Are you still waiting on your letter from Hogwarts? Even mere muggles can be sorted into a house at the school for wizards. The Op has just announced that their new game, Harry Potter: House Cup Competition is available now.
It’s a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In Harry Potter: House Cup Competition board game use gained knowledge and magic to learn lessons and complete challenges. Players will play as their favorite Hogwarts House – Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff and send iconic characters like Harry Potter, Cedric Digory, Cho Chang and Draco Malfoy out on the game board. The player that earns the most points for their House will be named the House Cup Champion.
Harry Potter: House Cup Competition includes over 500 game components including a collectible House Cup Hourglass for point tallying – Game Board, 4 Common Room Player Boards, 12 Student Tokens, 36 Level Trackers, 18 Location Cards (4 starting, 10 middle, 4 ending), 40 Basic Lesson Cards, 27 Advanced Lesson Cards, 31 Easy Challenge Cards, 29 Hard Challenge Cards, 30 Knowledge Tokens, 25 Magic Tokens, 240 House Point Gems, 1 House Cup Hourglass Display, 1 First Player Token, 1 Round Tracker Token, 4 Reference Cards, and 1 Rulebook.
This game is suitable for players ages 11+ and retails for $49.99.
Getting your child to wear a mask is easier when they come in fun designs. ViacomCBS Consumer Products announced it has entered into agreements with multiple global licensees to create face masks featuring iconic characters from many popular Nickelodeon properties including SpongeBob SquarePants, which is available now at the SpongeBob Shop, as well as PAW Patrol, Blue’s Clues & You! and JoJo Siwa. The reusable masks, which are not for medical use, will be available through major retail outlets worldwide later in the summer.
“ViacomCBS is proud to support Save the Children and its COVID-19 Global Response by donating 100% of our proceeds from this new face mask initiative,” says Pam Kaufman, President, ViacomCBS Consumer Products. “During this unprecedented time, we hope Nickelodeon’s beloved characters and iconic brands will provide solace and ultimately make these new circumstances more manageable.”
All ViacomCBS proceeds from the sales of Nickelodeon face masks will benefit Save the Children’s COVID-19 Global Response and will be redistributed to the region where the mask was purchased. Many licensees producing Nickelodeon face masks have also committed to make charitable contributions to Save the Children.
“We are grateful to ViacomCBS for choosing Save the Children as one of its charity partners for this campaign, which will raise vital funds to support children hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Janti Soeripto, President and CEO of Save the Children. “As the virus continues to take hold around the world, we are seeing its devastating impact on children’s lives everywhere, especially among children already at risk. From Appalachia to the refugee settlement camps in Lebanon, South Sudan and Bangladesh, the pandemic has uprooted children’s routines, disrupted their schooling and is affecting their mental health and well-being.”
*Editor’s Note: According to the CDC, children under age 2, or anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance should not use a cloth face covering.
Barbie has teamed up with Star Wars on its latest collaboration paying homage to Star Wars, by putting a high-fashion twist on iconic characters. Last year, Mattel introduced a line of Star Wars x Barbie dolls inspired by Princess Leia, Darth Vader and R2-D2. This year, they have unveiled additional dolls inspired by Chewbacca, C-3PO, Rey and Stormtrooper characters.
The Star Wars Stormtrooper x Barbie takes design inspiration from their legendary look to capture their plastoid armor in a runway-ready silhouette.
Star Wars Stormtrooper x Barbie is striking in head-to-toe white over a black bodysuit with a shiny patent-leather look. A platinum bob, dark glasses, cuffs, a utility belt and boots with a knee protector plate detail complete the battle armor-inspired look.
The Star Wars C-3PO x Barbie® doll takes design inspiration from C-3PO’s legendary look to capture his golden armor in a runway-ready silhouette.
Star Wars C-3PO x Barbie shines in a head-to-toe liquid gold look with accents of sheer organza and golden sequins. Polished details include a golden collar, bangles , C-3PO-inspired glasses and a brilliant cincture echoing the droid’s primary power coupler outlet.
The Star Wars Chewbacca x Barbie takes design inspiration from Chewie’s legendary look, bringing a glamorous edge to signature costume elements.
Star Wars Chewbacca x Barbie wears a lavish faux fur coat over a strapless dress with a fur skirt and bodice of vinyl and sheer organza.
Chic details include a furry headband and knee-high boots, as well as cuff bracelets and a handbag inspired by Chewbacca’s signature bandolier and satchel.
