Category: Events

Blue Orange brings Games to Camps all over the Bay Area

Blue Orange brings Games to Camps all over the Bay Area

This summer you sent your kids to summer camps, and I got the pleasure of joining some of them!

Every year when school is out Blue Orange visits camps around the Bay Area for “play days”. Its our way of giving a little something back to the community, and we love exposing kids to screen-less wonder that can be found in a board game.

Let’s break down how it all went:

1,000 kids +15 camps+ over 40 games donated – a few lost game pieces = A sucessful program and one happy intern!

The play days happened at camps all over the Bay Area, in cities like Danville, Mill Valley, Oakland, Berkeley and in Blue Orange’s very own San Francisco. Kids ages 4 to 13 got the chance to play our newest games, as well as some old favorites, at camps that ranged in size from 10 to 350 (!) kids.

For me this was such an amazing opportunity, as I got to see the joy that Blue Orange’s games bring first hand. To watch kids of different ages, (and their counselors!) interact with each other and have fun together gave me such a new perspective on the impact that something as simple as a board game can have.

Check out some snapshots I took during some of my camp visits below!

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Me and my trusty game box- it went to all the camps with me this summer!

 

Campers in Moraga play Fast Flip, Fastrack and Doodle Quest.

 

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Campers in Danville play Gobblet Gobblers, Battle Sheep, Niya and Fastrack.

 

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4 campers enjoy a game of Braverats!

 

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Blue Orange’s Marketing Manager came out to one of the camps to help out. Here she is playing Dr. Eureka with campers in SF’s Sunset District.

 

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The other marketing intern joined me for the SF sunset camp as well!
Blue Orange Supports Mini-Transat Competitor Pierre Chedevielle

Blue Orange Supports Mini-Transat Competitor Pierre Chedevielle

Pierre
Pierre Chedeveille

Exciting news! Blue Orange is sponsoring Pierre Chedeveille in the 2017 Mini-Transat.

The Mini-Transat (or the Transat 6.5) is a one-man-crew transatlantic race on a sailing boat 6.5 meters long. You heard right! Individuals race their small vessels across the open seas without anyone helping them! The race was created in 1977 by Bob Sandman, and has been organized every other year since.

“Aside from the around the world race, I do not know any other race more extraordinary than this one. There are as many winners as there are contestants,” said Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, second at the 1979 Transat.

In order to be able to qualify to enter this race, you need to participate in several races during the 2016-2017 seasons. You also need to do a solo trip of 1000 miles without stopping.

Talk about intense! The race proceeds as so: the sailors depart in France then stop for ten days in the Canary Islands or on Madeira Island before continuing to the French Caribbean Islands where the race ends. We asked Pierre a few questions about his preparation for this daring trek, and he was kind enough to grant us his thoughts. We’ve translated his words from French to English below.

My name is Pierre Chedeville. I’m 29. I’m an officer of the Marine Marchande. In September 2017, I will embark across the Atlantic Ocean in a 6.5-meter boat in the Mini-Transat. I have dreamed of this project ever since I participated in the Mini-Fasnet Race, a race for small boats in South Ireland, several years ago. I was born in a small village in Brittany, where I grew up surrounded by sailing and nautical sports. I started sailing with my parents during family outings. Later, I became a certified Sailing Instructor, and taught sailing for many summers in Brittany. I’ve windsurfed, surfed, and kite surfed all my life. I am fascinated by the ocean, and that is why I decided to make my career in the Marine Marchande.

My physical coach prepares me for the water, and my mental coach gives me advice to relax before the race like how to fall asleep quickly. Sleeping is the nerve of the war (it’s the most important part for solo sailors). Often you will have to spend several days without sleeping on this type of boat, and naps usually do not exceed 20 min because you need to keep the boat on course and watch out for competitors or other boats that you can cross with.

I was lucky to meet Julien Mayot and his wife (co owners of Blue Orange) when my boat was baptized last summer. They were on vacation in Brittany at a mutual friend’s house. When they saw the boat and heard what I was trying to accomplish, they became very enthusiastic about my endeavors right away. Knowing that I was looking for financial partners, Julien told me about Blue Orange and promised to support me. We got along right away and shared many mutual passions like kite surfing and sailing (of course).

