Kaplan Toys Blog

When Kaplan employee Jodie Travis heard a story on the radio about Jacob “Jake” McConahay, a little boy from Indianapolis with stage 4 Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a very aggressive cancer, who had a set a goal to collect 1,000 pillow pets by March, she had to get involved herself.

“I heard this sweet story about a seven-year old little boy in a children’s hospital in Indiana.  He has been given 1-2 months to live, and his goal is to have pillow pets donated to all of the other kids there in the hospital to keep them company while their parents and family aren’t able to be there.”

On the way to one of his treatments at Riley Hospital, Jake, whose aunt had bought him a dinosaur Pet Pillow, told his mother that every kid needed a pillow pet. In November, Jake and his family set a goal to collect 1,000 Pillow Pets for delivery to Riley Hospital by March.

“I wanted to help this little boy reach his dream before he has to say goodbye. I talked to Hal Kaplan about it and told him I would buy five if he would match that five,” said Travis, “And, of course, he said yes. So I decided to ask around and see if maybe anyone else would want to donate one, too.”

“Jodie was quick to call on all of us with this cause and I’m glad she reached out to me,” said Connie Ellis, the manager of Kaplan Toys. 

“When Jake was presented with over 1,000 Pet Pillows last week – enough for every child at Riley Hospital — the organizers of the Pet Pillow drive encouraged groups like us from out of the area to make donations to other children’s hospitals,” said Ellis.  “Jodie selected the Shriners Hospital for Children in Cincinnati to receive our donation because Caleb Pulliam, the son of one of her friends, spent time there. We sent them 22 pink and blue Hugga Pet Bears in his honor.”

“Our next shipment will be going to the Brenner Children’s Hospital cancer ward because they are local.  It will contain a mix of Hugga Pets, including the Hugga Pet Inspirational Bunny,” said Ellis. “This is very exciting for us all – as well as for these children and their families.”

Two new publications carried by Kaplan Toys have been awarded the Parent Tested, Parent Approved™ Seal of Approval from PTPA Media, Inc. for excellence in family products.

The Budding Chef (ISBN: 978-0-87659-372-1) and The Budding Gardener (ISBN: 978-0-87659-373-8 ) were among many entries from across North America competing to win the Parent Tested Parent Approved™ Seal for spring 2011. Because independent parent volunteers evaluate these products in their own homes, PTPA winners are chosen based on merit and consumer experiences – not on commercial considerations. As a result, the Parent Tested Parent Approved™ Seal has quickly gained recognition as an international leader in certifying consumer products for quality, effectiveness and value.

“At PTPA Media, we are proud to play a role in certifying innovative new products that families can trust,” says Sharon Vinderine, president and founder of PTPA Media Inc. “It’s win-win. By improving communication between manufacturers and consumers, we are helping companies serve their market better, and helping families identify products that have been tested and recommended by their peers.”

An introduction to cooking and baking edited by Kate Kuhn, The Budding Chef  ($9.95, Gryphon House, Inc., March 2011) is an idea book filled with 50 (mostly) healthy kitchen adventures written by teachers and professionals from the field of early childhood education.  As curious kids experiment making soft pretzels, whipping up some real butter, and having a winter picnic, they have hands-on opportunities to practice developing math, science and reading skills – as well as an important life skill. 

SAMPLE Recipes:

• Omelet in a Bag
• Rainbow Fish Fruit Snack
• Cupcake Cones 

With a little dirt, some water and a few tools, the activities in The Budding Gardener ($9.95, Gryphon House, Inc., March 2011) bring adults and children together to share magical outdoor moments.  An introduction to gardening edited by Mary B. Rein, this idea book shows parents and kids how to plant a seed and watch it grow, create garden markets, grow a spider web with sweet peas and bamboo stakes, and beautify the garden with a stone path or rock tower.  The 50 fun-in-the-dirt activities, written by teachers and professionals from the field of early childhood education, feature easy-to-follow instructions and use easy-to-find materials.

SAMPLE Activities:

• Fishbowl Jungle
• Make a Toad House
• Miniature Garden

Amazon Services have named Kaplan Toys an Amazon Top Holiday Seller for outstanding performance selling on Amazon.com during the 2010 holiday season.

Kaplan Toys sales ranked among the top 25% of all Amazon.com sellers over the 2010 holiday season.  In addition, customer satisfaction metrics for Kaplan Toys were excellent (in other words, A+) over this period.

According to the Amazon Services Management Team, Kaplan Toys “provided an exceptional shopping experience for customers on Amazon.com.”