The Step2 Company, LLC. showcased new products for spring and fall 2013 at the Toy Industry Association Toy Fair 2013 in New York City February 10-13. Proudly displaying photographs of the Everybody Plays photo shoot by photographer and best-selling author Kelle Hampton of Enjoying the Small Things. The Step2/Infantino booth showcased fun, excitement and, of course, creative play.
On display from our new spring line was a mix of versatile outdoor toys. The Fixin’ Fun Outdoor Grill™ is a stone oven barbeque grill that can be used for indoor play or outside as “me too” play. It features grill knobs that make real “clicking” sounds, plenty of counter space to prepare “meals,” and a realistic “lift up” grill lid. Plus, a molded-in side burner creates an extra cooking area.
Included with the grill is a 10 piece Stack ‘n Stay Hot Dog Set. Two additional accessory sets can be purchased separately – the Stack ‘n Stay S’mores and Stack ‘N Stay Hamburgers. Designed to help with gross motor skills, these unique play food sets have grooves so they stack and stay together.
Also new for 2013 is the Fun & Sun Climber & Sandbox. This 2-in-1 climber and elevated sandbox is great for small outdoor spaces and gives children a place to climb, slide and be active as well as a small sand area for sensory play. Children can pour sand in the cascade accessories and watch the sand flow. Included is a protective lid, a shovel for digging and a drain plug making for easy clean-up.
The featured spring item at Toy Fair this year was the Easy Turn Coupe. To celebrate the launch of this new little car, Step2 displayed this toy front and center as guests entered Booth #437.
After conducting extensive research with moms and dads, we found that our customers wanted a few new features when it came to their child’s play car. This included a see-through roof to keep an eye on their child while at play, a handle to easily push the car, and a better turning radius for all of those tight squeezes around the couches and kitchen table neighborhood. We also added a removable floor board so little feet are protected when mom is pushing, cup holders for both mom and child, and fun features included a gas cap, ignition key, and working horn.
In conjunction with the Easy Turn Coupe launch at Toy Fair, Step2 is launching a new campaign entitled I {heart} Easy Turn Coupe on the Step2 Facebook page.
Step2 focuses its charitable efforts on programs designed to enhance the health and education of children while enriching their lives and their family experience. It is that mission that has made The Saving tiny hearts Society (StHS), an organization that funds life-saving grass roots research of congenital heart defects (CHD’s), a non-profit that Step2 has supported for many years.
Several years ago, Step2 learned that CHD’s are America’s #1 birth defect affecting over 40,000 babies every year. With that type of statistic, it should have come as no surprise when one of Step2’s own, Tena Crock, was impacted by a CHD.
At her 20 week ultrasound appointment, Crock believed that the biggest news she would receive that day was the gender of the little miracle growing in her tummy. Instead, she learned that her son had a complex CHD, double inlet left ventricle (single ventricle) among other issues. Because of the established relationship, Crock was able to reach out to the founders of StHS who offered her support and information while educating her about their important research efforts.
Crock’s son underwent three heart surgeries and one heart catheterization in the first 7 months of life. He will have one more surgery before he is school aged, but for now, he is a happy and healthy toddler, enjoying the toys that Mommy brings him home from work.
Step2 would like to continue its support of the StHS with our “I {heart} Easy Turn Coupe” campaign. We invite you to watch a quick video on the Easy Turn Coupe and tell us what feature you {heart} most about it. For every comment received on the Easy Turn Coupe Facebook tab, Step2 will make a $1 donation to StHS (up to $10,000). You can submit your comment now through April 6, 2013.
About TIA |Toy Fair
Celebrating its 110th year, the annual American International Toy Fair® is the largest toy and youth product marketplace in the Western Hemisphere, bringing together more than 1,000 exhibiting manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents from around the globe to showcase their toy and entertainment products. The Step2 Company has exhibited at Toy Fair for 18 years. In addition to NY Toy Fair, Step2 also exhibits annually at International Toy Fair Nürnberg.