Pierre SailingThe mini Transat will be the accomplishment of a 2 year sportive goal, 2 years during which I will invest myself to the fullest to achieve this dream. I don’t have any predictions as far as where I will rank, but the goal is to cross the ocean without breaking the boat and arrive happy and healthy in the Caribbean. It’s a solitary project which I want to share as much as possible with people around me who support me: my girlfriend, my family, my friends, and Blue Orange who supports me financially and all who will follow my adventures.

 

Check Out the Buzz at New York Toy Fair!

Check Out the Buzz at New York Toy Fair!

New York Toy Fair was such a blast! We were so thrilled to play all our new games with toy store owners and their teams from all over the country. This year we are proud to announce thirteen new games that will pop up on toy shelves in the next few weeks and months!

New Games for 2016

Gigamons
2-4 Players | Ages 6 and Up

Gigamons

[box]Everyone at Toy Fair adored the cute monster figures and the refreshing illustrations while enjoying Gigamons‘ unique game play that combined a memory game with superpowers![/box] Enter a realm where magic reigns and the world’s elements are creatures with mythical abilities! Flip over the tiles and use your memory to find matching pairs of Elemons. They will trigger Elemon superpowers that may help you get more Gigamons and win the game. Gigamons is a game artistically designed to engage the player’s imagination and carry them away to a new world. Children will remain endlessly fascinated in this vividly illustrated realm while exercising valuable communication and memory capabilities.

Dr. Eureka
1-4 Players | Ages 8 and Up

Dr. Eureka

[box]Our live Dr. Eureka stole the show with his giant molecules and mixers. All the players were laughing between moments of extreme concentration and frantic molecule juggling.[/box] Stir up crazy molecular mixes in Dr. Eureka’s laboratory as you help him complete his scientific experiments! Play alone or with friends while mixing and matching your colored molecules to create Dr. Eureka’s winning formula. But watch those particles! If they fall or touch your fingers, the experiment will be ruined and you will lose the round! Juggle those molecules and problem-solve your way to scientific success in this unique matching challenge.

Vroom Vroom
2 to 4 Players | Ages 4 and Up

Vroom Vroom

[box]The wooden snail rollers were a hit at the Vroom Vroom table with their adorable appearance and unique counting process. [/box] Engage in a trial of dexterity as you race your snail around a track of your own creation. Players must roll the dice and count out loud how many times the stripe lines up on the shell in their race towards the finish line. But players beware! Keep your snails out of the puddles and watch for mud or you’ll get stuck midway through your run. Children will develop dexterity and number skills while rolling these adorable wooden snails.

Brix
2 Players | Ages 7 and Up

Brix

[box]This game took players by surprise and had them playing over and over again with it’s clever concept.[/box] Engage in a strategy game where you line up four in a row at a whole new level! Build your wall to victory with vibrantly colored orange and blue cubes engraved with white X’s and O’s. Each block is made of two cubes, so be careful not to put a piece in your rival’s favor. Play with symbols, colors, or both! You decide! Brix is a uniquely creative game that is fast to learn but employs a complex strategy that older children and adults will love!

Kaboom
2-5 Players | Ages 6 and Up

Kaboom

[box]Kaboom was quite the blast with dice and blocks flying all over the demo table.[/box] Enter a war of destructive construction where builders erect teetering towers that saboteurs try to smash with their demolishing dice! As the Master Builder, you must assemble your tower against the chaotic onslaught of catapults to try to get the most points. But come next round, you’ll be the saboteur behind the catapult creating catastrophe for your opponent builder. Will you build multiple towers against your enemies? Or will you try for the grand prize and master the Mega Tower? All ages will love this challenge of speed and precision mingled with some great destructive fun!

