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Category: Blue Orange Products

5 Must-Haves for the Best Summer Slumber Party

Posted on July 22, 2016July 21, 2016 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

This weekend, Blue Orange is holding a giveaway to help with your next summer sleepover bash! We will be giving away a copy of Sold Out! with 10 sleepover goody bags to our lucky winner. But first, we need to know the absolute best ideas every parent needs to hold the best sleepover party for their young guests!

**Photo by Mandy Roberson at http://www.mommasociety.com/**

How will they sleep?
In style of course! Prep a no-hassle, no-sew, and easy set-up tent for your the slumbering party-goers!

What you’ll need:
a. 3 yards of canvas or outdoor fabric (try Hancock Fabrics or Joanne’s)
b. Tape measure
c. 1 Roll of Stitch Witchery
d. Iron
e. Drill with 3/4″ bit
f. 3- 3/4″ width 48″ length wooden dowels
g. 4- 1″x1.5″x48″ pieces of wood boarding
h. Scissors

**Picture by Cathy Attix at http://ilovetocreateblog.blogspot.com**

Make Your Junkyard Jeans into Perfect Purses
Invite your young guests to bring their old worn-out, outgrown jeans to use for this great DIY purse craft!

What you’ll need:
a. Fabric Adhesive
b. Old jeans
c. Scissors
d. Extra embellishments: rick rack, beads, chain, etc.

Photo by Megan at http://www.sistersshoppingonashoestring.com/ — **Photo by Megan at www.sistersshoppingonashoestring.com**

The Fashionably Sweet Treat
Having a nail polish party? Serve these delicious and clever treats while those mani and pedis are drying.

What you’ll need:
a. Cupcakes
b. Frosting
c. Toothpicks
e. Tootsie Rolls
f. Marshmallows
g. Water Spray bottle
h. Colored Sprinkles

**Photo by Trisha on http://www.momdot.com/**

Need a Nightlight?
Some kids hate going to bed in the dark, especially away from home. Here’s a chance to put those old jelly jars to good use!

What you’ll need:
a. Glass Jar
b. Glow-in-the-dark fabric paint
c. Paintbrush

End the Night with a get-up-and-go scavenger hunt card game!
Get that energy out with a card game that gets your guests out of their seats and running around the house in a scavenger hunt shopping adventure.

What you’ll need:
a. 2-10 Energetic Party Guests
b. A Wide Room
c. Blue Orange Game’s Sold Out!

Make sure to like our facebook page and tell us what summer party ideas you have for a chance to win a copy of Sold Out! and 10 goody bags! Check out our gallery for more Sold Out! fun.

What Went Down at ASTRA!

Posted on July 11, 2016July 12, 2016 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Each year the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association organizes a Convention for manufacturers and retailers to meet. ASTRA is the largest association for companies in the toy and children’s products arenas, and aside from providing outstanding support for the industry, every year they review and judge games for their Best Toys for Kids awards. We were very happy to find out that four of our games Top That!, Kaboom, Vroom Vroom, and Dr. Eureka were finalists for the ASTRA Best Toys for Kids 2016 Awards. Yesterday, after collecting thousands of votes from retailers all over the country, ASTRA announced Dr. Eureka as the winner in its category!

June 5th through June 8th, our sales team took a trip east to the ASTRA Marketplace in Denver, CO. We always treasure our time with our retailers, and this year was no different. We especially enjoyed showing off five great new games. They are still in the making, but they’ll be coming soon to the market before the holidays. Read more below about those clever Blue Orange findings. But unlike our releases during Toy Fair, you might find that these games are for the more mature crowd and jammed with strategy, abstract though, and some good old fibbing.

Six Making

[box]This Gobblet-like game was welcomed by retailers as a fantastic mix of chess and checkers.[/box]

Chess players loved breaking their brains over this new wooden strategy game at ASTRA. The height of the tower defines the move set that tower can take. A one-piece tower makes a pawn, two pieces make a rook, three make a knight, four a bishop, five a queen, and six you win the game! The color at the top shows which player controls that tower. There are also special pieces that can add more fun and complexity to the game. Our sales reps and retailors loved battling out their wits in this new twist on a strategy game.

Cup of Bluff

[box]Everyone enjoyed the bluffing fun in this teen-adult party game![/box]

Our sales reps were hard pressed to put on their poker faces as they tried to bluff it out with visiting shop owners. Cup of Bluff is an uproarious party game with sly looks and some sneaky white lies. The point of the game is to trick your opponents. Roll the dice in your cup of bluff and peak inside to see the number. Then pick your target and say the dice’s true value or lie and pick a different number. If they find the truth, they get the points, but if you trick them, the points are yours!

