toys and kids electronics
3, 2, 1… GO! The LEGO Group Unveils First-Ever LEGO Super Mario: Mario Kart Sets at gamescom
Last Updated on September 27, 2024 by Rod Washington
At gamescom 2024 in Cologne, Germany, The LEGO Group dropped some exciting news: the highly anticipated LEGO® Super Mario™: Mario Kart™ sets are racing into the spotlight! For the first time ever, Nintendo’s iconic Mario Kart universe is coming to life in the form of LEGO bricks. Fans of both LEGO and Mario Kart can gear up for this all-new immersive experience launching on January 1, 2025.
LEGO Mario Kart
These six brand-new LEGO Mario Kart sets were first teased during the MAR10 Day celebration in March, but today’s unveiling offered a full, tantalizing look at the new collection. The sets bring beloved Mario Kart characters like Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Toad, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, and Baby Peach into play, allowing fans to build, customize, and race their favorite karts on creative, brick-built tracks.
What makes these sets even more thrilling is the seamless integration of digital play. By adding a LEGO® Mario™, LEGO® Luigi™, or LEGO® Peach™ (sold separately) to the mix, players can enjoy interactive features like Mario Kart sound effects, scanning Item Boxes for extra coins, and even boosting their race score! The digital and physical elements collide to create a truly dynamic experience.
A Closer Look at the Sets:
- LEGO® Super Mario™: Mario Kart™ – Yoshi Bike (72031): For fans of the ever-popular Yoshi, this 133-piece set includes a Light-Blue Yoshi figure and a brick-built bike. Perfect for drifting through creative obstacles and launching shell items.
- LEGO® Super Mario™: Mario Kart™ – Standard Kart (72032): The classic Standard Kart set (174 pieces) features Toad in his red pit crew uniform and a detachable Super Glider, along with a buildable model of the Mario Kart vehicle.
- LEGO® Super Mario™: Mario Kart™ – Donkey Kong & DK Jumbo (72033): Featuring Donkey Kong’s signature DK Jumbo kart, this 387-piece set is packed with launchable items like bananas and shells to slow down your competitors.
- LEGO® Super Mario™: Mario Kart™ – Baby Mario vs. Baby Luigi (72034): Get ready for a Balloon Battle! This 321-piece set features Baby Mario in his Biddybuggy and Baby Luigi in his Tri-Speeder, plus six buildable balloons.
- LEGO® Super Mario™: Mario Kart™ – Toad’s Garage (72035): Customize and tune up your karts with two Blue Toads in this 390-piece set, featuring the B Dasher kart and a functional garage.
- LEGO® Super Mario™: Mario Kart™ – Baby Peach & Grand Prix Set (72036): The largest set (823 pieces) features Baby Peach, Lemmy, and Toad on their respective karts, ready to race through an obstacle-packed course.
Simon Kent, Design Director at The LEGO Group, expressed his excitement: “We are beyond excited to turbo-charge our LEGO Super Mario universe with these Mario Kart sets. We can’t wait for fans to bring Mario Kart races to brick-built reality with their friends and family.”
More Fun with LEGO Animal Crossing!
In addition to the Mario Kart news, The LEGO Group also announced three new sets from the LEGO® Animal Crossing™ universe:
- Stargazing with Celeste (77053)
- Leif’s Caravan & Garden Shop (77054)
- Able Sisters Clothing Shop (77055)
These charming sets invite fans to continue building their own Animal Crossing villages, expanding the fun of Nintendo’s cozy life simulation game into the LEGO world.
The LEGO Super Mario: Mario Kart™ and LEGO Animal Crossing sets will be available globally starting January 1, 2025, giving fans of all ages plenty to look forward to as they get ready to build, race, and explore!
Stay tuned for more highly classified, top-secret intel on two of the most pressing matters of our time: the thrilling Mario Kart escapades at www.lego.com/themes/super-mario/mario-kart/about and the cute yet undeniably crucial happenings in Animal Crossing at www.lego.com/themes/animal-crossing/about.