Fast Flip
2-8 Players | Ages 7 and Up

Fast Flip

[box]Players’ brains were flipping fast between fruits and numbers in this card game sensation. They loved the addictive game play and easy understandability, while appreciating the unique triangular shape of the cards.[/box] Get ready to scramble for the match in this crazy fruit salad! Match your fruits to a number or numbers to a fruit; you don’t know what match you’ll have to find next! Whether you play with tiles or with the cards alone, all players of any age will be fast flipping for this brain teasing match up. The game comes complete in a tin for your cards and tiles, making it an easy travel item. Children will find the smiling fruits so engaging and are bound to join in the captivating family fun.

3 New Super Genius Games
Alphabet: Ages 3 and Up
Compound Words: Ages 6 and Up
Multiplication 2: Ages 8 and Up

Super Genius

[box]Everyone at New York Toy Fair were thrilled to see the long awaited Super Genius: Multiplication 2 and appreciated Super Genius: Alphabet as a logical addition for younger children. They were also impressed by Super Genius: Compound Words in its unique variation on the original style of play.[/box] Super Genius is back with three more ways to get your genius gears grinding! Super Genius: Alphabet will throw your kinder into ABC fun as they sound out their letter sounds while matching the alphabet with vibrant illustrations. Then master your math and learn your times tables 6 through 9 with Super Genius: Multiplication 2. Finally, there is Super Genius: Compound Words where you match your compound words three different ways: words to image, image to image equations, and image equations to words! Whether they play by themselves or in a group, little geniuses are bound to have fun feeding their minds with these smart games.

Pinpoint!
1 – 6 Players | Ages 7 and Up

Pinpoint!

[box]Players at Toy Fair were rapt in the challenge to find each elusive original in this twist on the find the difference game.[/box] Join in a race for the original in Pinpoint! Flip the card and race with friends to spot the differences among aliens, skateboards, robots, snails, and other fun pictures! Each variation has only one small difference from the original, so keep your eyes peeled to catch the original before your opponents catch it from you. The game comes with 6 die to allow cooperative play or for each player to take their time. Play it with friends or alone, in a car or at home; Pinpoint! is a flexible game equipped in a tin, so it’s fun whichever way, wherever you play!

Top That!
2-4 Players | Ages 7 and Up

Top That!

[box]Our live Top That! magician mystified our buyers with the game’s deceptive difficulty. By the end of the convention, our magician had mastered the stacking skill to beat any challenger.[/box] Put on your hat, break out your props, and hide your rabbits in this magical match up! This game is a matching, stacking game where players race to stack items and hide grayed objects according to the images shown on the cards. Can you be a master magician and keep your starred objects empty for the brilliant reveal in your magical finale? No matter what age, children will enjoy stacking their way to magician fame while practicing key fine motor and social skills.

Rooster Run
2-6 Players | Ages 7 and Up

Rooster Run

[box]Players had fun playing Rooster Run with the wacky barnyard atmosphere and commended the challenge in searching for specific details in each worm.[/box] Join your friends for some barn house mayhem! Rooster Run is a twist of a memory game where you are a strapping young rooster ready to peck your way to that dear hen’s prize worm and win her heart. Flip over earth tiles to find the perfect dinner. First one to find their worms cries “Cock-a-doodle-doo” and ends the round. But don’t be too hasty! If you call out too soon without your prize worm, prepare for heartbreak and lose your dinner! Rooster Run is a thrilling real time race where children can practice skills in memory and focus while having fun with family and friends.

Sold Out!
Ages 8 and Up | 2 – 10 Players

Sold Out!

[box]Players commended this card game’s unique and energetic style of play and how perfect it is for sleepover parties![/box] Scour an imaginary store as you and your friends race to complete your shopping lists in this super sale scramble! Sold Out! is a fast pace card game where you and your friends literally get up and race to find your items. Each player is given a shopping list to memorize before dashing around the room, looking through piles of cards representing clothes racks. Sold Out! is a unique get-up-and-go card game perfect for birthday parties and sleepovers! Children will love exploring their space and running around in this energetic race to finish their lists before the store is Sold Out!

