FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The People of Play and Happy Camper Live Partner to Bring the Young Inventor Challenge to the Summer Camp Scene and over 8,000 Kids

[Chicago, IL] - [6/26/23] - The People of Play – POP!, a leading community of toy industry professionals, and Happy Camper Live, the first 365-day online summer camp program offering hundreds of online and interactive activities for children, are excited to announce their partnership to bring the Young Inventor Challenge to the summer camp world.

The Young Inventor Challenge is a unique competition designed to inspire and encourage creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills in children aged 6-18 years old. The competition invites young inventors to submit their original toy or game designs, which are then mentored and judged by industry experts.

Through this partnership, the Young Inventor Challenge will now be a part of the Happy Camper Live experience, providing children with an exciting opportunity to showcase their creativity and compete against other young inventors from across the country. The competition will take place during the summer camp season, from June through August. All children can join in the fun this summer, even if they're not attending a participating camp where the Young Inventor Challenge is offered.

Children interested in sharing their ideas can sign up for the Young Inventors Challenge at the Happy Camper Live website which offers a free 7 day trial, and upload their invention to the virtual campfire. The Happy Camper Live winner will earn a spot to be considered among the other participating camp and retail finalists. All submissions from each retailer, camp and the Happy Camper website will be evaluated by special guest judges as seen on Shark Tank and the winners in each age group and category will be announced at the end of the summer.

By tapping into the excitement around Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Music (STEAM) education, the Young Inventors Challenge has secured commitments from summer camps (over 7000 campers will be reached at the time of publication), toy retailers, and sponsors from all verticals who will be part of the Challenge, including some who will make contributions to the curated box of inspiration that all organizations offering the Challenge receive. Some sponsors collaborating include Starlux Games, Tenzi, Boogie Board, Hunnybal The Pencil Grip, Create a Castle, Crazy Aarons’ and more.

"We are thrilled to partner with Happy Camper Live to bring the Young Inventor Challenge to the summer camp scene," said Mary Couzin, founder of The People of Play. "This is an incredible opportunity to inspire and empower the next generation of inventors, while also bringing together two amazing communities that share a passion for play."

"We are always looking for innovative and engaging ways to enhance the camp experience for  campers," said Allison Miller, co-founder of Happy Camper Live. "The Young Inventor Challenge is a perfect fit for us, and we can't wait to see the incredible toy and game designs that campers will come up with."

About The People of Play:

People of Play (POP) leads the global toy and game industry in promoting innovation, creativity, and connectivity. A one-stop source of community for industry professionals, aspiring inventors and people of all ages who love to play, People of Play hosts a wide range of events including the Chicago Toy & Game (CHITAG) Fair, the Toy & Game International Excellence (The TAGIEs) Awards, the Young Inventor Challenge, the Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference and the POP Roast.

About Happy Camper Live:

Happy Camper Live is a special organization that offers the opportunity for children to experience the joys of summer camp all year long. With founder and CEO Allison Miller, Happy Camper Live has a goal to provide fun, adventure, and activities that motivate kids to learn, do and spark life-changing moments every day. With over 100’s of fun and interactive activities and daily broadcast, there is something for everyone in the family to enjoy. Tune into Happy Camper Live's 30-episode series, now streaming on Kidoodle.TV®. Through this family-oriented Safe Streaming™ service Happy Camper Live provides kids ages 6-12 with the opportunity to explore the wonders of summer camp and enjoy their favorite shows and movies in a secure environment. Learn more at www.happycamperlive.com.

The Happy Camper Project is the philanthropic arm of Happy Camper Live which brings the joy of summer camp to every kid in the world. Our mission is to inspire giving and sustain youth center programs by funding informal learning experiences. The Happy Camper Project raises funds and provides programming support to help summer camp and youth programs meet their financial and operational needs and attain their goals to continue to offer their activities to their students, campers, families, and community. For more information on the Happy Camper Project, visit www.happycamperproject.org.

For more information about the Young Inventor Challenge and the partnership between The People of Play and Happy Camper Live, please contact:

Jenna Stirling

jenna@peopleofplay.com

(919) 451-0054

Kelly Miller

kelly@happycamperlive.com

(917) 626-3343