“ASTRA’s top picks are different. Instead of being financed by the companies that make the toys, ASTRA's list is chosen by a community of people who care deeply about quality toys,” said Kimberly Mosley, President of ASTRA. “Winners are selected by neighborhood toy store owners around the country who watch kids play in their store all day long and talk with parents about which toys sustain their child’s attention and become beloved additions to their toy box.”

“SNAP CIRCUITS® STEM along with the others on the Best Toys for Kids Award list, goes way beyond the pre-programmed, ho-hum play of so many heavily advertised toys and gives kids play that truly challenges their imagination, creativity, and other skills,” continued Mosley.

About Elenco Electronics, Inc. Elenco Electronics, Inc. is an educational toy, hobby, and test equipment company based in Wheeling, Illinois. Elenco has been a family owned and operated since 1972, founded by Gil Cecchin, an electrical engineer. Elenco’s pride is the award-winning Snap Circuits® product line, which teaches kids to have fun learning about electricity, engineering, circuitry, and more. Snap Circuits® have been endorsed by educators worldwide and used in schools, libraries, museums, after-school programs, STEM and Maker programs, and at home. Many of today’s rising engineers and scientists learned the basics of technology by creating with Snap Circuits®.

Snap Circuits® come in a variety of different kits, including Snap Circuits® Light, Snap Circuits® Sound, Snap Circuits® Green, Snap Circuits® Junior, Snap Rover®, Snap Circuits® 3D-Illumination, Snap Circuits® MEG (Magnetism, Electronics, and Gears) and Snapino®, an Arduino-based coding kit.

Elenco’s motto - Learn By Doing® - inspires, motivates, and challenges children of all ages and backgrounds to solve problems and practice real-life skills. For more information, visit www.elenco.com.

About the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) Founded in 1992, ASTRA is an international not-for-profit trade organization that serves more than 1,800 independent retailers, manufacturers and sales representatives in the specialty toy industry. ASTRA is a community of dedicated professionals committed to providing children with healthy, quality play materials that have high play value and are designed with a focus on what the child can do, rather than what the toy can do. ASTRA members are leaders who, through their businesses, make a positive impact on the economy and culture of the communities they serve. For more information, visit www.astratoy.org.

ASTRA (AMERICAN SPECIALTY TOY RETAILING ASSOCIATION)NAMES SNAP CIRCUITS® STEM TO THE 2017 “BEST TOYS FOR KIDS AWARD” LIST Wheeling, IL (July 31, 2017)– SNAP CIRCUITS® STEM manufactured by Elenco Electronics, Inc. has been honored with a 2017 Best Toys for Kids award by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), for the fifth consecutive year, Elenco announced today.

The Best Toys for Kids Award list features toys that stretch a child’s imagination, toys that invite discovery and exploration, toys that get little ones moving, toys that help kids build creativity, toys that fascinate and delight babies, and even toys that will help preteens unplug from electronic games and rediscover the joy of play.

Contact:Elenco Electronics, Inc. Linda Kramer 847/353-8522 lckramer@elenco.com

Elenco’s President, Jim Cecchin, says that what makes SNAP CIRCUITS® STEM unique is that it reinforces STEM concepts, such as electricity and magnetism, with fun and creative activities so that kids get excited as they learn. “This is the type of toy your kids will play with over and over again because SNAP CIRCUITS® STEM lets them create circuits and be inventors,” notes Cecchin.

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Look for SNAP CIRCUITS® STEM in your local independent toy stores this fall!