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Canada's Authority on Play Releases its Back to School Play Guide Packed with Must-Haves and More!

TORONTO , July 21, 2022 /CNW/ - Today Mastermind Toys has released its second annual Back to School Play Guide, called "Grade-A Play," alongside its official launch of its namesake private brand. Designed to inspire learning through play during the summer months and to help Canadians get ready for the return to school, the annual guide features cool school supplies, books, educational toys and classroom ideas, backpacks, lunch bags, scooters and recess play activities, as well as private brand items designed in-house by Canada's Authority on Play.

"The back to school season is a significant milestone for kids, and their families, as they enter a new chapter and stage in their development," said Sarah Jordan , CEO at Mastermind Toys. "It's a moment when kids look for new ways to express themselves—through the books they're reading, their pencil case and everything inside, the new game they teach their friends at recess or their backpack on the first day of school. The Mastermind Toys private brand collection goes beyond the basics to offer back to school essentials with a twist—think trend meets educational."

Mastermind Toys' namesake brand is a culmination of almost 40 years of experience as a leader in play, curation and customer-obsessed, specialty experiences. It brings together the purpose the company has been built on: to inspire generations of lifelong learners through the power of play. At the helm of the new line-up is Sarah Lowry as Head of Private Brand. She was integral to launching Indigo Books & Music Inc's exclusive home brand, OUI, and growing the Hudson's Bay Company's Owned Brand portfolio, including the HBC Stripes Collection. Lowry's mission at Mastermind Toys is to design great toys that are deeply rooted in child development, with quality being at the forefront of the process.

"Designing and developing new toys and games is the most fun job in the world—and a dream come true for any kid-at-heart. Carrying on the legacy of this beloved Canadian retailer is a responsibility I take very seriously; every detail that goes into the making of Mastermind Toys private brand is thoughtfully considered," said Lowry. "We develop toys and games to serve an educational purpose and have multiple, open-ended uses. For example, our iconic Neon Rainbow Playground Balls, that have become synonymous with Mastermind Toys, are available in four sizes because we know all ages play with them in different ways to learn new skills. Our slap bracelets are not only adorable fidget toys and fashion accessories; they're also great for STEM learning, with a ruler on the backside. Our highlighters in our new stationery assortment are double ended so kids get double the number of colours in every set and can pack more in their pencil case. Our branding and packaging acts as our stamp of approval on a collection that Canada's Authority on Play is really proud to stand behind."

Back to school is just the beginning of the private brand collection launch at Mastermind Toys. The company plans on doubling its private brand assortment for the holiday season in 2022 and doubling its presence again in the coming years.

The retailer has offered exclusives in the past, but new this year and featured in the Back to School Play Guide under the namesake collection are pens, pencils, highlighters, magnetic bookmark sets and stationary sets that all come in various themes, like space, food, music and dinosaur. Beyond private brand, the new guide has the largest assortment of Rubik's in Canada , as well as Creativity for Kids sensory bins, the Crayola Colour Caddy that acts as the all-in-one creativity case and STEM-focused activities like OSMO.

Also big for back to school is books. Gaining market share rapidly, books is a top category at Mastermind Toys and has a greater presence in stores to inspire learning through play when pairing toys with books. The Back to School Play Guide offers educational workbooks and stories to get kids back-to-school-ready, while also spotlighting its Books That Give Back Program—a collection of diversity and inclusion reads, where Mastermind Toys donates a portion of the annual proceeds from every book sold to BGC Canada (formerly Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada ). Books That Give Back supports BGC Canada's equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives, which help kids feel seen, valued, empowered and included for all aspects of who they are.

Get ready for a cool return to school with the Back to School Play Guide digitally on the Mastermind Toys website. Mastermind Toys offers coast-to-coast shopping in-store, online or by curbside pick-up.

About Mastermind Toys:  Mastermind Toys is Canada's Authority on Play and the largest specialty toy and children's book retailer, with 68 stores coast-to-coast and a wonder-filled website. It has a proud 38-year heritage of being the educational toy store, supporting kids, parents, grandparents, educators and gift givers by offering a curation of toys and books that help develop a child's development of mind, body and expression. Its purpose is to inspire generations of lifelong learners through the power of play, with a philosophy that "Play is Kids' Work."

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