PLAYFOAM AND NEIGHBORHOOD PARENTS NETWORK PARTNERSHIP OFFERS FAMILIES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS FREE EARLY

PARTNERSHIP WITH PLAYFOAM AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARENTS NETWORK OFFERS FAMILIES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS FREE EARLY ACCESS TO THE 2017 CHICAGO TOY AND GAME FAIR

Families Can Beat the Crowds and Discover Toys and Games that Support Their Needs from Influential Occupational Therapist, Helen Sadovsky

Chicago, IL (November 7, 2017) - Chicago Toy and Game Week (ChiTAG) will once again offer families with special needs free early access to its marquee consumer fair thanks to partnerships with Playfoam and the Neighborhood Parents Network, a nonprofit that connects a diverse community of families with the resources they need to navigate parenting in the city. In addition to allowing families to enjoy the fair an hour before doors open to the general public, The Super Power Sensory Hour will also give parents a unique experience of toys and games like Playfoam, which have particular value to those with special needs. Squishy, squashy, mess-free Playfoam, from educational toy company, Educational Insights, is heralded by parents, therapists, teachers and kids for promoting sensory and tactile development, enabling kids to express themselves and relieve stress.

This year, ChiTAG welcomes influential occupational therapist, Helen Sadovsky, founder of Toy Ideas (www.toy-ideas.com). Sadovsky is a pediatric occupational therapist and uses her Instagram channel, @toy_ideas, to share innovative developmental toys for children. She is also the creator of Personalized Toy Ideas, a service providing parents with appropriate toy suggestions specifically for their child's interests, play skills, and abilities. She will be on hand as the host of the the Super Power Sensory Hour to interact with participating families, answer their questions and showcase the fair’s best offerings for kids with special needs.

“Each year, one of the best parts of ChiTAG is beginning our day by greeting hundreds of attendees who come to take advantage of the unique access we provide to families with special needs,” said Mary Couzin, founder of Chicago Toy and Game Week. “This is, by far, one of the more rewarding and important aspects of what we do during Chicago Toy and Game Week, as evidenced by the outpouring of thanks and praise we receive from attendees.”

One such example of attendee praise from the 2016 event attendee came from a local Chicago mom named Munriah. She said ”We attended the sensory hour at the Toy and Game Fair last year and it was a very enjoyable time. We truly appreciate the opportunity to enjoy these types of events with our son, who has Down syndrome, and his three siblings. Having a child with special needs requires extra diligence and energy on the part of the caregiver. Therefore, being in an environment where there is an understanding of children with special needs and an acceptance of this difference, while enjoying activities most families might take for granted, is a blessing.”

The ChiTAG fair is the marquee consumer event of the 15th Annual Chicago Toy & Game Week, held annually on Navy Pier (600 E. Grand Avenue, Chicago) just in time to kick off to the holiday season. The largest annual gathering of non-hobby toy and game brands, inventors, acquisition executives, retailers and distributors in North America, the weeklong event goes beyond the Fair to include professional conferences led by some of the boldest names in toys and games. The annual TAGIE awards honor stellar toy and game achievements. And, a Young Inventors Challenge gives aspiring inventors the chance to be mentored by industry luminaries and pitch their concepts to the marketplace. ChiTAG’s 2017 sponsors include Target, Pressman, Mattel, Hasbro, SpinMaster, PlayMonster, LEGO and Goliath. Visit www.chitag.com for tickets and full event details.

The Super Power Sensory Hour, held in conjunction with the Neighborhood Parents Network and sponsored by Playfoam, will take place from 9-10a, one hour before doors to the 2017 ChiTAG fair open to the general public on Saturday and Sunday, November 18 and 19. Participating families will enjoy free entry to the fair. For more information, visit www.chitag.com.