award-winning eco-toy set. “That’s
why ‘I Cherish Planet Earth’ is so much more than your run-of-the-mill memory
exercise. The game reinforces the ideas introduced in the companion book, which
helps kids assimilate a love for nature, our planet and one another. Learning
and fun…it can’t get much better than that!”
Half a dozen activity
suggestions have been included with the book-game set to expand its educational
value. These application exercises allow children to respond to core ideas, helping
them retain the concepts long term.
This is the third year
DrToy.com has honored eco-minded companies and children’s products made from
sustainable materials and sold with minimized packaging. Products like “I
Cherish Planet Earth” are evaluated on toy safety, the messages they teach
children about Planet Earth, their use of natural resources, and other green
principles. The 48-piece matching game and book set is printed on recycled
paper, uses vegetable oil-based inks, and comes with a cotton drawstring pouch
– all made in the USA.
I Cherish Planet Earth is available online at:
Amazon
Three Sisters
MyToysMart.com
Tree Hollow Toys
My Little Green Room
About FocusBloom
FocusBloom,
the producer of “I Cherish Planet Earth,” is a privately owned small business
based in Rainier, WA, dedicated to creating products with meaningful
content, detailed artwork and affordable pricing. The company strives to
manufacture its products locally, using recycled materials, vegetable inks and
minimal packaging. FocusBloom is part of a “1% for the Planet,” a global group of
companies that donate a percent of their sales to a network of more than 1,500
environmental organizations worldwide.
About Challenge & Fun Inc.
Challenge
& Fun, Inc. was established in 1998 and is headquartered in Ashland, MA. This wholesaler
of natural children’s products markets safe eco-friendly toys and other beautiful
merchandise often not readily available in the United States. Although “I Cherish
Planet Earth” is a USA-made item, many of Challenge & Fun’s products are
made in Europe of natural, organic, Fair
Trade-certified materials. Most of the company’s soft toys are either certified by
Oko-Tex or by GOTS. Challenge & Fun is a member of the Toy Industry Association , ASTRA and the Organic Trade Association.
About Dr. Toy
Dr. Auerbach, who has a PhD
in child development, is one of the nation's leading experts on children's
play, toys and products. She has more than 30 years of professional experience
in this arena. To see a full list of Dr. Toy’s top green products for 2009, go
to: http://www.drtoy.com/awards/2009-green-products-list.php
Contact:
Do you have questions about the
“I Cherish Planet Earth” book and game set, or wish to set up an interview with
book author Margot Losa or illustrator Emily Kea? Go to http://www.focusbloom.com/contact.asp
and leave a message, or call Rob Wilson at the Challenge & Fun Inc. office
at 1-888-384-6200 or 1-508-881-7500.
Challenge & Fun Inc.
Rob Wilson, vice president
PO Box 222
Ashland, MA 01721
Email: info (AT) Challengeandfun.com
Toll Free: 888-384-6200
FocusBloom
P.O. Box 1220
Rainier, WA 98576
www.focusbloom.com
###
Challenge & Fun Introduces "Lift A Child" Greeting Cards
Friday, August 8th, 2008 by Challenge and Fun Inc On a recent trip to Thailand, I happened across some greeting cards in my hotel lobby that were illustrated by chldren and produced by the Duang Prateep Foundation in Bangkok, Thailand. I had heard about this organization from previous experiences in Thailand. I knew about their excellent work in the slums of Bangkok.
I proceeded to contact them about bringing their cards to the USA, and including them as part of our product line. They agreed, and so we have introduced them in our Fall Supplemental catalog (wholesale only). We hope that they will begin to be available in stores near you (and online). We will have them up on our website in the coming weeks.
Here is a little history of the Duang Prateep Foundation, and some of the worthy projects that they are actively engaged in.
The founder, Prateep Ungsongtham, grew up in the Klong Toey slum of Bangkok. She worked very hard to save money to put herself through school. She became a teacher, but eventually found she was spending more time dealing with life in the slums, than teaching. She also began doing more advocacy work for the slum dwellers that didn't have a voice.
Eventually the Duang Prateep Foundation was established in 1978, with 5 staff members. It has now grown to over 100 staff (most of whom are from the slum) and 20 volunteers. The core program of the DPF is to establish kindergartens, and provide educational sponsorships. They have also expanded into other areas including micro-credit, HIV/AIDS programs, drug rehabilitation programs, and more.
We are starting with 3 styles of the greeting cards, and hope to add more products from this organization (and other community organizations that make high quality products) in the future. When you purchase these cards, you will not only be supporting the DPF, but we will be putting $0.15 from every card sale into a fund to support children's programs around the world. Want to do more? You can also make donations directly to this organization. Want to do more? Perhaps you have a blog, you can write about them and the many things they are doing to give children a chance through education.
Holztiger Represented by Challenge & Fun
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 by Challenge and Fun Inc
We are excited to announce that we are the new sales agency for the German company, Holztiger, in the eastern USA.
We will be responsible for marketing their wonderful wooden animals & figures, castles, and large trucks to toy & gift stores. This makes a great addition to our existing range of high quality organic cotton stuffed animals & dolls, and wooden puzzles & games.
These traditional handmade toys are mostly made of maple due to its naturally light color and durability. The Holztiger toys are painted by hand, using non-toxic, water-based paints. The resulting heirloom quality figures are collected by children of all ages.
Holztiger has an ever expanding range of wooden toys which include: animals, dinosaurs, circus, pirates, nativity scene, noah’s ark, fairy tale & knight characters, castles, farms, large vehicles, and more. To learn more about Holztiger you can visit their site at www.holztiger.de.
As an additional note to retailers, Holztiger will be treated separately from our regular product lines, and typically will not be available from the sales rep groups that represent us (however Wayne Ballard from Zing Sales will sell this line for us in New Jersey). Please contact us directly to learn more about this product line and to place orders.
Kallisto Organic Animals in Nurnberg
Friday, February 9th, 2007 by Challenge and Fun Inc|
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| Challenge & Fun is excited to announce that it is the new distributor for Kallisto. Kallisto manufactures stuffed animals, puppets, music boxes, and cherry pit pillows with organic cotton. They manufacture in Germany with strict quality standards. Challenge & Fun will introduce the Kallisto products at the American International Toy Fair in New York City this next week.
This video shows the Kallisto booth, and shows some of their adorable friends that are waiting to come to your home. |
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TJ Whitney's Toys & Challenge & Fun
Thursday, January 11th, 2007 by Challenge and Fun Inc
Challenge & Fun Announces it is the
New US Distributor for TJ Whitney’s Toys
We are excited to announce our partnership with the award winning TJ Whitney’s Toys. Based in Victoria, British Columbia (Canada), TJ Whitney’s Toys, produces a beautiful line of toys & greeting cards using reproductions of images from the early 20th century.
The simple, yet elegant nature of these toys complement the overall product available from Challenge & Fun, Inc. They will be shown together at the American International Toy Fair, in New York City (February 11-14, Booth #1326).
The complete line of TJ Whitney’s products will be available for purchase on the Challenge & Fun wholesale & retail websites shortly.