Staff Holiday Gift Favorites

Staff Holiday Gift Favorites

Blue Orange Staff’s Holiday Gift List

Working at Blue Orange Games is amazing because we are always surrounded by fantastic gifts! See what our personal favorites are and who we’re giving games to this holiday season!

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“I will be giving Ring It! to my nephew because it is the perfect game for the whole family to enjoy!”

Martin, Vice President of Sales and Marketing

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“I will offer King’s gold to my young cousins. They are little pirates and the game will introduce them to strategy while having fun.”
Max, Sales Intern

 

 

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“I choose Ring It! I will give it to my grandfather, because he is ultra-competitive and once I will have taught him my secret skills, he will beat all his friends at the bar.”

Hoël, Sales Intern

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“I will offer Thumbs Up! to my nieces: it’s a great party game mixing both dexterity and speed. Kids have the most fun playing Thumbs up!”
Alex, Sales Intern

 

 

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“I’m giving Spot It! Giants to my friend because he is a huge Giants fan and the tin is a beautiful and portable collector’s item, as well as containing a super fun game!”

Gina, Marketing Intern

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“I’m giving Prohis to my sister because she loves bluffing and she will be really good at this game!”

Xavier, West Coast Sales Manager

 

 

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“I’m giving Wink to my brother because he can’t wink so I know I will win!”

Bart, Sales Intern

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“I’m giving Sushi Draft to my friend because she loves sushi and this is a fun and portable game!”
Keyva, Accounting Assistant

 

 

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“I’m giving Gobblet Gobblers to my 4 year old nephew because everyone can play it with him and it will teach him strategy”

Yann, Regional Sales Manager

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“I’m giving New York 1901 to my best friend because she loves New York City and I know her family loves to play gateway board games”

Corinne, Marketing Manager

 

 

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“I’m giving Pengoloo to my nephew because it is a high quality game that will help his color recognition and memory skills”

Renaud, East Coast Sales Manager 

 

 

 

 

 

We hope you got some great ideas for fun games to give this holiday season!

 

Happy Holidays,

The Blue Orange Team

 

Rocking Horse Toy Company is our October Store of the Month!

Rocking Horse Toy Company is our October Store of the Month!

At Blue Orange Games, we can’t take all the credit for our hot games! We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our fabulous retailers who give us feedback and put energy, passion, and time into their businesses every day. This space is dedicated to a very special retailer each month in order to highlight the stores and individuals that bring Blue Orange games from shelves into homes and that do us the honor of introducing us to families in their area. We are pleased to announce that our Retailer of the Month for October is none other than Rocking Horse Toy Co in Petoskey, MI!

rocking horse toy

Rocking Horse Toy Co started with…you guessed it…a rocking horse!

Owners, Andy and Kathleen Bultman, were originally elementary school teachers. They were on the quest to find their daughter, Sara, the perfect rocking horse for her 1st birthday. No rocking horse on the market fit the requirement. Thus Kathleen asked Andy to make one instead. Andy’s rocking horse creation created a stir and requests were made by the community for other wooden crafts. Andy later added homemade wooden toys to the inventory. The business expanded to other things such as toys and games and Andy eventually stopped making the wooden toys. 34 years later, there are 3 locations throughout Northern Michigan.

The Petoskey Location!
The Petoskey Location!

The buying season at Rocking Horse Toy Co is different from most stores. Whereas most stores experience huge sales in the 4th quarter holiday season, they have Christmas in July! Their store locations are primarily in resort areas so they experience a huge influx of vacationers looking for toys and games during the summer months.

Andy and Kathleen credit their success to their backgrounds as educators. They purchase toys and games they felt their customers could really benefit from and not just what is the most popular. They also take the time to train their employees. Arielle, is the buyer and general manager for Rocking Horse Toy Co and really makes sure their employees are well-trained to talk with the customers.

After 34 years, Andy still loves coming to work. He loves the change of seasons, the change of environments, and even the ups and downs. He still looks forward each year to attending the annual NYC Toy Fair and searching for new trends in toys and games. This love of toys and games definitely translate into their success!