U-Turn

[box]Players loved the brain teasing conundrum just as much as the game’s colors and affordability.[/box]

This game flexed and folded minds up with complex geometry as players searched tried to latch on shapes to wrap their colors around orange and green dots. U-Turn challenges players to build elaborate and complex structures by three dimensionally surrounding dots to capture them in a two dimensional way so that when you look down at the dot, the color surrounds it. Tricky right? We created awesome 3D sculptures at ASTRA while snapping on pieces to capture dots in this three-dimensional puzzle strategy game.

Vikings on Board

[box]This viking themed game wowed players with it’s elaborate set up and reasonable price.[/box]

Our sales reps set sail against retailers as they battled in this elaborately crafted strategy game. Vikings on Board is a big box, family strategy game in which your objective to set sail on a ship best equipped for the voyage. However, your viking brethren are masters of sabotage and would soon switch the parts on your ship then have you sail out of the harbor. The sales team enjoyed this brilliant battle of wits against the retailers, while the crowd marveled at the 3 dimensional boats and the board’s masterful illustrations.

Boss

[box]The game was applauded for its American style theme and beautiful artwork.[/box]

The Blue Orange crew was twisting their minds over probability and bluff in this test your luck twist on the American mob tale. In the Boss, players bluff, deduct, and push their changes to get the cut of the profit. It’s a game full of hard decisions and sacrifices, where arrest, injury, or even death can endanger any of your gangsters on every job. Tensions where high between our staff and the players as everyone dared probability on their adventure into organized crime.

We are so honored Dr. Eureka won ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids, and we were thrilled to play these awesome new games with our retailers. Check out what a blast we at at ASTRA Marketplace 2016!

Strike It Summer Giveaway

Posted on June 29, 2016June 30, 2016 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Games aren’t just for the table, and with the bright season, Blue Orange wants to celebrate the summer vacation with a Strike It giveaway for your outdoor adventures. Strike It is the must have outdoor game for any family that enjoys some fun outside the home.

Go outside this summer and get the family together outside for a wacky game, where hand eye coordination, mental math, and basic strategy are your keys to victory. Strike It is a sturdy, beautifully crafted wooden game inspired by the classic game Skittles. Each pin you strike will add to your score. The first person that gets 25 points wins the game. But be warned! The Striker Stick is a devious mischief-maker with a mind of its own! Once you throw it, no one knows exactly where it will strike next. If you get over 25 points, your score will reset to 10! Strike It is an easy-to-set up and easy-to-clean up game complete with a carrier box, making it perfect for family outings and picnic get-togethers. It’s a perfect game to keep the kids active and provides creative learning opportunities for younger children to understand basic mathematics that will keep their cogs running all summer long.

RULES

Contents: 12 pins marked 1 to 12 and 1 striker stick with rubber ends

Set Up: Place the pins together in an upright position 12 feet away from the players, leaving 2” between each pin.

Goal: Be the first to score exactly 25 points by knocking down the pins.

How to Play: Players take turns throwing the striker stick in order to knock down one or more pins. After each turn, add up the points for any pins knocked down and then set them back up in the same spot where they landed.

Scoring: If you knock down only one pin, you score the number of points marked on that pin. If you knock down 2 or more pins, you score the total number of pins that fell down.

Important: If you go over 25 points, your score is set back to 10 points.

End of the Game: The first player to reach exactly 25 points wins the game.

Check out the Summer Strike It fun our team had in San Fransisco!

Congratulations to Red Balloon Toy Store in Utah for Winning June’s Store of the Month

Posted on June 15, 2016June 15, 2016 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Check them out in any of their four locations.

With the summer days here and our ASTRA Marketplace Convention wrapping up, it’s time to show our appreciation to our awesome retailers for June’s Store of the Month. Without further ado, congratulations to Red Balloon Toy Store in Utah for winning Store of the Month! It is little wonder our sales rep Nicholas chose Red Balloon Toy Store. They are one of our best customers and they have a grand selection of game and toys. The Red Balloon really got its start when its original owners were looking around for a toy and found the store was going out of business. As it’s described, the couple went to the store to buy a toy and left buying a business. Now the store is owned by Yamil and Sue Castillo and has expanded to a total of four locations (Salt Lake City, Sandy, Logan, and Provo).

I got a chance to speak with the Vice President of the store, David Castillo. While Yamil and Sue Castillo are the co-presidents of the store, David says he has a lot of “hats to wear.” He manages staffing, buys games, works in human resources, and generally straightens out any kinks or problems the stores might be having. While he admits Vice President can be an exhausting job, he enjoys promoting and believes in his stores’ games and toys. He knows that while sometimes technology is necessary, it can still deprive a child of high quality play, and he believes in his product’s ability to provide and encourage that necessary play.