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Consumer Corner
Littlest Pet Shop Partners With Like Nastya to Bring Collecting—and Storytelling—Back to the Spotlight
Littlest Pet Shop names Like Nastya as an official brand partner, launching a new YouTube content series and teasing more fan experiences through 2026.
LITTLEST PET SHOP is leaning into a very 2026 reality: kids discover brands as much through screens as they do through toy aisles.
This week, the iconic collectible toy line announced a new partnership with Like Nastya—one of the world’s biggest child creators—signaling a major push to connect LITTLEST PET SHOP’s long-running “tell your own story” DNA with today’s digital-first families.
A creator partnership built on imagination
According to the announcement, Like Nastya has more than 409 million subscribers across YouTube and reaches billions of views each month. Her content is known for positivity, imaginative play, and family-friendly storytelling—an easy brand fit for LITTLEST PET SHOP, which has always centered quirky characters, customization, and kid-led narratives.
The collaboration is positioned as a “meeting of two creative worlds,” with both Nastya and LITTLEST PET SHOP encouraging kids to express themselves, dream big, and celebrate individuality through play.
In a statement included in the release, Like Nastya said she’s excited to partner with the brand to inspire kids everywhere to tell their own stories.
What fans can expect (starting now)
The partnership begins this month with a content series on Like Nastya’s YouTube channel featuring LITTLEST PET SHOP toys. Beyond the initial videos, additional pieces of the collaboration will roll out throughout 2026—described as new experiences, surprises, and fresh ways to play.
For toy brands, that “reveal over time” approach is increasingly the playbook: keep the community engaged with ongoing drops, creator activations, and new touchpoints that extend beyond a single product moment.
A legacy brand with a modern relaunch
LITTLEST PET SHOP is no newcomer to fandom. The brand first launched more than 30 years ago and has sold over 1 billion pets to date. Its staying power has always been tied to collectability—plus the way kids (and collectors) build personalities and worlds around each pet.
The release also highlights the brand’s recent momentum: LITTLEST PET SHOP was relaunched in 2024 under a licensing agreement between brand owner Hasbro and Basic Fun!, the global toy marketer behind the current line. The Generation 7 pets quickly returned to best-seller status, driven by a new wave of young fans and longtime collectors who never really left.
Why this matters for toy marketing right now
This partnership is a clear signal that toy marketing is no longer just about commercials and endcaps—it’s about creators who can make play feel immediate, shareable, and story-driven.
Basic Fun!’s Maureen Dilger, Vice President of Global Brand Marketing, emphasized that Like Nastya reflects what LITTLEST PET SHOP stands for: imagination, self-expression, and “scroll-stopping stories.” Hasbro’s Marianne James, Senior Vice President of Global Licensing, framed the partnership as a way to connect the brand’s legacy with today’s digital generation—while still honoring collectors who have supported the franchise for decades.
In other words: this isn’t a pivot away from the core fanbase. It’s an expansion of the storytelling ecosystem.
Where to follow LITTLEST PET SHOP
Fans can find more information about the LITTLEST PET SHOP brand and product line at LittlestPetShop.com and by following the official @LITTLESTPETSHOP social channels.
Important links:
Follow on social:
- Littlest Pet Shop on Instagram
- Littlest Pet Shop on TikTok
- Like Nastya on YouTube
- Like Nastya on Instagram
- Like Nastya on TikTok
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toys and kids electronics
Harry Potter x Care Bears Plush Collection Casts a Spell on Fans for 25th Anniversary Year
Basic Fun! unveils a Harry Potter x Care Bears plush collection for the 25th anniversary, featuring all four Hogwarts houses in 8-inch and 12-inch sizes.
Two pop-culture comfort zones are colliding in the best way this spring: Basic Fun! has teamed up with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products to launch a Harry Potter x Care Bears plush collection celebrating Harry Potter’s 25th Anniversary in 2026.