Get your Garbage Pail Kids trading cards out. Now, you can play with all of your favorite characters again. In honor of GPK’s 35th anniversary, usaopoly (The Op) is teaming up with Topps to release Monopoly: Garbage Pail Kids.
“As long-time fans of Garbage Pail Kids, we are excited that other fans of this pop-culture classic will be able to immerse themselves in, and enjoy, the iconic tabletop Monopoly game play experience,” says Maggie Matthews (aka Haggy Maggie in Garbage Pail Kids-speak), The Op’s SVP of Licensing.
Players will vie to collect iconic characters such as Adam Bomb and Leaky Lindsay. Navigate the game board with one of six collectible movers such as an Overflowing Garbage Can, Swirly Dog Poop or Zit Goo Tube.
“When Topps first published the Garbage Pail Kids cards and stickers in the 80’s and 90’s, it spawned a worldwide collecting phenomenon,” says Ira Friedman (aka IncrudibleIra), Topps VP of Global Licensing. “Today, many of those young fans are nostalgically reliving childhood memories and reconnecting with the brand. They’re going to get a kick out of this bold mashup between GPK and Monopoly.”
MONOPOLY: Garbage Pail Kids will be available throughout North America in specialty stores this spring, retailing for $39.99.
Before we had hand-held electronics, we had other toys to keep our hands and our minds busy. Sitting in the backseat of the car, many kids played with water arcade games or magnetic drawing boards. In honor of their 60th anniversary, Etch A Sketch has teamed up with other iconic names to unveil a series of limited edition launches.
For 2020, the Etch A Sketch brand is joining forces with the beloved MONOPOLY brand, space exploration leader NASA, heritage toy Rubik’s and comic book marvel Stan Lee. Each will have their own limited-edition Etch A Sketch® drawing toys, merging two iconic worlds into one magic, shake-to-erase collector’s item.
“The Etch A Sketch drawing toy is one of only a handful of breakthrough toys that’s popularity spans generations,” says Arlene Biran, VP of Marketing for Activities and Building Sets, Spin Master. “It is a timeless toy that encourages creativity on a magic screen that doesn’t need WIFI. Our series of limited-edition collaborations with other inspiring and imaginative classics honors 60 years of unplugged creativity.”
“We’re thrilled to work with the team at Spin Master to bring the Etch A Sketch MONOPOLY Edition to market,” said Casey Collins, GM & SVP of Entertainment and Licensing at Hasbro. “As we honor major milestones for both brands this year, we hope fans of all ages will treasure this release for years to come.”
The Etch A Sketch limited edition collaborations will be released in limited quantities throughout the year on EtchASketch.com as well on Etch A Sketch Day, July 12, 2020, marking the official day the first Etch A Sketch toy was sold.
The Etch A Sketch® Brand draws in the classics with a series of limited edition collaborations to mark the 60th anniversary year. (CNW Group/Spin Master)
Etch A Sketch MONOPOLY Edition (March, $19.99):
As the classic board game celebrates an 85-year milestone, pass go and collect a limited-edition MONOPOLY-inspired Etch a Sketch.
Etch A Sketch NASA Inspired Edition (April, $19.99):
And after 60 years here on earth, we’re looking to space to encourage a new generation of creative explorers with the NASA-inspired Etch a Sketch. Because even the biggest space shuttles, started with a simple sketch.
Etch A Sketch Rubik’s Edition (May, $19.99):
With a cumulative age surpassing 100, worlds will collide with an Etch a Sketch inspired by the mind-bending heritage toy that has become a household name.
Etch A Sketch Stan Lee Edition (July, $19.99):
Out-of-this-world storytelling merges with the original magic screen inspired by the superhero of creativity who co-created such iconic characters as Spider-Man™, Iron Man™, X-Men™, and many more.
In addition to the collaborations with iconic classics, Spin Master is unveiling a new limited-edition Diamond Edition Etch a Sketch featuring a sleek black frame and custom crystal knobs available in limited quantities on EtchASketch.com. The company will also release new innovation with Etch a Sketch Revolution in August. This will be the first Etch A Sketch with a spinning screen that allows you to make circles.
Just in time for the premiere of the new Star Wars movie, Roblox rolled out the new Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Creator Challenge.