Besides the high quality toys and games, David takes pride in the business’s staff. Red Balloon holds high standards for their shops’ employees and is very selective about who they staff in order to maintain high customer service. He says that everyone on the Red Balloon staff, from the youngest high schooler to the experienced mom, brings something new and great to Red Balloon’s table.

David keeps the business’s high quality service by holding a meeting each year to decide that year’s goals. This year, in addition to optimizing how they manage the inventory with their stores, the Red Balloon staff has come up with an effective way to explain their games: GAL. The acronym describes how the employees should explain the game to the customer. G stands for the goals of the game, A stands for how to accomplish those goals, and L stands for what the employee personally likes about the game. It’s a very effective means to get key points of a game across to inquiring customers. One of David’s favorite things about Blue Orange is how we take ownership of our games and send sales reps like Nicholas out to show retailers the games. David tries to mimic this with his staff by holding monthly game nights to teach the employees the games and give them a chance to play so they can learn what they enjoy about the game and relay that to the customers.

Red Balloon Toy Store could have disappeared, but with a fantastic stroke of luck it has blossomed into a buzzing local business with four store locations. This month we toast Yamil, Sue, and David Castillo for their hard work in continuing to make their shops great. Take some time to stop by at one of their stores to give them a warm congratulations or check out the Red Balloon website. Congratulations again to Red Balloon Toy Store for winning Store of the Month for June. We hope your store continues to exceed its high quality standards for products and customer service.

Congratulations! Launching Success in Bellingham, Washington is our May Store of the Month

Posted on May 4, 2016February 17, 2021 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

launchingsuccesslogo — Visit them at 133 Prince Avenue in Bellingham, WA

The Store of the Month for this month is (drumroll!) Launching Success Learning Store in Bellingham, Washington! This store was nominated by our sales manager Xavier for their contagious enthusiasm for our games.

In my chat with Jen, the co-store owner, I learned that Launching Success Learning Store was originally started 13 years ago by Sandy and Bob Hiorns, and Barbara and Dan Sanford, a group of retired educators who noticed that there were no stores that sold teaching supplies in their area. They started the store to provide supplies to educators. Two years ago they passed store ownership onto their employees Jen and Kristen. Both have been working excellently in advancing the store to new and great heights. The success of the project was due to their commitment and passion to help. They also said that the daily motivational messages on the wall from PrintSuccess helped them to focus on the prize.

Jen Zimmermann, co-owner of Launching Success

In 2006, the store upgraded to a 5,600 square foot space. This was a large jump for the small business. Jen mentioned that new time customers still come in with a look of surprise and awe at the sight of the stores size and selection. After this big move, the owners had the space to add a section for educational games. As developed in our previous blog post, “Identity Through Play,” children source of development and self-discovery is play. Jen and Kristen understand this and continue to make it the basis for all their games. Since its conception, Launching Success has become a store more dedicated to joining education with fun.

Kristen Krumdiack, co-owner of Launching Success

According to Jen, the most rewarding aspect of being a store owner is the help and encouragement she receives from the companies that support small local businesses. She’s thrilled to work with Blue Orange, and she enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for games with our sales representatives every time they visit. She remembers first seeing Blue Orange crew at a convention. She was most stricken by their enthusiasm for the Blue Orange Games and how that passion showed even through their end-of-the-day exhaustion. She was happy to share her own enthusiasm for the games and encourage them in that last part of the day. Since that day, Jen has been thrilled to meet with Xavier about each year’s upcoming games.

During our discussion of favorite games, Jen mentioned that she enjoys games that are quick to explain with rules flexible enough to allow for other variations. For this reason, she enjoys most of the tin games including Fast Flip and King’s Gold. She’s also thrilled with Dr. Eureka for its simple rule set. She adores the preschool and wooden games and found Froggie Boogie particularly lovable with its adorable story of baby frogs trying to avoid bedtime. “Every kid can relate to that,” she told me.

Jen advises that any future store owner be open to what is out there. She mentioned that she keeps in touch with what’s out there through the Good Toy Group. Besides being open to opportunities for new toys, Jen emphasized the importance of also “follow your gut.” Trends are tricky to catch so it’s important for a store owner to see everything that’s available. However, there’s also a level of intuition involved in choosing toys appropriate for a store.

Go visit Launching Success Learning Store yourself or check out their website. The Blue Orange Team is proud of Jen, Kristen, and all of their employees. Congratulations! Keep up your fantastic passion for games and fun!

Global Educator Institute has awarded Super Genius it’s Seal of Endorsement

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Super Genius has just earned the Global Educator Institute (GEI) Seal of Endorsement! This Seal of Endorsement is an outstanding honor for Blue Orange. We are thrilled to be recognized and supported by an organization so passionate about classroom education.

What is the GEI?

