Patricia Babuka Creates Unique Toys and Games to Foster Intergenerational Bonds

Talk about your cool grandparents. Every summer, Marjorie and Reuben Black
invite all of their grandchildren to their “GranCamp” at their home. They create themed weeks of family fun, with arts and crafts, outings and special guest educators.

Patricia Babuka, the Black's daughter-in-law, has witnessed firsthand the results of GranCamp -- her children have built a strong, loving relationship with their grandparents. Coming from a career in advertising, she began to consider the opportunity of turning that experience into a business.

The result was GrandCamp Adventures, a collection – introduced in 2008 – of
entertaining and educational storybooks, music, games and activities, all
carefully designed to stimulate conversation and connect families.

“Grandparents are at a time in life where they think about what they can do that
will make a difference. What does my life mean? What is my legacy for my grandchildren?,” muses Babuka. “At other end of spectrum, the inquisitive, open mind of the grandchild is trying to figure out his or her place in the world, wanting to know, “What did my parents do when they were little?”

The products weren't created overnight. Patricia and her team worked with teachers and psychologists to develop them, working from research showing that
children who have relations hips with their grandparents become more compassionate people, and do better at school.

As a target market, grandparents promised opportunity. There are 70 million
grandparents in the U.S. – three out of 10 adults. This demographic is growing by 8% annually. Households headed by 55- to 64-year olds have the highest net worth of any age group. Today's grandparents are better educated and wealthier than any previous grandparents, and 70% love spending money on their grandkids.
Source: Grandparents.com

GrandCamp Adventure products generate communication in a variety of ways. The “Shake-It-Up” 3-in-1 secret handshake game requires the players to invent a shared secret handshake. The “Here We Go” Around-the-World Family Adventure storybook and music CD is complemented by a series of activities tied to the adventure.

“The Search for Longbeard’s Treasure” treasure hunt game, one of the company’s
top sellers, is meant to be an heirloom game, and even an annual reunion tradition. Teams, ideally kids accompanied by older relatives, work through clues together as they follow a map to find hidden “treasure.”

GrandCamp has participated in two editions of NYIGF, making strategic inroads with national buyers, and finding a good fit with many high-end buyers. “We made some great connections that we hope will turn into long-term customers,” she reports. “We’ve found over the years that the gift market has been a great fit for our product line.” Currently, more than 75 specialty retailers carry the line, supplemented by internet sales.

This August, GrandCamp will introduce its first craft product, “Crafty Characters,”
an engaging sit-down activity which challenges the imagination. Play-acting and
storytelling are just part of the fun.

www.grandcamp.com