PBS has launched a new line of toys geared at the preschool set. Right now a collection of over 20 wooden toys, puzzles and musical instruments, eventually the assortment will incorporate many of the popular PBS KIDS brands as well as exclusive items, including customizable backpacks, water bottles, room décor, apparel and birthday party supplies featuring children's names and their favorite PBS KIDS programs and characters.
The toys will be exclusively available online at a newly launched PBS KIDS Shop, until early fall, when they will become available at additional online and in-store retailers as well. They range in price from about $10 to about $40.
Highlights include:
- PBS KIDS Sounds of the World Rhythm Set, one of several musical toys designed to foster hand-eye coordination and children's exploration of sound.
- PBS KIDS Puzzle Playset Safari, a themed playset that promotes imaginative play and encourages children to explore new words. The playsets will also be offered in beach and playground themes.
- Building and construction toys, such as the PBS KIDS Exploration Blocks City (shown).
- PBS KIDS 3-Layer Puzzles (in Barn, Camping and other themes) to promote problem-solving, letter recognition, number matching and other developing skills.
"We're excited to extend the educational benefits of PBS KIDS programming to a new platform," commented Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children's Media, PBS. "Toys are a very natural extension of our ongoing mission to offer learning opportunities to children, and parents' trust and familiarity with PBS KIDS will help foster valuable co-play opportunities. The toys facilitate hands-on learning and parent-child interaction through creative play, which we know can help kids build critical skills to prepare them for success in school and in life."
Proceeds from the PBS KIDS Shop will help fund PBS KIDS programming.
Image: PBS KIDS