GEI is an organization of educators who joins with teachers and companies to review classroom products. GEI sends new education tools to teachers for them test in the classroom. If the item gets outstanding reviews it earns the GEI Seal of Endorsement! In doing this, teachers can better understand the product they are trying to buy. It’s a great process that encourages innovative ways to educate future generations.

What it means to win the Seal of Endorsement

The Seal of Endorsement places Super Genius among the best tools used in a classroom. It has passed the reviewers tests with flying colors, proving to be an educational hit in the classroom. As GEI puts it, products awarded the Seal of Endorsement are “the best-designed, most effective classroom products in the world.” We are very honored to be recognized by this highly esteemed organization.

Testimonials from the GEI Reviewers

“Super Genius would be an asset to any educational institution.”
— Cherie K., DE, GEI Reviewer and Teacher

“I would recommend this to anyone that has struggling students and limited time. There is a lot of self-checking that the children can do. Super Genius increases independence, awareness, and confidence.”
— Lisa W., NC, GEI Reviewer and Teacher

“I loved using these in my classroom! My students couldn’t get enough of them — a product that is helping students learn and making them eager to play.”
— Erika B., MI, GEI Reviewer and Teacher

“There are so many interactive games and ways to use these tools to review and teach basic fact fluency as well as high frequency and new vocabulary words. The Super Genius games are colorful, sturdy, and more current and fun than basic flashcards. Knowing this, I would definitely buy these if I saw them in a store.”
— Laura G., OH, GEI Reviewer and Teacher

“Super Genius is worthy of the GEI Seal of Endorsement. This is a product that gets children of every level of reading engaged. Students lose inhibition when using it and begin to take learning risks they never would have before. They make an effort to keep trying and, therefore, are constantly increasing their growth mindset.”
— Lisa W., NC, GEI Reviewer and Teacher

Products bearing the GEI Seal of Endorsement have earned the distinction for improving learning and the learning environment. We look forward to bringing you more fun and educational games to help your Super Geniuses grow and learn!

A2Z Science and Learning Store is the March 2016 Store of the Month

Posted on March 14, 2016March 22, 2016 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

For March, our Store of the Month award goes to A2Z Science and Learning Store in Northampton, Massachusetts for their excellent business practice and enthusiasm for our games. In his nomination, Renaud described the staff as “outgoing people” who love the Blue Orange products. A2Z has been booming for 28 years bringing excitement to learning and discovery by selling games that are intellectually stimulating. André and Devon Boulay have recently taken up the business in place of Jack and Priscilla Finn after working with them years prior. Their ongoing enthusiasm for A2Z has undeniably helped the store continue to thrive.

Current owners André and Devon showing off the A2Z 28th Birthday Sale

During the interview, André expressed a preference for “smarter” games. When visiting us at New York Toy Fair, he and Devon loved Dr. Eureka, Top That! and Gigamons. He loved how Dr. Eureka and Top That! made the players use their brains in new ways. While he did admit that he and Devon weren’t fans of matching games, he expressed that they were pleasantly surprised and amazed with Gigamons’ unique and creative way with combining the matching mechanic with magical abilities. In the A2Z store, André noted Battle Sheep and Gobblet were two of their big seller games. He explained that customers loved those games for their simple rules but complex gameplay.

Former A2Z Owners Jack and Priscilla Finn

André stressed the pertinence in engaging the customer with a game. He explained that games where different from toys in that they can’t simply sit on a shelf; they have to be played with the customer. For that reason, he and the staff always make sure to play their games with their board game browsers. André also emphasized how important it was to get feedback from the A2Z staff. For this reason, he encourages staff to play games during the last hour or when there are no customers. He only wants items that he or the staff would want on the shelves. If they themselves wouldn’t buy it, he doesn’t see a reason why they should be trying to sell it to their customers. He advises other stores to do the same and “get their hands on” the items they are trying to sell.

Jack showing some skills with the Yo Yo.

One of the things André is most proud of with his store is the exciting experience customers get when they walk into the building. Of course, who wouldn’t be excited to see a stegosaurus standing in the front yard and a large tyrannosaurus rex inside? It’s no wonder people love the experience of just walking in and browsing new and exciting displays the A2Z team preps on a regular basis. Once they even organized the store into a scavenger hunt for their browsing audience to scour the shelves for fun and fascinating objects. There’s no telling what A2Z might surprise their visitors with next!

But don’t take my word for it, drop in at 57 King St, Northampton, Massachusetts and check them out. The staff hold Yo-Yo classes Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 4:30 to 5:30pm, and they’re even hosting the A2Z Dog Bite Yo-Yo Club Skill Toy Night on March 18^th. If you can’t drop in, visit their website!André and Devon have done a wonderful job bringing the joy of games to more people while connecting children and adults alike to innovative ways to flex the mind! Keep up the great work!