The crossover brings Hogwarts house pride to Care-A-Lot, with limited-edition Care Bears styled for Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin—built for collectors, longtime fans, and anyone who wants a little extra loyalty, compassion, and friendship on their shelf (or in their arms).
What’s in the Harry Potter x Care Bears collection?
The collection arrives in two sizes, each packed with house-specific details and anniversary touches.
12-inch Plush Hoodie Assortment
These larger bears come dressed for maximum cozy: super-soft mascot hoodies, Hogwarts house robes, and iconic house scarves in matching colors.
- Gryffindor House Tenderheart Bear
- Hufflepuff House Love-a-Lot Bear
- Ravenclaw House Wish Bear
- Slytherin House Grumpy Bear
Each 12-inch bear also features the Harry Potter 25th anniversary logo on their paw.
MSRP: $17.99 each (or $34.99 for a 2-pack)
8-inch House Bears Plush Assortment
Smaller, collectible, and ready for adventures, the 8-inch “besties” include house robes, scarves, and a house crest, plus a paw design that blends classic Care Bears charm with the Harry Potter anniversary mark.
- Gryffindor House Tenderheart Bear
- Hufflepuff House Funshine Bear
- Ravenclaw House Grumpy Bear
- Slytherin House Good Luck Bear
MSRP: $9.99 each
Why this crossover works
Basic Fun! says the goal was to connect two worlds that already share a common thread: comfort, imagination, and characters that fans stick with for decades.
“As the iconic Harry Potter franchise celebrates 25 Years of Magic, in honor of the first film in the series, we are beyond excited to connect the worlds of Care-A-Lot and Hogwarts for an enchanting crossover that’s rich in character details and filled with heart,” said Lisa Doiron, Vice President of Global Brand Marketing at Basic Fun!
Cloudco Entertainment echoed that multi-generational appeal.
“Care Bears and Harry Potter have a unique ability to connect with fans of all ages,” said Robert Prinzo, Head of Global Licensing at Cloudco Entertainment. “Bringing them together was a fun and meaningful way to celebrate imagination, magic, and the comfort these brands have offered for decades.”
When and where to buy
According to the announcement, the Harry Potter x Care Bears plush are launching worldwide this spring, rolling out at retailers across North America, the UK, and the EU. Fans can also find them at major toy retailers starting this month.
For updates, follow @CareBears.
The bigger picture: 25 years of Harry Potter magic
The plush drop lands during a milestone year for the franchise, which continues to expand across films, stage productions, games, location-based experiences, and consumer products—with an HBO Original TV series based on the Harry Potter books also on the way.
If you’re the type who still knows your house without thinking about it—or you grew up with belly badges and Care-A-Lot life lessons—this collection feels like a collectible love letter to both.
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Consumer Corner
PMI to Introduce Booksy: New Patented Collectible Toys That Spark a Love for Reading & Play
PMI Kids World launches ‘Booksy’ this fall, collectible toys featuring miniature books from Monster Tales, PAW Patrol, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to inspire reading.
Last Updated on September 12, 2024 by Daily News Staff
This fall, families can collect toys with tiny books inside, featuring characters from Paramount’s PAW Patrol™, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and PMI’s very own Monster Tales!
Booksy’ collectible toy line
TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ – Uniting the exciting world of toys with the imaginative world of books is the brand new patented and trademarked ‘Booksy’ collectible toy line by renowned global toy company, PMI Kids World. In an era where screens dominate, this collectible toy line offers children and families a unique way to foster a love for play and reading. Featuring tiny books cleverly housed inside unique collectible figures, Booksy engages children in the tactile and imaginative experience of play and reading, one Booksy at a time. The line will launch in October with PMI’s original Monster Tales at Amazon, followed by an expansion in November with licensed character versions from the hugely popular worlds of PAW Patrol, produced by Spin Master Entertainment and airing on Nickelodeon, and Paramount+ original series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, at Walmart.
