Bloomfield, NJ (January 9, 2026) – When it comes to arts and crafts toys, there’s stiff competition – and yet Bright Stripes has cemented itself as a true disruptor since their relatively recent launch in 2019. The company quickly made a positive impression with parents and kids with their incredibly distinct branding, high-quality kits and thoughtfully novel ideas, appropriately bringing creativity to the art toy/activity space. Now with retail success stories at giants like Nordstrom and Barnes & Noble under their belt, Bright Stripes’ latest and greatest selection of creative kits are not to be missed! The dream team of Sabre Mrkva and Eric von Stein are super excited to share their new innovations for 2026 with toy media and fellow industry professionals at Toy Fair Booth #6319!
For starters, Bright Stripes has a product that’s so exciting it rises off the page, literally. Enter Puffy Pages ($19.99 | Ages 4+) – color in any of the 18 sea animal pictures with the 6 included markers, then once you’re done, just add water! No, seriously; right before your eyes the colorful sea critter will puff up off the page and gain an extra dimension! Once your puffy pal is water activated, it has a soft and spongy texture that’s satisfying to hold. Add pipe cleaner antennae and tentacles to create your 3D characters and decorate the scenes with stickers and punchout shapes. Best of all, this robust set comes packaged in an activity book, complete with a handle to take it on the go. The activity book folds out into a free-standing display for further decorative play. Pack everything up in the fold-out zipper pouch for even easier organization and transport.
Watercolors demand a dedicated space and the potential for a bit of mess…or do they? Bright Stripes Watercolor Journals ($14.99 | Ages 6+) are built mindfully with particular attention paid to portability and organization, so you can practice painting on the go. Thick watercolor cakes are included inside the folding portfolio, which closes shut securely with magnets. Also included in this beautiful, all-in-one travel journal are a refillable water brush pen, a felt-tip pen, and 25 printed watercolor pages. The pages have beautifully illustrated images printed in a soft line so you can focus entirely on watercolor technique! New for 2026 are the Woodland Wildlife and Forest Fauna styles, featuring a mix of woodland creatures, flora, mushrooms, insects and more between the two. These sets are so beautiful and feel like moments of self-care when they are enjoyed—not just for kids, kidults and older will love them too!
Bright Stripes keeps a finger on the pulse of culture, and to prove it, they’re extending their line of crafty bag charm kits: DIY Chenille Cuties ($11.99 | Ages 8+). Inspired by the Korean Moru dolls trend made popular in recent years, these kits include extra thick pipe cleaners lined with super fluffy chenille material. Feel the softness before you buy through the special cutaway “try me” packaging. Bend and twist these extra fluffy chenille stems and add outfits and accessories specific to each themed kit. Show off your creations as you decorate your room, or hang them from your bag and turn heads wherever you go with your super cute accessory!
Thanks to the extra sturdy pipe cleaner wire, DIY Chenille cuties can be posed and played with again and again. The line is launching with 6 themes in 2026, including Ducks, Dogs, Unicorns and more to be revealed at Toy Fair!
Knitting can be a challenge for kiddos (and even adults who are freshly entering the hobby!) Thankfully, Bright Stripes is here to offer their delectable Snack Knit Kits ($11.99 | Ages 8+), beginner-friendly knitting kits that make learning the craft fun and easy! No complicated counting of stitches and mastering multiple knots; these characters are created by knitting simple rectangles and adding fun felt shapes.
Once complete, these neat, knitted friends are perfect for cuddling, or crafting into a fashionable bag charm that will get everyone asking where you got it. Take pride in responding “I made it!” New for 2026 and on display at Toy Fair are 3 new characters to launch in Spring 2026: Juicy Cutie apple juice box, Water-Melonie, and Toast-n-Jammy!
A timeless classic is back and reimagined with true Bright Stripes ingenuity! Splash*Tastic Wonderful Wings ($8.99 | Ages 3+), with two 2026 debut styles: Butterfly and Dragon. These bright and detailed activity books feature 5 pages of water-reveal fun. Load your refillable water brush and ‘paint’ over the white areas of the page to magically reveal a cornucopia of mesmerizing images. Once the entire page has been revealed, now you can play an “I spy” style game to find specific pictures amidst the colorful chaos! Look closely at the Butterfly patterns and find kittens, ice cream sundaes, toys, jewels and more. The Dragon wings have themes of fire, water, forest, treasures, knights and beyond. This activity is perfect for artsy travel fun thanks to the snap-in storage for the water brush and mess-free book structure for the pages.
All of this artistic excellence and more will be available to preview at the Bright Stripes Booth (#6319) at New York Toy Fair. Come by and see for yourself what the palpable personality of Bright Stripes!
About Bright Stripes
After working in the Toy & Children’s Product world for over 25 years combined, Sabre Mrkva and Eric von Stein started their dream company, Bright Stripes, in 2018. With a shared love of all things craft and DIY, they believe in the power of creative play to empower kids to create the world they want to live in. Sabre brings her 15+ years of experience of nuts & bolts kids’ product development and a strong business analysis to every decision and design choice. Eric studied Toy Design at FIT in NYC, where he learned the ins and outs of industrial design, childhood development and toy concepts, and has been working in toys for the past 13 years. A true toy super pair! They excel at transforming inspiration into market-ready, eye-catching product packaged in dynamic, trend- right graphics. Equally important to the founders is their charity partner, Art Feeds. Art Feeds equips schools and children’s organizations in the US and around the globe with resources to create spaces where children’s creativity and expression thrive. For more information and to see what’s fresh and new, visit their delightfully colorful website at https://www.brightstripes.co/.