I always feel privileged to be asked to exhibit the Mimitoys range of Toys & Puppets at various events.
Lately I brought a vibrant range of sensory toys to two mind-blowing events: the 1st one was the IPTCA (Irish Play Therapy Community Association) Conference in Dunboyne Castle, Dunboyne co. Meath and the 2nd one, "Minding Autistic Minds" organised by AUsome Training at the Osprey Hotel in Naas, co. Kildare.
I really enjoy taking part to these events as I get to chat to professionals and parents as interested in progressive play and learning as I am!
When I say mind-blowing it's because I always learn so much about the values of play in children's development...
It is always tricky to decide what to bring amongst throusands of toys, particularly when space is limited to one or 2 tables...
My focus is to give attendees the opportunity to touch, feel, and play with a wide selection of sensory, developmental, and educational toys. This hands-on experience allows play therapists, educational professionals and parents to assess the toys' quality, functionality, and suitability for their specific needs. Feeling the textures of soft toys, hearing the sounds of music toys, and trying on the hand puppets provides invaluable insights that simply cannot be replicated online.
Tables with all the toys and puppets provide a lovely space for attendees to share their knowledge and practical tips on how to include these resources into their practice.
Attending events like these are a great networking opportunity for members of course but also for me as I gain the trust and interest of customers I may not be able to target online only.
It's also a great opportunity for market research. I get straight feedback on the current selection, I can discuss new ideas I have in mind and also understand what is lacking in the specific market of developmental and sensory toys.
For example, after attending the IPTCA Conference last year I started to introduce more and more figurines and characters that are sought after by Play Therapists. The TOOBS range of figurines is ideal to encourage imaginative and creative play, is also used for sand play therapy and is an amazing educational resource for teachers as there are so many themes available.
I also widened the range of stress balls and therapy balls and introduced the Needoh range of quality squishy balls, after attending the AUsome Conference as these sensory balls have calming benefits for those with ADD, ADHD, OCD, Autism, and anxiety.
Monster Puppets and Sesame Street Hand Puppets are by far the most popular puppets during these events.
Piks Balancing and Construction game got a lot of interest at the AUsome Conference for its unique designs and ability to encourage focus & attention.
I always go home uplifted, inspired and full of new ideas after attending these events. I am looking forward to the next one.
If you organise events and believe I could bring value to the participants by exhibiting a well curated range of toys, games and puppets, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at mimi@mimitoys.ie