Thank you  Rocking Horse Toy Co for all that you do for your community and for Blue Orange Games!

Marketing and Sales Tips for Small Businesses – Finale

Marketing and Sales Tips for Small Businesses – Finale

October is here and now begins the ramp up for the holiday season. Halloween isn’t until the END of the month but you better believe that kids have been in the planning stages well before October 1. Halloween is such a fun period for kids and is the precursor for the remaining holidays to come (kids weren’t exactly looking forward to the start of the school year)! Kids will be filled with anticipation towards the wonderful Halloween decorations, dressing up, and candy!

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Halloween time!!!

 

Are you prepared for the upcoming shopping rush? This Final Installment of Marketing and Sales Tips for Small Businesses will focus on those special touches that stores do for their customers and local community. Fall is the opportune time for this!

 

 Classes

Craft and art classes are a great way to bring people into the store! Don’t forget to promote it for FREE on Social Media, in your online newsletter, and local online communities!

Need an idea? Work with another local entrepreneur such as a photographer and have a parent workshop on how parents can better utilize their smart phones to take better pictures of those special moments. I got this idea from a fellow mom and photographer that does this in my community to raise money and all the spots were sold out! It doesn’t hurt her professional photography services, it only enhances her role to help you capture special moments! Feel free to reach out to your vendors to help support your efforts to increase business!

 

Parent’s Night Out

What kid wouldn’t want to hang out in a toy store while their parents go out for a romantic dinner? This is a win-win situation for all parties. Charge parents a fee per kid and entertain with pizza and games while their parents enjoy a night on the town.

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Lively Storefront & Special Guests

We are huge fans of working with your local community. Is their a local author in your area that would like to do a speaking and signing engagement? Local artists, local bands, local TALENT! Show your support of all things local. Your customers will appreciate it!

Host Private Parties

Host birthday parties or tea parties. Invitations can include store discount and all presents are wrapped and offered onsite.

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Receipt Auction

I have to admit that I had never heard of this idea until I was at Blue Orange. It’s such a cool idea! Organize a receipt auction after the holidays where customers can use their receipts to bid on prizes. The more a customer buys for two months, the more receipts they collection for the auction!

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Props to Castle Toys and Games for this cool idea to reward loyal customers!

 

We wish you the best of luck as we enter the final quarter of 2015! We’d love to hear if you utilized any of those tips! Post below and we might have something to help you this holiday period!

Marketing and Sales Tips for Small Businesses – Part Deux

Marketing and Sales Tips for Small Businesses – Part Deux

We continue in Part Deux (hey, the founders are French!) of Marketing and Sales Tips for Small Businesses. It’s all about how your employees can create a great customer experience so that customers can return over and over again!

Staff Training

Take the time to train your staff so that they are better equipped with selling to customers. You can make it a party by reaching out to your vendors and sales reps for games, toys, and other products.

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Happy Team Staff Training

 

Email Newsletters

Newsletters are a FREE way to let your customers know about the latest specials, events, etc. Involve employees where they can provide some content. Such as a section on a sales’ person’s favorite toy and why, along with a picture of their friendly face.

In addition, give your employees access to vendors’ newsletters. Email newsletters can be great tools for employees to learn more about the items they are selling. Newsletters provide valuable tips, promotions, demo videos, etc.  Was a product in a popular magazine? Was a celebrity spotted with an item sold in your store? Newsletters can provide great talking points for the latest products!

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Blue Orange newsletter

Social Media

Like Newsletters, Social Media is another free way to let your customers know what is going on in your store. Are your employees playing a heated game of Spot it? Take a picture and/or video and post to your fans! Employee selfies wearing the latest fun gear? Employees will enjoy sharing something special that happened at the store and will make them feel a part of what makes your store special.

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Twitter fun at Learning Express Roseville

 

Employee Contests

You can create employee contests or challenges based on the number of particular products sold within a period of time or based on who will be the first one to reach an objective.

Ask your vendors to sponsor the prizes. It doesn’t hurt to ask!!