The popular online gaming platform Roblox has teamed up with Disney to offer a unique challenge to its users. Players can design and build their very own driftspeeder to race head-to-head against other players. They can also unlock limited-edition virtual items, like a Stormtrooper Helmet, Rey’s Staff and BB-8.
Players need to complete lessons that teach the basic elements of building and publishing a game on Roblox, like game design, building and 3D modeling, scripting and coding. Once the lessons are completed, users can collect the Star Wars-inspired items.
“Star Wars has inspired generations of fans of all ages with its compelling narrative, expansive universe, and iconic characters, and we’re proud to bring a piece of that to Roblox’s millions of users,” said Craig Donato, Chief Business Officer at Roblox. “Our collaboration with Disney is all about unlocking your imagination, empowering anyone to create their own immersive worlds, and simply having fun while learning the fundamentals of coding and game design in the process.”
The Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Creator Challenge is on now through Jan. 6, 2020.
The Wizarding World is coming to your Christmas tree. With plenty of pop culture faves on Amazon’s list of trending gifts, it’s no surprise these Hallmark Harry Potter ornaments are sought-after selections!
The awesomely adorable Hallmark Harry Potter ornaments feature the film’s iconic characters on broomsticks and more and are bound to make your muggle tree a little more magical.
If the Potter fan in your life is up for a surprise, the Hallmark Ornament Blind Box ($3.99) is the gift to get. One of six characters from the beloved book/film series comes in a foil bag, keeping their identity a secret. Open the bag to reveal which ornament is inside.
To infinity and beyond! Alaska Airlines recently launched its Pixar Pier-themed plane in a collab with Disneyland Resort—and the “Friendship and Beyond at Disneyland Resort” aircraft is all about Toy Story.
The design, which reportedly took more than 2,800 hours of work over the course of 24 days and 50 gallons of paint, features film faves such as Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Rex and the Aliens.
Natalie Bowman, Alaska Airlines’ managing director of brand marketing and advertising, said in a press release, “There’s nothing better than landing happy on the way to The Happiest Place on Earth.” Bowman added, “The Disneyland Resort is one of our signature West Coast friendships, and we love that we can celebrate Pixar Pier by taking these iconic characters on a brand-new adventure.”
Of the partnership and friendship theme, Lynn Clark, Disneyland Resort vice president of sales and services, said, “We celebrate friendship and beyond every day in Pixar Pier at the Disneyland Resort.” Clark continued, “Now, thanks to our great friends at Alaska Airlines, our guests are immersed in the celebration even before they arrive.”
Visit alaskaair.com to book your ride on the airline’s newest, and cutest, craft!
With Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom arriving in theaters everywhere this week, there’s never been a better time for your dino-obsessed kid (there’s one in every family!). With prehistoric creatures at the top of the 2018 toy trend list, we’ve seen everything from dino eggs to the coolest explorer playset around. Scroll down to see our favorite dinosaur gear for kids of all ages.
Explorers Hidden Temple
New from Playmobil comes the Explorers line! Journey to the Hidden Temple, and join the explorers as they navigate the temple ruins, and use it as a research lab before exploring the rest of the island. Watch out for the T-Rex, whose arms and legs actually move! There are tons of other tiny accessories, and some are interactive! There are glow-in-the-dark features (the ruin’s eyes, the test tube and the jungle plants all glow when using the included UV flashlight), the treasure map reveals hidden secrets when rubbed, the freight pulley is pivotable and much more.
You don’t have to be a preschooler to love dinosaurs. This new board game from Ravensburger will take you back to where it all began—on the island of Isla Nublar. Choose to be one of the original, iconic characters or be all the dinosaurs and attempt to gain control of the park to win!
Let your kid put his love for the most famous dino of them all on display. This adorable t-shirt from Boredwalk T-Shirts comes in six different colors, are unisex and are hand-printed in Los Angeles.
There’s nothing quite like model dinosaurs. These new Jurassic World mini dinos feature realistic sculpting, are compatible with matchbox cars for hours of fun, and one of the figurines is a metallic action figure inspired by the new movie.
Combine the red-hot reveal with dinosaurs and what do you get? The new I Dig It Dino Egg from Thames & Kosmos! There are 12 prehistoric buddies that need to be excavated from their fossil shell, and all the tools your little paleontologist needs are included.
Add a little prehistoric fun to your magnetic play time with the new Dino Tego from Magformers. The 20-piece set comes with squares, rectangles and accessories that allow kids to create a moving dinosaur. There are two other sets: Dino Rano and Dino Cera!