Designed, written, and illustrated for children and families, Booksy collectible figures are the perfect steppingstone to nurturing children’s literacy through the excitement of collecting both books and appealing figures. The core Booksy collection, titled Monster Tales, introduces a series of original characters, stories, and a special Monster Tales bookcase for young readers to place and display their growing mini book collections. Characters from mega popular franchises, such as Chase and Skye, pups from PAW Patrol, and Raphael and Michelangelo from Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will also bring familiar faces to the world of Booksy, making reading even more exciting for young fans of the beloved franchises.
Patented and trademarked, the Booksy toy line and the Monster Tales brand are PMI’s very own intellectual properties that introduces an innovative story-focused product variety featuring the talents of Christian Tremblay, branding specialist and a titan of the family entertainment industry with over 30 years of experience.
“As a parent and lifelong reader, I understand the importance of encouraging children to discover a love for reading and play that truly ignites their imaginations,” says Omer Dekel, CEO at PMI Kids’ World. “Booksy is particularly special to me because it’s an IP we’ve developed in-house and patented, blending the excitement of toys with the educational value of relatable life lessons and adventures in collectible books. I’m incredibly excited to see how Booksy will inspire and nurture the next generation.”
In October 2024, the Booksy Monster Tales Six Pack, featuring Monster Tales Dome figures, will launch on Amazon in the USA. This collection offers six unique characters for children aged 3-8 to collect. Additionally, the Booksy Monster Tales Bookshelf Collector Set, including a Monster Tales Booksy figure and a Collector’s Bookshelf, will also be available on Amazon. The first licensed version will be launched November 2024, introducing Booksy One Pack PAW Patrol and Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dome figures at Walmart, and offering 12 beloved characters for young fans. Globally, the Booksy Monster Tales toy line is set for a Fall 2024 release, with key markets including the United States, United Kingdom (exclusively distributed by Character Options), France (exclusively distributed by Bandai France), the Middle East (exclusively distributed by iBrands), Canada (exclusively distributed by Red Planet), and more. The Booksy PAW Patrol and Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy lines will be sold exclusively at 3,000 Walmart stores across the USA.
Renowned for turning trending IPs into must-have toys, PMI Kids World is excited to introduce their very own brand and line of Booksy toys, right in time for the holidays.
About PMI Kids World
Established in 1995, PMI Kids World is a leading gaming-sector toy manufacturer focused on licensing consumer products in over 170 countries. PMI Kids World gives licensed intellectual properties (IPs) a vibrant existence by creating high-quality, innovative, affordable toys and collectibles. We’re here to bring the mega children’s brands and the coolest lines to kids worldwide. Our lineup includes esteemed names like Sonic Prime, Pudgy Penguins, Brawl Stars, and many others. Rooted in our purpose is the aspiration to ensure that every child can partake in the delight of play, irrespective of their circumstances.
For more information on PMI Kids’ World, follow PMI on:
About Booksy
Patented and trademarked by PMI Kids World, Booksy is the global toy company’s newest innovation in collectible toys and storytelling. Launching with PMI’s very own Monster Tales IP in October 2024, each Booksy character figure houses a miniature, full-colored storybook that empowers kids’ imagination by merging engaging play patterns with storytelling. Following Monster Tales, Booksy will also release versions based on popular kids licenses such as PAW Patrol and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in November 2024. Designed for boys and girls ages 3 to 8, each story introduces kid-relatable life lessons that children, families, and teachers will love and enjoy.
About Paramount Consumer Products
Paramount Consumer Products oversees all licensing and merchandising for Paramount (Nasdaq: PARA, PARAA), a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by a diverse slate of consumer brands, Paramount Consumer Products’ portfolio is based on content from platforms including Paramount+, CBS (including CBS Television Studios and CBS Television Distribution), cable networks (including MTV, Nickelodeon and Showtime), and Paramount Pictures. Additionally, the division operates Paramount Game Studios. With properties spanning animation, live-action, preschool, youth and adult, Paramount Consumer Products is committed to creating the highest quality product for some of the world’s most beloved, iconic franchises. To view our range of consumer products and Paramount branded apparel, visit ParamountShop.com.
SOURCE PMI Kid’s World
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